Sounds like somebody neglected to research FAA rules before getting excited about putting an eye in the sky.
From BoingBoing
Above, "The Bravo 300," a tactical drone manufactured in New Orleans by Crescent Unmanned Systems. Weeks after New Orleans local investigative paper The Lens began digging into city officials’ plans to use a U.S. Homeland Security Department aerial drone to monitor crowds at the upcoming Super Bowl, a spokesman for Mayor Mitch Landrieu announced that the city is no longer pursuing those plans.
Spokesman Ryan Berni offered no reason for dropping the eye-in-the-sky technology, telling a reporter to submit a public-records request. In a brief phone interview, he would say only that the decision to ditch the drone was made “over the past several days.” In a follow-up email, Berni said Homeland Security would be providing a manned helicopter, equipped with a camera, and that “the City learned by phone in the last few weeks” about the switch.
Read more: City cancels plans for Super Bowl drone despite enthusiasm and interest from NOPD, others (TheLensNola.org).
Comments
So what's the difference in being under surveillance by a manned aircraft vs. an unmanned aircraft? Seems to me like you're being watched either way...
As far as worrying about if a motor fails, could you imagine if the Wright Brothers or any other aviation pioneer didn't fly out of similar concerns? Two thumbs up to Bill P.'s comments.
I agree with Rory. It's one thing to use drones to patrol the borders, but the US public would probably no take kindly to be under drone surveillance themselves. The was a good Outer Limits episode that explored the exact scenario. Wish I could remember the title. I think it was an episode in the mid-90s. They were ahead of the curve, as usual.
Perhaps someone asked "what if a motor fails?"
A drone crashing into a crowd at the superbowl would cause some seriously bad publicity for us!
LEMV.
Give me one example of an unmanned system that could operate over the Super Bowl without causing an absolute uproar..a Border Patrol Predator? The public and the ACLU would have absolute palpitations. You do no introduce the public to the prospect of 24/7 aerial surveillance at an event like this.
Why risk a problem with a manned resource when you have existing unmanned resources available?
It's just as valid.
Do you honestly think that the FAA will give permission to fly a UAV over the Super Bowl government supplied or otherwise? Why risk a problem with an unmanned system when you have existing manned resources in the area that can take care of surveillance for the relatively short time required.
Sounds like it has nothing to do with the FAA....sounds like they are going for the cheaper option....