Draganflyer X6

Lore & Background

The Draganflyer X6 is a remote-controlled miniature helicopter that can be flown up to a maximum height of 8000 feet and can maintain a fixed altitude. It is equipped with a camera mounted on the vibration-free bottom of the drone, capable of collecting up to five hundred gigabytes of real-time recording data in 1080 HD, low-light vision, and thermal vision. The drone is operated by a single person using a handheld controller, and the operator wears glasses that display a live feed from the camera.

The drone has been used by law enforcement in Canada and the United States. In Seattle, its use by police was prohibited by mayor Mike McGinn following protests from privacy advocates and the general public; police had intended to use the drones in missing persons cases and limited criminal investigations. In May 2014, the Los Angeles Police Department received two Draganflyer X6 units as a gift from the Seattle Police Department. An LAPD official stated the drones would be used only in limited cases such as hostage situations and not for spying on law-abiding citizens, but the American Civil Liberties Union questioned whether the marginal benefits justified the serious threat to privacy. On October 31, 2014, the Los Angeles City Council instructed the LAPD to create a drone policy before using the Draganflyer X6.

In February 2014, the Federal Aviation Administration allowed the Grand Forks, North Dakota police department to begin using the drone. The University of North Dakota created a committee of private citizens and government members with the power to alter or completely stop drone flights, in an attempt to preemptively address privacy objections. Actual testing in Grand Forks met with little public objection.

Reader's Guide

The Draganflyer X6 represents a notable early instance of commercial drone technology being adopted by law enforcement in North America, and the privacy controversies that accompanied that adoption. Its deployment in Seattle was halted by the mayor after public protests, illustrating how community opposition could influence municipal drone policy. The transfer of two units from Seattle to Los Angeles in May 2014 shows how drones could move between agencies, and the subsequent requirement by the Los Angeles City Council for a formal drone policy highlights the institutional pushback that followed. The Grand Forks case, where the University of North Dakota established a citizen-government oversight committee with authority to stop flights, demonstrates an attempt to build public trust before deployment. The American Civil Liberties Union's criticism—questioning whether the drones' marginal benefits justified their threat to privacy—captures the core tension that has surrounded the Draganflyer X6. The drone's legacy is thus tied not only to its technical capabilities, such as 500 gigabytes of recording and multiple vision modes, but also to the broader societal debate about surveillance, privacy, and the acceptable use of unmanned aerial vehicles by police.

Did You Know?

• The Draganflyer X6 has six rotors and can fly up to 20 mph.
• The drone was prohibited for use by Seattle police after protests from privacy advocates.