I am now officially worried about toy drones.

[So Far From Heaven]

The aircraft strike in England is really bad news.

I'm pretty sure the fans can take a strike, but I assume the batteries in these toys are substantial and that each prop has a small electric motor using dense magnetic materials, so the compressors in a jet turbine are toast.

This is NOT the same as a bird strike.

I also assume that there are substantial numbers of these things that can be resold to avoid registration of any kind as well.

I know for a fact that it is childs play to increase the range of the rf transmitter so you could fly the thing from a considerable distance if equipped with a camera.

Get the picture?

[malaise]

1. Very well said

One of these days an aircraft filled with people will be destroyed while a given moron was playing with his latest toy

[pnwmom]

2. More likely it won't be someone just playing. nt

[malaise]

3. Good point but when the argument is that folks

are enjoying their hobby (as in the drone-manufacturers are making a lot of money from this latest fad), it facilitates those with evil intentions.

[Adrahil]

8. Are you suggesting a ban on all civilian R/C aircraft?

I mean, I know folks who have been doing this for DECADES and have many thousands of dollars invested in equipment (not to mention countless hours in constructing the aircraft).

The headquarters of the Academy of Model Aeronautics is in my town, complete with a small museum and a miniature airfield.

I'd support regulation, but let's not throw the baby out with the bathwater.

http://www.modelaircraft.org/

[malaise]

9. Where did I suggest that? n/t

[Jeffersons Ghost]

4. Long ago Fox News tried to worry viewers about CIA drones over the USA, which is absurd...

And then got sued for hiring a fake CIA analyst. Fox News won the court case by proving in court they were strictly an entertainment media, instead of a news program.

[AxionExcel]

5. Huh? What's this about?

Did a plane in England dive bomb a drone, or something?

The OP seems to be making reference to some kind of incident somewhere far across the freaking sea. One can only wonder WTF it might be.

Links are always nice.

[Travis_0004]

6. A plane in england hit a drone

The plane was undamaged. I doubt the drone was so lucky.

[Vinca]

7. It's just a matter of time before something really bad happens.

The problem with any popular hobby is that all participants aren't responsible people. Like the numbnuts who shoot laser beams at cockpits. Like morons with guns who spoil it for hunters and target shooters.

[bighart]

10. Do you know anyone who has one of these things?

I think it's as others said not everyone that owns/uses these things will do so in a responsible manner.

[Major Nikon]

11. People routinely buy them for children

It's also not just planes that have to worry about them. I've seen dipshits flying them over groups of people in heavily populated areas.

[TampaAnimusVortex]

12. More FUD...

Just make airports off limits to drones... Its no different than pointing lasers at planes. Its illegal to point them at planes, but your perfectly free to own and play with lasers all day long. No need for hand wringing over this. Very easy to resolve.

[So Far From Heaven]

13. I'm not interested in idiots with these,

I'm interested in dedicated well educated people with these things. All they need is a light package of something like a magnesium or aluminum tube and it's goodbye turbine. Unlike lasers, of which there are thousands of laser strikes every year, this cripples the aircraft.