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I wouldn't drive myself + passengers on the same freeway as amateurs trying to weave RC vehicles around my own. And I wouldn't be driving through the air hundre

I wouldn't drive myself + passengers on the same freeway as amateurs trying to weave RC vehicles around my own. And I wouldn't be driving through the air hundreds of feet above the ground. The fact that professional pilots and helicopter operators _have_ to make that judgment call for safety reasons because there are no regulations ensuring a safe flight is a concern.

jjoonathan 11y ago
The sky is a bigger place than a road. 3D vs 1D. No comparison. My problem is not with the judgment call; my problem is with the fact that their judgment call is being used as evidence that they were in danger. As you yourself point out, nobody really knows how dangerous the situation was. Extreme uncertainty makes conservative action reasonable, but it doesn't make drones inherently dangerous. It would be nice to get some laws on the books to eliminate the uncertainty. My fear is that the laws will lean absurdly on the side of caution; an analogy would be putting a literal tin-foil-hatter in charge of the FCC.
- darpa_escapee 11y ago
  I'd argue the safety threat is greater for a helicopter's passengers when both the operator and the amateurs are trying to reach the same target. I'd also argue that the ability to navigate that 3D space competently doesn't exist from a fixed point at a distance by an amateur. Especially in an emergency situation, especially if there is limited visibility due to smoke. They were in a dangerous situation. The uncertainty makes it an inherently dangerous situation. Drones are no inherently dangerous, no one is arguing that. Drones can create inherently dangerous situations, however. This was one.
- 4v1SoundsFair 11y ago
  Roads are 2D...1D would be a point. You're point still stands though.
- CaptainZapp 11y ago
  The sky is a bigger place than a road. 3D vs 1D. No comparison. While this is true, in theory, the various flight pathes are very, very tightly regulated and controlled. Here's an interesting (if rivetting) read what can go wrong when a plane deviates from it's assigned path and height http://www.vanityfair.com/culture/2009/01/air_crash200901 http://www.vanityfair.com/culture/2009/01/air_crash200901

jjoonathan 11y ago

The sky is a bigger place than a road. 3D vs 1D. No comparison. My problem is not with the judgment call; my problem is with the fact that their judgment call is being used as evidence that they were in danger. As you yourself point out, nobody really knows how dangerous the situation was. Extreme uncertainty makes conservative action reasonable, but it doesn't make drones inherently dangerous. It would be nice to get some laws on the books to eliminate the uncertainty. My fear is that the laws will lean absurdly on the side of caution; an analogy would be putting a literal tin-foil-hatter in charge of the FCC.

darpa_escapee 11y ago
I'd argue the safety threat is greater for a helicopter's passengers when both the operator and the amateurs are trying to reach the same target. I'd also argue that the ability to navigate that 3D space competently doesn't exist from a fixed point at a distance by an amateur. Especially in an emergency situation, especially if there is limited visibility due to smoke. They were in a dangerous situation. The uncertainty makes it an inherently dangerous situation. Drones are no inherently dangerous, no one is arguing that. Drones can create inherently dangerous situations, however. This was one.
4v1SoundsFair 11y ago
Roads are 2D...1D would be a point. You're point still stands though.
CaptainZapp 11y ago
The sky is a bigger place than a road. 3D vs 1D. No comparison. While this is true, in theory, the various flight pathes are very, very tightly regulated and controlled. Here's an interesting (if rivetting) read what can go wrong when a plane deviates from it's assigned path and height http://www.vanityfair.com/culture/2009/01/air_crash200901 http://www.vanityfair.com/culture/2009/01/air_crash200901