Can you imagine anyone asking CoS for permission to do an overflight, and them granting it? (Although I suspect this one is clever PR.) Too bad the Squirrel Busters never had a drone.
Nice to see the Mormons using PR that's more environmentally friendly. Mormon missionaries ordered to remove flagpole from peak of Mount Olympus http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/news/58114138-78/wilderness-utah-flagpole-lake.html.csp Assholes.
Lithuanian drone detained in Russia was used for cigarette smuggling A Lithuanian self-made drone detained in Russia’s westernmost Kaliningrad region last week was used for smuggling cigarettes into Russia, Oleg Dzhurayev, the press service chief of the Kaliningrad border department of the Russian Federal Security service, told ITAR-TASS on Wednesday. A Russian-Lithuanian criminal group used the self-made drone aircraft for illegally smuggling cigarettes across the Lithuanian border into Russia. Dzhurayev said huge boxes with cigarettes had been found inside the drone when the border guards detained the aircraft on Lithuania’s border with Russia. He did not rule out the drone could have been used for other purposes, including unlawful actions in Russia’s territory. http://en.itar-tass.com/world/731634 Mexican Cartel Tactical Note #21: Cartel Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) Mexico’s drug cartels are reportedly commissioning custom-made drones to transport narcotics across the US border, illustrating the continual development of innovative new technologies and methods used to traffic drugs. Cartels have begun hiring local workers from companies in Mexico to develop custom drones, or unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV), suited to their needs, according to an unnamed Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) source consulted by El Universal. Since 2012, the DEA has registered around 150 narco drones crossing the border, transporting in total approximately two tons of cocaine and other drugs. This amounts to an average of roughly 13 kilos per load. US and Mexican authorities have identified Queretaro, Guadalajara, Nuevo Leon and Mexico City as the drone production points, where cartels pay professionals two to three times their normal salary for this custom technology. While cartels used to use foreign-made drones, the new reliance on home-grown technology and construction is more cost-effective -- the method is cheaper than the construction of cross-border tunnels or the use of semi-submersible vessels, according to El Universal's report. http://smallwarsjournal.com/blog/mexican-cartel-tactical-note-21 Drone used in attempt to smuggle drugs into Melbourne prison, say police A man will face court next week after a drone quadcopter was allegedly used to try to smuggle drugs into a Melbourne prison. Police were called to reports of a drone hovering over the Metropolitan Remand Centre in Ravenhall about 4.30pm on Sunday. Officers found a man and woman in a car nearby with what is believed to be a four-engined drone and a small quantity of drugs. http://www.theguardian.com/world/20...muggle-drugs-into-melbourne-prison-say-police
San Jose Police issue apology, release additional docs claiming FAA immunity | Muckrock "The UAV is not a drone. Drones are regulated by the FAA. The FAA doesn't regulate our device." https://www.muckrock.com/news/archi...se-police-issue-apology-release-additional-d/
Argh, another gang of idiots who can't read or that think laws only happen to other people! It may be a drone intended for use by hobbyists, but if not used for amateur hobby purposes, it is covered under the FAA regulations.
Drone goes down into famed Yellowstone National Park hot spring | Ars Technica Officials at Yellowstone National Park told reporters on Wednesday that a tourist had crashed a small drone into the iconic Grand Prismatic Spring last Saturday. The incident marks the latest in a string of drone-related episodes in this region of Wyoming. A drone went down into Yellowstone Lake near the Grant Village Marina. Officials in nearby Grand Teton National Park have already issued one citation to a visitor for flying a drone within the park. It later got trapped in a tree and was then stolen, according to the Associated Press. Continued at http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/...o-famed-yellowstone-national-park-hot-spring/
In possible FAA violation, San Jose police already tested drone four times | Ars Technica SJPD acquired drone in January 2014 but hasn't gotten FAA permission to fly yet. http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/...san-jose-police-already-tested-drone-4-times/
Humph. Looks like the FAA can't read either. http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/...man-alive-after-going-missing-for-three-days/ The rules say nothing about pleasure, just that if it's for hobby or recreational use, the FAA is forbidden to touch it. Finding some poor soul with lost with dementia sounds like a damned fine hobby! #2 is a bit problematical. What's a "nationwide community-based organization" and why are they given Federal powers?
Punk bassist knocks down drone hovering over concert | New York Post In the name of punk rock, down with the drones! The bassist of hardcore punk band Trash Talk showed off his hatred for all things flying during a show recently when he pelted a drone hovering above the stage. Spencer Pollard was apparently fed up with the flying drone during a show last week at an indoor skatepark, which had been provided by the company Detroit Drone. “After being hired to fly and videotape at this indoor skateboard event, I watched as a punk-rock bass player knocked down my drone with a very limp-wristed toss of a beer can,” the company described the video of the incident on YouTube. The drone initially appears to peacefully float above the crowd as a mosh pit complete with exuberant punk rockers takes place below. Nobody seems to be bothered by the drone as it continues to videotape the rockers’ antics. It isn’t until it makes its way to the front of the Trash Talk stage that it finally becomes the target of Pollard’s fury. On his first attempt, the bearded bassist misses his target, but showing off his determination, he quickly tries again and proceeds to nail the drone with a missile-like beer bottle. Upon impact, the drone appears to spin out of control as it crashes to the ground — ultimately giving its life to punk rock. FTW: http://nypost.com/2014/08/18/punk-bassist-knocks-down-drone-hovering-over-concert/
The CIA's Mop-Up Man: L.A. Times Reporter Cleared Stories With Agency Before Publication By Ken Silverstein, The Intercept A prominent national security reporter for the Los Angeles Times routinely submitted drafts and detailed summaries of his stories to CIA press handlers prior to publication, according to documents obtained by The Intercept. Email exchanges between CIA public affairs officers and Ken Dilanian, now an Associated Press intelligence reporter who previously covered the CIA for the Times, show that Dilanian enjoyed a closely collaborative relationship with the agency, explicitly promising positive news coverage and sometimes sending the press office entire story drafts for review prior to publication. In at least one instance, the CIA’s reaction appears to have led to significant changes in the story that was eventually published in the Times. “I’m working on a story about congressional oversight of drone strikes that can present a good opportunity for you guys,” Dilanian wrote in one email to a CIA press officer, explaining that what he intended to report would be “reassuring to the public” about CIA drone strikes. In another, after a series of back-and-forth emails about a pending story on CIA operations in Yemen, he sent a full draft of an unpublished report along with the subject line, “does this look better?” In another, he directly asks the flack: “You wouldn’t put out disinformation on this, would you?” Continued here: https://firstlook.org/theintercept/...mes-reporter-cleared-stories-cia-publication/
jeremy scahill @jeremyscahill · 1h An AQAP [Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula] source tells me they have "captured" a "big fish" from Yemeni intel -- a senior US-trained officer involved w drone program. #Yemen jeremy scahill @jeremyscahill · 1h AQAP source says the "captured" Yemeni officer is Rashid Abdullah Mahdi al-Habashi, responsible for Hadramout, site of many US drone strikes. jeremy scahill @jeremyscahill · 54m AQAP source tells me their intent is to "execute" the Yemeni agent they claim is involved w CIA drone strikes. "It may happen soon." jeremy scahill @jeremyscahill · 3s AQAP tells me they plan to execute the person they captured with "a bullet to the head."
Murky Special Ops Have Become Corporate Bonanza, Says Report | The Intercept The U.S. government is paying private contractors billions of dollars to support secretive military units with drones, surveillance technology, and “psychological operations,” according to new research. A detailed report, published last week by the London-based Remote Control Project, shines a light on the murky activities of the U.S. Special Operations Command by analyzing publicly available procurement contracts dated between 2009 and 2013. USSOCOM encompasses four commands – from the Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marine Corps – and plays a key role in orchestrating clandestine U.S. military missions overseas. Researcher Crofton Black, who also works as an investigator for human rights group Reprieve, was able to dig through the troves of data and identify the beneficiaries of almost $13 billion worth of spending by USSOCOM over the five-year period. He found that more than 3,000 companies had provided services that included aiding remotely piloted drone operations in Afghanistan and the Philippines, helping to conduct surveillance of targets, interrogating prisoners, and launching apparent propaganda campaigns. “This report is distinctive in that it mines data from the generally classified world of U.S. special operations,” says Caroline Donnellan, manager of the Remote Control Project, a progressive thinktank focused on developments in military technology. “It reveals the extent to which remote control activity is expanding in all its facets, with corporations becoming more and more integrated into very sensitive elements of warfare. The report’s findings are of concern given the challenges remote warfare poses for effective investigation, transparency, accountability and oversight.” According to the report, USSOCOM tendered a $1.5 billion contract that required support with “Psychological Operations related to intelligence and information operations.” Prospective contractors were told they would have to provide “military and civilian persuasive communications planning, produce commercial quality products for unlimited foreign public broadcast, and develop lines of persuasion, themes, and designs for multi-media products.” The contract suggested that aim of these “persuasion” operations was to “engage local populations and counter nefarious influences” in parts of Europe and Africa. Continued here: https://firstlook.org/theintercept/2014/09/08/special-ops-corporate-bonanza/
http://time.com/3404624/watch-this-crazy-drone-with-arms-fly-and-turn-a-wheel-mid-air/ this is both pretty frightening and awesome at the same time.
“It’s very odd” – a former UK drone operator speaks | The Bureau of Investigative Journalism “You’re absolutely there, you’re in the fight,” recalls former UK drone operator Paul Rolfe in this week’s Drone News podcast. “You’re hearing the guys on the ground and you’re hearing their stress, so when you finish your shift it’s very odd to then step outside… it’s the middle of the day and you’re in Las Vegas.” For several years Rolfe helped fly Reaper and Predator drones over Afghanistan from both a launch and recovery base in Kandahar and the mission control complex in Creech, Nevada, where RAF Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV) operators are embedded. In an exclusive interview with Bureau journalists, the former sensor operator gives a rare detailed account of how drones operate in combat. His account highlights the amount of intelligence, analysis, and support needed for remotely piloted aircraft to be effective. Continued here: http://www.thebureauinvestigates.com/2014/10/03/its-very-odd-a-former-uk-drone-operator-speaks/
http://www.valleynewslive.com/story...-authorities-use-drone-to-help-find-criminals "The Grand Forks County Sheriff's Office says it deployed a drone to help catch some criminals on the run. They say it is the first time a drone has been used by law enforcement to conduct a mission at night. Matthew Dalbey of Emerado, Cole Schmidt of Larimore, and Sawyer Smith of Hatton, North Dakota, are facing alcohol and fleeing-related charges. There's also a fourth suspect authorities are not identifying. Dalbey is charged with DUI, reckless driving, minor in possession and refusing to halt. Schmidt is charged with minor in consumption and refusing to halt. Smith is charged with refusing to halt. The sheriff's office used a drone after the men ran into a field during a traffic stop just after 2:15 a.m. on September 28. Sheriff's deputies tried pulling over a pickup in rural Larimore when the four people ran from the scene. After a K-9 was unable to locate the suspects, the UAS team was contacted."
When Children Are The Enemy: The Drone Program & Children’s Rights | Project Red Hand In this article: A recap on the transparency record of the US drone program Revelation about the true age of “military-age males” Where does international law come into play? What can can be done? Resources hyperlinked throughout for further insight http://projectredhand.wordpress.com/2014/11/03/when-children-are-the-enemy/
Why we're suing the NYPD over drone denials | Muckrock Three rejected requests, three rejected appeals. It's time to call the lawyers. https://www.muckrock.com/news/archives/2014/dec/02/why-were-suing-nypd-over-drones/
GoPro Developing Line of Consumer Drones | Wall Street Journal Company Plans to Start Selling Multirotor Helicopters With High-Definition Cameras Late Next Year http://online.wsj.com/articles/gopro-developing-line-of-consumer-drones-1417020883
The Navy’s Newest Toy Is a Terrifying Sharkbeast from Hell | VICE Last Thursday, just a day after releasing video of their new laser guns in action, the US Navy tested the frickin' sharks upon whose heads they might theoretically mount them. These sharks aren't some new addition to the Navy's already sizeable menagerie of dolphins and sea lions trained to sweep the seas for mines and swoop in on those swimming too close to bases. Ominously christened Ghost Swimmers, they are five-foot-long, 100-pound robot sharks (well, they're meant to be Bluefin tuna, but the visual difference is lost on anyone but marine biologists and longshoremen). And they're part of the Navy's Silent NEMO project (so named, presumably, as part of the War on Childhood Innocence), which aims to fill the oceans with unmanned underwater drones disguised as fish and other sea critters. Continued here: http://www.vice.com/read/the-navys-newest-toy-is-a-terrifying-sharkbeast-from-hell-487
Caught on camera: Kangaroo punches drone out of sky Drones are quickly flying to the top of Christmas wishlists for 2014 despite growing privacy and safety concerns. But what do the kangaroos in Hunter Valley, Australia make of all this? A video has emerged from the moment a drone flew near to a group of kangaroos. Just as the flying camera gets up close, one kangaroo decided enough was enough, leaped up, and dealt a knock-out blow to the drone. The footage was rescued but the drone is now beyond repair.
Good punching from the roo I got a quadcopter (not drone) a month ago They are great and grand fun, and no cameras on mine, just good old racing about. Well, crashing into walls, ceilings, floors, cups of coffee, and this morning, watching one sail off into the wind, off for a vacation by itself at the lake. Oh well, there goes fifty bucks. be sure to put your name and phone number on them if you want a chance of getting it back. They are really a lot of fun, and you can pick up a good one (Syma X11 is a good start) for $40. YOu too can be crashing into walls and looking under the furniture in a vain attempt to find that missing propeller that just popped out.
Secret Service says agent saw 'quad copter' fly into White House complex | Reuters A U.S. Secret Service officer on duty at the White House early on Monday saw, and heard, a two-foot-wide commercial "quad copter" fly at a low altitude into the heavily guarded complex, crashing on the southeast side, the agency said. "There was an immediate alert and lockdown of the complex until the device was examined and cleared," a Secret Service spokeswoman said in a statement, noting the incident happened at 3:08 a.m. ET. "An investigation is underway to determine the origin of this commercially available device, motive, and to identify suspects," she said. Source: http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/01/26/us-usa-whitehouse-device-idUSKBN0KZ0UD20150126
Stupid people screwing things up once again. It's stupid people who are going to make the FAA crack down on quadcopters and ruin it for the rest of us.
Incredibly stupid--and already totally illegal anywhere in Washington DC. http://dcist.com/2012/09/faa_grounds_amateur_drone.php And I'm thinking: "WTF, why didn't the Secret Service have countermeasures in place years ago?" Even before drones, a model airplane could have done a nasty, but now with drones, GPS autopilots, etc, they'd better get on the ball, because anyone can buy a "laser target designator" at the Dollar Store these days.
Special rules for special people. Our govt has forgotten about the rule of law. Always distinguish between an actual crime and what the legislature is afraid of. Law and legislation are not the same, not by a long shot.
CNN's Wolf Blitzer, just now at the beginning of the newscast: "Could the next one carry explosives?"
Scare tactics. A small quad copter can't carry more than a few ounces, and the flight time is inversely proportional to the load.
A 300g/10.5 oz camera is within limits for a low-end Phantom 1 quadcopter, roughly 5 minutes flight time. (Perhaps more if minimal vertical climb is used.) http://www.paulillsley.com/airphoto/systems/Phantom/ Not a huge payload, but with an autopilot that could place it within meters of a target so long as GPS is available. (Short range fuzz on the GPS frequencies might take care of the amateur kooks.)
we have too much surveillance here... "street cameras", drones, fingerprinting, wiretapping, and all that crap we don't need. one day we wont be able to sneeze without someone watching us.
TL;Dr http://news.yahoo.com/spy-agency-employee-flying-drone-crashed-white-house-010617182--finance.html "An employee of a U.S. spy agency has confessed to operating a small drone that crashed on the grounds of the White House, the agency said on Tuesday, the latest in a series of incidents that raised questions about the president's security." don't drink and drone
Bet they don't Barrett Brown him. They should tho and fire him, extremely bad judgement for a government employee.
