I take most everything in the KFOR story with more than a grain of salt. It's pretty one-sided, even for a network news source. Shot down with a high-powered rifle? At a moving aerial target? Really? That's the type of error that someone completely ignorant of firearms might make if they don't bother to verify, or that someone seeking to maximize the sensationalism of the story would make on purpose.
The weapons at a bird shoot are shotguns with, as others have said, a maximum effective range of 200' to 300', maybe a bit less with light bird shot. If by chance there happened to be a super amazing high-powered rifle marksman at the shoot who happened to bring his rifle, which is absolutely worthless at a bird-shoot, and he managed to nail the drone sufficiently to knock it down, the damage would have been extensive and very evident in the photo. The drone in the photo didn't show any visible damage. If the drone was knocked down by a lucky shot from a shotgun at or near maximum range, the visible damage might not be as obvious - but at maximum range, a pellet hitting something critical is at least as much luck as skill. In all likelihood, the drone was either much closer or was left in harms way as several shots were taken at it.
Likewise, the term "tame, banded pigeons" is added to make readers think that these were someone's pets, fed by hand and being lovingly cooed at by their owner everyday since they were hatchlings until that mean eeeeevvvviiiillll wascawy webubwican scoundwel bought them under false pretenses through a middleman (I think "strawman purchase" is the favored anti gunners' term).
More like they were farm raised and the only relationship they had with humans was having someone put the feed in a trough or tossed on the ground. Not much different than farm raised trout.
The story was probably written by SHARK beforehand and provided to news outlets as soon as the first shotgun blast was heard. KFOR probably used it without change and the Washington Post just used a bit of it here and there as source material.
Blake, Your point that no sane or responsible person would consider shooting at an airplane flying over their land is well taken, but you need to think it through a bit more. You may fly drones no closer than several hundred feet AGL where your just passing overhead or where you are using it for photogrammetry. I'd be willing to bet that except when taking off or landing, or unless you are a crop duster, that you are not such an irresponsible pilot as to fly your airplane 200' AGL or less over anyone's property, and then circle around and do it again and again and again.
If someone were buzzing my property in a small plane within shotgun range, or essentially at treetop level, I would be very annoyed as it is a visual, noise, and privacy intrusion, in addition to being incredibly unsafe. After the 2nd or 3rd pass, I'd call authorities. If it continued, I'd seriously consider peppering the wings or tail with some heavy birdshot. But for a drone at that level hovering around my property, I don't have the concern of people on board. A drone passing by is an annoyance that will have me looking for the owner and/or lodging a complaint with the sheriff's office. A drone hanging out over my property, and especially hanging out long enough for me to get my shotgun out and loaded can't be there for any legitimate or benign purpose. It's either needs to make a fast exit or it's coming down.
FL/GA PLS., post: 336567, member: 379 wrote: "The annual fundraiser earns money for the senator as guests shoot at tame, banded pigeons as theyÛªre thrown into the air."
Jesus H. Christ on a bicycle, this idiot expects to be elected? :-S #moron
Expects?
He's been in office for YEARS.
Andy Bruner, post: 336551, member: 1123 wrote: Blake, I understand what you are saying. I'm not about to go out and "hunt" a drone. However, here where I grew up farmers supplement their income by hosting dove shoots. Anywhere from $25 to $200 per gun. If you "buzz" one of these fields you can pretty much bet there will be some lead in the air after it. 50 yards is a long shot for #8 shot. If you fly a drone within 50 yards of a hunter in the field you do so at your own risk. Legal and right aren't necessarily the same thing.
Andy
In the UK the legal requirement is to be a minimum of 50 metres away from any persons not under the control of the operator. If you are using the SUA for mapping then 50 metres is too low anyway. If you are taking film or still obliques from that height you are almost certainly intruding on the privacy of others unless they are out on public land.
Tommy Young, post: 336647, member: 703 wrote: Expects?
He's been in office for YEARS.
Although Sen. Inhofe is a dyed-in-the-wool conservative (and I am probably not), he comes back from Washington every year with a wheel barrow load of pork for our highways and infrastructure. That gets you re-elected year after year down here. He will probably never cast a vote for anything other than the status-quo...but that's alright. He has kept his nose clean and stayed out of the gossip.
I didn't even vote for him but I'll VOLUNTEER to throw those damn birds up in the air next year.;-)
Senator Inhofe will be 84 years old when he next comes up for election, so there may be an opening.
As we see more and more passing laws we need to get our society active in the passage of anti-drone laws. I for one am thinking about pulling the trigger and buying one. I am going to get with the sheriff to talk to him about contracting me to map wreck scences and for search and rescue operations. I will then add that to me exemption permit. I would hope when the anti drone laws are passed an exemption for surveyors could be added with similar language as in our right-of-entry laws. I prefer the notify the person approach rather than the just you can fly anywhere approach.
makerofmaps, post: 336665, member: 9079 wrote: As we see more and more passing laws we need to get our society active in the passage of anti-drone laws. I for one am thinking about pulling the trigger and buying one. I am going to get with the sheriff to talk to him about contracting me to map wreck scences and for search and rescue operations. I will then add that to me exemption permit. I would hope when the anti drone laws are passed an exemption for surveyors could be added with similar language as in our right-of-entry laws. I prefer the notify the person approach rather than the just you can fly anywhere approach.
Explain to me the reason you need a drone trespassing on an adjoining tract.
FL/GA PLS., post: 336567, member: 379 wrote: "The annual fundraiser earns money for the senator as guests shoot at tame, banded pigeons as theyÛªre thrown into the air."
Whooeee, didnÛªt mean for yÛªall to git yer panties all wadded up.
I simply meant taking the life of a critter just for pleasure so as to satisfy whatever cretin instincts these unfortunate and questionable people inherited is cowardly and just plain stupid. I wonder if any of the ÛÏparticipantsÛ dined on their carnage?
Real hunters don't do that.
Tommy Young, post: 336675, member: 703 wrote: Explain to me the reason you need a drone trespassing on an adjoining tract.
Creating topographic information
Ok
My thought about the OK incident is that the drone folks knew that it would be shot down. As others have stated, it was a no brainer that the party goers would "shoot to kill" the intrusive drone at their soiree'.
The drone folks knew the destruction of the drone would generate them the optimum amount of publicity. There were other alternatives to get Û÷filmÛª of the event but the drone was the best option to make the news.
As for other comments, I have been researching drones for the last few months and looking at various applications. Ironically, one article that I read stated that the most growing and widespread application of drones have been in farming, both small farms and large operations in the Mid-West. Drones and related software applications are enabling farmers and ranchers to evaluate various aspects of their operations relative to irrigation, fertilizing, pesticides, herbicides in crop management. It is saving money and supplies that farmers can use in other areas.
Drone flies into Whangarei power lines, causes outage.