Government shooting down drones

[Philsmith76]

As a I read more and more about government agencies shooting down drones (ie Safeguarding America’s Skies Act of 2018 (H.R.5366) I wonder as a pilot in command if this is used and the resulting damage or injury of a drone falling from the sky who is responsible?

As a example what if you are at a local park and a LEO has a drone gun. Shoots it from the sky and injured someone. What then?

If there is a demand these devices will be available for the private market then you could be flying legally and your drone fall from the sky and injury someone. What then?

Or the next time there is a fly away someone could claim they were jammed from a drone gun. This is all a very slippery slope.

 

[Cellblock776]

Last week I had a gyrocopter buzz over my house in St Gabriel, La. It was no higher than 250 feet. I live near 2 state prisons and several industries along the Mississippi River. I'm less than a mile from a power plant. How soon until the local PD starts shooting at the gyrocopter? What about the paraglider guys who like to fly around here under parachutes with big fans strapped to their backs? Is the day coming that a Deputy is going to pop the trunk of his cruiser and grab his AR-15 rifle and open fire on the dude paragliding over my tree tops?

 

[N017RW]

I guess you could fabricate all kinds of crazy scenarios to promote your paranoia.

If it ever happens you’ll find out. Until then don’t get yourself too worked up over it since you won’t likely be involved anyways.... or will you?

 

[Deleted member 109724]

I heard about this law. It is good that the military can shoot drone's down, but I'm worried about the common Joe shooting my drone with a drone gun, or worse, using that newfangled jammer.

 

[N017RW]

It’s illegal to shoot down an aircraft and jammers are verboten by the FCC.

Your much more likely to crash countless drones before ever having one ‘downed’ by an individual or govt entity.

 

[Deleted member 109724]

Yes, I have ocd, and geothermalphobia and everything-phobia, but that's probably rare to get your drone shot down. Unless of course you fly over farmer Sam's house, that's xnay for the birdA.

 

[Older_Man]

Last week I had a gyrocopter buzz over my house in St Gabriel, La. It was no higher than 250 feet. I live near 2 state prisons and several industries along the Mississippi River. I'm less than a mile from a power plant.

Maybe one of the industries was doing a survey for future expanding or even the power plant.Could it be some improvement management with those two prisons on a new building or expanding the new fence ?,maybe a new road alternative.If a gyrocopter was flying that high I wouldn't think it would actually be called buzzing over your house but rather flew over your house.

 

[BayouBill]

This Act (if passed and signed by the president), "...would allow the Department of Justice and the Department of Homeland Security to detect, track, and engage with drones that pose a security risk to certain military agencies and assets." This does not authorize local law enforcement officers or home owners to shoot down drones. Under federal law, it is a felony to willfully damage or destroy aircraft (Title 18 U.S.C. § 32). H.R.5366 proposes an exception to allow FEDERAL law enforcement to take action against drones threatening FEDERAL property. Anyone else shooting down a drone is subject to civil and criminal penalties.

 

[Older_Man]

A while back somebody wrote in to WFAA news staff and asked, can a drone fly over my backyard ?.
I searched and finally found the video that was broadcast last year and thought it was worth posting.

VERIFY: Can a drone fly over my backyard?

 

[paulmorel]

Just pray that DJI's next feature is to create bulletproof drones...

 

[Wilbur]

This Act (if passed and signed by the president), "...would allow the Department of Justice and the Department of Homeland Security to detect, track, and engage with drones that pose a security risk to certain military agencies and assets." This does not authorize local law enforcement officers or home owners to shoot down drones. Under federal law, it is a felony to willfully damage or destroy aircraft (Title 18 U.S.C. § 32). H.R.5366 proposes an exception to allow FEDERAL law enforcement to take action against drones threatening FEDERAL property. Anyone else shooting down a drone is subject to civil and criminal penalties.

I think that's the key point to remember. Most people aren't posing a risk to the military when they fly. There's plenty of people who pose a risk to the general public, which is still bad, but probably not going to get your drone shot down (unless done illegally by a crazed redneck as mentioned up above).

 

[paulmorel]

I heard about this law. It is good that the military can shoot drone's down, but I'm worried about the common Joe shooting my drone with a drone gun, or worse, using that newfangled jammer.

there's nothing good about shooting drone's down...