A company called Aero Kinetics has conducted a scientific study which purports to demonstrate that the impact from "toy" drones is more dangerous to manned aircraft than birds, because birds are, um, softer than toy drones. The study also attempts to explore "how dangerous unregulated toy drones can be to the aerospace industry and consumers." The company asserts that "most people" aren't aware of the the threat posed by "toy" drones, and that "toy" drones aren't unmanned aircraft. The chief distinctions between the two, according to the study, are that the toys aren't equipped with aerospace-grade avionics, nor are they held to any airworthiness standards.
The kicker here is that the two "toys" used as examples in the impact study are the DJI Phantom and Inspire multirotor aircraft. Both of these machines are highly sophisticated and automated, and, with retail prices in the $1200 and $2700 ranges, respectively, could hardly be considered "toys." The company seems to be concerned that the popularity of these "toys" will result in swarms of them flying in the national airspace system.
A look at Aero Kinetics' website provides a clue to what might be the company's real agenda. The company offers several "unmanned aircraft systems" for law-enforcement, commercial, and military use.
I suspect that this study is a ploy to either eliminate or severely restrict competition from the manufacturers of "toy" drones.
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