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Do You Like Drones ?
Even if they've been put to some pretty horrific uses, you gotta' admit that the technology is pretty cool. The drone in this picture is a Northrop Grumman RQ-4 Global Hawk. It's 47 feet long, has a wingspan of 130 feet and can stay in the air for 28 hours. It has high aspect ration wings, that is, long narrow ones, like the U-2 because it's designed to do the same job as the U-2. It's a surveillance drone. The US military has to be able to see what's going on all over the world. You never can tell when they'll spot some bad guys that they'll have to, you know, kill. Then they use missile shooting drones like the MQ-1 Predator or the MQ-9 Reaper, both built by some company called General Atomics.
In the mid-1970s the US Air Force began converting obsolete F-86 fighters into QF-86 Target Drones. Some 200 of these conversions were made and they were used to give fighter pilots something to track and shoot at without hurting anyone. They were called NOLO aircraft for No Onboard Live Operator. There is some confusion about terminology. Aviation experts insist that what are popularly called drones are actually UAVs, Unmanned Aerial Vehicles. This definition would include WWII-era V-1 Flying Bombs and more modern Cruise Missiles both of which are unmanned and fly, or flew, autonomously on programmed courses. The Wikipedia article in that last link claims that these are distinct from UAVs since they can't be used for reconnaissance. By this definition the Lockheed D-21 Reconnaissance Drone was a UAV but the V-1 wasn't. To my way of thinking a better distinction would be whether or nor a drone or UAV is, or can be, remotely piloted. Real-time remote control is what I think makes something a drone. By this definition Radio Controlled model aircraft could be considered drones.
Whatever we think about military drones (Why do they hate us?), civilian drones are all over the place and they're getting cheaper and better all the time. The most common type in civilian use is the quadcopter. These can have cameras attached and, although most are flown remotely, they can also be fitted with GPS and made to fly autonomously to a specific location. That's Tucson realtor Doug Trudeau in the picture with his DJI Phantom, one of the most popular models. Trudeau was the first operator in the country to be issued an FAA permit to use a drone for real estate photography1. Drones have lots of civilian applications. Farmers could use them to monitor crops, for example, and they will make search and rescue cheaper and easier. Amazon was even going to use them to make deliveries.The problem is how to regulate them, are they toys or aircraft, does the FAA even have jurisdiction ? The FAA has banned the use of drones at football games in large stadiums2 and the National Park Service has banned them in National Parks3. A court ruling just came down the other day in the case of Raphael Pirker who agreed to settle his $10,000 FAA fine for $1,100.
The Federal Aviation Administration vs. Raphael Pirker legal roller coaster has finally come to an end, years after the latter allegedly flew a drone for commercial purposes in a reckless manner. Pirker, who has reached a deal with the FAA to settle his $10,000 fine for $1,100, was sued by the agency for using a Zephyr drone to capture aerial shots of the University of Virginia in 2011. In court, he argued that the Zephyr was but a model airplane and that the FAA had no right to regulate something not officially and legally classified as an aircraft. A National Transportation Safety Board judge initially sided with him and warned the FAA to be careful of what it calls a drone. But the decision was eventually overturned, effectively classifying small UAVs as aircraft ("any contrivance invented, used, or designed to navigate, or fly in, the air") falling under the FAA's jurisdiction.
Pirker was the first drone operator fined by the FAA, and his case gives us an idea of how similar ones could go in the future. His lawyer said Pirker settled because the amount of time it's taking to finish the case has "diminished [its] utility... to assist the commercial drone industry in its regulatory struggle." Even so, he and his company, Team BlackSheep, are thankful that it has sparked significant talks about drone use.
engadget.com
Meanwhile a drone crashed in Tijuana carrying 6 pounds of meth
4, they've already been used to smuggle stuff into a prison and to smuggle cigarettes in Russia, and somebody crashed a drone into a tree on the South Lawn of the White House
5. Republicans in Congress are wrangling over a "border security" bill that includes funding for more fences and drones on the border
6.
It's a Brave New World my friends, and drones are gonna' be a part of it ...
Do You Like Drones ?
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by John Crapper ♥ for Seattle and Puget Sound Kos
Seattle & Puget Sound Kos welcomed Joan McCarter, Meteor Blades, Monique Teal and navajo to their meet-up on January 17th. Almost 40 people attended. All had a great time mingling, listening to the DKos speakers and then finishing up with a Q&A session. Good food, great location and most of all great Kossacks.
L-R: Monique Teal, cinnamon68, N in Seattle, Joan McCarter, seabos84, Meteor Blades speaking, James Wells and John Crapper
Please visit John Crapper's diary for many MORE photos! Enjoy! You can still REC it. You can join Seattle and Puget Sound Kos by sending a Kosmail to John Crapper.
by Sara R ♥ for Koscadia
The Koscadians welcomed Ojibwa and navajo to Portlandia. Ojibwa blessed some quilts for the Community Quilt Project and a delicious pot luck was enjoyed. All edifying for the holidays.
Here's one photo:
Seated L-R: Sara R, winglion & loggersbrat
Standing L-R: Angie in WA State, also mom of 5, Drewid (hiding), BOHICA, watercarrier4diogenes, Ojibwa, exlrrp, llbear, navajo, Ozawa and ozsea1
Please visit Sara R's diary for many MORE photos! Enjoy! You can still REC it. You can join Koscadia by sending a Kosmail to Sara R.
Event Organizers! Please contact wink from Netrootsradio.com by KosMail to schedule airtime with them to live broadcast the date of your Event. Wink & Justice will then promote it on The After Show radio program!
Saturday, January 31st
Koscadia Meet-up
TIME: 1:00 PM
LOCATION: Siri Thai
5234 SE Powell Blvd • Portland
ORGANIZER: Send Sara R a kosmail to attend
RSVPs:
1. Sara R
2. winglion
3. llbear
4. loggersbrat
5. Angie in WA State
6. ozsea1
7. pdxteacher
8. quill
9. Kit RMP
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Maybees:
Drewid
justiceputnam
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Latest diary: Koscadia 1/31 meet up
Saturday, January 31st
Houston Kossacks Meet-up
TIME: 1:00 PM
LOCATION: Collina's Italian Cafe
502 West 19th Street • Houston
ORGANIZER: Send Chrislove a kosmail to attend
RSVPs:
1. Chrislove
2. nomandates
3. scott5js
4. krwheaton
5. jmbar2
6. cosette
7. Mary
8. Alan
9.
10.
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Maybees: |
Latest diary: Houston Area Kossacks: RSVP for our January 31 meet-up!
Saturday, February 28th
Texas All-State Meet-up with Meteor Blades, Denise Oliver-Velez and navajo
Please come for an afternoon of camaraderie and progressive strategizing with Big Orange flavor! Out-of-state attendees welcome!
Lunch and Seminar c/o Daily Kos
TIME: Noon - 6:00 PM
LOCATION: Max's Wine Dive
"Fried Chicken and Champagne... Why the Hell Not?"
207 San Jacinto Blvd • Austin, near convention center
Cocktail time First drink c/o Daily Kos
TIME: 6:00 PM
LOCATION: CRAVE
340 E. 2nd St (around the corner from seminar) • Austin
ORGANIZER: Send nomandates a kosmail to attend
RSVPs:
1. nomandates
2. Chrislove
3. Meteor Blades
4. Denise Oliver-Velez
5. Egberto Willies
6. navajo
7. johnatx
8. mrs johnatx
9. Blood
10. cosette
11. anotherdemocrat - Vege*
12. bastrop
13. Warren Pease
14. Patience John
15. noteaforme
16. blue armadillo
17. RLMAC
18. TexMex
19. JC Dufresne
20. TexasLibertine
21. politik
22. Mr Pea
23. PDiddie
24. Mrs. Diddie
25. suesue
26. mr suesue
27. Sandia Blanca
28. Noisy Gong
29. Essephreak
30. laderrick - Vege*
31. getlost
32. TulsaGal
33. AndyT
34. Carol in San Antonio
35. blueisland
36. TX Unmuzzled
37. walkshills
38. MargaretPOA
39. rabel
40. on the cusp
41. freerad
42. freerad's guest
43. Wino
44. Mrs Wino
45. Red Tom Kidd
46. Tutone in Texas
47. Mrs Tutone in Texas
48. jfranks
49. 1toughlady
50. kath25
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Maybees:
texasmom
texasdad
BlueMississippi
BlackSheep1
scott5js
Deja (+1-2)
boadicea
postmodernista
Texan001
Ignacio Magaloni
neverontheright
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* Needs vegetarian meal
Latest diary: Epic Texas Kos Meet-Up Featuring Meteor Blades, Dee Oliver Velez, & Egberto Willies: Sign Up Today!
Day is TBD, Late April
DKos Asheville's Roadtrip and Two-Day Retreat to Roanoke, Virginia
TIME: TBD
LOCATION: TBD
[Address] • Roanoke
ORGANIZER: Send randallt a kosmail to attend
RSVPs:
1. randallt
2.
3.
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Maybees: |
Latest diary: Roanoke meet-up anyone?
navajo maintains the above event list. Kosmail her if you have any diaries
about your event or if you have changes or additions.
EVERYONE is welcome, tell us what you're working on,
share your show and tell, vent, whatever you want.
This is an open thread. Nothing is off topic.