Moving targets make for good practice
10-28-2013, 06:04 PM
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Moving targets make for good practice
http://www.outdoorhub.com/news/peta-...nter-watching/
PETA Launches Drone Fleet
OutdoorHub Reporters Daniel Xu + | October 25, 2013
PETA is now selling drones through their online store.
People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) announced a bold new program earlier this year that proposed the use of unmanned aerial vehicles, also known as drones, to “monitor” hunters and anglers in popular recreational areas. At the time, PETA implied that its staff would be purchasing and piloting the surveillance drones themselves, but a recent press release revealed that the organization will be outsourcing that duty to its members. For the price of $324.99 plus shipping, any PETA member can purchase an “Air Angel” drone from the organization’s online catalog.
“Bowhunting season in Massachusetts is now open—but hunters who are hitting the woods had better keep an eye on the skies,” PETA wrote in a news release.
It is an attempt by the animal rights organization to create a hobby of “hunter watching.” PETA encourages its members to use the drones to follow sportsmen and record video of hunts, hoping to get footage of “illegal or cruel hunting practices, such as failing to follow an injured deer, laying bait to lure geese, or leaving bear cubs orphaned.”
“PETA’s drones will help protect wildlife by letting hunters know that someone may be watching—and recording—them, so they should think twice before illegally killing or maiming any living being,” said PETA President Ingrid E. Newkirk. “Wildlife watchers outnumber wildlife killers five to one—and if even a fraction of these kind people use hobby drones, they’ll make a huge difference by exposing hunters’ dirty secrets.”
The footage will then be collected by PETA and possibly shared with law enforcement. Beyond that, the organization does not specify what it will do with the accumulated video.
The vast majority of sportsmen have reacted negatively to PETA’s announcement, saying that using drones to stalk hunters is merely harassment. Drones are an increasingly popular tool in conservation and wildlife protection, but many say PETA’s true motive is to discourage hunting. Unmanned patrol craft are useful in surveying large tracts of wilderness for poachers, and have been used successfully in places such as Nepal or Kenya. However, PETA’s push to monitor law-abiding outdoorsmen is seen by hunters as an invasion of privacy.
Lawmakers agreed. Shortly after PETA’s announcement in April, Texas severely limited recreational drone use and made surveillance with a drone a misdemeanor. Illinois Governor Pat Quinn also signed a bill in August banning the use of drones to interfere with hunters or anglers, with language that specifically mentioned PETA.
“I think these drones are a new frontier as far as the invasion of our personal rights,” said the bill’s sponsor, State Representative Adam Brown (R-Champaign).
OutdoorHub Reporters Daniel Xu + | October 25, 2013
PETA is now selling drones through their online store.
People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) announced a bold new program earlier this year that proposed the use of unmanned aerial vehicles, also known as drones, to “monitor” hunters and anglers in popular recreational areas. At the time, PETA implied that its staff would be purchasing and piloting the surveillance drones themselves, but a recent press release revealed that the organization will be outsourcing that duty to its members. For the price of $324.99 plus shipping, any PETA member can purchase an “Air Angel” drone from the organization’s online catalog.
“Bowhunting season in Massachusetts is now open—but hunters who are hitting the woods had better keep an eye on the skies,” PETA wrote in a news release.
It is an attempt by the animal rights organization to create a hobby of “hunter watching.” PETA encourages its members to use the drones to follow sportsmen and record video of hunts, hoping to get footage of “illegal or cruel hunting practices, such as failing to follow an injured deer, laying bait to lure geese, or leaving bear cubs orphaned.”
“PETA’s drones will help protect wildlife by letting hunters know that someone may be watching—and recording—them, so they should think twice before illegally killing or maiming any living being,” said PETA President Ingrid E. Newkirk. “Wildlife watchers outnumber wildlife killers five to one—and if even a fraction of these kind people use hobby drones, they’ll make a huge difference by exposing hunters’ dirty secrets.”
The footage will then be collected by PETA and possibly shared with law enforcement. Beyond that, the organization does not specify what it will do with the accumulated video.
The vast majority of sportsmen have reacted negatively to PETA’s announcement, saying that using drones to stalk hunters is merely harassment. Drones are an increasingly popular tool in conservation and wildlife protection, but many say PETA’s true motive is to discourage hunting. Unmanned patrol craft are useful in surveying large tracts of wilderness for poachers, and have been used successfully in places such as Nepal or Kenya. However, PETA’s push to monitor law-abiding outdoorsmen is seen by hunters as an invasion of privacy.
Lawmakers agreed. Shortly after PETA’s announcement in April, Texas severely limited recreational drone use and made surveillance with a drone a misdemeanor. Illinois Governor Pat Quinn also signed a bill in August banning the use of drones to interfere with hunters or anglers, with language that specifically mentioned PETA.
“I think these drones are a new frontier as far as the invasion of our personal rights,” said the bill’s sponsor, State Representative Adam Brown (R-Champaign).
10-28-2013, 08:59 PM
#2
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IMO if it's open season on scaring game away with drones, it's open season on drones. I hope they crash a whole bunch of their planes out in the sticks and this turns into a huge drain on their resources.
10-30-2013, 10:27 PM
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They want to "monitor hunters"? Sound more like they're hoping the noisy drones will scare away game. I'd go out there with my fairly quite .22 pellet rifle and start taking down drones. Based on the price, I'm guessing their a variation or the AR Parrot. Should be easy to take down by shooting off one rotor.
10-31-2013, 10:30 AM
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They want to "monitor hunters"? Sound more like they're hoping the noisy drones will scare away game. I'd go out there with my fairly quite .22 pellet rifle and start taking down drones. Based on the price, I'm guessing their a variation or the AR Parrot. Should be easy to take down by shooting off one rotor.
Exactly I am very familiar with UAVs and their capabilities, for $300, you aren't going to get much. The good news, if they fly high enough that you can't shoot them down, they won't be able to see much, or make much noise. If they are low enough to see anything of value and/or make noise, they will be easily taken down with some bird shot.
Though I would be impressed if you could take one down with a .22. I would be impressed if you could even hit the UAV, let alone take it down. Unless you have a lot of practice/success hitting rabbits/squirrels at full stride 100 yds away.....unless it is hovering....
That, and as of now, the FAA isn't going to allow this. If you are using a RC fixed/rotary wing that is in your eyes line of sight the whole time, that is legal, but that won't do much more than a body out there with a noise maker. But if they are using technology (as their website suggest) that streams video to your cell phone and you are flying and not able to see around the aircraft, you need a ROZ. You need to have a restricted operation zone to fly a UAV. So unless PETA can convince the FAA to allow all hunting grounds to have ROZ's (which require ROZ controllers, times, altitudes coordination, licenses ect.)
If you do see a PETA drone, you take video of IT (record time/location/guestimate altitude), and report THEM to the FAA, and they are facing some serious jail time or fines if they get caught....then have some fun and have some target practice lol.
10-31-2013, 11:36 PM
#9
Super Moderator
Did you read the part of my post where I said they're going to be using AR Parrot's? You don't need any license for that.
http://ardrone2.parrot.com/
Oh, and yes, I'd have no problem hitting it with my .22. If I can hit a sparrow in flight, an AR Parrot is cake.
http://ardrone2.parrot.com/
Oh, and yes, I'd have no problem hitting it with my .22. If I can hit a sparrow in flight, an AR Parrot is cake.
11-01-2013, 10:12 AM
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Did you read the part of my post where I said they're going to be using AR Parrot's? You don't need any license for that.
http://ardrone2.parrot.com/
Oh, and yes, I'd have no problem hitting it with my .22. If I can hit a sparrow in flight, an AR Parrot is cake.
http://ardrone2.parrot.com/
Oh, and yes, I'd have no problem hitting it with my .22. If I can hit a sparrow in flight, an AR Parrot is cake.
You don't need a license to own a balloon either...., but if you let a bunch go, you are risking an FAA and/or state fine/penalty.
*Florida does not recognize any balloon as “biodegradable”, therefore any release is unlawful.*
379.233 Release of balloons
(1) The Legislature finds that the release into the atmosphere of large numbers of balloons inflated with lighter-than-air gases poses a danger and nuisance to the environment, particularly to wildlife and marine animals.
379.233 Release of balloons
(1) The Legislature finds that the release into the atmosphere of large numbers of balloons inflated with lighter-than-air gases poses a danger and nuisance to the environment, particularly to wildlife and marine animals.
163-B:3 Unlawful Activities.
II. It shall be unlawful for any person to intentionally release or intentionally cause to be released into the atmosphere one or more balloons inflated with lighter-than-air gases
163-B:4 Penalties.
III. Any person who violates the provisions of RSA 163-B:3, II, relative to balloon release, shall be guilty of a violation and fined $250 for the first offense and $500 for each subsequent offense.
Some of this has to do with littering, others has to do with Aviation safety.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Larry_Walters
VFR visibility requirements in Class G airspace are 1 mile (1.6 km) by day, and 3 miles (5 km) by night, for altitudes below 10,000 feet (3,050 m)
Recreation RC aircraft are able to fly because one, they stay below 500-1200' (depending on location is class G)and two, because while in class G airspace, they can see the plane, and 1 mile around it, and avoid other air traffic.
But if you are flying via. a fixed camera and a feed of that video (FPV First person view), you can't look 1 mile (3D above, below, side to side, behind, in front) around you, you are no longer VFR legal. If someone wanted to, they could show this fact to the FAA and yes, you could be fined/penalized. The FAA owns the airspace, ignorance is rarely an excuse to do illegal activity.
If you lived within 5nm of a surface based class E or a class D airspace, you are not allowed to fly RC's at all technically, without permission/knowledge from that airport.
http://rgl.faa.gov/Regulatory_and_Guidance_Library/rgAdvisoryCircular.nsf/0/1acfc3f689769a56862569e70077c9cc/$FILE/ATTBJMAC/ac91-57.pdf
Though that law says 400' and the AR parrot claim 492' max AGL altitude, you should be fine...for now.
The laws will change too. These are all old laws, because RC was always a line of sight thing, you can see around it. Now that FPV aircraft are becoming more prominent, so are bills being drawn up to account for this. Being that you have a narrow FOV with FPV, they are trying to make them illegal, without having FAA ground licenses showing you understand how airspace works.