Hi-
 
Is anyone else nervous about drones, especially with Christmas fast approaching and regulations being apparently very new and pretty light?
 
I can imagine a drone failing and crashing down on a highway in front of a car, similar to this one crashing down just behind a skier:
http://www.engadget.com/2015/12/22/drone-camera-almost-crashes-into-skier/
 
Not to mention the danger they pose to airplanes. It seems like they're still generally considered a toy, doesn't it?
 
Thanks-
 
-Susan
 
 

They take some skill to control, so yeah it's a worry that anyone can just fling one of those things around in the air. A kid lost an eye recently when he got hit by the blades of an out of control drone. 
 
I remember when they first came out and it was a quirky little scene of enthusiasts putting kits together. Back then they were called quadcopters. A friend of mine upstate had one with a GoPro fitted to it, you could view the images through a set of googles and fly the thing like that. Incredible fun although I couldn't really wrap my head around how to control it. Lots of crashes. But he lives out in the sticks so nobody got hurt....

Susan G
Hi-
 
Is anyone else nervous about drones, especially with Christmas fast approaching and regulations being apparently very new and pretty light?
 
I can imagine a drone failing and crashing down on a highway in front of a car, similar to this one crashing down just behind a skier:
http://www.engadget.com/2015/12/22/drone-camera-almost-crashes-into-skier/
 
Not to mention the danger they pose to airplanes. It seems like they're still generally considered a toy, doesn't it?
 
Thanks-
 
-Susan
 
 

I MUST get with the times!  The first thing that came to mind were those continuous notes that many songs start with (or the one set of strings on a sitar)...
 
Oh well!
 
As for the actual topic, there are now many "no fly zones" made illegal specifically due to drones (I believe there's also a height limitation as well).

The Japanese have developed a law enforcement drone. It's essentially a big drone that carries a net to snag other drones. In America there's more guns than drones so it won't take long to shoot them all down.
 
There's a lot of good work people could do with them, particularly in agriculture, building inspection, search and rescue. I hope the puddin' heads don't mess it all up.

I have yet to see a drone anyplace other than on TV or in a Hobby shop .
There is a nice little park next to me where I would be pissed if any one was flying a drone anywhere s near me and my dog ... Everybody in the general area walks their dogs there . Also a lot of folks that are elderly walk around the park for exercise ..I sure hope I don't start seeing any drones there ...
A mile away there is a nice sized Wildlife Reserve with plenty of wide open space and fields  . It seems this place would be a very good place for somebody to fly a drone safely ....
I would probably enjoy watching a drone flight from a safe distance away....
 
Kenny
   

Drones are wonderful. As long as they're not armed like the shotgun-equipped units being deployed in Texas.
 
I watched a documentary the other day about cave exploration, in what may turn out to be the largest cave system ever found. They used drones to capture some amazing video of parts of the cave no human has ever set foot in.
 
After that big earthquake in Nepal, there was HD video released the next day showing the devastation from about 100 feet up. Thanks to drones, the world got to see just how bad it really was, people opened their wallets and international aid started coming in right away.
 
Best of all, Amazon wants to start delivering packages by drone. This, I'm sure, will spawn a new sport: skeet-shooting with prizes!

ampfixer
The Japanese have developed a law enforcement drone. It's essentially a big drone that carries a net to snag other drones. In America there's more guns than drones so it won't take long to shoot them all down.
 
There's a lot of good work people could do with them, particularly in agriculture, building inspection, search and rescue. I hope the puddin' heads don't mess it all up.

AND ... in some places that's legal since it would be considered invading one's privacy!
 
I'm running the next orgy outside ... for all the drones!

Susan ,
I wound up seeing the video of the drone crashing on the news ...WOW , That skier was actually pretty lucky .
It seems to me that an incidence  like that was a total freak accident ...
The drone and the drone pilot were professional and part of the team filming the athletic event .
Either way , if that's a pro doing his thing w a drone , now you got me quaking in my cowboy boots wondering if I have to wear full body armor and slap on my motorcycle helmet for a safety hat ...
I'm pretty sure sometime around the end of this week somebody is gonna be out there playing with their new Christmas toys . In the Airspace Right Over My Head ....
There's a lot of duck hunters over here in my area ...this shall be interesting
 
Kenny

I wonder.....
 
How long will this thread drone on?
 
BadaBoom.

bapu
I wonder.....
 
How long will this thread drone on?
 
BadaBoom.

 bapu you are something man .

 
Kenny