Your typical Parrot AR copter is going to max out at 300 feet. Much higher and you are looking at a different class of copter (i.e., not using WiFi for command and control, with the operator likely more than 300 feet away), and the ones that airline pilots have had problems with are the fixed-wing craft that Homeland Security loans to police.
This comment last week about a copter "maybe possibly able to interfere" with aerial wildfire efforts was interesting:
"Fire officials were concerned that the individual operating the drone shared the video with the media. If there were a crime scene within the fire area and evidence were captured in the video and shown on television, she said, it could interfere with the investigation." http://www.modbee.com/2014/07/29/3461609/fire-officials-say-drone-could.htmlSharing video with the media a major concern? Well, it turns out he just posted it to YouTube, just like everyone else.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2yyrwB0vwr8[/youtube]
Lets also forget NOAA saying "We can get more information for less cost, and it doesn't put anyone in harm's way," said Sher Schranz, a project manager at National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration who researches fire weather modeling. CNN reported that drones can help by gathering information safely and then can quickly relay it to firefighters on the ground.
Parrots are toys. Controlled via phone/tablet app, as opposed to traditional radio control (like the one I have does).
However, the one I have is not much larger than a Parrot. The concern I have is that people are going to fly these things without regard for the National Airspace regulations. The relationship between the FAA and A/C modelers has been good because A/C modelers have to understand flight physics in order to fly, so they learn properly and become responsible hobbyists.
The new quads coming out now have GPS and gyroscopic stabilization. Pretty much giving anyone the ability to fly one of them. They'll think it's just fine to haul one up to 1000' AGL from their backyard..even if that backyard is two miles from the threshold end of the busiest runway at TIA.
Here's a Phantom (about $1000) flying in a manner that got the owner a little letter from the FAA.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kbaLyY58T7g[/youtube]
Luckily, the local FAA authority worked with him and no fines or anything else was assessed (and technically, the FAA doesn't have the power to levy fines against R/C owners). He told the FAA he wouldn't do it again and that was that.
So, the notion that these things can't get much higher than 300 feet is patently false. They have the ability to be locked to that height via software, but most people (including myself) don't lock it like that.
Here's a flight I made a couple of weeks ago at 41st/Garnett.
http://vimeo.com/101197704