Your Drone Could Fly Forever: If you have a drone, you know that flying time is rather limited - no transcontinental flights. The army is working a system that would let drones fly...

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

If you have a drone, you know that flying time is rather limited - no transcontinental flights. The army is working a system that would let drones fly indefinitely. They plan to fire laser beams at photovoltaic cells to keep their battery charged. Unless the army agrees to supply laser power to your drone, you will need a series of lasers stationed along the route you plan to fly. I can see this being an issue with commercial and private flights, but I'm sure the army will make sure that mistakes don't occur.

Soul Dr. Loc: Beautiful Shenandoah Valley

Yeah, what could go wrong.

The Villages Loc: The Villages, Florida

Soul Dr. wrote:

Yeah, what could go wrong.

More for air traffic controllers to keep track of?

robertjerl Loc: Corona, California

jerryc41 wrote:

If you have a drone, you know that flying time is ... (show quote)

I saw an article about a small drone with solar panels. Only read the headline, not interested in drones.

David Kay Loc: Arlington Heights IL

The Villages wrote:

More for air traffic controllers to keep track of?

Air traffic control cant see a drone. There is no equipment in them to make them visible or identify them.

AirWalter Loc: Tipp City, Ohio

David Kay wrote:

Air traffic control cant see a drone. There is no equipment in them to make them visible or identify them.

I might have to disagree with Your statement about Air Traffic Control not being able to see a drone or identify it. I remember a time awhile ago when myself and some other club members were flying radio controlled aircraft on a designated runway at Wright Patterson Air Force Base, Area B, behind the U.S. Air Force Museum at Dayton, Ohio when the Base Police had two Airmen in a cruiser came over from Area C, to Identify us and Our equipment, and to politely ask us if we could fly a little lower, because Our aircraft were showing up on Base Radar and were appearing in the landing pattern for the main runway at Area C. That was embarrassing! We very quickly obliged.

David Kay Loc: Arlington Heights IL

AirWalter wrote:

I might have to disagree with Your statement about... (show quote)

Drones are somewhat different than model airplanes, I do not know of any drones showing up on radar. That is one of the reasons why they are so problematic.

Thank goodness your craft showed up on that Military radar and prevented a possible problem.

AirWalter Loc: Tipp City, Ohio

David Kay wrote:

Drones are somewhat different than model airplanes, I do not know of any drones showing up on radar. That is one of the reasons why they are so problematic.

Thank goodness your craft showed up on that Military radar and prevented a possible problem.

If You think You are correct then why has the FAA set new regulations about where You are allowed to fly drones and how high You are allowed to fly drones and what the penalties will be if You violate those regulations and are caught.

Cheese

jerryc41 wrote:

If you have a drone, you know that flying time is ... (show quote)

Wonder if this will work to keep my camera's batteries charged.

David Kay Loc: Arlington Heights IL

AirWalter wrote:

If You think You are correct then why has the FAA set new regulations about where You are allowed to fly drones and how high You are allowed to fly drones and what the penalties will be if You violate those regulations and are caught.

So that you are kept in a confined space and they know where you are. If drones are within 5 miles of an airport they have to call the tower and get permission to be there. Why? because the tower can't see them. Duh!!

AirWalter Loc: Tipp City, Ohio

David Kay wrote:

So that you are kept in a confined space and they know where you are. If drones are within 5 miles of an airport they have to call the tower and get permission to be there. Why? because the tower can't see them. Duh!!

"To keep You in a confined space"? That's a good one. First You said They can't see You, now it is "so They know where You are". Which is it?
Tell Me what does a drone have that makes You think a control tower cannot see them. Do You think these drones have a cloaking device or something? How do You think They can see a radio controlled Aircraft about the same size as a drone, yet They can't see a drone?

robertjerl Loc: Corona, California

AirWalter wrote:

"To keep You in a confined space"? That... (show quote)

If the drone is small, plastic etc and "hard" to see on radar then they want you in a designated area so they know where you and your drone(s) are. Helps prevent things like your drone getting sucked into a jet engine or other bad results. Bad enough they have to worry about birds.

DickC Loc: NE Washington state

I don't want my drone to fly forever, I have to sleep sometime.