Injustice Dept’s Eric Holder: Drone Strikes Against Americans on U.S. Soil are Legal

Attorney General Eric Holder can imagine a scenario in which it would be constitutional to carry out a drone strike against an American on American soil, he wrote in a letter to Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky. The Obama administration believes it could technically use military force to kill an American on U.S. soil in an…

San Diego’s Second Chance at Drone Domination

San Diego missed out last year on a shot to become a national drone testing hub. Now, leaders have another chance to be at the forefront of drone research, and they’re taking pains to ensure they don’t repeat the mistakes they believe doomed their first bid. A handful of San Diego and state-level officials attended…

Commercial Drone Pilots Cheer Judge Finding Against FAA

Aerial photographers, surveyors and filmmakers who want to fly small drones in U.S. airspace are able to rejoice after a judge dealt a setback to efforts by federal regulators to rein in use of the unmanned aircraft. Raphael Pirker, who had been docked $10,000 by the Federal Aviation Administration for using a drone to shoot…

Insurance Coverage for Commercial Drones: Sky’s the Limit

Though the use of small, unmanned aircraft systems (UAS)—more familiarly known as “drones”—is in its infancy, commercial growth is predicted to significantly increase in the next 10 years as businesses such as Amazon and UPS explore using them for deliveries and enthusiasts adopt them for commercial and recreational purposes. Drones will require insurance coverage, which can…

DRONE TESTING OVER SAN DIEGO AND EAST COUNTY SHOT DOWN

December 30, 2013 (San Diego’s East County) – The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) announced its choice of six sites to test unmanned drone aircraft. San Diego is not on the list, despite being home to drone manufacturers and having support from Supervisors and Congressional representatives. Today’s news drew cheers from citizens’ groups opposed to drone…

The Big UAV/UAS Manufacturer List

There are hundreds, if not thousands of Drone manufacturers around the world, with new ventures springing up every day. This page attempts to chronicle as many of them as possible by geographic area. Companies making drones, UAVs or UAS. United States California 3D Robotics – The for profit arm of DIY Drones. Leader in supporting…

States Await FAA Drone Testing Decision

With only three highly anticipated days to go, the Economic development offices and major research universities across the nation are waiting with the anticipation of a kid on Christmas Eve for the Federal Aviation Administration to decide where it will station research and test sites for drones. The FAA’s decision, which could be worth billions…

Potential Drone Test Site Spurs Concerns In San Diego Back Country

Julian resident John Raifsnider believes drones have eyes, and wandering ones at that. He worries that if San Diego becomes a test site for the technology, the government might use it to spy on local citizens. He’s also troubled by potential fires if a drone crashes. And he has a slew of questions: “What effect…

BILL TO REGULATE DRONES, PROTECT PRIVACY INTRODUCED

November 7, 2013 (Washington D.C.) –The Drone Aircraft Privacy and Transparency Act was introduce November 4 in the Senate. “The FAA’s plan falls far short of putting in place the necessary privacy protections for the commercialization of drone use in U.S. airspace,” Senator Ed Markey (D-MA)said in a statement. “This disregard for the need for…

Hacker Posts Drone-Hijacking App as Freeware

Hacker Samy Kamkar in what he described as a simple way to hijack control over drones. Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) have passed a milestone on the road to maturity of any new digital technology: they can now be hacked and taken over by strangers while still carrying markers that make it look as if they’re…