Would you shoot one down for invading your privacy ?

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I imagine it won't be long before one can go online and buy a 6 inch long SAM missile to shoot down drones flying over you. There will be miniature air wars all over the place! Maybe Mark will be able to repurpose his brass cannon to shoot down drones!
 
Agreed

OK, I understand that the "dumb" terminology I used may be abrasive and rather direct. I also understand there are many excellent untrained pilots in the world, probably just a natural born talent. I'm sorry if my term offended anyone on here.

But...

I'm completely lost in why I should be arguing or advocating the idea of formal training, following regs, trusting in protocols, etc. being a good idea:hide:

I'm sure there is a healthy dose of people that write the check, fill up the tanks, and head out only to be rescued by the coast guard because training was unnecessary.

Stupid boaters normally don't fall out of the sky and kill an innocent person on the ground. I'm sure your friend is very capable....but there are a lot of idiots who think they are the ace of the base. Would you advocate voluntary adherence to highway traffic laws, insurance or driver licensing?
 
The destruction is irrelevant, the point is that something of that nature should require some form of mandatory training. I get the same feeling when I see some old timer driving a 400HP 40' Coach with air brakes. I'm pretty sure he has absolutely no endorsement nor is it necessary. The principal remains the same. People can die, lots of money has to be spent correcting the situation, and the sport becomes tarnished in the public eye. No one wins when little to no regulation exists.

Wow, that is the first time I have actually said or written something like that down. I'm typically at the opposite end of the spectrum.
 
The destruction is irrelevant, the point is that something of that nature should require some form of mandatory training. I get the same feeling when I see some old timer driving a 400HP 40' Coach with air brakes. I'm pretty sure he has absolutely no endorsement nor is it necessary. The principal remains the same. People can die, lots of money has to be spent correcting the situation, and the sport becomes tarnished in the public eye. No one wins when little to no regulation exists.

Wow, that is the first time I have actually said or written something like that down. I'm typically at the opposite end of the spectrum.

Ouch! I resemble that remark! Although I do maintain a Class B heavy license and a $1M umbrella policy. Not us old coggers in our 45K lb coach that's causing most of the crashes....it's the folks that can't stop texting behind the wheel at 70mph that concern me......

Regarding drones, I like the fishing line approach. ..If it's close enough to bring down with a rod and reel, it's invading my personal space!
 
A friend of mine bought one of those 40' busses several years ago for a scandalous amount of money. Spent $15K adding a driveway next to his garage to park it. Brought it home from the dealer and backed in his new baby taking out the roof eave on his garage.

A month and $8K later($6K to fix coach, $2K garage) he brought it home again and guess what?

A month and another $8,000 later he parked it in a storage lot 2 miles away at his wife's request.

Like boats, just because you can operate one by virtue of writing a check doesn't mean you should.
 
"Boats are like slide-whistles, anyone can buy one."
-Jerry Seinfeld
 
Talking about ultra-lights pilots being self regulating, I propose that the cost to buy one is what caused them to be self regulating. Some now have EFIS and recovery parachutes. Cost have to be in excess of 100,000. I doubt you could find a new basic ultra-light for less than 50,000.

And talking about privacy, for you folks that have a video surveillance camera to monitor your house while you're away, say like a D-link camera, they are easy to hack. We have one in our living room and I park it with the camera facing the ceiling. The other day I saw it with the camera facing out into the house. None of us had used it in the last month or so. When I set it up I set up a password that I thought was secure.

Sorry thread creep.
 
Reality is a drone is the least of our privacy worries. As to a safety concern, I'm more concerned. But let's see, there are breaches of credit cards and other records constantly, anyone using ApplePay should know 6% of the charges using it are fraudulent at this point so huge security issue, 10 times that of a credit card. Internet. Card numbers hijacked in restaurants. If you ever post online using your real name. Identity theft is rampant. If you have a phone listed in your name or a residential address. Thing is if you are ever naked then someone could likely photograph it, just not worth it if you're not a celebrity as it won't sell. Personally, I'm far more bothered by the invasions of personal privacy and information than the invasion by a camera.

Now, I am concerned about someone who doesn't know what they're doing or has poor equipment flying a drone over me that might crash on my head or get entangled in wires, and I am concerned about the possibility of interfering with airplanes or helicopters.
 
Since Skidgear got me playing over on the FAA website, I ran across the proposed rules for radio control aircraft, which will include the drones we're talking about.
For recreational use there will be weight limits, speed limits, altitude limits, airspace restrictions. All of which make a lot is sense.
 
No repurposing needed. It shoots 10 gauge shotgun shells. :)

The cannon is only ceremonial or for signaling. If I wanted to shoot down a close-in spy vehicle, I'd use a semi-automatic, magnum twelve-gage, shoulder-held shotgun, without a plug to limit magazine capacity, which I presently do not possess. Ordinary U.S. citizens, like me and you, aren't permitted to own/launch anti-aircraft missiles.
 
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i want to comment on this thread just so I get updates on it! I've been laughing the whole way through!
 
Was I not supposed to shoot down that Ultra light flying over my property. OOPS!
 
My favorite idea is the one to have an electronic device to take over control of the drone. You could build up a pretty good collection of them to sell on eBay and pay your fuel bill!
 
My favorite idea is the one to have an electronic device to take over control of the drone. You could build up a pretty good collection of them to sell on eBay and pay your fuel bill!

Pirate of the Drones....
 
Maybe it should be legal to shoot down drones, but only with another drone.
I see Raytheon making very tiny heat seeking missiles, AIM-1/9th Mini Winder?


A drone dog fight, that would be worth watching!
 
Parks-you just came up with a great moneymaking idea! We could form the Drone Air War Association, set up over water drone wars, and sell the TV rights to some crummy cable station as a "Reality Show". Even have video cams on the drones to show live shots of the incoming missile!

Any bets on how long before someone actually does that?
 
Greetings.
Mr. THD. I think you're on to something there. DAWA...Presents "Real Drones of _______ County. Now you're going to have to consider casting. You'll need a drone master...Think Redneck, bearded, one toothed fat guy...
th

His lovely bride...
th

...Don't forget the kids...
th

...And of course the dogs for retrieving...
th
Treestumper
and
th
Varmint.

OK, ya got the cast, how about the script?
 
Maybe it should be legal to shoot down drones, but only with another drone.
I see Raytheon making very tiny heat seeking missiles, AIM-1/9th Mini Winder?


A drone dog fight, that would be worth watching!


Already happening!


And drone racing, too. Google it. Us old guys are way behind the curve on this technology.
 
Wow! That's pretty cool. I don't think I would spend a lot of time watching it but I'd love to do it. Thirty years and fifty pounds ago I enjoyed running around in the woods shooting people with paint balls. I could do this sitting down.


Oh Oh Oh! I've got it! Drones armed with paint ball guns shooting at people who can shoot back! Each paint ball team would have their own air support! Bomber drones dropping paint bombs. Fighter drones trying to stop bomber drones. That would be great! Old farts like us could sit there controlling the drones while the young folks run around the field.


RTF, Boy are you wrong about the Red Neck thing. This would be a huge nerd fest. Have you seen those robot fights?
 
Oliver, I like it! Kamikaze Drones
 
Parks-you are right on the techies. I live in Seattle and we have 75,000 techies in about 20 square blocks of downtown that would pay big money to be doing drone wars. I love the paintball idea, full combat, with air support, paintball wars. How cool would that be! Maybe Marin can find us an big, unused Boeing hangar. Doing it inside would eliminate problems with the FAA. We could make it a big competition. Get like Boeing, Raytheon and DARPA to sponsor it.
 
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