Politics & Government

Are Drones Watching You in PA?

Several Pennsylvania government agencies are using controversial remote flying machines called drones.

By Tom Coombe and Theresa Katalinas

PennDOT uses them to monitor sinkholes. The DEP uses them to study water conditions in Lake Erie. And the state Attorney General won’t say whether or not their agency uses them.

They’re drones, and they’re being used by a number of Pennsylvania agencies, the Harrisburg Patriot-News reported this week.

The newspaper outlined ways the state government uses drones, both in the air and under water.

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Drones are also allowed to fly in restricted air space over Fort Indiantown Gap, a large military installation near Harrisburg, according to a Pa. Independent report.

Locally, drones will be remotely piloted from the Horsham Air Guard Station once a mission gets underway there in the 2014 fiscal year.

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Military personnel will pilot the planes remotely from Horsham and fly them overseas for intelligence, surveillance, combat and search and rescue missions. Military officials have said the planes would not be flown over, or stored in Horsham.

What do you think of the use of drones? Tell us in the comments.


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