On Fri, 23 Apr 2004 16:09:19 GMT, "Tony Cox" wrote in
Message-Id: et:

"Larry Dighera" wrote in message
.. .

Aircraft operation in the NAS by an uncertificated "pilot" would seem
to violate FARs.

I suppose that depends on how you define "Aircraft"
and "pilot"...


Ummm..

Pilot: A person who holds the appropriate category, class, and type
rating, if appropriate, for the conduct of the flight.

Aircraft: A device that is used or intended to be used for flight in
the air.


It's my understanding that it takes a team of about 7 to operate a
UAV. Perhaps that level of redundancy might mitigate the concerns you
raise. However, 7 border patrol officers on the ground might be more
effective in preventing illegal entries.

Now I don't understand the logic. What does a UAV provide
that a 182 doesn't? Is it significantly cheaper to keep in the air?
Do the "team of 7" work for less money than a pilot and a
spotter? Now that's scary....

Exactly. There have to be undisclosed reasons for deploying UAVs.

I do understand the use of UAV in hazardous areas, where there
is enemy fire and/or risk of a pilot being captured. But why go to
all the extra trouble just to police the border?

Perhaps the DHS is using the UAV for border patrol duty scenario as a
more publicly acceptable vehicle to introduce UAV surveillance nation
wide, because UAV use doesn't seem to make economic nor safety sense
for domestic peacetime operation.