Good article on drone use over US

[Al B]

Good article on drone use in an arrest over US

Drones used in an arrest. Lots of interesting details in the article that gives rise to more questions.

Police employ Predator drone spy planes on home front - latimes.com

 

[Blackhawk2001]

Other than the inevitable airspace deconfliction involved when using an unmanned aerial vehicle, I don't see that this is any different than using a helicopter or a Cessna 150 for aerial surveillance. When such surveillance starts intruding into buildings, I suspect the courts will take notice and stop or limit it, but until such time as that happens, I really don't see much difference.

 

[2A_Tom]

They could have just used the Hellfire missiles to suppress the threat!

 

[Blackhawk2001]

They could have just used the Hellfire missiles to suppress the threat!

The article said the Border Patrol has unarmed Predators. No Hellfires.

 

[Panama]

 

[TaunTaun]

Other than the inevitable airspace deconfliction involved when using an unmanned aerial vehicle, I don't see that this is any different than using a helicopter or a Cessna 150 for aerial surveillance. When such surveillance starts intruding into buildings, I suspect the courts will take notice and stop or limit it, but until such time as that happens, I really don't see much difference.

Well, don't worry about those thermal signatures. They are just making sure that your building is observing proper fire codes and only has X number of people in it. Heat travels in the air, so it's all perfectly legal. What's that? Oh it looks like there is too many heat sources. My, my, my, that looks like a generator system. I guess we need to send in some auditors to take a look. I know, we'll send the Department of Education SWAT team at 5 am to ask if they can take a look....

 

[BBill]

Should you use Hollowpoint or FMJ on drones?

 

[TaunTaun]

Firing in the air at police aircraft? Are in insane? You just gave them an actual REAL reason to come onto your property...or launch hellfire missles...

 

[Blackhawk2001]

Well, don't worry about those thermal signatures. They are just making sure that your building is observing proper fire codes and only has X number of people in it. Heat travels in the air, so it's all perfectly legal. What's that? Oh it looks like there is too many heat sources. My, my, my, that looks like a generator system. I guess we need to send in some auditors to take a look. I know, we'll send the Department of Education SWAT team at 5 am to ask if they can take a look....

The courts have already put limits on aerial surveillance, IIRC. The ISP were prevented some years ago from using Thermal sensors to search for indoor marijuana growers.

 

[BBill]

Should you use Hollowpoint or FMJ on drones?

Sorry-I didn't use purple!

 

[jblomenberg16]

I've long felt that what we are seeing in Afghanistan in terms of using drones as combat platforms is a sneak preview of what we'll see in this country if we stay on our current course. Unfortunately rather than the targets being Afghan insurgents, they will be "Domestic Terrorists."

 

[BBill]

Yea right

JIGuy

Your opinion means nothing to me!!

 

[Bill of Rights]

The article said the Border Patrol has unarmed Predators. No Hellfires.

Yet.

 

[J_Wales]

Other than the inevitable airspace deconfliction involved when using an unmanned aerial vehicle, I don't see that this is any different than using a helicopter or a Cessna 150 for aerial surveillance. When such surveillance starts intruding into buildings, I suspect the courts will take notice and stop or limit it, but until such time as that happens, I really don't see much difference.

Baaa
Baaa
Baaa

 

[dross]

Other than the inevitable airspace deconfliction involved when using an unmanned aerial vehicle, I don't see that this is any different than using a helicopter or a Cessna 150 for aerial surveillance. When such surveillance starts intruding into buildings, I suspect the courts will take notice and stop or limit it, but until such time as that happens, I really don't see much difference.

I agree with you that there's not a lot of difference. I don't, however, think either is good policy.

We've been spying on citizens from the air for many, many years now, using the same techniques we use in foreign spying, in order to enforce tax codes. That's been going on for forty or fifty years or more.

 

[dross]

Baaa
Baaa
Baaa

If you didn't know that this has been going on probably before you were born, then perhaps you need to wake up and taste the cud.

 

[KG1]

Maybe we can exploit a weakness and cause these drones to land....

 

[J_Wales]

If you didn't know that this has been going on probably before you were born, then perhaps you need to wake up and taste the cud.

I am probably older than you. Today the state is ever more invasive.

When do citizens say enough is enough, knowing that doing so will likely render them branded as terrorists by an ever encroaching state?

 

[LEaSH]

We'll have a few above Indianapolis during the Super Bowl.

It has been in the Star that DHLS will have 4 light helicopters active - what they are not going to give away is how many UAV's there will be.

I don't know much about these drones. What sort of altitude they operate best? Can they be seen from the ground when they're on a mission? Heard from the ground? Deployed from the Air? Retrieved from the Air? Do they get refueled mid-air and head off to a military installation to land?

I'm aware there are different models - some we've never seen published. is there anyone here that knows UAV's? Give us a heads up, please.

 

[Hammerhead]

Ahem...