Aircar
Well-Known Member
This was the title of an Australian national radio piece today -- the subject was the use of remote controlled electric quadcopter and similar drones fitted with cameras linked to iphones but the more general case was for the perceived threat to privacy from airborne platforms of all kinds and the backlash from the public (which may be a significant issue with future personal air vehicles flying in residential areas )
It seems that a good part of the problem is because these types of flying things can be virtually silent (not heard if indoors for example )--the subject of the radio program involved a woman looking out her kitchen window to see a 'flying saucer' like thing hovering outside -she in turn photgraphed it with a mobile phone and then found no way to find where it was being controlled from or by whom --some laws prohibit invasion of privacy but not if the camera is on a boom, fixed (CCTV) or on a kite and hot air balloons and airships over residences have attracted opposition as well.
These are all HOVERING things (and quiet or silent) and seem to create a feeling of being watched or a loss of privacy that fixed wing aircraft don't seem to have.-the goal of complete silence --achieved in the YO3 Vietnam survelliance aircraft - might NOT be the most desirable as it COULD be perceived as being 'surreptitious' or 'covert' in some way --just like when approaching someone from behind a little cough to announce your presence rather than startling someone is a courtesy . Some electric cars are fitting noise generators to warn pedestrians ,the blind and cyclists of their approach as well. Fixed wing aircraft create more than enough noise to betray their presence and more so for helicopters but a small amount of noise might itself be a positive.
The air safety regulator indicated that regulations are under review in terms of privacy and one of this country's top UAV developers (K C Wong University of New South Wales ) spoke of the many uses of autonomous air vehicles that could be affected .
Is there any experience elsewhere of opposition to flying 'things' including manned aircraft and creating privacy issues from their presence or their silence ?
It seems that a good part of the problem is because these types of flying things can be virtually silent (not heard if indoors for example )--the subject of the radio program involved a woman looking out her kitchen window to see a 'flying saucer' like thing hovering outside -she in turn photgraphed it with a mobile phone and then found no way to find where it was being controlled from or by whom --some laws prohibit invasion of privacy but not if the camera is on a boom, fixed (CCTV) or on a kite and hot air balloons and airships over residences have attracted opposition as well.
These are all HOVERING things (and quiet or silent) and seem to create a feeling of being watched or a loss of privacy that fixed wing aircraft don't seem to have.-the goal of complete silence --achieved in the YO3 Vietnam survelliance aircraft - might NOT be the most desirable as it COULD be perceived as being 'surreptitious' or 'covert' in some way --just like when approaching someone from behind a little cough to announce your presence rather than startling someone is a courtesy . Some electric cars are fitting noise generators to warn pedestrians ,the blind and cyclists of their approach as well. Fixed wing aircraft create more than enough noise to betray their presence and more so for helicopters but a small amount of noise might itself be a positive.
The air safety regulator indicated that regulations are under review in terms of privacy and one of this country's top UAV developers (K C Wong University of New South Wales ) spoke of the many uses of autonomous air vehicles that could be affected .
Is there any experience elsewhere of opposition to flying 'things' including manned aircraft and creating privacy issues from their presence or their silence ?
