There was a time in 2015 when college-age Austin Haughwout was an Internet sensation. Two of his videos—one starring a gun-wielding drone and the other featuring a flame-throwing model—went viral and called into question whether, and exactly how, drones should be regulated.
Local police in Connecticut investigated the incidents, both of which took place in remote areas with no other people around. In fact, the only harm that came to any creature was to a turkey that was cooked by the flamethrower drone. As happens with viral videos, Austin’s drones, built with the help of his father Bret, gave way to the next big thing. But the Federal Aviation Administration didn’t forget.
