28. Pilot Reports Drone Sighting by JFK Airport. Get Used to It.

http://www.slate.com/blogs/future_tense/2013/03/05/fbi_investigating_pilot_report_of_drone_sighting_by_jfk_airport.html

A journalist for Slate Magazine, Ryan Gallagher wrote the article "Pilot Reports Drone Sighting by JFK Airport. Get Used to It," on March 5th. In it, Gallagher referred to an Alitalia pilot who claimed to have seen an unamed aircraft dangerously flying over another passanger plane in New York City. The pilot's claim was further validated by the reports of an FAA spokeswoman who indeed affirmed with a lot of detail that the pilot had seen a drone hovering near the JFK Airport. In the following paragraph, Gallagher referenced to the FAA regulations and explained how it was common to see drones flying around without approval, as long as they abided by some specific rules, one of which included being "flown a sufficient distance from populated areas." According to the FBI, however, the drone did not seem to conform to this, as it was said it came as close as 200 feet next to an Alitalia passenger plane. The author did not forget to specify the kind of plane it was - the aircraft looked like it was some kind of "radio-controlled plane used for recreational purposes," instead of a Predator or Reaper. Gallagher provided additional information regarding where unamed aerial vehicles were being tested (Syracuse air base and border zones in Arizona and Texas) and that it would not have been permitted for drones to be hovering over New York, much less the JFK Airport.

The article's primary purpose was to inform about an abnormal occurance in the state of New York. The organization of the article was effective in portraying the author's stand in the issue discussed. Gallagher introduced the main point of the article in the first paragraph, and further supported the pilot's claim with evidence from a witness, whose assertion provided details of the situation. At this point, it must have been anticipated for the audience to be shocked and opposed to the event described. The author abated the situation by explaining it was acceptable for drones to be flown without approval under certain restrictions, but noted that it was wrong for the drone to not have conformed to one of the regulations. This neutralization conveyed the author's unbiased stand on the issue. The diction used throughout the article was mostly formal and casual, with a few aircraft related vocabulary in a few parts. Gallagher alluled to several past events which made it easier for the audience to recognize and understand the passage clearly.