Here’s a video over Reston Town Center showing the surveillance value of a small, battery powered RC airplane with FPV (RC = remote controlled, FPV = first person video, i.e. real time video transmitted to the airplane controller). . .
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X3cX7-aHfC4
The approach to landing which starts at 6:01 is pretty cool.
A fairly organized citizens militia with RC miniplanes and easily obtained hand held tranceiver radios(cell phones are easily taken off grid) could easily take control of rioting mobs in their home district. I can just imagine what motivated conservative engineer types in the US can cook up in their garages with so much computer and unused electronic parts laying around.
Thanks, unfortunately my computer is too old and my dial up too slow to effectively run video. I would have liked to seen the view.