Actually there are distinctions. On the new FARs the FAA is making, RC Planes, long range RC planes with live cameras, and truly autonomous drones are 3 separate things and are regulated differently. To the layperson, drone means anything that can fly without a human onboard, from a $15 dollar RC helicopter bought at…

I am very happy about this. I also am thinking of a good target...someone who needs to see some “shock and awe”

I am not sure why this seems to be a point of contention. Go to an RC field, start calling all the RC models “drones”. You will quickly see that almost everyone will correct you and tell oi the difference. Similarly, go to an actual drone operator and call his global hawk an RC plane, he will correct you. Just because…

[sigh]. Of course the manual is going to spell it out. The manuals never call it by the nicknames. Try to find where it calls the P-47 Thunderbolt “the Jug” in its manual.

No, I said they were frequently called railguns (instead of railway guns) until the idea of a railgun (electromagnetic mass driver) came along.

Correct, but the terminology has changed. Much like how we no longer call train mounted guns railguns, so as not to confuse the two.

Agreed. SA is more corrupt than pretty much any other recognized country int eh Middle East.

Exactly. and gun parts I can go buy for $40 can cost them several hundred

It is autonomy and use. The quadcopter that your neighbors oops around with is an RC helicopter, it has no autonomous flight capabilities. A truly autonomous aircraft is a drone. Now that autonomous aircraft are more common, even the military refers to RC things as guided as opposed to autonomous.

Correct. Not to mention it is probably much easier to just spoof the operator and steer the from like that.

The only time I get annoyed is when people call RC planes and helicopters drones.

Thank you! I hate when people think the name “drone” comes from the noise, but actually come from the bee drones.

That is exactly what I was saying. U.S. Allies in the region are pretty damn evil. On Syrias worst day, I doubt they could approach Saudi Arabia’s record. I did forget to mention turkey though.

On the whole, I personally don’t regard the close intercepts as much. I think they are just a tactic to decrease moral and deter further flight. Not the most professional thing, but not really going to hurt anything unless they collide

Actually, that is a common myth about Russia’s western territory being stolen. A lot got shuffled around during the USSR, but their borders are very close to what they were for Imperial Russia.

Good clarification. I was about to email a friend that was on a KC-10. I was pretty sure that all military aircraft require parachutes for the crew.

And you just described why I don't like Hollywood representing anything military!

Yah, foreign relations is a tough one. I wish more people would not accept that “enemy of my enemy thing. I fell this picture sums up the Middle East.

depends on the definition of “good guy.”

That sucks. Pilots probably were dead due to most of the damage being focussed forward of the wing. Hopefully, Russia will transfer them some more Su-24s