It's a bird, it's a plane -- no, it's a drone

Florida Keys News

Tuesday, October 23, 2012

It's a bird, it's a plane -- no, it's a drone

NOAA observes Tortugas wildlife with remote-control plane

BY TIMOTHY O'HARA Citizen Staff
tohara@keysnews.com

Drones are mostly associated with military air strikes in foreign countries, but an unmanned, remote-controlled aircraft took to the skies over Fort Jefferson and the Dry Tortugas National Park last week.

The drone, which is fitted with a camera and other research equipment, was not conducting covert military operations.

Instead, it was mapping cora...

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Its Obvious

Submitted on Thu, 10/25/2012 - 7:17pm by Conch Harbor

THis drone is looking for Cuban rafters so they can get them to the polls in time to vote for the current prez.

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Funds should go to something more beneficial.

Submitted on Thu, 10/25/2012 - 2:02pm by Steve

NOAA can find the money for something like a drone, but cannot maintain the vital weather reporting lighthouses of the Keys that provide 1000's of mariners wind and weather information. Instead of maintaining what we have that benefits the most people, NOAA is experimenting with your tax dollars.

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Bet

Submitted on Tue, 10/23/2012 - 12:25pm by

I'm willing to bet that $500 model airplane has cost the taxpayers several thousand dollars.

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I watched the Puma AE video from its company

Submitted on Fri, 10/26/2012 - 9:20am by trapper

an expensive and sophisticated toy , it will be up to the skill of the operator (radio controlled) to make it work effectively. How much will that cost to train a person ? More money wasted and not needed, we already have Fat Albert which does so much more. But they aren't going to allow the Sanctuary to waste its time and resources . We know that most arrests are made by tips from the public, this is a huge waste of money that should be spent on a LADDER for Sand key lighthouse so they can replace the batteries connected to the solar panel. A LADDER , so simple a solution , but apparently not a priority for the Sanctuary , after all ; when do you see them actually on the water?

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Spy Drone

Submitted on Tue, 10/23/2012 - 11:26am by The_Falcon

The last couple of paragraphs are the most telling. The drone is for spying on fishermen and pleasure boaters. The government claims to not have the resources to fix the Sand Key and various other inoperable weather stations that used to provide very basic and needed navigational data for the citizens, but has the resources to fly spy drones around and monitor fishermen. Your government is no longer your government.

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Well said , Black Panther.

Submitted on Sat, 10/27/2012 - 9:40am by trapper

One more step toward an "enviromental police state" TURNS OUT IT COST , GET READY; $350,000 low end and the one they bought was closer to $400,000 !!!