No, drone owners – all our base are belong to US, thunders military

After unwrapping your new drone on Christmas Day, do us a massive solid and don't fly it near our bases, the US military seems to be saying.

Apparently, in the past 12 months, there have been 35 cases of personal quadcopters flying too close to government aircraft and airfields, plus about 1,000 complaints of small drones getting in the way of civilian passenger planes and airports.

Drones are supposed to stay under 400 feet (122 metres) and at least five miles (8km) away from any airport. Thanks to the metal and lithium batteries in the toys, the gadgets pose a significant risk to aircraft.

Simply telling folks to keep out of restricted airspace just isn't working, judging by the Federal Aviation Administration's records.

For example, in November, an Air Force A-29 Super Tucano had a midair near-miss with a drone over a base in Georgia, and in June, an Air Force KC-10 aerial refueling tanker skimmed a drone while flying 3,800 feet over suburbs in Philadelphia.

In May, a Harrier jet landing in Yuma, Arizona, spotted one of the troublesome gizmos 100 feet away, and in July, a Navy T-45 Goshawk training aircraft again came within 100 feet of a drone over near the same airfield.

In all, pilots and air traffic controllers warn of an uptick in gadgets getting in the way of military operations: 12 close-calls in the past three months alone.

"We’re seeing an exponential curve, so yes, it is a concern," William Marks, a Navy spokesman at the Pentagon, told the Washington Post.

The FAA is trying to set up a database of drone owners so it can finger those who stray into controlled airspace. If your quadcopter weighs more than half a pound (250g), you're urged to cough up $5, hand over your contact details, and put a sticker on the gizmo. Oddly, the FAA has questionable authority over anything below 400 feet, yet wants to draw up a list of potential troublemakers using that space.

Regardless of where you stand on the matter, our best advice is: just don't be an idiot. ®