FAA tells Colorado residents not to shoot at drones or risk fines, jail

http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2013/07/20/faa-tells-colorado-residents-not-to-shoot-at-drones-or-risk-fines-jail/



FAA tells Colorado residents not to shoot at drones or risk fines, jail
By Megan Carpentier
Saturday, July 20, 2013 17:51 EDT

The Federal Aviation Administration responded negatively on Friday to a proposal by the Colorado town of Deer Tail to license hunters to shoot down drones. In a statement, it warned that anyone shooting at either a manner or unmanned aircraft “could result in criminal or civil liability,” according to the Associated Press.

Deer Trail’s own Phillip Steel has already reportedly collected enough signatures to put his proposed drone-shooting measure on the ballot. In the proposal, the town would issue licenses — for a fee — to shoot at drones with shotguns and anyone who turns in a shot-down drone belonging to the United States government would be eligible for a $100 bounty (parts could net successful hunters $25). The drones used by the U.S. Customs and Border Protection Service, which does use them to patrol the border with Mexico, cost around $18 million a piece.

Local officials told KMGH’s Amanda Kost that they didn’t expect anyone to be able to successfully down a drone with a shotgun, but did hope that the licenses would bring in some tourists for the novelty of buying one.