Police employ Predator drone spy planes on home front

[sailingaway]

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-drone-arrest-20111211,0,324348.story

[moderate libertarian]

Just the beginning.

[Dr.3D]

I still wonder what the difference is between one of those and a manned helicopter with the same equipment installed. Is it so much cheaper to fly the drone over the expense of the helicopter as to compensate for the additional cost of the drone?