Researchers say FAA is overblowing risk posed by small drones
This article seems too statistics-y and not practical:<p>* Drones have interfered with firefighting activities in California before<p>* There&#x27;s a difference between a jet sucking in a drone at cruise altitude (somebody got a cheaper model up 11000 feet last week, so not out of the question one of these days) and a jet at critical speeds (landing or taking off) sucking in a drone. Also, a drone into a windshield could cause panic in a pilot, a cause similar to the 2014 derailment (<a href="https:&#x2F;&#x2F;en.wikipedia.org&#x2F;wiki&#x2F;2015_Philadelphia_train_derailment#Investigation" rel="nofollow">https:&#x2F;&#x2F;en.wikipedia.org&#x2F;wiki&#x2F;2015_Philadelphia_train_derail...</a>). A drone could probably do a number on a radome or pitot tube as well, which wouldn&#x27;t cause a terrible situation but an expensive fix.<p>* My friend who is a drone hobbiest has told me several stories of his drone &quot;falling out of the sky&quot; due to improper battery management. While newer drones address this with autoland, a sudden power failure still means a heavy piece of metal and plastic barreling out of the sky.<p>* People have a poor comprehension of 3d space from the ground. As drones get faster, operators could experience more tunnel vision trying to avoid an immediate collision and face a collision in their &quot;blind spot&quot;<p>I think FAA trying to make _some_ regulations for this is okay, just like I think the FCC regulating radio communications is okay (so you can&#x27;t hear some 15 year olds radio chatter when you watch TV-highly illegal but technically possible if you built your own transmitter before TV went digital). A drone into an engine is not very likely to happen, but that&#x27;s not the only bad thing a flying toy that can go up to 55mph can do.