On Thursday, October 4, 2018 at 12:19:05 PM UTC-4, Charlie M. (UH & 002 owner/pilot) wrote:
I agree with the training comment.
I also wonder, how often do peeps think a "shootdown" will be weapons from the ground vs. from the air?
If from the air, using what? Not much real radar profile, essentially NO heat signature. If "guns", are the shooters cognizant of whatever may be behind the target? Since these are usually low altitude, this more likely means shooting down.

Why do I bring this up? Back in the 60's, a couple houses from me (before I moved here, may find an article with Ringwood, NJ in it), an F4(?) was testing wing loads (bombs, tanks, whatever) and they had an issue. The pilot looked down, only saw trees, punched out. Our whole town is basically old forest and roads/houses disappear.
The jet spiraled down, hit trees, a house, scattered bits up the street. Pilot was OK, ground peeps were OK.

Fast forward, some govt. entity wants to shoot down a UAV (hopefully "U"), looks, sees no human activity, shoots, misses and maybe hits ground peeps or homes, etc.
What a nightmare that becomes.

Well - that first article piqued my interest and I found this one about Deer Trail, CO, a small town west of Denver on I-70, which sells drone hunting licenses. If you scroll down to the picture of the actual license, it shows a military type drone with glider-like wings!
Make sure you don't circle low over that town! :-)
Wouldn't it be ironic if someone with that town's license bags a government owned, military grade drone? A lawyer's wet dream.... ;-)

http://www.latimes.com/nation/la-na-...htmlstory.html

Uli
'AS'