bogbeagle

I read an interesting idea in the British press, yesterday.

Someone suggested that one-or-more "drones" might be used to fly above a football stadium, then drop some "white powder". The resulting panic would likely lead to numerous deaths.

The Welfare-Warfare State pretty much guarantees that every one of us will end up being prisoners in our own homes ... monitored, regulated ... just like domestic animals. The tragedy is that so many of us actively welcome our imprisonment.

phlpsfrnk

This sounds so much like the arguments a few years back about whether or not model airplanes should be classified UAV's, UAS's, sUAS's, etc, etc..... Now we have an old term (Drones) used by the media in new ways and a repeat of the sane argument. Brad has it right, "Useless debate". Yes, I'm having so much fun I can't stand it, how about the rest of you??????

Frank

phlpsfrnk

I use them for my desktop calendar. The EAA sometimes has a nice calendar also.

http://www.eaa.org/en/eaa/aviation-e...ktop-wallpaper

Frank

bradpaul

Fuel for the fire.....

http://news.yahoo.com/ap-exclusive-d...-politics.html

phlpsfrnk

snip "...some will misuse them because they don't understand the safety risks or simply don't care."

and therein lies our problem.

Frank

JohnShe

To paraphrase some old English guy: "A drone is a drone is a drone, a drone by any other name would fly the same" As far as I am concerned, let's take November's advice and use any term you want, and let's go flying.

cfircav8r

My Feedback: (1)

The problem is that this is true of everything, but the general public doesn't care as long as it's loss doesn't affect them. You can't take away motorcycles because it affects too many people, even though more innocent (meaning not involved in the activity) people are killed by them in a single week than have ever been killed by a civilian operated "drone."

phlpsfrnk

"Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., said the "reckless operation of drones, whether near airports or anywhere else, is a serious threat to public safety."

"We shouldn't wait for a major disaster to take action to protect the airspace," she told the AP"

Frank

Sport_Pilot

Past history says it won't happen. Those that have had mid air with full scale planes did no major damage. Unless giant drones become popular, there will be no major disaster. Not saying there should be no rules, but the FAA seems to want to stop about 99% of possible UAV traffic. Feinstein is part of the ruling class that wants the government to rule over everything BTW.

TimJ

God forbid that woman actually shows up to a flying site..........She would have a much better understanding of the safety involved.......

littlecrankshaf

My Feedback: (58)

Heck...women show up at the field all the time...they just like to pose as men. LOL

Sen. Feinstein sounds like the average outspoken modeler nowadays...Sad but true anymore...

bradpaul

Politics, she is now on the record in case an accident happens, then she can blame the Republicans and George W Bush.

Nothing new here standard CYA.

phlpsfrnk

Brad.
I don't disagree with all of that but I also don't wish to be around the individual that causes the first incident when it does occur. Would anyone care to lay odds that there won't be an incident with an airliner?

Frank

JohnShe

Amusing interpretation at best. Tell me, how would you react if a republican had said that? Here is an interesting example of the way things could be done.

In order to buy a package of Pseudoephedrine ( a very effective antihistamine), I need to show my driver's license or other government issued ID, and then sign for it. Also, I am allowed to purchase only one package. This is supposed to prevent bulk purchases for use in making methamphetamine. There is a weakness however, I can just go down the street to another pharmacy and purchase another package. if i wanted to set up a meth lab, I could go to to every nearby pharmacy every day and buy enough to stock the lab.

I suppose, that governments, federal, sate, or local could require that hobby shops and toy stores require drone purchasers to show an ID, read a safety brochure and sign-off on having reads it. It would not do a whole lot of good, since most jerks will just ignore it, but at least it will make some people think and slightly reduce the number of unsafe incidents. Then the jerks can be punished more severely.

bradpaul

You mean a Republican would blame the Democrats or Obama? My reaction is the same a politician going on record to CYA. They can't help it it is how they are wired.

Sorta like buying a gun? Same old solution that never works.

I posted this earlier:

Causes of Fatal Accidents by Decade (percentage)

[TABLE="class: cms_table, width: 550, align: center"]
[TR]
[TD="width: 550, align: left"][TABLE="class: cms_table, width: 554"]
[TR]
[TD="class: cms_table_style14, width: 208, align: center"]Cause[/TD]
[TD="class: cms_table_style14, width: 44, align: center"]1950s[/TD]
[TD="class: cms_table_style14, width: 44, align: center"]1960s[/TD]
[TD="class: cms_table_style14, width: 44, align: center"]1970s[/TD]
[TD="class: cms_table_style14, width: 44, align: center"]1980s[/TD]
[TD="class: cms_table_style14, width: 47, align: center"]1990s[/TD]
[TD="class: cms_table_style14, width: 44, align: center"]2000s[/TD]
[TD="class: cms_table_style14, width: 45, align: center"]All[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="class: cms_table_style3, width: 208, align: center"]Total Pilot Error[/TD]
[TD="class: cms_table_style3, align: center"]58[/TD]
[TD="class: cms_table_style3, align: center"]63[/TD]
[TD="class: cms_table_style3, align: center"]44[/TD]
[TD="class: cms_table_style3, align: center"]57[/TD]
[TD="class: cms_table_style3, align: center"]55[/TD]
[TD="class: cms_table_style3, align: center"]57[/TD]
[TD="class: cms_table_style77, align: center"]53[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="class: cms_table_style14, align: center"]Pilot Error[/TD]
[TD="class: cms_table_style14, align: center"]42[/TD]
[TD="class: cms_table_style14, align: center"]36[/TD]
[TD="class: cms_table_style14, align: center"]25[/TD]
[TD="class: cms_table_style14, align: center"]29[/TD]
[TD="class: cms_table_style14, align: center"]29[/TD]
[TD="class: cms_table_style14, align: center"]34[/TD]
[TD="class: cms_table_style77, align: center"]32[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="class: cms_table_style14, width: 208, align: center"]Pilot Error (weather related)[/TD]
[TD="class: cms_table_style14, width: 44, align: center"]10[/TD]
[TD="class: cms_table_style14, width: 44, align: center"]18[/TD]
[TD="class: cms_table_style14, width: 44, align: center"]14[/TD]
[TD="class: cms_table_style14, width: 44, align: center"]16[/TD]
[TD="class: cms_table_style14, width: 47, align: center"]21[/TD]
[TD="class: cms_table_style14, width: 44, align: center"]18[/TD]
[TD="class: cms_table_style77, width: 45, align: center"]16[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="class: cms_table_style14, width: 208, align: center"]Pilot Error (mechanical related)[/TD]
[TD="class: cms_table_style14, width: 44, align: center"]6[/TD]
[TD="class: cms_table_style14, width: 44, align: center"]9[/TD]
[TD="class: cms_table_style14, width: 44, align: center"]5[/TD]
[TD="class: cms_table_style14, width: 44, align: center"]2[/TD]
[TD="class: cms_table_style14, width: 47, align: center"]5[/TD]
[TD="class: cms_table_style14, width: 44, align: center"]5[/TD]
[TD="class: cms_table_style77, width: 45, align: center"]5[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="class: cms_table_style14, width: 208, align: center"]Other Human Error[/TD]
[TD="class: cms_table_style14, width: 44, align: center"]3[/TD]
[TD="class: cms_table_style14, width: 44, align: center"]8[/TD]
[TD="class: cms_table_style14, width: 44, align: center"]9[/TD]
[TD="class: cms_table_style14, width: 44, align: center"]5[/TD]
[TD="class: cms_table_style14, width: 47, align: center"]8[/TD]
[TD="class: cms_table_style14, width: 44, align: center"]6[/TD]
[TD="class: cms_table_style77, width: 45, align: center"]6[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="class: cms_table_style14, width: 208, align: center"]Weather[/TD]
[TD="class: cms_table_style14, width: 44, align: center"]16[/TD]
[TD="class: cms_table_style14, width: 44, align: center"]9[/TD]
[TD="class: cms_table_style14, width: 44, align: center"]14[/TD]
[TD="class: cms_table_style14, width: 44, align: center"]14[/TD]
[TD="class: cms_table_style14, width: 47, align: center"]8[/TD]
[TD="class: cms_table_style14, width: 44, align: center"]6[/TD]
[TD="class: cms_table_style77, width: 45, align: center"]12[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="class: cms_table_style14, width: 208, align: center"]Mechanical Failure[/TD]
[TD="class: cms_table_style14, width: 44, align: center"]21[/TD]
[TD="class: cms_table_style14, width: 44, align: center"]19[/TD]
[TD="class: cms_table_style14, width: 44, align: center"]20[/TD]
[TD="class: cms_table_style14, width: 44, align: center"]21[/TD]
[TD="class: cms_table_style14, width: 47, align: center"]18[/TD]
[TD="class: cms_table_style14, width: 44, align: center"]22[/TD]
[TD="class: cms_table_style77, width: 45, align: center"]20[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="class: cms_table_style14, width: 208, align: center"]Sabotage[/TD]
[TD="class: cms_table_style14, width: 44, align: center"]3[/TD]
[TD="class: cms_table_style14, width: 44, align: center"]5[/TD]
[TD="class: cms_table_style14, width: 44, align: center"]11[/TD]
[TD="class: cms_table_style14, width: 44, align: center"]12[/TD]
[TD="class: cms_table_style14, width: 47, align: center"]10[/TD]
[TD="class: cms_table_style14, width: 44, align: center"]9[/TD]
[TD="class: cms_table_style77, width: 45, align: center"]8[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="class: cms_table_style14, width: 208, align: center"]Other Cause[/TD]
[TD="class: cms_table_style14, width: 44, align: center"]0[/TD]
[TD="class: cms_table_style14, width: 44, align: center"]2[/TD]
[TD="class: cms_table_style14, width: 44, align: center"]2[/TD]
[TD="class: cms_table_style14, width: 44, align: center"]1[/TD]
[TD="class: cms_table_style14, width: 47, align: center"]1[/TD]
[TD="class: cms_table_style14, width: 44, align: center"]0[/TD]
[TD="class: cms_table_style77, width: 45, align: center"]1[/TD]
[/TR]
[/TABLE]
[/TD]
[/TR]
[/TABLE]

Looks like if we want to reduce aircraft accidents then better pilot training and regulation is needed.

Now what about the difference between commercial and general aviation?

Which type of flying is safer

[TABLE="width: 614, align: center"]
[TR]
[TD="width: 614, align: left"][TABLE="width: 614"]
[TR]
[TD="class: style37, width: 365, align: center"]Type of Flight[/TD]
[TD="class: style37, width: 223, align: center"]Fatalities per million flight hours[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="class: style35, width: 365, align: center"]Airliner (Scheduled and nonscheduled Part 121)[/TD]
[TD="class: style35, width: 223, align: center"]4.03[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="class: style35, width: 365, align: center"]Commuter Airline (Scheduled Part 135)[/TD]
[TD="class: style35, width: 223, align: center"]10.74[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="class: style35, width: 365, align: center"]Commuter Plane (Nonscheduled Part 135 - Air taxi on demand)[/TD]
[TD="class: style35, width: 223, align: center"]12.24[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="class: style35, width: 365, align: center"]General Aviation (Private Part 91)[/TD]
[TD="class: style35, width: 223, align: center"]22.43[/TD]
[/TR]
[/TABLE]
[/TD]
[/TR]
[/TABLE]By far the biggest risk in flying IS THE PILOT.

So what about banning UAS, sUAS within 5 miles of an airport if safety is the overriding concern? Well hundreds of AMA club fields would have to close including the AMA NATIONAL FLYING SITE IN MUNCIE!
Complete safety is impossible as long as humans are involved.

As a closing thought the article referred to over 1 million drones in use, what about after this Christmas? 2 million? 3 million? The FAA has lost control.

phlpsfrnk

Yes the pilot is the weakest link but I don't think we are ready for flying from point A to point B by autonomous computer flying, at least not yet. Although there's always room for improvement, what would those stats be without the current level of training in the US? Another stat that I was told during my training was that a large percentage of the part 91 fatalities were pilots with less than 200 hours flight time. Like the saying goes "there are old pilots and there are bold pilots but there are few old bold pilots"

Frank

Sport_Pilot

OMG this for a toy that would bounce off any airliner! This is sickening that people would just throw away their freedom for very little safety.

Sport_Pilot

That's OK because after John gives permission to ban them, he will give permission to do a house to house search for the drones already sold. Let's hope that the police know the difference in a drone and a model airplane. Naaa, bet they take all as a CYA routine.

Sport_Pilot

I toyed with buying an autonomous control board for a Sig Kadet about a decade or more ago. I was inspired by the TAM flight across the Atlantic. They have gotten a lot smaller.

http://hackaday.com/2014/01/12/auton...-of-your-hand/

JohnShe

That chart is really fascinating. Tell me, how many drones, of any type, were being flown by civilians for recreation or commercial purposes before the year 2000? I think I see a flaw in your reasoning.

So having a drone purchaser read a brochure would not count as a reasonable effort towards pilot training?

Sport_Pilot

I have been flying my drones since 1976. Earlier than that if you include tethered drones.

JohnShe

So, why would I ban drones when I am on record for supporting safe recreational use of drones?

JohnShe

Also, nobody is banning drones within five miles of an airport, that has been proven wrong by several examples.

1/2 time show

My Feedback: (78)

I can see these drones getting out banned soon.

Sport_Pilot

I guess that's ok if its somebody elses drones. But what if its your drones?