Just a DRONE AIRCRAFT watching you.
How come I don't feel any safer?
"FAA feeling pressure to allow use of pilotless planes in US; Agency hesitant to act; cites risk to other aircraft" by Joan Lowy, Associated Press | June 15, 2010
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 the these planes 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.
These pilotless aircraft come in a variety of sizes. Some are as big as a small airliner; others are the size of a backpack. The tiniest are small enough to fly through a house window.
The obvious risks have not deterred the civilian demand for pilotless planes. Tornado researchers want to send them into storms to gather data. Energy companies want to use them to monitor pipelines. State police forces hope to send them up to capture images of speeding cars’ license plates. Local police envision using them to track fleeing suspects.
It is a LONG CRY from the days of "we need 'em 'cuz of terrorists."
Like many robots, the planes have advantages over humans for jobs that are dirty, dangerous, or dull. And the planes often cost less than piloted aircraft and can stay aloft far longer.
“There is a tremendous pressure and need to fly unmanned aircraft in [civilian] airspace,’’ Hank Krakowski, FAA’s head of air traffic operations, told European aviation officials recently. “We are having constant conversations and discussions, particularly with the Department of Defense and the Department of Homeland Security, to figure out how we can do this....’’
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Last year, the FAA promised defense officials it would have a plan this year. The agency, which has worked on this issue since 2006, has reams of safety regulations that govern every aspect of civilian aviation, but is just beginning to write regulations for unmanned aircraft.
“I think industry and some of the operators are frustrated that we’re not moving fast enough, but safety is first,’’ Krakowski said. “This isn’t Afghanistan. This isn’t Iraq. This is a part of the world that has a lot of light airplanes flying around, a lot of business jets.’’
No, but the skies sure are going to look like it soon (if you can see the damn things up there).
One major concern is the prospect of lost communication between unmanned aircraft and the operators who control them.
Ummm, yeah.
Another is a lack of firm separation of aircraft at lower altitudes, away from major cities and airports. Planes entering these areas are not required to have collision warning systems or even transponders....
