UAVs to be used for traffic control in Houston

[msnyder]

Apparently, a Texas TV crew busted the secret testing
of a 40 pound, 10 foot WS UAV that the Houston PD plans
to use to supplement manned aircraft for such things as
catching speeders:

"We still haven't even decided how we were goingo to go forward on this task, so it seemed premature to me to announce this to the media", [Executive Assistant Police Chief Martha] Montalvo said.

The UAV was operated by a firm called Insitu, Inc.

http://www.aero-news.net/index.cfm?ContentBlockID=9737d45c-0595-478b-8e49-f5e673c3de4c

More: wired.com
Police to Deploy Spy Drones in Texas

http://blog.wired.com/defense/2007/11/police-to-deplo.html

Houston, Texas to Deploy UAV Speeding Ticket Drones

http://www.thenewspaper.com/news/20/2084.asp

Miami gets into the act too:
Houston, Miami Police Test UAVs

http://www.avweb.com/avwebflash/news/HoustonMiamiPoliceTestUAVs_196649-1.html

[Draganfly]

Fourth thread's a charm.

[turbine50]

Crap...

[macboffin]

Crap... Exactly right!

[turbine50]

Here's me trying to get to the flying field in a hurry....

Red light- $75
Perfect day at the field- priceless

[RCAV8R13]

Don't worry, the FAA won't let any of this happen any day soon. We've been trying to drag the FAA, kicking and screaming, into the 21st century since the 20th century.
If you are a "real" pilot, don't worry, your job is safe....for now.
RCA

[Michael_UAV]

Don't worry, the FAA won't let any of this happen any day soon. We've been trying to drag the FAA, kicking and screaming, into the 21st century since the 20th century.
If you are a "real" pilot, don't worry, your job is safe....for now.
RCA
lol... :D

[turbine50]

I'm not too worried. How many people would actually get into an airplane with no pilot? Hopefully by the time that becomes acceptable, I'll be long gone...

[RCAV8R13]

I'm not too worried. How many people would actually get into an airplane with no pilot? Hopefully by the time that becomes acceptable, I'll be long gone...
Yes, it will be a long time but it will happen. Many years ago people said that no one would get into an elevator with no operator or a train with no conductor but we do it today without thinking. At the time people felt that elevators and trains were too complex to be automated. That sounds ridiculous today of course. A few years ago I attended AUVSI and saw a Gulfstream 555 that was proposed to be a UAV platform because it could be completely programmed to fly an entire flight with no one in it. From start up to taxi to take off to landing to taxi and shut down, with no one in it. That was three years ago. The technology is already getting cold. The only thing standing in the way is the FAA. They work for pilots, not airplanes.
RCA

[borism]

excuse me, what is the point you're trying to make? most modern airliners, transports and warbirds were flown by computers for decades, but pilots are still there to monitor them and take over in case it's needed. not because it makes us think we're safer like this, but because we're safer like this. this is one of the basic rules of aviation - to never put fate of machine and lives in one hands or on one technology.

as someone noted on another forum, 21st century pilots are really sysadmins for avionics. I am sysadmin myself - do you think they keep me only because computers can't do the job I do?

I am UAV builder myself, and although just sending plane on a mission and hoping it will return safely is tempting for me too, I'd rather make sure that I have proper controls when they're needed, than dive for the wreckage.

[RCAV8R13]

excuse me, what is the point you're trying to make? most modern airliners, transports and warbirds were flown by computers for decades, but pilots are still there to monitor them and take over in case it's needed. not because it makes us think we're safer like this, but because we're safer like this. this is one of the basic rules of aviation - to never put fate of machine and lives in one hands or on one technology.

as someone noted on another forum, 21st century pilots are really sysadmins for avionics. I am sysadmin myself - do you think they keep me only because computers can't do the job I do?

I am UAV builder myself, and although just sending plane on a mission and hoping it will return safely is tempting for me too, I'd rather make sure that I have proper controls when they're needed, than dive for the wreckage.
Please understand, I'm not advocating this change, only predicting it. Engineers have been talking about cars that drive them selves for years. DARPA has sponsored a competition to promote the development of such technology for a few years now. There will be a day when your car has no steering wheel and it will signal the end of reckless driving, drunk driving or people falling asleep at the wheel. I wonder what the NTSBs statistics are on the number of airplane crashes attributed to "Pilot Error"? Don't get me wrong, I feel better knowing there is a qualified pilot in the cockpit but the struggling airlines are dropping the wages for pilots more and more each year. There will come a day when we won't have "the best pilots money can buy". With oil prices going sky high companies like Southwest Airlines look to any means possible to cut costs. But don't worry, the FAA is very powerful and they won't let it happen any day soon.
RCA

[Michael_UAV]

Please understand, I'm not advocating this change, only predicting it. Engineers have been talking about cars that drive them selves for years. DARPA has sponsored a competition to promote the development of such technology for a few years now. There will be a day when your car has no steering wheel and it will signal the end of reckless driving, drunk driving or people falling asleep at the wheel. I wonder what the NTSBs statistics are on the number of airplane crashes attributed to "Pilot Error"? Don't get me wrong, I feel better knowing there is a qualified pilot in the cockpit but the struggling airlines are dropping the wages for pilots more and more each year. There will come a day when we won't have "the best pilots money can buy". With oil prices going sky high companies like Southwest Airlines look to any means possible to cut costs. But don't worry, the FAA is very powerful and they won't let it happen any day soon.
RCA
Well put Kip..