CBS Sunday Morning interview

[helloman1976]

The top three questions I always get when people see me out flying are (in no particular order)...

1. How long/much did that take/cost to build?
2. How far/high/fast can it go?
3. Do you use it to spy on your neighbors? (usually asked with a giggle)

With out fail, almost every time I'm asked about spying. It might have something to do with the obvious FPV downlink displayed on the monitor, but it almost always happens.

Truth be told, 99.9% of Americans don't do anything interesting enough to warrant the local government to want to spy on them to begin with. These aircraft allow the govt to do nothing new. They can spy on you with a helicopter much easier than with a drone, people are just worked up about this issue for some reason.

It's like the gun debate, the government doesn't care if you have a gun because they have tanks and robots so go ahead and have a gun. If the government wants to spy on us they'll do it through our GPS tracking devices, oh I mean "smartphones", and through our credit cards and take pictures from space. Kilby has a good point, drones don't even matter except for civilian on civilian privacy concerns since we know Big Fed can spy on command, Patriot Act anyone? So what to do about civilian drones? Do what do you do with everything else, regulate, tax and legalize Give we a license - Morgan Heritage

Ask yourself this, how many airplanes fly over us everyday? Anyone know? You should be FARRRRR more concerned with that, civilian or private, than DRONES dun-dun-dunnnnnn

 

[jcmonty]

I compare it to alcohol. Most people enjoy it responsibly, but there are a few idiots who decide to get behind the wheel. Is there a ban on alcohol? No, if you recall, prohibition didn't exactly work out. Are there strict laws against drunk driving? Yes.

Maybe it's not the best comparison ,but that's how legislation should work for our industry/hobby. Put laws in place to protect against privacy invasion, but not wholesale bans of these UAVs/RCs.

 

[helloman1976]

I compare it to alcohol. Most people enjoy it responsibly, but there are a few idiots who decide to get behind the wheel. Is there a ban on alcohol? No, if you recall, prohibition didn't exactly work out. Are there strict laws against drunk driving? Yes.

Maybe it's not the best comparison ,but that's how legislation should work for our industry/hobby. Put laws in place to protect against privacy invasion, but not wholesale bans of these UAVs/RCs.

Exactly, never forget The Volstead Act and the 18th Amendment. Prohibition makes a criminal class of people who would otherwise be non-violent offenders. Aren't there more important things to worry about? How many airplanes and helicopters fly over you everyday? You worried about them, no? Now if Howard Hughes was testing his airplanes over my house I would complain, for those of you who know your history.