Posted on 07/29/2015 7:08:46 AM PDT by BenLurkin
San Bernardino County supervisors unanimously agreed Tuesday to offer $75,000 in rewards for help in tracking down drone operators who interfered with firefighters during three major wildfires this summer..
After the unmanned devices were spotted flying above flames and smoke from the blazes this year — which altogether burned about 36,000 acres — fire crews were forced to ground water-dropping aircraft. Officials said the delays allowed the fires to spread, resulting in devastating property losses.
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And for about 25 minutes, officials had to halt tankers over the July 17 North fire, which jumped Interstate 15 near California 138 and destroyed dozens of vehicles, U.S. Forest Service officials said.
Drones pose a major risk to firefighters, pilots and aircraft, officials say. A collision between a drone and aircraft flying at low altitude could result in major damage and potentially injure the pilot and crew on board.
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New legislation, if passed, could allow firefighters and law enforcement to take down any drones hindering emergency operations.
The proposed law, introduced by Assemblyman Mike Gatto (D-Glendale) and state Sen. Ted Gaines (R-El Dorado), would give firefighters and other first responders immunity if they damage drones interfering during a fire or other emergency.
(Excerpt) Read more at latimes.com ...
What is it about drones that brings out the stupid in people?
I jump with the National Guard.
I can't tell you the number of times a Cessna has buzzed the drop zone with parachutists in the air when we are not on a military base. Even though the area has a temp No Flight restriction.
Stupid people and their toys
Isn’t that the same argument Richard Dreyfus is using for guns? Only let militia have them. Where does that leave the rest of us?
Makes more sense to lock up crazies than deprive the rest of us of our rights to have a drone if we can afford one and want one. One caveat is make people carry a liability insurance policy for their drone because of potential damage it could cause to people and property.
A new form of voyeurism.
One caveat is make people carry a liability insurance policy for their drone because of potential damage it could cause to people and property
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That has also been suggested and pushed for gun owners.
I think they are cool, and may get one as soon as the tech matures a bit. But, will respect other’s right to privacy.
There is another thread going about a guy arrested for shooting down the drone of an apparent peeping Tom. In my opinion the laws written to protect planes and helicopters need to be amended to offer less protection for drones as there appears to be many instances when knocking drones out of the sky is the right thing to do.
San Bernardino County supervisors unanimously agreed Tuesday to offer $75,000 in rewards for help in tracking down drone operators who interfered with firefighters during three major wildfires this summer..
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I’m going to tell them to check Youtube for the videos.
Thank goodness they don’t ground the water-drop aircraft when a bird is spotted over a wild fire.
Easy sol’n:
Helicopter+12Ga.
If the drones are only flown above the drone owners’ property there will be no problems.
Equating drones with guns is BS.
Guns aren’t used to spy on other people.
I would vote “not guilty” for anyone downing a drone. And we DON’T need Amazon drones delivering packages,either.
Just because something is possible doesn’t mean it should be done.
Model plane/helicopter flyers have always used large open spaces for their hobby. With the advent of GPS/go-pro cameras, and the ability to fly drones with a program, rather than line-of-sight, we start running into the idiot arena. I think a simple ordinance stating that flying anything over x-inches span or x-ounces in weight requires them to be flown in open spaces, and not residential areas.
The local news channel(s) have been bragging about their new drones,,, to cover the news better, for us . .
Supposedly if one has a subscription to NRA, you have some kind of insurance coverage, not certain what type or for what. Everyone should check into getting an umbrella policy (blanket type coverage) for all kinds of traumas and dramas. You can’t fix or get rid of stupid but you can try and insure for some of it. My husband and I have seen most every kind of stupid as claims investigators. We investigated it all, drunk balcony falls, car wrecks, slip and falls (wearing six inch heels), mooning through a window(envision Edward scissorhands ass) neighbor kid shooting other neighbor kid’s eye out with BB gun, dog bites, illegals with no insurance (they scatter at the scene of a car accident like a covey of quail startled), employee theft, arson, sedative flunitrazepam (roofie or ruffie) sex assaults. They are right you can’t fix stupid. But you can buy the insurance and to try to protect against stupid. Sometimes surveillance cameras are a good thing to catch illegal shenanigans.
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