On Thu, 06 Mar 2014 12:20:32 -0500, "Mr. Luddite" wrote:

On 3/6/2014 11:33 AM, Poco Loco wrote:
On Thu, 06 Mar 2014 11:07:20 -0500, wrote:

On Thu, 06 Mar 2014 08:20:08 -0500, Poco Loco
wrote:

On Thu, 06 Mar 2014 01:31:26 -0500, wrote:



Florida already passed a law saying the cops need a warrant to use a
drone. I assume that really just means if they want the pictures in
court. If they just use the drone to "get lucky"" on something like a
traffic stop and they lose the drone images, I doubt anyone would even
know.
It is still the wild west as far as privately owned drones tho,

BTW it is illegal (federal law) to actually shoot one down, it is an
aircraft but I am not sure that law has really been tested on a drone.

Say what??

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RR5BtXP0s0o

18 US code 32

(a) Whoever willfully—
(1) sets fire to, damages, destroys, disables, or wrecks any aircraft
in the special aircraft jurisdiction of the United States or any civil
aircraft used, operated, or employed in interstate, overseas, or
foreign air commerce;
... shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than
twenty years or both.

So the question hinges on the definition of 'special aircraft jurisdiction of the United States' as
the 'air commerce' phrase wouldn't apply. A quick search found this:

http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/USCODE-2011-title49/pdf/USCODE-2011-title49-subtitleVII-partA-subpartiv-chap465-sec46501.pdf

...which is where I got bogged down, until I came across this:

(2) ‘‘special aircraft jurisdiction of the
United States’’ includes any of the following
aircraft in flight:
(A) a civil aircraft of the United States.

Earlier, somewhere, I read the definition of a 'public aircraft' which included the government -
Fed, state, county, etc. A 'civil aircraft' was any aircraft 'not a public aircraft'.
(http://www.flightsimaviation.com/dat.../part_1-1.html)

Therefore, I conclude that you are correct - except for those cases such as in the link I provided
earlier. You have to watch it for about 1 1/2 minutes before the aircraft get involved.



The existing FAA regulations regarding damage or destruction were
written in 1946, long before private drones and helicopters with cameras
were ever envisioned. There is pending legislation on new rules
governing the use of remotely controlled aircraft, including those used
by hobbyists.


Until then, you'd best not shoot 'em down or hijack 'em.

Amen.