Re: Drones at Chama

Lock1Smith Wrote:
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> I don't know about anywhere else, but drones seem
> to have a short life span around here.

Not sure where you are or specifically what you are referring to, but UAVs definitely have higher accident rates than manned aircraft. One of the more sophisticated and expensive UAVs these days is the Air Force's MQ-9 "Reaper." It has the highest accident rate of any airframe in the Air Force.....higher than the "Dragon Lady" (U-2), which held that dubious distinction for many years. While they are pretty reliable, they have been know to suddenly decide to do wild aerobatics. Personnel from my CAP Wing are currently involved in escorting MQ-9s out of Class C Airspace and into a Restricted Area. The FAA does not allow the MQ-9s to fly outside a positive control environment without a manned escort, whose pilots are in direct contact with the Reaper Crew. The ANG unit that we work with had one of those Reapers just decide on its own to take a plunge into Lake Ontario one day a couple of years back. They cost a little more than DJI Phantoms.....I believe they are running around $14M each right now.

/Kevin