U.S. Cracks Open Skies To Testing, Use Of Aerial Drones
Source: REUTERS
By Alwyn Scott
NEW YORK (Reuters) - The U.S. aviation regulator took a step toward opening the skies to aerial drones on Monday, authorizing six sites where unmanned aircraft can be tested for a variety of uses.
The Federal Aviation Administration already has approved limited use of drones in the U.S. for law enforcement, surveillance, atmospheric research and other applications.
But Monday's move will give companies, universities and other entities locations at which to test much broader use, such as crop spraying, catching exotic-animal poachers or delivering packages.
"It provides the platform for this research to be carried out on a very large scale across the country," Federal Aviation Administration Administrator Michael Huerta told reporters.
Read more: http://wkzo.com/news/articles/2013/dec/30/us-aviation-regulator-names-sites-for-unmanned-aircraft-tests/
Jesus Malverde
(10,274 posts)After a fierce nationwide competition that offers potentially big economic benefits for the winners, six sites were selected Monday for testing of how drones can be more widely used in U.S. airspace.
The Federal Aviation Administration announced the selection of sites in Alaska, Nevada, New York, North Dakota, Texas and Virginia.
California, vying to become the Silicon Valley of robotic aircraft, was among the losers in the 24-state competition.
http://www.latimes.com/nation/nationnow/la-na-nn-us-drone-testing-sites-20131230,0,5172767.story
L0oniX
(31,493 posts)Sara?
intaglio
(8,170 posts)travelling at 90 mph at a range of 1 - 3 miles ... then they're the Green Arrow
1000words
(7,051 posts)Pretty easy, really.
SwankyXomb
(2,030 posts)I guess I can stop working on that HERF gun then.
blkmusclmachine
(16,149 posts)DavidDvorkin
(19,406 posts)blkmusclmachine
(16,149 posts)DavidDvorkin
(19,406 posts)We need to keep track of them.
proverbialwisdom
(4,959 posts)Unmanned drones coming to N.J. skies as FAA names test sites
By Ed Beeson/The Star-Ledger
December 30, 2013 at 2:03 PM, updated December 30, 2013 at 2:42 PM
Drone aircraft soon will be taking to New Jerseys skies in experiments that could lead to their wider use.
The Federal Aviation Administration this morning announced the six operators of test sites across the nation that will be conducting research on unmanned civilian drones with an eye to introducing them into the nations airways.
One of the winning proposals came from Virginia Tech, which says it plans to run test sites in New Jersey in conjunction with Rutgers University, as well as Virginia.
The FAAs William J. Hughes Technical Center in Egg Harbor Township also will be the lead facilitator of data collected from each of the six test sites, according to Rep. Frank LoBiondo (R-2nd), who hailed the FAAs announcement in a statement.
Read more: http://www.nj.com/business/index.ssf/2013/12/unmanned_drones_to_take_to_nj_skies_as_faa_names_test_sites_for_drone_research.html#incart
proverbialwisdom
(4,959 posts)paleotn
(17,781 posts)..what shot size is best for drones? I guess like game animals, it depends on the size of the target and range. 7-1/2, 8 or 9 for small survellance drones, up to maybe double or triple aught buck for big Amazon package carries. Of course buckshot may risk damaging the cargo. Full choke, Mod or I/C? Decisions, decisions.
I bet drones being shot out of the sky right and left will become a serious issue in the days to come.
jsr
(7,712 posts)blkmusclmachine
(16,149 posts)(Licks chops in anticipation.)
JoeyT
(6,785 posts)They have a lot of uses that go way beyond spying on people. We'd have killed for one of these when someone (Usually a kid) was lost in the woods and the choice was between calling in the helicopter that cost a fortune to keep in the air or beating our way through the woods with sticks, yelling ourselves hoarse, and hoping some asshat didn't think we were a new species of deer and shoot at us.
Of course the folks that want to use them for stuff that isn't spying on people probably won't be able to afford them.
davidthegnome
(2,983 posts)I do not think our civilization is ready for this kind of technology. I do not think our government and law enforcement are, overall, wise enough to be benevolent in their use. We live in a Country that uses video cameras to catch people speeding, so their tickets can arrive conveniently in the mail.
What really gets me is that they are "unmanned". This means they can be hacked, hijacked, malfunction... the possibilities for accidents are almost as scary as the potential for misuse.
Jesus, I guess Big Brother is going to have an even better view now.
blkmusclmachine
(16,149 posts)Javaman
(62,442 posts)peacebird
(14,195 posts)Assuming I thought they were predators after my chickens, of course....