As the search for aviator Steve Fossett continues, I've been thinking about the ways we try to track down missing people.
One of the leading independent experts on ELTs (emergency locator transmitters) is Doug Ritter, editor of the Equipped to Survive Web site. Ritter has written extensively about ELTs, which are installed on aircraft; EPIRBs, or emergency position-indicating radio beacons, which are carried on boats; and PLBs, or personal locator beacons, which are carried by individuals. If you have any interest in the subject, you should check out his Web site.
Ritter's most recent blog post, dated Thursday, concerns a recent memo from the chairman of the National Transportation Safety Board to the administrator of the ... Read more
(Credit:
Cyber Defense Systems)
If, on your next flight, you look out the window and see something that resembles a 15-inch, folded cellophane glider zipping by, don't call the USAF crank line. Chances are it's a newly certified Cyberbug.
While unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) of all sizes swarm over Iraq, Afghanistan, Gaza and other war-torn venues, they are much more restricted in the skies above the United States, especially those that are experimental. For instance, the Cyberbug is the recipient of one of only 12 "Experimental Airworthiness Certificates" (EACs) issued by Federal Aviation Administration, which allows it to be flown in National Air Space, according to Cyber Defense Systems of St. Petersburg, Fla.
Until now, it's been mostly Hamas rocketeers and other assorted jihadis who've had to keep an eye on the sky, but look for a boom in domestic applications to come. For example, the Charles County Sheriff's Office used the Cyberbug to monitor the 12th Annual Southern Maryland "Blessing of the Bikes" for unruly behavior and reportedly found it quite effective.
The Cyberbug comes in three sizes, weighing anywhere from 2.5 to 15 pounds, and can be assembled and launched in minutes. Top speed is 25 mph with a 5-kilometer range.
Now remember, the next time you and junior decide to launch his shop project at the local football field, first pull an EAC from the FAA to fly your UAV in the NAS.
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