Your drone questions

 

“Good morning, and happy December. Today I’m turning the newsletter over to some of my colleagues to answer your questions about drones. — Sam

 

Your drone questions

 

Drones are already reshaping our lives — in surveillance, in photography and especially in war. One Times reporter recently described how a U.S. soldier piloted a drone into enemy territory, spotted enemy cannons and destroyed them. Another profiled a pair of former teenage drone racers who now have contracts to sell their devices to the military.

 

We asked readers of The Morning for their questions about drones. Today, Times journalists answer.

 

Personal use

 

What are the laws for personal use of drones? Do they vary by state? | Ron Smith, Folly Beach, S.C.

 

Niraj Chokshi, who covers aviation, writes:

 

Flying a drone for fun isn’t as simple as unpacking the box and taking off.

 

Federal rules require you take a free safety test and keep proof you passed.

 

You also must keep the drone in your line of sight, away from manned aircraft, below 400 feet and out of controlled airspace (for example, around airports) unless you have Federal Aviation Administration approval.

 

Drones that weigh more than a half a pound must be registered. And local governments sometimes write their own rules, too. (In New York City, you need a police permit to fly.)

 

Can someone fly a drone above my home? How low can they fly it? Can I press charges against someone who invades my property with a drone? | Rainbow Koehl, Bellingham, Wash.

 

Evan Gorelick, a reporter for this newsletter, writes:

 

Yes, people can fly drones above your house. But there are limits. A drone can’t simply park outside your window and shoot a video, the same way people can’t walk up your driveway and peep into your home. (That could be considered trespassing.) You probably couldn’t sue someone for flying a drone near your property, but you could call the police and press charges for specific privacy violations, trespass and harassment if the drone activity is intrusive.

 

If one hovers over your property, can you shoot it down? | Dennis Payne, Columbia, Mo.

 

Evan continues:

 

No. The government considers drones “aircraft,” which means they have the same legal standing as commercial passenger jets. Under federal law, damaging, destroying or disabling aircraft is punishable by up to 20 years in prison.

 

Can law enforcement use drones to snoop, including through windows, without a warrant? | Lydia Sells, Austin, Texas

 

Evan continues:

 

It depends where you live. The Supreme Court says aerial surveillance does not always constitute an invasive search under the Fourth Amendment. But depending on the circumstances, it can. States generally get to draw that line. In Tennessee, for instance, the police can use drones to patrol a music festival without a search warrant, but they can’t surveil private property. At least 18 states have passed laws requiring officers to obtain warrants before they conduct drone surveillance.

 

I have a small hobby drone and I love to travel, but drone laws are different in each country. Is there any type of organization that is trying to make regulations on an international level? | Kristin Montgomery, Madrid

 

Niraj continues:

 

It’s complicated. Countries set their own rules, but there is coordination: A United Nations aviation agency and a voluntary outside group help them align on broad principles and safety frameworks. Industry groups lobby for consistency, too, and European rules are similar to American ones. Many countries require you to take a test to ensure you understand the rules.

 

Warfare

 

How big are drones used in warfare, and what weapons do they carry? How far can they fly? | Jeff Wilson, Hanson, Mass.

 

Lara Jakes, who covers weapons and conflict, writes:

 

Military drones can be as big as a small commercial airplane or as tiny as a mosquito. Most fall somewhere in between. Some drones that carry missiles and bombs (which can weigh several hundred pounds) are as long as a school bus. Their range depends on the model, generally between several hundred and several thousand miles. Russia and Ukraine make kamikaze drones that bomb their targets. Some have 12-foot wingspans and fly several hundred miles; others are the size of a dinner plate and make 25-mile trips for close combat. And remotely-controlled boats and uncrewed ground vehicles are also considered drones.

 

How are military drones different from consumer drones? | Sara Parks, Richmond, Va.

 

Greg Jaffe, who covers the military, writes:

 

They’re not really different. That opens opportunities for companies that aren’t big defense manufacturers. It also creates problems for the Pentagon: Many of the components used in drones, such as brushless motors, are made primarily in China.

 

The biggest difference is that the military loads its drones with sensors that can spot things like heat signatures or technology that keeps the drones aloft when the enemy tries to jam their signals. The big leap will be using A.I. technology so that one person can pilot a swarm of drones. The artificial intelligence will identify potential targets and a human will then sign off on the final attack.

 

Are there any international treaties or standards that limit the placement of weapons on drones? Are efforts underway to negotiate such limits? | Andy Fleischmann, West Hartford, Conn.

 

Greg continues:

 

They haven’t been negotiated yet. Drones are the future of armed conflict, and Pentagon officials say the way they’ve changed warfare is similar to the way tanks did in World War I — which was profound and hard to predict. The real question is whether nations try to regulate drones that use A.I. to identify targets. Will we let drones kill without a human first verifying the target? Right now that appears to be a red line for the U.S. military. But there could be real pressure to loosen those restrictions if potential adversaries, like China, take a more aggressive approach.

 

Why are military drones so difficult to shoot down? | Richard Lea, Baton Rouge, La.

 

Thomas Gibbons-Neff, a former Marine who covers gun culture and policy, writes:

 

Big military drones, such as those used during the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, are relatively easy to shoot with surface-to-air missiles, because they’re large and slow.

 

The smaller civilian devices adapted for warfare can be the size of birds. Their speed, shape and sheer numbers make them difficult to track. With these drones, electronic jamming is the first line of defense. Then fortifications, such as nets and bunkers, act as barricades from their explosives. (See how tanks in Ukraine have adapted to this problem.) Small arms, such as shotguns, are often the last resort." [1]

 

These answers are too optimistic. FPV drones are moving with such speed that shotguns are no use. Space between two opposing military forces are so densely covered with these drones that they become zones of death where nobody can move. Drones controlled through fiber optics are resistant to jamming. War today is not fun.

 

Assessments from military analysts and personnel on the ground:

 

    Speed and Evasion: FPV (First-Person View) drones are extremely fast, agile, and difficult to track visually or with traditional defensive systems, making kinetic weapons like shotguns highly ineffective for defense against single, determined threats.

    "Zones of Death": The saturation of battlefields with various types of drones, from surveillance to loitering munitions and attack drones, creates highly lethal environments where traditional troop movements or logistics can be nearly impossible without significant countermeasures.

    Anti-Jamming Resilience: Fiber optic guided missiles and drones (though less common for standard FPV drones due to mobility constraints) are indeed immune to electronic warfare and jamming because their connection is physical rather than wireless, presenting a unique challenge to electronic defense systems.

 

These advancements highlight the complex and grim realities of contemporary combat, which is increasingly characterized by remote, high-speed, and technologically advanced systems.

 

 

1. The Morning: Your drone questions. Kushner, Adam B.  New York Times (Online) New York Times Company. Dec 1, 2025.