something the we should ask our AMA?

I keep seeing bits about radio controlled aeroplanes being used by our Army as weapons. The latest was a simple foam piece that carried a video camera to patrol perimeters and manned by a couple of good looking gals....they even did repairs with scotch tape!

My belief is that we will soon/not-so-soon face the reality that a r/c model has been used as a terror tool here in the US. Dollars to donuts, as soon as the powers that be in Washington realize that the technology is available either locally or through the Internet, that there will be a clamp down ON ALL AVIATION MODELING.

I feel that PAMPA, being the biggest and most active of the controline SIG's, should "lobby" our AMA to remind their lobbyists that our aircraft are teathered.

When the Powers-that-Be shut down airmodeling, mayhaps some previous education about controline might get us back into the air sooner? It would help the r/c guys, too.

Or am I completely wrong here?

See Ya

It is a scary thought isn't it? I always wondered why the CIA never launched an RC glider with an explosive at Castro during a May Day parade or what ever. The terrorists in Iraq use a Radio Shack transmitter to set off the roadside bombs. I read somewhere that our troops improvised by using the same transmitter and keeping the button pushed to set them off before they reached them.

May be they keep the Ham band legal and do background checks before issuing a ham license.

The question is a thought provoker ain't it?

I've often wondered why this has not been done.

Decades ago, there was a news report of a drug run arrest where
an RC plane was used to fly the drugs across the English channel.
Piloted by video with a syncronised mid channel transfer of control.

Any decent security should be constantly scanning for unidentified
signals and jamming so it may not be so easy as it seems.
I think there are some other problems with it but it would
not do to go into them. We don't want to solve them do we?

It has been said (I can find the quote and document it, should you doubt it) that due to population pressure, environmental concerns, etc, at some point in the future the only modeling allowed would be electric control line. After my time, I hope.