http://www.wnbc.com/news/17266645/detail.htmlPredator Drone On L.I. Sparks Terror Investigation
Investigators said the drone was being designed to carry 600 pounds of explosives
POSTED: 1:36 pm EDT August 22, 2008
UPDATED: 4:09 pm EDT August 22, 2008
NEW YORK -- By Jonathan Dienst
A predator drone being built by an engineer on Long Island sparked a large counter-terrorism investigation across the New York area, officials tell WNBC.com. Police said they had stumbled upon overnight testing of the drone at a little-used airstrip in Calverton, Long Island.
...
NYPD officials worked with Suffolk County police and the FBI to determine there were no ties to terror. Under questioning, the engineer said he was an inventor hoping to sell this drone model to the U.S. military. NYPD Lieutenant William McGroarty said during the investigation they had other questions.
"What if this individual could not sell to the military? McGroarty asked. Would he then turn and sell it to the highest bidder?"
The military uses unmanned aircraft in Iraq and Afghanistan. But security officials worry about terrorists acquiring them. Earlier this year, Homeland Security officials issued a general bulletin warning they could be used "as an improvised explosive device.
In this case, police said there is no evidence any laws were broken as the drone was tested on the ground. Officials said if it had gone into the air without prior FAA approval, it could have been considered a crime.
While there are no terror links, police said their investigation continues. The engineer, who News 4 New York will not name because he was not charged, did not respond to numerous requests for comment. His drone project has now been taken over by a Maryland-based company that has registered with the FAA, officials said. One investigator said the engineer, at best, had showed poor judgment in trying to do the project in a manner that raised so many alarms.
After repeated requests for information about this investigation, law enforcement agencies agreed to talk about the case to highlight the city's "Operation Sentry." This NYPD program enables city and suburban police to better share threat information. Officials said the drone investigation is one recent example of how Suffolk County police officials quickly engaged the NYPD's counter-terrorism division to help investigate the report of a predator drone sighting.
"Regional cooperation is the order of the day. Law enforcement gets it and is communicating more than ever before," Kelly said.
So basically he was building a big RC model airplane and "they" wigged out???
So how big does a RC model have to be before you have to get permission from the FAA to fly it?
