World Surveillance Group Inc (fka WSGI)

[Renaissance]

Following up:

I am reading the updated Bill Analysis and Fiscal Impact Statement. Ill give a few good quotes I think are relevant to certain thread topics.

"Drones are also highly capable of gathering military intelligence because drones can be quite stealthy and they can carry sophisticated surveillance equipment. For example, the U.S. Army recently acquired a 1.8 gigapixel camera to use on its drones which can track objects on the ground from 65 miles away while the drone is flying at an altitude of 20,000 feet"

"Drones can be equipped with infrared cameras, license plate readers and “ladar” (laser radar). It has been reported that in 2011 the U.S. Army contracted with two corporations to develop facial recognition and behavioral recognition technologies for drone use."

"In February 2010, the U.S. Customs and Border Patrol began operating a center in Cocoa Beach flying eight drones along Florida’s shorelines and the Gulf Coast."

(this is just a few miles from the cape)

"Clearly, the drone industry is becoming motivated to move into more civilian markets. Reportedly Florida is competing to secure a position as a leading development, testing, and manufacturing site for drones."

"However, the FAA appears to be proceeding with caution in its implementation of the 2012 Federal Act. The FAA has delayed selecting the six test sites for drones mandated by Congress. Further, although it seems to be outside the congressional mandate and beyond the scope of the FAA’s airspace-safety responsibilities, the FAA has notified Congress that “privacy issues” have become a concern as drones are integrated into the airspace."

"Reportedly officials in Polk County, Florida, decided after a year of drone trials that the cost of meeting FAA regulations, in particular the cost of pilot training, was too high and halted use of its fixed-wing model drone in 2010."

"The Miami-Dade Police Department received its COA for drone operational status in July, 2011. It was renewed in December, 2012 for a two-year period. The Miami-Dade Police Department has two Honeywell Corporation T-Hawk Model drones. One of the T-Hawks is on lease for one dollar ($1) while the other was procured through a Department of Justice grant program. As of January 8, 2013, the T-Hawk drones had not flown an actual operation. The Aviation Unit was deployed to the scene of an armed and barricaded subject in December, 2012 but the Unit saw no flight time."

(I have seen videos of Miami Dade police quadcopters flying in South Beach

, and here is one allegedly testing the T-Hawk

)

"Senator Rand Paul filed a bill in Congress in 2012 that was essentially identical to Senate Bill 92. Neither the Senate bill nor its House companion bill made it out of committee. Senator Paul is reportedly refiling the bill for consideration by the 113th Congress.
Similar legislation is expected to be filed in California, Illinois, New Jersey, Oregon, Missouri, Michigan, Indiana and Virginia."

(I am supprised that Ohio is not on the list)

"The bill does not apply to the use of drones for any purposes other than state and local law enforcement use to gather evidence or other information. It does not restrict the use of drones for commercial, private, or research and information gathering in any way and therefore should have no impact on the scientific, commercial, or educational sectors."

http://www.flsenate.gov/Session/Bill/2013/0092/Analyses/BUkwdHz=PL=qsFjWovUJcinVmv3UE4=%7C14/Public/Bills/0001-0099/0092/Analysis/2013s0092.cj.PDF