The Drone That Shot Down the Feds

Wall Street Journal ^ | 3-21-14 | David Feith

[afraidfortherepublic]

Hong Kong

Jeff Bezos at Amazon hasn't done it. Nor has Fred Smith at FedEx FDX +0.21% or Scott Davis at UPS. No American CEO has persuaded Washington to relax its chokehold on commercial drone use in the United States. But this month a 29-year-old Austrian entrepreneur living here in Asia broke Washington's drone monopoly, winning a court case that may clear the way for drones to deliver packages to your doorstep.

Overseas and at home, the U.S. government has pioneered the use of drones for military, intelligence and law-enforcement purposes. But while other countries have applied drones—usually smaller, simpler, cheaper ones—to everything from package delivery to film-making, mining, agriculture and environmental protection, the U.S. has blocked their use by private entities. At least until March 6, when Raphael Pirker won in federal court.

Mr. Pirker's legal journey began innocently enough, when he became involved in the small but intense world of hobbyists who use radio-controlled drones to record the most stunning bird's-eye video of Earth's landmarks. In late 2010, he flew a small drone around the Statue of Liberty's crown, more than 200 feet above Liberty Island. The video went viral online and Mr. Pirker realized that he could turn his hobby into a business.

[Rock N Jones]

“privacy laws are very well-defined already,” and criminal invasions of privacy are “not really tied to any technology per se.”

Then why do I continually do virus scans on my computer?

[Star Traveler]

Well, they’ll be regulating them as soon as a few start falling on houses, cars and people ... :-) ...

[jeffc]

I don’t know if I should get the $32 cheapo or go for the big one at $1200. And there’s so many in between at Amazon. I wonder if I can get anything like Skylar had in Alphas.....

[PoloSec]

So drones can deliver packages from some online store, I wonder if I had a drone could I deliver my own mail to someone?

Can you imagine millions of drones flying everywhere, the consequences could be hugh and series!

/S

[Wonder Warthog]

"Can you imagine millions of drones flying everywhere, the consequences could be hugh and series!"

Won't happen. There will be defined altitude/direction corridors that drones will be restricted to. And I can't see how drones could possibly compete economically with existing delivery methods. They would probably be much faster, sure, but "fuel" economy??? Doubtful.

Now, competing with things like courier service where speed is of absolute necessity, and hang the cost, yes. But UPS, FedEx, DHL.....not likely.

[GBA]

Skynet is online!

Drones delivering packages to your door? I got a bad feeling about this.

Color me non-trusting and old fashioned, even call me a Luddite, but if that becomes accepted and commonplace, at minimum it's a terrorist's dream come true. Way too easy.

[centurion316]

So he took his business to Austria, only to find that it was "a complete disaster in terms of taxation. We applied to incorporate there and they wanted the equivalent of 300,000 U.S. dollars up front.

Governments everywhere are stifling innovation, progress, and economic development. All of western civilization is going to become Detroit.

[Seizethecarp]

“In late 2010, he flew a small drone around the Statue of Liberty’s crown, more than 200 feet above Liberty Island. The video went viral online and Mr. Pirker realized that he could turn his hobby into a business.”

...and DHS went into a panic over the terrorist potential of DIY drones as kinetic and explosive/WMD delivery systems!

http://runwaykillzone.com/2013/05/02/was-the-droneuav-hovering-in-the-jfk-landing-approach-kill-zone-lakz-a-failed-terrorist-attack/

[BwanaNdege]

They could put most of the big city bicycle couriers out of business tomorrow.

It looks like UPS has started using the USPS for the final leg of delivery. UPS, FedEx, DHL could also use drones in some cases, say small packages to business customers with a designated “drop zone”. Picture a big “fly thru mailbox” with a garage door opener code sender on the drone. (Patent application is on its way as I write this.)

As to drones falling out of the sky; I’d rather have a small drone fall on me that a 150# cyclist traveling 25 mph hit me.

[Bobalu]

One thing is CERTAIN.

Data transponders will be a legally required part of any drone that is more than a simple child’s toy.

I will be verboten to fly a drone without the transponder relaying positional and other data to the government at all times.

It will be an infringement of our liberty, but at least it’s a cheap add-on to require.

[Wonder Warthog]

"As to drones falling out of the sky; I’d rather have a small drone fall on me that a 150# cyclist traveling 25 mph hit me."

I dunno. I think it would depend on the altitude of the drone when it began the drop, and what it's aerodynamic "terminal velocity" was.

[BwanaNdege]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nA8_6Oa3_3c

High Altitude H-Quad Free Fall

(I’m a smaller target as seen from above than aimed at horizontally by a bike courier. Plus, the cyclist & his bike are a MUCH bigger bullet than a small quadcopter)

:-)