FAA Nixes L.A. Sheriff's Plans to Use Drones

[Rhino]

FAA Nixes L.A. Sheriff's Plans to Use Drones to Man Skies

Thursday, June 22, 2006

LOS ANGELES — The Los Angeles County sheriff's plan to use small, remote-controlled planes to track criminals and look for lost hikers has been temporarily grounded by federal officials worried about air safety.

The Federal Aviation Administration won't authorize the drones until it investigates a demonstration the sheriff's department conducted last week, FAA spokeswoman Laura Brown said.

"I wouldn't want to term us as peeved, but we were definitely surprised," Brown said.

She said agency officials told the sheriff's department it needed their authorization before flying the drones to ensure they don't interfere with other aircraft. The department could face disciplinary action over the demonstration.

Sheriff's officials described the controversy as a simple misunderstanding........http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,200567,00.html

[Incident_command]

A private citizen can go to the store and buy one of those model airplanes and fly them around. But because we're doing it as a public service, we have to deal with the FAA?" said Sheriff's Cmdr. Sid Heal.


I'm not sure this is true.
Down here you can only fly larger "models" in certain areas. I dont think the FAA is that far out of line on this.

[BEST45CAL]

Doesn't really matter how big the drones are, it's the altitude that they'll be operating at which could be the concern, here.

Everyone thinks the sky above them is just wide open space. In reality, and especially over a major class B airport like LAX, the sky is anything but clear. It's like a congested highway in the sky and having something like that little drone flying around is akin to playing with a remote controlled car on a busy freeway.

[DeclinetoState]

This is a problem?

http://www.aratakihoneyhb.co.nz/shop/drone.gif

:D

[DesertFox]

I wouldn't want to term us as peevedPissed, then.