UAE Bans Recreational Drone Use
Not exactly U.S. Regulations but it looks like the UAE has banned recreational drones in response to the recent drone attack in Abu Dhabi.
Do you think that a drone attack like this could ever happen in the US? If so, what impact do you think it would have on drone use in the NAS?
- 3 Replies
1127 
Interestingly enough, they’re also restricting ‘light electric sport aircraft’ so this isn’t just for drones.
I do think that the threat of bad-actors with drones is something which is at the forefront of many debates about drones in the US. The barrier to entry is low and the potential risk can be very high. Our enemies have already proven how deadly these small aircraft can be if equipped to cause damage.
I think it is this threat that is driving RID and other drone management tools in the US.
57 Since the FCC restricts RF based drone defense systems, all we can do now is detect drones with no real way to defeat them. I think it’s only a matter or time before some sort of home built drone is used to attack people or critical infrastructure.
I suspect the government does have some sort of protection around nuclear facilities and high priority areas but that still leaves a lot of vulnerable places.
I sincerely hope it never happens though. Aside from the obvious negatives of damage and potential injury/loss of life, I hate to think of what that would do to the industry.
132 
If the Houthis can hit UAE and Saudi Arabia from Yemen, it’s totally plausible that our enemies could hit somewhere in the US. The drones they use are pretty sophisticated (almost state actor level) but they still have a minimal radar cross section (compared to a manned aircraft).
While our air defense system is robust, it wouldn’t be impossible for someone to launch a drone from Mexico or an offshore location and hit the mainland.