Go here first. http://www.click2houston.com/investigates/14659066/detail.html
Is more being made of this than is necessary?? I wonder why the reporters spin did not point towards the environmental benefit of UAV's less gas than the helicopter. The newscopter that was chasing, is that not invading the privacy of some police officers on a private farm??
Newscopters falling from the sky constitute quite a danger to the public, as last years crash in Phoneix Arizona proved.
So is raising the privacy issue, the pot calling the kettle black. Whats newsroom rights for one, is police invasion for others.
But I certainly agree that since 911 many basic human rights and freedoms are being lost worldwide under the banner of anti terrorism. Many of them just plain dumb. If you have flown internationally recently you will know the pain that is the new liquids rule.
All liquids that can be picked up once your through the security gate in duty free. Perhaps the sale of clear plastic bags world wide has gone down, so something needed to be done to lift them.
What really worries me here is that UAV's are being shown in a sinister light. The ability of UAV's to do dangerous, dirty difficult jobs at a lower cost with less risk to life should be emphasized at every turn.
Otherwise everytime you take your Lego autopilot out to play in your black van wearing shades you might come under TV Helicopter scrutiny. Perhaps Lego should be banned, thats the answer. It clearly demonstrates an invasion of your neighbours privacy.
I don't care if I'm lost in the hills or out to sea and a UAV, blackhawk helicopter or Buck Rodgers in his space ship hove over the horizon to find me, just as long as I am found.
Its no secret that the UK CAA may impose restricts on aircraft less than 7KG in weight with UAV equipment onboard.
Heres an extract from a 2004 policy document.
This policy is applicable to all types of UAV
Systems, including those of novel design.
UAVs under 7kg mass fall within the Small
Aircraft definition of the Air Navigation
Order (ANO) [6] and are exempt from most
regulatory provisions. Such UAV Systems
are currently the subject of a further review.
by the UK-CAA and may be included within
this policy at a later date.
Civil Aviation Authorities are pulling standards together and the days of the amateur developer are probably numbered.
Newscopter pilots need not worry for their jobs as aviation grown ups have already spotted that the media would like UAV's and will probably close the loop before its even slightly opened.
Ho humm, suppose I must start my working day.
G
Comments
About time I joined you on this. I guess this post is old, but so long as you are throwing UAV related news pieces about, have you looked at the Economist's article on UAVs over the past month or so? Pretty interesting, and it touches on the privacy and airspace restriction matters.
Here is the link:
http://www.economist.com/opinion/displaystory.cfm?story_id=10063788
http://www.wired.com/politics/security/multimedia/2007/10/gallery_u...
But if you want to make money with them you will have to advertise your services and at this point the bread crumb trail will start.
Already in the UK the Large Model Association has said it wants nothing to do with commercial operation of RC aircraft to the CAA, quite rightly so.
Thankfully in europe the regulators are pretty sensible, as long as your aircraft is less than 7KG in weight, they don't care what you do with it.
The unless point comes..... if theres an accident. Once that happens the CAA will look very closely at commercial use of aircraft below 7KG in weight.
I think at the moment its completly legal to use RC aircraft for aerial photography. Whereas commercial photography from RC aircraft there is a bit of a grey area.
The amazing thing though, is that these arguments have only become possible in the last couple of years.
I've seen the future, garlic bread.
If anyone else on here can come up with where that reference is from I will be mighty impressed. You like me, will need to get out more.
G
And yes, if a local public agency is contemplating spending tax funds on technology of this sort, I think there should be some expectation of transparency. Why did they feel it necessary to explicitly ban the press?
This UAV might be one that had permission to operate, the FAA issue permission based on case by case requirements.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/10/16/AR2...
If so there would be no need to Notam its flight. As long as it stays within whatever permission it has been given.
The police were being heavy handed if they said otherwise.
Perhaps the newscopter was deemed to be flying in formation with the UAV, if so as you are probably aware flying in formation with somebody without the consent of that somebody is a big no no. They could get the news guy for that.
Especially if the high powered camera on the UAV could see the breakfast that the chopper pilot had just had.
I still think its a heck of a way for Elvis to find aliens without attracting too much attention.
If you are thinking of grown up UAV operation this would be a good place to start http://www.caa.co.uk/docs/33/CAP722.pdf
As I said in my post I can see the lid being shut on small UAV's very quickly.
G
have a great weekend all.