UAVs along the US-Mexico border? How about your own back yard?

On Thu, 6 Apr 2006 17:43:28 -0700, "Peter Duniho"
wrote in
::

http://www.boingboing.net/2006/04/06...ch_survei.html

Just this week, the Los Angeles Sheriff's Department began
using a drone called SkySeer for rescue operations and
tracking "persons of interest" during foot pursuits.


The BoingBoing crew are looking more at the privacy/civil-rights side of
things, but the issue is significant whatever your perspective.


My first response to this story is, "Hey, what do you know, the LA
Sheriff's Department is beginning to get as sophisticated as the
vigilanti group operating along the southern US border." :-)

On a more serious note:

Given:

While the drone's purpose may be serious, it looks a lot like a
radio-controlled hobby aircraft. Sam De La Torre and Victor
Torres, two of the drone's designers, told me they both grew up as
big RC buffs.

What does this mean?:

"We're not flying it anywhere we're not already allowed to fly a
helicopter," said Heal, ...

Does it mean the a Sheriff's Department helo escorts the SkySeer
through the NAS?

Surely the FAA doesn't condone the flight of RC model aircraft
wherever it permits the flight of helos.