Fresno County sheriff's helicopter has near miss with drone

[ScatSpeak]

Please google the definition of "Drone."

A fixed wing UAV is a....Drone.

Well, you got me there and I already knew that... it just seems to me that in that case the phrase "Remote Controlled Airplane" would have been more appropriate.... and big ones like that have been around for far longer than quads...

Sorry, I'm just annoyed that anything flying these days which isn't manned or a biological creature is now called "drone"... more hyperbole to confuse people.

 

[GoodnNuff]

Well, you got me there and I already knew that... it just seems to me that in that case the phrase "Remote Controlled Airplane" would have been more appropriate.... and big ones like that have been around for far longer than quads...

Sorry, I'm just annoyed that anything flying these days which isn't manned or a biological creature is now called "drone"... more hyperbole to confuse people.

I understand your point.
However fixed wing drones have been around far longer than quadcopters have been.
It irritates me that everyone assumes "drone" to mean the little white thing DJI makes with 4 props.

 

[ScatSpeak]

I understand your point.
However fixed wing drones have been around far longer than quadcopters have been.
It irritates me that everyone assumes "drone" to mean the little white thing DJI makes with 4 props.

Yup... nowadays any sUAS or UAS shall forever be simply labeled "drone"...

 

[alexdds]

i think recreational and some commercial drones should be flown below 500 feet as this keeps the noise down and is already globally accepted altitude. 500-600 should be amazon or drone deliveries. Manned above 600 feet unless landing or take off. if the cops need to see something they can use a zoom lens.

 

[wallix]

I don't even use the word, "Drone" anymore. It carries way too much baggage. I just force out the extra two syllables to say, "Quadcopter".

 

[Sinisalo]

I don't like that the news agency reported that the drone wasn't registered. If he had it before December 21, 2015 then he has until later this month to register. And the fine they reported for drone law violations is actually the fine for flying unregistered, not for a violation of the FAA Guidelines.

 

[ScatSpeak]

I don't even use the word, "Drone" anymore. It carries way too much baggage. I just force out the extra two syllables to say, "Quadcopter".

Good point...

I think though that I will use different "words" depending on who I'm talking to...

If the FAA or LEO I will say "UAS" (i.e. you-***)
If friends and family I will say "drone"
If passing stranger I will say "quadcopter"

sometimes I may mix it up depending on the audience...

 

[Sinisalo]

i just gave in and started using the word drone, I am not ashamed of my hobby. If you read all of my posts you would see the gradual change lol.

 

[Wolfiesden]

"He followed the drone to the ground, back to the man who was controlling it and landed in a field.

So, does that make the field a new helipad and a new NFZ for DJI to add to the app? Is it legal for the helicopter to land on a field like that?

 

[Wolfiesden]

Please google the definition of "Drone."

A fixed wing UAV is a....Drone.

And so is a quad/hex/octa copter.

noun
1.
the male of the honeybee and other bees, stingless and making no honey.
2.

1. an unmanned aircraft or ship that can navigate autonomously, without human control or beyond line of sight:
   the GPS of a U.S. spy drone.
2. (loosely) any unmanned aircraft or ship that is guided remotely:
   a radio-controlled drone.

3.
a person who lives on the labor of others; parasitic loafer.
4.
a drudge.

A Phantom 3 qualifies as a "drone" per definition 2, sub 1 and 2. It is capable of autonomous flight (ie RTH and waypoints for example). It is capable of beyond LOS flight. It is an unmanned aircraft. It is a drone.

Not all quadcopters are drones. Not all drones are quadcopters. Just so happens the P3 is both.

 

[GoodnNuff]

Not all quadcopters are drones. Not all drones are quadcopters. Just so happens the P3 is both.

I usually don't nitpick, but:

drone1
[drohn]

• Examples
• Word Origin

noun
1.
the male of the honeybee and other bees, stingless and making nohoney.
2.

1. an unmanned aircraft or ship that can navigate autonomously,without human control or beyond line of sight:
   the GPS of a U.S. spy drone.
2. (loosely) any unmanned aircraft or ship that is guided remotely:
   a radio-controlled drone.

3.
a person who lives on the labor of others; parasitic loafer.
4.
a drudge.

And in our current lexicon, all RC aircraft with 4 props or more, are considered drones (yes, as well as many fixed wings, male bees, etc.)

 

[Wolfiesden]

Yes, under "loosely" it is as well which is why I said both 1 and 2 sub definitions. But it also qualifies non-loosely under 2, sub 1 as it hits all the points in the definition.