Idea of civilians using drone aircraft may soon fly with FAA

[Are_grits_groceries]

Drone aircraft, best known for their role in hunting and destroying terrorist hide-outs in Afghanistan, may soon be coming to the skies near you.

Police agencies want drones for air support to spot runaway criminals. Utility companies believe they can help monitor oil, gas and water pipelines. Farmers think drones could aid in spraying their crops with pesticides.

"It's going to happen," said Dan Elwell, vice president of civil aviation at the Aerospace Industries Assn. "Now it's about figuring out how to safely assimilate the technology into national airspace."

That's the job of the Federal Aviation Administration, which plans to propose new rules for the use of small drones in January, a first step toward integrating robotic aircraft into the nation's skyways.
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http://lat.ms/sSURgW

I feel safer already. NOT!
I shudder to think how they will be used.

[bbinacan]

1. I thought we already had them

they're called radio contolled aircraft. Been around for decades.

[Lasher]

3. Yup, and some of them are way to big to keep in your toybox.

I don't worry much about civilians using them but I don't want the technology to get into foreign hands.

[Tesha]

5. Once they are commercialized, they've "escaped" and there won't be any going back.

And given that there's profit to be made and dope smokers to be tracked,
there's no doubt they'll be commercialized.

Tesha

[Pholus]

2. Don't worry. Like chemistry sets, owning drone aircraft will be seen as suspicious.

Unless you're a cop or a corporation of course. Since the rest of us would have no legitimate reason it merely help us gain some new (read FBI informant) friends.

Welcome to our brave new world.

[saras]

4. As long as I can use them against fucking leaf blowers, I'm fine with it.

[LWolf]

6. I want a Constitutional Amendment guaranteeing my right to privacy.

Something with teeth.

I don't want satellites taking pictures of my home. I don't want drones watching me. I don't want GPS tracking me. I don't want people taking pics or videos of me without my express permission. I don't want anyone calling me on any phone unless I asked them to.

I just want to be left in peace.

[Speck Tater]

7. How about civilian owned anti-aircraft batteries?

Or really long-handled butterfly nets.

[LWolf]

8. snort

I'll go with the butterfly nets. I can run around, waving it at them, and yelling, "get off my airspace!"

[Posteritatis]

9. A silly reaction to a silly article. (nt)

[ProgressiveProfessor]

10. Problem is that individuals/land owners do not own the airspace

It is under FAA control. It why you can not ban overflights of aircraft today.

As long as they can figure out some kind of sense and avoid, its going to happen.