Ardupilot Mega with joystick

Ardupilot supports joystick control at the GCS. A USB game control can work with either a Xbee radio or the new 3DRobotics 433Mhz telemetry radios for flight control. Too cool  8)

http://code.google.com/p/ardupilot-mega/wiki/Joystick

3DR 433Mhz 100Mw:

https://store.diydrones.com/3DR_RadioTelemetry_Kit_433Mhz_p/kt-telemetry-3dr433.htm

I have that Logitech joystick shown on the page of your first link and I can tell you one thing for sure, you don't want to fly your helicopter with that.  Those cheapo controllers that come with the Blade mSR, mCX and mQX are better that that Logitech USB controller.  Even for flying a SIM it is close to unusable.

The second link to the 3DR system is interesting.  Is that a alternative to a ezUHF/Thomas Sherrer system?

[move] 8)[/move]

I would use this system, gets good reviews:

http://www.logitech.com/en-us/gaming/joysticks/5855

And I think yes....... The UHF is only the same 100Mw as our 2.4Ghz radios are now, but UHF opens up a plethora of options for antennas and boosters.

This will give you 15 watts and 100Mw drive. That is enough to fly to Eugene and back...........

http://www.oocities.org/dre_cb/linamp.htm

I can't remember how much it takes for EME communications (Earth Moon Earth) with a yagi, but I think it has been done at pretty low power levels..... Well, like I said in another post, a GPS sat is only 25 watts at 1.2 Ghz.....

Would one still need a amateur radio license to operate this system?

So it's the frequency in this case (433 Mhz) and not the power output?