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FAA threatens $25,000 fine for weaponizing drones
It's perfectly natural for a red-blooded American to, once they have procured their first real drone, experiment with attaching a flame thrower to it. But it turns out that this harmless hobby is frowned upon by the biggest buzzkills in the world... the feds.
Yes, the FAA has gone and published a notice that drones and weapons are "A Dangerous Mix." Well, that's arguable. But they're the authority here, so we have to hear them out.
"Perhaps you've seen online photos and videos of drones with attached guns, bombs, fireworks, flamethrowers, and other dangerous items. Do not consider attaching any items such as these to a drone because operating a drone with such an item may result in significant harm to a person and to your bank account."
Also at The Verge and PetaPixel.
Previously: Department of Homeland Security Terror Bulletin Warns of "Weaponized Drones"
Related: FAA Restricts Drone Operations Over 10 U.S. Landmarks
FAA Approves Blood Toting Drones at North Carolina Hospital
Commercial Drones Are Way More Popular Than the FAA Expected
U.S. Department of Homeland Security Warns Against Using Chinese Drones
(Score: 4, Insightful) by Rosco P. Coltrane on Sunday August 25 2019, @11:28AM (14 children)
I'm not a murderer, but if I was, I would be flying my totally stock drone at full pelt straight in my idiotic neighbor's face when he starts putting the music on full blast on his patio at 2am. I'm fairly sure it would be quite lethal, although it's totally unarmed.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday August 25 2019, @11:47AM
Wouldn't it be easier just to load up the drone with as much petrol as it can carry, light a fuse, and fly it over?
Probably cheaper just to throw it yourself.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday August 25 2019, @12:04PM (4 children)
putting the music on full blast on his patio at 2am
When my neighbour did that, I threatened to kill his pit-bull with my bare hands.
He never did it again.
(Score: 2) by Rosco P. Coltrane on Sunday August 25 2019, @02:06PM (3 children)
Why would you do that? The dog didn't do nothing...
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday August 25 2019, @02:40PM (2 children)
The penalty for killing a dog is less than for killing a man. Added bonus: one less PB in the world.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday August 25 2019, @05:31PM (1 child)
pit bulls are some of the best dogs in the world. the problem is they are driven. it's up to the owner to direct that drive. they don't have any inclination to use that drive in any particular direction. if you take a human with a lot of intelligence/potential and drive and you put them in a cage you will get a dangerous person. same as putting a pit bull or many other dogs on a chain or don't show it that humans are loving. people like you are just ignorant and scared or maybe you're just psychopathic and want to hurt innocent animals.
(Score: 2) by HiThere on Sunday August 25 2019, @06:46PM
It's my understanding that the problem with a pit-bull is that when it bites, it doesn't want to let go, just bite down harder. Also they're built to take a lot of abuse. (Bulls are quite feisty when you bite them.)
Javascript is what you use to allow unknown third parties to run software you have no idea about on your computer.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday August 25 2019, @03:32PM (2 children)
I'm not an arsonist, but if I were and were giving you advice, I'd suggest you flying your drone with a flamethrower attached and douse the idiotic neighbor with flame. As he and soon his house burns, you can switch on your own full blast music and play Disco Inferno by The Trammps. It's that nice little touch of sadistic irony that makes a murder memorable.
(Score: -1, Troll) by Ethanol-fueled on Sunday August 25 2019, @05:19PM (1 child)
Neighbors making noise at 2am implies Mexicans. And if you are going to weaponize a drone to target Mexicans, a can of Raid or some Hot Shot bug bombs are going to be the payload.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday August 25 2019, @06:59PM
And what about against you? A drone weaponized with a re-transmission of Nuremburg Trials?
(Score: 2) by JNCF on Sunday August 25 2019, @05:09PM (1 child)
What kind of stock drone do you have? I seriously doubt that a quadcopter to the face is as effective as a bullet. I could totally see a drone crash causing a fatality, but not at the same rate as bullet crashes.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday August 25 2019, @10:22PM
A stock done can cut a man's head in half. Granted it needs to be a relatively large one, but it has happened.
(Score: 3, Interesting) by JoeMerchant on Sunday August 25 2019, @05:42PM
Even the big 6 rotor drones we flew with heavy gimbal-camera payloads were far from lethal - they could give you a nasty flesh wound (as a couple of operators can attest by experience), but with any kind of medical attention you could pretty much walk it off afterwards, no matter how hard they hit you.
Now, the University was trying to build a flying guillotine - 4 rotors each about 1m in diameter - that thing was death on an X-frame.
🌻🌻 [google.com]
(Score: 2) by qzm on Monday August 26 2019, @12:38AM
Or you could just throw a brick at him, it would probably do more damage AND be more accurate....
just sayin...
(Score: 2) by All Your Lawn Are Belong To Us on Monday August 26 2019, @03:26PM
Which was the result of your neighbor drinking his beer often and not drinking Dos Equis?
Stay homicidal, my friend.
This sig for rent.