Cheetah; Tiger; Traveler AA5 Series
Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP); Flight Crew Rotorcraft; Flight Crew Multiengine
Flight Crew Last 90 Days 50; Flight Crew Total 5000; Flight Crew Type 2000
Conflict NMAC
General None Reported / Taken
Human Factors
In cruise flight while scanning for traffic and birds; I noticed what appeared to be a quad copter UAV in level flight; slightly below my altitude at the 2 O'clock position going in the opposite direction. It passed off our right wing. Coordinates of the encounter were:  28.40 Degrees North; and 80.68 Degrees West; over Merritt Island Florida.  The location is close to a busy GA Airport; COI; and just south of the Kennedy Space Center restricted area; close to Port Canaveral with cruise ship operations. Clearly an illegal and potentially dangerous operation in the airspace with implications for safety as well as port security and national security.
A pilot reports a quadcopter UAV at 1;500 feet just south of the Kennedy Space center restricted area; near COI airport.