Something is going to have to be done about these things

[Mike Griffin]

This crap needs to stop.  Just a couple of weeks ago somebody flew one of these damn things through a window on the 37th floor of an apt in Manhattan.  Instead of promoting these things, AMA needs to be warning people of the abuse that is increasing at an alarming rate with irresponsible use of these things.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-4283486/Woman-grabs-gun-shoots-nosy-neighbour-s-drone.html

[Target]

Agreed, but the ama has completely sold out.

[Shug Emery]

I am always seeing these drone posts but in the last AMA mag I really did not see a lot of drone ads or articles abount drones in it.
They are for sale everywhere, sure.
I have friends that bought them and learned to fly them the first day!
Now they rarely fly them. No challenge to them.
At least folks and tigers are knocking them out of the sky.
If folks flying them make you mad then they win.
Like they say about other things...it ain't the drone, it is who is flying it.
Shug

[jose modesto]

Recent articles on Drones posed that Drones as an industry will grow to 100 billion
AMA is very small potatoes
The Gov. has cleared the sky's for this industry. That was the falls registering of Drones.
The AMA only has toys. You guys keep harping on toys
Look at the big pictures guys.
Drones are the future in lots of industries. Farming,mining,oil exploration,
oil rig,wind mill maintenance.
The Drone you hate today may provide your grand kids the jobs of the future.
We will soon have Driverless trucks delivering our goods.  ( no more drivers)
Computer controlled commercial aircrafts ( no more pilots )same for trains,taxis,boats etc.
In Texas the oil prices are recovering but not the jobs.
technology,including Drones have reduced in half the number of humans needed since the oil price crash.

so buy your grandchild that drone it may be his job in years to come (sorry next year) lol
Jose Modesto

[Dave_Trible]

About a year ago we got about the best compromise we were going to get on these with at least some protections from losing the ability to fly our airplanes and not be simply swept into the dustbin with the drones should something really tragic happen.  One still has to hope that a stroke of a pen from on high doesn't change that.  Watch what you ask for.

Dave

[EddyR]

Fake set up😂

[john e. holliday]

Why do they keep calling them drones?  They are multi rotor aircraft with some big enough to carry things like cameras for looking at things.  I just finished reading the article in the back of MA about a lady who is now making a living flying them  There are others that know how to use them in a safe way and helping instead of spying or destroying things.  Military is excepted as what they use is a completely different animal.  But, the media can't be believed any more unless you see what happened with your own eyes.   If the media would tell the truth instead of what the person reporting tells this country would not be in the fix its in.

By the way the little toy rotor craft I got for Christmas I gave to my grandson who flies it all over the house and does all the flips and rolls.

[FLOYD CARTER]

Our local Community College is offering a course in drone operation.  It consists of classroom discussion plus "hands-on" experience (I guess with a college-owned drone).  The course runs for 3 weeks, M-W. at 2 hours per session.  The tuition is $130.

I can just see it now: the professor stands up in front of a large auditorium to begin the class.  But there is no one else there!

Tell me; who is going to spend $130, and 12 hours, plus travel time, just for drone instruction?  Especially when the ads promise "no prior experience necessary".

The community college is mostly financed by my taxes, plus a small amount from student tuition.
Floyd

[eric david conley]

     Jeez Floyd I see a big long line to sign up for the class. Nevada is pushing this technology big time at our 2 University's and the JCs. They look at it as a coming trend and want to be out front.

[Mike Griffin]

I suppose I should have been more clear in my initial post.  This is like the pro gun/anti gun argument.  It is not the fault of the inanimate object simply because it exists, rather it is the amoral moron who is controlling it for nefarious purposes.

I am in the Civil Air Patrol and we have a national program under the Aerospace Education branch where we are using these machines in Emergency Services for SAR missions.  There are many legitimate uses for these machines to make life better for all of us and may in fact aid in saving a life.

I don't know what the solution is for more responsible operation of these things by the public who can buy one just about anywhere now, but I do think if the AMA is going to embrace them, as they have, then they also have a responsibility to somehow separate these things from true flying models.  A fixed wing or helicopter RC model are true models, these things are not and should not be supported by an organization that supposedly exists for the enhancement and promotion of true model aircraft.  The vast majority of people who fly these things have no interest in joining an organization like AMA and on the flip side, there is no way that AMA can control the behavior of the person who buys these things.  

My main concern was that because of these things being available in mass quantities and literally anybody can open the box and fly one, then you are going to have these kind of incidents happen and when law suits start being filed by the dozens, then the legitimate and true model airplane hobbyist is going to be lumped in with these other brain dead idiots and we are going to be punished through no fault of our own and the AMA seems to be oblivious to this fact because of their desire for the revenue these things bring in for them.

Mike

[Mike Griffin]

And Doc you are correct, these things are not "Drones" in the true sense of the word.

Mike

[Fredvon4]

As a career Army Rotary wing mechanic, you would think my passion would be Military style helicopters and you would be true... BUT I soon learned that I absolutely sucked at RC helicopter flight

However I do have some very very cool toy helicopters

As I morphed back to control line aircraft...the Heli stabilization, state of the art, with 3 axis gyro sensors --was just being introduced--- and the very many varieties of micro helicopters started to appear ready to fly--- out of the box--- by ANY ONE and nice low, buy in, price point...

I had one of the first sub $100 RTF micro helis that once the battery charged, I could fly all around the shop or house competently.. exercising my 4 small dogs

Last Xmas my brother, knowing me...gifted me a Amazon sourced $29 Drone RTF that looks a lot like a stealth bomber with 4 fans.... a "quad" if you will... right out of the box, charged via USB, the damned thing will take off, hover, and go where I want it to...never did read the chinglish instructions

So I have very mixed feelings ---or if you will ----intuitive trepidation about "DRONES"

On the one hand,  they can be very entertaining and fun....OK! OK! ..yes Virginia, not a real BOM model airplane worthy of consideration

The other extreme is a very serious concern that a load carrying autonomous device can inflict great damage and fear with little or no true ability to find the programmer terrorist and make him stew in Hogs blood for eternity

Obviously, for the true purest Modelers who believe-- you are NOT a real modeler ---unless you grow your own balsa, and weave your own silk, and crush tooth brushes down to dust to make cellulose glue, the DRONES, or ANY OTHER fun toy, is just a short lived FAD

I noted a while back about watching the championship Quad flying/racing--- and the fact that the winner was a Father and son team, who are self taught, and built their own Racing quads... I opined that the Kid was very likely to end up an expert with a fun- as well as lucrative- career, in the future

BTW --anyone (and I am dismayed that true terrorists are so ignorant) that desires to make the Daytona 500 into a hell on earth death trap...could easily outfit a Sig Telemaster for a fairly lethal pay load and autonomously fly it over the crowd

or ANY school--- or any other venue to wreck terror...

Hell I am a retired career Army guy who can imagine easily over 100 possible terror scenarios that would absolutely cripple our USA...

For some time now I have become numb to any possible terror scenario....mostly becaus I have become cogent that ALL true terrorist's are a bunch of dumb fuggers with no real idea how to inflict the Most damage and change of American life/behavior

What a bunch of Moroons !! to quote Bugs Bunny

[Lyle Spiegel]

When I was a little kid there I remember hearing about a flying car. You no longer have to sit in  a traffic jam.
 I'm waiting to hear they have a single seat quad copter I can keep in my driveway, and anytime I need to go out, I can hope in and fly it to my destination (or does it fly me?) . If I need a quart of milk or a six pak, I wont have to drive to the market. My drone can fly over, they load it with my stuff, and it flies itself back to my driveway!

[Fredvon4]

Lyle...as we write--- your scenario is in the works on more than one front by more than one company or municipality.

Many cities, and states , are serious about this ability/ technology/ if for NO OTHER reason, than to REDUCE single personal car trips just for a 6 pack...etc

They-- do indeed consider, the space our road cars  take up, the fuel costs, the cost of emergency services, the potential congestion, and the efficiency of commodity delivery ....all these aspects are are now being seriously worked into the NEXT twenty year road and maintenance plans

[Steve Hines]

Just be afraid, and hate.

Steve

[steve pagano]

It's kinda crazy to think anyone can pick one up and flying it later that day with the use of spying and invading people's privacy ! meanwhile here in NYC a program was designed by the FDNY to implement the use of drones at multiple alarm fires. The idea is to have drones give fire ground command officers an aerial view of the fireground while the members are inside. The program is still in the "development" stage they say but in reality the only thing that's holding you back is the fact that every single time the fire department would like to deploy the drone they have to get FAA clearance prior to launching.  Hopefully after tonight the program will be closer to becoming a reality. One of the test drones that is used by the FDNY was put to use during a fourth alarm fire in the Bronx earlier today and while firefighters had a difficult time battling the blaze it was the drone which may have possibly save the lives of multiple fire fighters when the real time aerial footage showed the loss of the structural integrity of the roof  which made the commanding officers give the call to evacuate the top floor in the event of a collapse. In the right hands the little buggers can be pretty useful !

[Lyle Spiegel]

Maybe someone will hook up some lines and figure out how to fly a drone doing the pattern? Can they fly inverted or wing over or loops?  How would they do in a three up rat race?

[Bob Reeves]

Good old Oklahoma, just announced on the news our law makers have introduced a bill that removes the possibility of the shooter being sued by the drone owner if you shoot down a drone. Hope it gets through the whole process and becomes a state law. Open season on drones over your property, maybe a few other states will do the same.

[Fredvon4]

Bob
While I can understand the "I don't want a neighbor or the sheriff deputy " peeking at my topless wife in the back yard

I have to strongly disagree with these feel good shoot down efforts...by law makers with re-election mostly on their mind

There are now many legitimate and non invasive reasons why a "drone" operator may over fly your/my property

Just to be a totally argumentative guy...If... I was contracted by a county to do a land survey and, my $6000~$10,000 DOT/FAA approved and certified craft got shot down... I would be seeking compensation from SOMEONE

The county would be liable... and I assume they would do their best to pass the cost on to the private citizen who destroyed my property

OTOH... like you, if a drone is doing some (obvious to me) "peeking" and I  have a strong suspicion it is NOT a commercial job---I think I would have to ponder long about trap shooting the invader...but once I was fairly certain it was some butt head Peeking in... his toy probably would crash land in an destroyed condition due to excessive steel shot poisoning

This opinion is due to the efforts of my county to save us all money by NOW using these (DRONE) contractors to do Land Use surveys, track feral hogs/coyotes, and count the deer populations.

We also have two of the bigger real estate concerns that use the Drone contractors to photo a property and adjoining land for legit purposes. 

Fortunately a lot of this activity is actually well advertised or word of mouth information

Recently three different drone contractors searched for several days for a lost child in an adjacent county and actually found the child...

I am glad they have this technology even while being very Leary of the potential Bad actors

[Brett Buck]

Good old Oklahoma, just announced on the news our law makers have introduced a bill that removes the possibility of the shooter being sued by the drone owner if you shoot down a drone. Hope it gets through the whole process and becomes a state law. Open season on drones over your property, maybe a few other states will do the same.

    Very good!

      Brett

[Steve Hines]

We looked for a lost boy here in Michigan, with a control line plane and could not find him. We decided to look for control line flyers could not find them either.

Steve

[Chris Wilson]

What gets me in all of this is the use of reasonable and APPROPRIATE force, every legal use of force circles back to this.

Now I ask all reasonable people here, how can you justify the use of a firearm against a drone?
Was the drone armed? Did it threaten you ? Probably not.

But IF a drone seriously threatens you, how about you use appropriate force and send your own up (since they are not going to ban them any time soon) as a fighter against it?

Sounds reasonable to me and heck, a whole lot of fun!

Dog fights any one?

I am just waiting for the day some one 'justifiably' shoots one down and the ensuing wreckage injuring someone.

[Will Hinton]

The sky is falling, the sky is falling!!!!!

[Paul Smith]

People with drone problems should do like Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show.

All the guns used ammo with the slugs replace by tiny metal beads glued together with wax or some such thing. Thus, all the pistols & revolvers became shotguns.  This made it easy to shoot plates & bottles.  But more important, it eliminated collateral damage in the form holes in the tent and death.

This would work great on drones.

[Steve Helmick]

We looked for a lost boy here in Michigan, with a control line plane and could not find him. We decided to look for control line flyers could not find them either.

Steve

Why would a boy with a control line plane get himself lost? Obviously, you should have looked for him at the schoolyard, park, or officially designated control line flying site. Further, if he had been flying his IC plane instead of that stealthy electron powered one, the haters (and their lawyers) would have had his location pinpointed and a SWAT team on the way in short order.  Steve

[YakNine]

I work for a east coast freight railroad, we are in a drone no fly zone  for the most part but the big railroads out west are already trying them out to perform track inspections, and security, I think it's a matter of time before they get permission from the FAA to put transponders on them and fly them in terminal control areas . Then we will lose more jobs. T J

[Chris Wilson]

You haven't seen the drones that drop bombs and shoot guns?


MM

Yes I have - but only on You Tube.

Ok so I have answered your question and now I think that its only fair to answer my original one, "were these drones armed?" And "what threat did they pose (to justify the use of deadly force)?"

[Pat Chewning]

Even the "legitimate" uses of drones can be dangerous.  Here's a video of a TV-camera drone being used at a ski race that narrowly misses the skier.   Very scary.  Could have been killed.

[donald raab]

Sooner or later. 

[john e. holliday]

Instead of rifles they need to equip themselves with some high powered shot guns.   If a shot gun won't take a drone(multi-rotor) down immediately it is not close enough to hurt.

[Chris Wilson]

Instead of rifles they need to equip themselves with some high powered shot guns.   If a shot gun won't take a drone(multi-rotor) down immediately it is not close enough to hurt.

So let me get the logic of this straight, we have an aerial device with 4 spinning blades, moving at speed, is it safer continuing its flight or plummeting to earth in an uncontrolled manner?

Why on earth would any one want to bring these things down into close proximity to themselves where they can do the most damage?

As in shoot down a grenade carrying drone with a short range weapon just seems like asking for trouble.

[JoeJust]

After watching he video two times I really think it is bogus, BS, and attempt to make the program look like the reporter is some sort of hero.  "look at me, setting myself up in harm's way!" FAKE NEWS!  I worked as a news director for three different news radio stations long enough to find out that most electronic news is slanted politically. Joe

[Bob Reeves]

So let me get the logic of this straight, we have an aerial device with 4 spinning blades, moving at speed, is it safer continuing its flight or plummeting to earth in an uncontrolled manner?

Why on earth would any one want to bring these things down into close proximity to themselves where they can do the most damage?

As in shoot down a grenade carrying drone with a short range weapon just seems like asking for trouble.

Not get political but am pretty sure Australians have a different view on guns than we Americans, they did let the government take away most of the private ownership. Different mind set and different views.

[Chris Wilson]

Not get political but am pretty sure Australians have a different view on guns than we Americans, they did let the government take away most of the private ownership. Different mind set and different views.

Hi Bob,
            Please note
 That I was very careful not to say the word 'gun', but yes we have a different view.

[Mike Griffin]

Not get political but am pretty sure Australians have a different view on guns than we Americans, they did let the government take away most of the private ownership. Different mind set and different views.

You beat me to it Bob

Mike

[Chris Wilson]

 

After watching he video two times I really think it is bogus, BS, and attempt to make the program look like the reporter is some sort of hero.  "look at me, setting myself up in harm's way!" FAKE NEWS!  I worked as a news director for three different news radio stations long enough to find out that most electronic news is slanted politically. Joe

Interesting point, if the drone really was an active live feed camera drone then surely that footage of plummet to Terra Firma - from the drones own camera - would have been priceless to boost ratings.

With commentary like " Oh look, this is how close death really was ."

[Wayne Collier]

Yes I have - but only on You Tube.

Ok so I have answered your question and now I think that its only fair to answer my original one, "were these drones armed?" And "what threat did they pose (to justify the use of deadly force)?"

Deadly force?  It's not alive. Not sure if want "legitimate" drones nosing around my backyard any more than nosey  neighbors?  Can't think of any legitimate reason for land survey, county, or city drones to overfly my yard. Maybe law enforcement on a manhunt or pursuit.

[Chris Wilson]

Deadly force?  It's not alive. Not sure if want "legitimate" drones nosing around my backyard any more than nosey  neighbors?  Can't think of any legitimate reason for land survey, county, or city drones to overfly my yard. Maybe law enforcement on a manhunt or pursuit.

Hi Wayne,
             using a firearm is classed as using deadly force, in that the use of it can occassion death- not that the drone is alive.

What I am trying to get at is the response should equate to the threat and blowing it out of the sky, whilst making one feel better at the time is fraught with danger and complications.
Personally if a drone over flew my property the safest option would be to let it keep going or you may get into the skiing competition scenario and it hits someone on the way down.
Thanks.

[Scott Richlen]

Before the Wright brothers (not that long ago in a historical perspective) you owned the column of air over your property.  For the benefit of commercial air use, you lost possession of that air quite a few years ago.  And nobody cared, because what were they going to do with it anyway? But the air below 500 feet (I think that's the correct number) was still yours (unless you lived in close proximity to an airport.)  The challenge of drones and their expanding commercial use is that now the "ceiling" is being lowered further.  Frankly, I do not like low-flying helicopters, much less drones.  It is sort of a "freedom" thing which many Americans have: an odd little expectation that we are free and ought to be free from government (and other) interference to the maximum extent possible and that our freedoms are indeed ours, not given to us by a particular government.  And, in fact, the freedoms we "surrender" are actually voluntarily given up to our own desire to self-govern.  You know: the old of the people, by the people, and for the people thing.  Many people these days don't understand that, since they are unaware of their own history, or are aware of it but have a political agenda that over-rides it.  Too bad.  Why we don't like regulations.  Too many times these are things that our own Congress cooked up but then didn't take the time to actually develop, but specified to the bureaucrats to finish.  That's why we have an aversion to them.