Come Fly With Me
August 28, 2015 6:43 AM Subscribe
The Federal Aviation Administration has approved the use of a paper airplane drone. Forbes has an interview with the UAV advocate who filed the petition to get an exemption for the paper airplane drone.
"In a possible sign of how seriously FAA is taking unmanned aircraft operations in national airspace — or maybe just a sign of how absurd matters have gotten — the FAA yesterday approved the first ever toy powered paper airplane to fly commercially in U.S. airspace."
I'm going with absurd.
posted by three blind mice at 7:20 AM on August 28, 2015 [1 favorite]
I'm going with absurd.
posted by three blind mice at 7:20 AM on August 28, 2015 [1 favorite]
I wonder if they'll certify the pizza box drone.
In all seriousness RC motors and batteries are so ridiculously overpowered these days that you could make basically any small object fly without even worrying about aerodynamics.
posted by miyabo at 8:02 AM on August 28, 2015
In all seriousness RC motors and batteries are so ridiculously overpowered these days that you could make basically any small object fly without even worrying about aerodynamics.
posted by miyabo at 8:02 AM on August 28, 2015
It is both serious and absurd, which can only be surmised with a proper portmanteau: Absurious.
posted by Devils Rancher at 8:27 AM on August 28, 2015 [2 favorites]
posted by Devils Rancher at 8:27 AM on August 28, 2015 [2 favorites]
In all seriousness RC motors and batteries are so ridiculously overpowered these days that you could make basically any small object fly without even worrying about aerodynamics.
Lawnmower.
posted by clawsoon at 8:43 AM on August 28, 2015
Lawnmower.
posted by clawsoon at 8:43 AM on August 28, 2015
I have one of the PowerUp paper airplanes, and other than being lighter than my AR.Drone, it is basically the same type of vehicle (as I said when I got it, "I am flashing a new firmware update over bluetooth to my paper airplane's controller module.").
At 19 grams, it's almost 60% heavier than a Estes Proto X Nano R/C Quadcopter.
The FAA's proposed small drone rules cover anything less than 55 lbs.; I wouldn't be surprised to see the final rules include a lower bound, not applying to anything less than 1 lb., for example. Though I can already imagine someone then forcing their hand by doing annoying things with a swarm of 5 dozen 15-oz drones.
posted by jjwiseman at 2:18 PM on August 28, 2015 [1 favorite]
At 19 grams, it's almost 60% heavier than a Estes Proto X Nano R/C Quadcopter.
The FAA's proposed small drone rules cover anything less than 55 lbs.; I wouldn't be surprised to see the final rules include a lower bound, not applying to anything less than 1 lb., for example. Though I can already imagine someone then forcing their hand by doing annoying things with a swarm of 5 dozen 15-oz drones.
posted by jjwiseman at 2:18 PM on August 28, 2015 [1 favorite]
I would love to have one. For filming parades and such.
posted by Katjusa Roquette at 7:00 PM on August 28, 2015
posted by Katjusa Roquette at 7:00 PM on August 28, 2015
HuffPost Live video interview with Peter Sachs about his paper plane exemption (segment starts at around 13:00).
posted by jjwiseman at 12:02 PM on September 3, 2015
posted by jjwiseman at 12:02 PM on September 3, 2015
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posted by Itaxpica at 7:14 AM on August 28, 2015 [1 favorite]