New York — US drone sales in 2017 topped $1bn for the first time, but don’t raise a glass too quickly if you are in New Jersey, where law makers are poised to outlaw drunken droning next week. It is one of a wave of US states moving to bring the unmanned aircrafts’ high-flying fun back to earth. New Jersey’s assembly is slated to vote on a bill approved by the state senate to ban inebriated or drugged droning, as well as to outlaw flying unmanned aircraft systems over prisons and in pursuit of wildlife. The vote was set for Thursday but postponed until Monday because of a severe snowstorm that triggered a state of emergency in New Jersey. "It’s basically like flying a blender," said John Sullivan, 41, of New York, a drone buff and aerial cinematographer. He said he opposed drunk droning but also fretted about regulatory overreach. "If I had, like, one drink, I’d be hesitant to even fly it."
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