Originally Posted by
Hydro Junkie 
How about this, have all quads equipped by the factory with a low power transponder. If it's close enough to the airport for the radar to pick it up, it's close enough for them to get police out to it where it lands. If it's being flown too high over a known flying field, the ATC would know that as well and could call or send someone out to let the people know there is a problem. This could also be retrofitted to all receivers at time of manufacture that are used in all RC aircraft over a period of time.
Originally Posted by
ira d
While your idea has some merit I don't know that it would be cost effective. Again I don't think its a good idea to single out just quads, Also if the transponder was required on all RC aircraft it should make it more cost effective IMO.
Originally Posted by
N410DC
At this point, anyone who is using a quad to count nose hairs in a airliner cockpit knows dang well that they are violating federal law. Anyone who wants to fly close to an airport will simply disable the transponder, and any other equipment that might get them caught. Fully automatic weapons are illegal in the US, but converting some rifles from semi-automatic to fully automatic is not difficult. The same fact would pertain to transponders.
Equipping quads "at the factory" is also problematic, given the rising number of quads that are being built from kits or from scratch. Even if the FAA demands that all R/C aircraft be equipped with transponders, it will always be possible to build an aircraft that does not contain the equipment.
Additionally there are airports served by commercial carriers that have no radar and most of the airport radar systems probably do not have the resolution to direct the LEO's to the landing site of said 'object'.
This whole thing is really a society problem writ dangerous. We have gone from a country of law abiding folks with some common sense to a nation of "I will do it my way no matter what you and the law say" people committed to nothing beneficial to their neighbors.
