That video is from over a year ago. And then there’s this from last week:
After years of political pressure from politicians, U.S. Rep. Henry Cuellar says that he expects the federal government to deliver unmanned aircraft to watch over the Texas border with Mexico by this fall.
Cuellar, a Democrat from Laredo, Texas, said last week that he has had discussions with top officials from the U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s office of air and marine operations, and they agreed to the timetable, subject to Federal Aviation Administration approval to allow the surveillance planes – often referred to in the political vernacular as “Predator drones” – to fly over Texas.
The show ’24′ had drones flying over Manhattan as a normal, every day thing. Given how relatively invisible they can be from the ground, they may be flying above you right now and you don’t know it. But you have nothing to hide, right?
Nice report by a news agency that is, for a change, serving its intended function as a government watchdog. This is just a cheaper and quieter way to do what they’ve already been doing with helicopters, but I can see the problem with the “quieter” part and the long flight duration: they can watch anyone without them realizing it and can do this for long periods of time.
I’m sure some creative citizen will come up with something to shadow it since it’s not manned and such tailing wouldn’t endanger anyone (although I’m sure they’d make it illegal in some way, like “interfering with police (state) operations):
http://diydrones.com/
A drone with a reservoir of artificial bird droppings could do a real number on the transparency of an optical dome, but that would be just plane [sic] _wrong_ and I would never advocate that.
And idiot that knows nothing about how the airspace in the US works wrote:
“Given how relatively invisible they can be from the ground, they may be flying above you right now and you don’t know it.”
24 isn’t a documentary. They are no more invisable than a Cessna 172. Why the story you are reading is even in the news is because the FAA has not allowed them in non-military airspace except very rarely. When they have been flown in non-restricted airspace they notify everybody and their dog. Because they aren’t capable of the “See and Avoid” that is required under Visual Flight Rules.
Can they be equipped with long range tasers?
#2 Good point. Seems FAA rules have not been updated to support UAV’s in US airspace.
Perhaps border airspace with some conditions (like population centers, etc) are in the works.
I support UAV’s for border patrol – armed ones.
I have no problems with the drones flying surveillance over the borders, whether that border be Mexico or Canada, as long as they are unarmed, and their role is to watch the borders.
Putting even a pea-shooter in any of them, and they cross the line.
I didn’t know those were allowed to be used over here. I used to live on the coast of Florida, and before I left I heard they were planning on using a powered-parasail-go-cart thing to watch the beaches (kinda like the flying snowmobiles in one of the later James bond films) because they couldn’t use unmanned drones.
I gotta say I’m for the drones too. I live and work on the border and have heard (haven’t seen 1st hand…good thing) gun fire and explosions coming from mexico.
Make no mistake, it’s bad over there. Gone are the days of visiting the other side for great drinks, food, and some of the best hospitality ya ever seen.
How much will it cost to “seal the border”?
All the Republicans and even some Democrats are demanding that we “seal the border.”
But do they ever put a price tag on it? I’ve never heard one.
It will be trillions, right?
And, for sure, it will only slow down illegal immigration since millions of them never went across that border anyway.
Whenever you hear someone say, “We need to seal the border!!!” your first question should be “How much will it cost?”
More proof that Texas will break away from the USA. The police will turn into their National Guard. Good for you, go for it rednecks.
#9 Don’t think so and familiar enough with Texas to be assured that Texas ‘ceding from the union’ won’t happen.
While I agree conservative yahoos are running the place, there are enough sane people to know these yahoos are merely performing for their sheep.
I would agree we need an aggressive border security plan from the Federal government – where immigration laws are suppose to come from.
@Greg Allen
The ‘anti-fascist protective wall’ cost a few million $ to build but was only 140km long and this was using socialist union labor.
So a wall 3000km long and another 6000km across the rather more rugged US-Canda shouldn’t cost more than a few $100 Bn to build, you would need a couple of million troops to seal it though.
Ahhh, welcome to my world.
Uncle Dave “… But you have nothing to hide, right?” – Failed, pointless argument that frankly has absolutely nothing to do with the legal concept here, but still sounds titillating, right Dave? Right! Got me to read and post so you must be doing something right.
Dallas – “I support UAV’s for border patrol – armed ones.” – Good to see you support killing from a drone, now thats Goddamn American! Innocent until proven guilty in a court of law has worked for centuries, but you would know better of course.
Greg Allen – Uh-huh. Perhaps some high school drama classes are looking for you.
The government loves drones except when they are used against them. You can have your own automated recon drone for a few grand and you don’t even need an air strip.
Linkage: video, website.
Arm them with indelible spray paint. What color?….. Ummm. How about Green? That certainly is Politically Correct. How could the libs possibly complain about anything that is green???
I wonder, are there any other countries that have open borders that don’t care if you go there and stay and do whatever?
I mean, countries that you ‘would want to go and stay’…
Can’t we just arrest these folks as ‘spies’ and then treat them accordingly?
That’s what they do elsewhere… right?
I can seal the border and return a profit.
Credit card (+ pay pal) operated machine gun towers with Java based controls. HD streaming telescopic thermal/night vision sights.
We merely allow internet gamers to access the towers on the web to pay for play in finding shooting Mexicans coming across the border. Depending on the site, $1/hr, $1/round. $1000 “bounty” reward paid on each kill.
This would completely clear the dead zone… errr.. border within range of the 50 cal.
And the unidentified corpses could be turned into high protein dog food.
Desperate times demand desperate measures.
I wonder if damaging one of them is a misdemeanor or a felony?
Cursor_
#12 Ignorance – I never said I support killing innocent people from drone. An armed drone can have non-lethal weapons. I believe they also have a human being on the other end. No more Terminator movies for you.
Were you in support of drones for taking videos for youtube entertainment?
#1 Winston, rulemaking is underway to make flights of recreational unmanned craft (not autonomous!) above 400 ft AGL illegal. See and avoid requirements must be met, and the operator must have direct control and see the craft at all times.
I believe flying autonomous, not in visual range, aircraft of ANY size is currently illegal without a special waiver from the FAA.
Your plan will bring heavy fines et cetera.
Perhaps Google Earth View will sponsor drones? If they produce accurate geotag data to support high resolution low altitude ground photography, a squadron of these would quickly map large areas.