Conflicts involving amateur-operated drones made the news again this week, one involving an irritated neighbor who disabled one with a gun. In Louisiana, Aaron Hernandez lost his $1,200 quadcopter Monday night while flying it around his father’s house outside Baton Rouge. Hernandez told WBRZ 2 the neighbors had expressed objections to his drone flying before, and things came to a head when someone “finished it off.” He acknowledged flying the drone over a neighbor’s horse field when he heard gunshots. The drone remained aloft, but after a second round of bullets, Hernandez didn’t see it again. He won’t fly drones around the area any more, he told the station, which also reported that the local sheriff’s office doesn’t plan to press charges against either party, citing the lack of applicable state laws.
Around 1:30 a.m. Friday in Washington, D.C., Secret Service agents confiscated a drone that crashed on the Ellipse, a park near the White House.Howard Solomon III of Washington, D.C., received an $85 ticket for operating an unmanned aircraft in a no-fly zone, The Associated Press reported. Solomon told the AP he was trying to photograph the Washington Monument.The Washington Post reported the drone was identified as an F182 6 Axis quadcopter costing $40 to $80, although an online search for the model turned up multiple variations, most with prices under $100.
