I just read "FAA under pressure to open US skies to drones."
"WASHINGTON — Unmanned aircraft have proved their usefulness and reliability in the war zones of Afghanistan and Iraq. Now the pressure’s on to allow them in the skies over the United States.
The Federal Aviation Administration has been asked to issue flying rights for a range of pilotless planes to carry out civilian and law-enforcement functions but has been hesitant to act. Officials are worried that they might plow into airliners, cargo planes and corporate jets that zoom around at high altitudes, or helicopters and hot air balloons that fly as low as a few hundred feet off the ground.
On top of that, these pilotless aircraft come in a variety of sizes. Some are as big as a small airliner, others the size of a backpack. The tiniest are small enough to fly through a house window…"
This is something that I did not think about… I had no idea that there were so many people wanting to put these in the air and I had no idea of the dangers and concerns.
I can see both sides of the issue. I can see how having drones in the air could be of big help. I have no problem with the police having them up in the air. I would feel safer. Just think of a few of them up in the air and just up there for 20 hours or so watching. They could be watching and recording. I think crime would start going down.
I see a real problem with the automated drones. No one in control. They just fly some programmed mission like along a pipeline or something.
I would feel safer with someone flying the drone from the ground but I did not think about what happens when they lose radio contact with the drone.
I wonder what is going to happen when one comes down on someone and crashes into them or if one comes down on a highway or into a gas well or nuclear power plant?
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