RC aircraft have been &quot;drones&quot; since long before anybody in the media cared about the word. Probably the most common use of the word before the current quadcopter craze was in the phrase &quot;target drone,&quot; which is typically a large remote-controlled aircraft that military pilots can shoot at for training. I think the word implies <i>some</i> kind of guidance, whether automatic or remote-piloted, so model rockets and such would not qualify. Kites aren&#x27;t really aircraft.<p>Does a &quot;drone&quot; need to be autonomous? I see no use, past or present, that implies autonomy. Camera? Again, no. Multirotor? Historically no, current media usage maybe. Size limit? Don&#x27;t think so.<p>A large hobby drone is definitely more of a risk than a buzzard or goose. Birds can dodge. They&#x27;re not always successful, but the instinct for self-preservation usually gets them out of the way, at least for slow aircraft like a typical helicopter. Helicopters make a ton of noise too, which probably helps a lot.<p>Going 90MPH on the highway is a pretty major offense in many places. Here in Virginia that&#x27;s an automatic reckless driving misdemeanor charge that&#x27;s likely to result in jail time. No, they don&#x27;t punish you the same as they would if you actually kill somebody, but then there&#x27;s no indication they&#x27;ll punish this guy as if he killed somebody, so I have no idea why you&#x27;d mention that.