Drones and Common Sense Rant
- Thread starter A Life Aloft
- Start date
Sucks. Sadly the price to be paid due to these morons and their drones causing that shift in tactics.
Of course, in the old days, ground crews would push in hard offensively even without air support. Nowdays, the risk isn't worth it.
I own two UAVs, and I hate these reckless, irresponsible operators as much as everyone else who's posted here. I've also been a pilot for 30 years, and understand airspace, how it works, and how to share it. A lot of these guys don't understand where & when to fly, don't know how to find out, don't care, or don't believe that a three pound Phantom poses a hazard to something larger. They spent a thousand bucks and they'll fly it wherever they damn well please.
FAA hasn't helped. They have NO regulations for "hobbyist" operators, and their rules won't be in place until 2016 or 2017. They recommend keeping operations below 400' AGL, five miles from all airports, and within line of sight, but those recommendations are frequently ignored, and have never been enforced to my knowledge.
FAA hasn't helped. They have NO regulations for "hobbyist" operators, and their rules won't be in place until 2016 or 2017. They recommend keeping operations below 400' AGL, five miles from all airports, and within line of sight, but those recommendations are frequently ignored, and have never been enforced to my knowledge.
A Life Aloft
Well-Known Member
When I looked at all the new photos of the various ground crews this morning, the situation looked dangerous enough to me as it is. I wouldn't want them taking any more risks either. It's a really crappy job, temps in the high 90's and certainly worse near and in the fire zone, and all that equipment they are lugging around, the heat exhaustion and dehydration risks are bad enough, never mind the shifting winds.
It's just so disheartening to think of all the containment ground they have lost because the aircraft were grounded.
SlumTodd_Millionaire
Most Hated Member
There's no such thing as common sense. That's why we need strict laws on these things. Outlaw the sale to anyone who doesn't have a pilot certificate.
A Life Aloft
Well-Known Member
Just confirmed form the second news conference that LEOs will now be flying in the area all day and continuing, just in case there is another issue. That's good news at least. Hope they get all the helos and planes launched soon and keep them safe. My thoughts and hopes to those pilots and the ground crews. Be well.
Last edited:
BEEF SUPREME
Well-Known Member
I normally don't agree with more rules and regs. However after our principal asked "if we saw the drone" while on final to HWD I completely agree.
The law would be to complicated to enforce, and they are relatively easy to build from scratch. As a kid, I built numerous model airplanes from a set of plans. No die cut pieces, no pre-fab stuff, just a set of drawings.
Like I said earlier, make an example out of these guys. Drop the hammer on them. Make it HUGE in the news, nation wide, on every news channel.
KKochan
Well-Known Member
I can't think of another way to deal with it. Perhaps some sort of altitude limiting on all of them, but you know that could and would be easily bypassed. And whoever should be regulating this has screwed up royally by not taking action earlier, this is already out of control.
SlumTodd_Millionaire
Most Hated Member
There may be a tiny, tiny group of people who build them themselves, but we can take care of 99% of the problem by outlawing their sale.
mjg407
Well-Known Member
Drones, even piloted by someone with a certificate or military equivalent. 540 days in Afghanistan and over 2000 hours in orbits, the only thing that ever came close to taking me out were drones that had gone "lost contact".
Guns kill people and cause property damage. Should we outlaw those too? I just fail to see it from your point of view. The point of this country is not to punish the many because of a few.
SlumTodd_Millionaire
Most Hated Member
With 350 million guns in America, it's a little late for that. It's not too late for these idiotic things. It may be a few years down the road, though.
mjg407
Well-Known Member
Guns are heavily regulated when it comes to major areas of public safety. Unless specifically regulated and approved, I can't bring a gun to a major sporting event. The problem is that drones are a low cost technology that no one has a clue on how to regulate. Like I said earlier, I have a lot of bad experiences with drones, and these were professionally operated and cost $$$ millions.
Honestly, when it comes to the safety of the people in back, I'm a lot less noble about it than you. Because I'm going to make it to the scene before they are. And if I never make it, they won't either. So I worry about me. That, in a round about way, makes me worried about them.
So, make regulations, and enforce them, without prejudice.
There aren't a fee thousand of these things out there. There are millions of them now. Just like guns. It's to late.