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The only context I know them in is car chases/suspect spotlighting. If that's the primary use case, I imagine quadcopters eventually take that role for a lot le
by RankingMember 3y ago
The only context I know them in is car chases/suspect spotlighting. If that's the primary use case, I imagine quadcopters eventually take that role for a lot less money.
- j4yav 3y agoI thought these mainly existed in LA to wake everyone up every night and make sure everyone knows who is in charge
- ryanwaggoner 3y agoExactly. In a decade or two, this fleet will be two helicopters instead of 17, because most of the use cases will be covered by drones.
- readthenotes1 3y agoFly bys, showing off, and ferrying VIPs over the hoi polloi stuck in traffic will not be done by drones (well, maybe the flybys for the lesser people)
- trillic 3y agoWhy is this a decade away? Does 3K/hr not cover a whole team of drones and drone pilots?
- xnx 3y agoGas powered drones seem vastly superior for almost every use: cheaper, faster, safer, launch and land almost anywhere.
- nradov 3y agoThat's no solution. Drones aren't legally allowed to fly in many classes of airspace. The greater Los Angeles area contains a number of areas where larger drones simply can't be used at all.
- yencabulator 3y agoJust because you can't fly a drone somewhere doesn't mean LAPD can't figure out how to legally fly drones.
- nradov 3y agoWrong. LAPD is subject to the same rules.
- yencabulator 3y agoSure, they need to permitted properly and they can't endanger the local airports. Of course. At the same time, the FAA drone rules website does lead you to "Are you a Government agency (Federal, State, Tribal, and Territorial law), law enforcement, or a public safety entity?" and the rules LAPD would follow to operate a large drone are not the same as a random enthusiast would follow to operate a small drone. If the hypothetical drone is over 55 lbs, they might be operating just under the heading "Public Aircraft Operations—Manned and Unmanned". https://www.faa.gov/regulations_policies/advisory_circulars/index.cfm/go/document.information/documentID/1034871 https://www.faa.gov/regulations_policies/advisory_circulars/... And even if that weren't true, law enforcement is a government operation and it's very plausible to see them get permitted to do things an average corporation or individual isn't. For example, extra requirements for flying near airports that require specific capabilities and sensors in the drone and a special pilot license.
- readthenotes1 3y agoThe primary use case is, according to the article, looting the public treasury for prestige and ease.