Guys, stop buying and flying quads when you don't know what you are doing. Especially over crowds or populated areas. This should be common sense.
RAW video link - http://abclocal.go.com/wabc/video?id=9270819
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But that's totally off topic. I have a problem with associating what this guy did with the word drone. This guy was flying a Radio Controlled Multi with a camera and some sort of video link. True with a multi you need assistance flying it, (they said it was a helicopter, but there pics of a DJI) but this could have just as easily have been done with a model that uses NONE of the equipment associated with a drone. To fly a UAV, you need it to be flying itself.....I think if he had set a flight plan using Google Earth maps it would have stayed between buildings, not clipping the sides of them. So even if drones were banned, the problem wouldn't go away, because even the $20 Syma copter I got from amazon is not using a gyro and assisting me with flying the damn thing. (I always crashed the earlier little indoor ones within 30 seconds...I know, Im a terrible pilot so I use waypoints)
If cars had only been invented today, cities would not be more densley populated, or cleaner. IT takes a hell of allot of infrastructure to service densely populated areas. Even with trains and cargo ships, trucks are used to get the products to market before they spoil, and cars from there to homes. Obviously you could go to store on a bike, but when I got to the store I usually need a cart to hold everything ive bought, and then get all of that home.
Man, this thing can get really wild and put all users into trouble on the sight of a small quad wandering about over busy streets. I am sure government is watching every move from (reckless or non-reckless) individuals, coz a flying thing in public is anonymous and can do anything ( in theory). At least, that is what govt' may think of !!
Be careful, it can be powerful yet dangerous. So, we must use it with care!
What's the point of trying to play the blame game? The guy could have caused more damage throwing his toaster out the window. Nobody would call to ban toasters, but then they are not designed to fly although I bet someone's thinking how to make em fly now :).
These things are made to fly and the easier the better as far as most mainstream manufactures are concerned, as it gives 'em a bigger market. That means they will inevitably fall into the hands of fools and it's down to the manufacturer to make 'em as foolproof as possible. Not just foolproof, but idiot proof too.
I see people comparing this issue to guns, and making it almost a 2nd amendment right. Well UAV's are not protected by the 2nd.
I live in a country with gun control. It's no big deal. I own 4 guns, they are registered with the police. I can't shoot in certain areas, have a certificate earned through shooting at gun clubs, and I have a hunting licence earned from going on organized hunts, and passing a written test.
I wanted it, so I complied with the rules. It didn't cost me much extra money (except for the gun safe), I made friends at the TIR and with Le Chase (hunters), and was a better shooter for it. Club fee's tend to cover ammo and insurance with anything left over at the end of season going into a giant piss-up.
I'm not suggesting everyone going into UAV's should have to go through a similar regime by law, even if it would make them better pilots. But if UAV's do come under government scrutiny I'd rather see them come under similar regulation then see them banned.
It is the same thinking which leads people to be afraid of flying. Plane crashes are generally high profile. People who have never flown may feel apprehension about getting into a multiple ton metal tube which hangs in the air, and travels at hundreds of miles per hour. Those same people will drive around in a multiple ton metal box at significant fractions of a hundred miles per hour, and not think twice, because it is commonplace in their lives. I fly many times a year, and never give it any thought, because it has become commonplace in my life.
I have no doubt "drones" will become relatively commonplace, and accidents will occur. The response may be higher profile than a car crash, but not as high profile as airline crashes. More importantly, I think within a hundred years people will wonder why we ever made such a big deal out of these tools in the early parts of the 21st century.
RL,
you are right. One needs to know his stuff to order various parts and assemble, source few more things from else where and complete the UAV, then trouble shoot it. Now what it also means is assembler/flyer posses " basic knowledge" if not more advanced about his project. He reaches this level after some experience flying something.
Point is if there is no cheap hobby part stores available , even advanced hobby pilots will not be able to fly. So why blame on a store just because of easy accessibility to various parts.
Funny part is , the props or blades is what mimes/does the damage , it is motor that makes it spin at high speed. No one is blaming the motor or prop manufacturer :)).
Yes, but only because cars have been in existence for 100 years, and in widespread public use for 80 years with the result that our entire society and culture is built up around them. But if you really think about how different things would be if that were not true, you'd understand the point I'm trying to make.
Imagine the world if cars had only been invented today. We'd all be riding bicycles to get around, or maybe horses in rural areas, and we'd have much better mass transit. Cities would be even more densely populated, and clean and friendly. If you tried to bring a car into the world now, it wouldn't fit. People would be asking why we need cars, when all the other transport methods are working just fine. Cars would be considered dangerous, and I'm sure there would be huge lobby against them. Particularly in cities.
The dangers and damage they cause to our society today, is only accepted because they were invented 100 years ago when we were naive.
Yes, it's sort of a silly comparison to make because obviously, it is what it is, cars *were* invented 100 years ago and UAV's were not. But that doesn't mean that we should toss aside UAV's because we cannot yet dream of what benefits they may bring us 100, or even 10 years from now. That's what I'm trying to say. It's extremely short sighted to say that UAV's could never have the same utility benefits, and economic benefits, that cars do today. You don't know. I'm more of an optimist in this regard.
The way I see it, UAV's are just a special branch of robotics. We're a few decades late, but finally robots are getting very close to capability that will revolutionize our society. UAV's are just flying robots. They will play a big role.
But to restrict or ban UAV's today, simply because they are dangerous and of limited utility today is extremely short-sighted. I understand that you're not advocating for this, you're just stating what you see as the inevitable outcome. But I don't see it as inevitable. We can and must advocate for their adoption as a beneficial technology. We've accepted other technologies and products that are far more dangerous, and far less beneficial, such as guns, alcohol, tobacco, and Furbies.
Maybe America needs an nth amendment? "The right to bear drones."
Seriously? Blame Hobby King? Hobby King does not sell DJI. I do not think it's possible for a newbie to buy and fly anything from Hobby King. Nothing they have works out of the box. That's a good and a bad thing.
John,
"If you are groping for a "Blame" button, which I am not, why not bark at Hobby King? Most likely they sold this DJI copter to the knucklehead that did this thing anyway and if not, so what and who cares?? "
Exactly my point. Hobby king sells probably 10 times more than most other stores. There may be many more. But we never hear the name " hobby king" mentioned any where!! They even clone all popular Autopilots developed by others. now why is that? My point is lets not point finger at a store or brand. Yes , large & small hobby manufacturers should be proactive in matter in hand " if they have a say". I am sure Chris would be more than happy to involve if FAA chooses to hear it.
I have bought most of the my hobby stuff except AP from HK. It is me who flies and should own the blame for such incident if any, not HK or SF or 3DR or any other store. My view is defending this community of enthusiasts and this hobby which we all love. I own no store or business and am not affiliated with any brand or store either. And I don't own APM either. I care less if FAA bans it or every one in USA hereafter needs license and training ( cost!! ) to own and fly a hobby grade UAV. It is this whole global community that suffers sooner or later. So we the users have to be proactive to it first. How , where and who is million $ question....
As a store/business owner , do you get any sort of consent/feedback form and supply any cautions, advice or talk to etc or have tried doing any thing/educating any one who buys UAV related items from you? :). Currently help/discussion forum, support in store front is the only option that I can see. And if this venue closes , where does a Noob or we all go. So lets assume , Chris or any store owner feels that he/she had enough head ache from this community,FAA, abcd , closes the store and this site, where does that leave us all?
In any case I wasn't referring to your reply below alone but to every one else who subtly means the same.
"3DR sponsors this site, they are looking or should be. With 30M to invest into this business it would make sense if they did pay closer attention to the matter at hand. They have hedged their bets however doing mfg. in Mexico."
Education, guidance helping the Noob, etc etc.... this is long road to travel, this will all settle in next 2-3 decade of debate. Cheers and lighten up, we are all in the same boat. :)
OK - resorts. This topic and comment of mine had to do with what I had included. Read the post! The property was purchased and intended to become a training and test facility for one of the key UAV manufacturers. They are working to be key. They have the big funding - so - they will become a key. The facility they purchased will have classes of instruction and outdoor areas for flight lessons. As with any instruction, the leaders will charge for the events/courses and issue a certificate of completion. This may become a legal license required to operate. This is highly probable. Information about health, safety, operation, maintenance, repair, uses/applications, laws and insurances required will all be part of the courses.
As with guns, automobiles, aircraft, hobby aircraft/gliders, hunting, fishing, boating, scuba, RC aircraft clubs, HAM operators and many other activities there will be rules, tests, licensure, registrations. It is a new emerging industry. This is what happens and will happen. It is now happening. Either piss and moan and make up stuff as people have all through history about how it will not or can't happen or grow up and see that this is another type of evolutionary event that happens all the time through organized human history.
Forums for discussions - There are many, many forums about this stuff. Some obscure, some popular. They are not hard to find. I am confused of where to continue with. The gab is getting overwhelming. There is not any shortage of our places to make noise. There is a lot of good and bad information. Let's stick to good!
Drones are REAL! Robots are REAL! 3D Printing is REAL! Surveylance is REAL! Airport quasi-strip searches are REAL! Communicators and video communicators are real. So - Get REAL!
And ---- I do feel we are all friends here building our tools/toys together and trying to protect ourselves as a group so we can be allowed to keep doing so by our parent - government.
Go to NYC tomorrow Oct. 11th for the Drone Conferences. Stay through to the 13th. Become part of it or spout empty noise and in two to three years it IS part of our lives. Uh, so similar was the Internet in '95 when Gates said that MS wasn't going to get involved and AT&T said it was a Fad. So --- if you don't think it will be regulated and become a licensed registered and fined activity you are in some bigger 'Wrong' know-it-alls than yourself.
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