Authorities shutting me down

[JustForFun]

No. And surely not a group of people in a park.

Well thank you for setting the responsibility bar so high for all the rest of us.

 

[BigTulsa]

No. And surely not a group of people in a park.

Well thank you for setting the responsibility bar so high for all the rest of us.

Hey, glad I could be of some use today.

 

[BigTulsa]

So when you drive to these parks to fly your drone, in your car (with several non-redundant critical systems), how do you possibly account for all the possibilities in such close proximity to other people? It too can experience failures leaving it uncontrollable... And far far more dangerous than a 4lb drone falling from the sky.

Obviously just a crack at the realities and risks we all deal with on a daily basis... Really just not sure why this one is any different.

Last I checked my car can still be controlled if it dies...I can set the emergency brake, I can still pull it off to the side of the road. We are also required to buy insurance to drive them. That is such a straw-man argument and is apples to oranges in this case.

That '4lb drone' as you call it also has 4 rather rapidly spinning propellers which may or may not create injury.

I also think that people have a reasonable expectation that when they get in a car that they may or may not get in an accident at some point down the line. People enjoying themselves in a water park are likely not thinking they are going to get knocked out by a '4lb drone' on a flyway mission or dropped out of the sky.

I also have my PP-ASEL (not current and if unsure it means Private Pilot - Airplane Single Engine Land) license. I understand the hazards of both land-based and air-based travel. Land based is just a little more forgiving.

Hey, but by all means, continue to play Russian Roulette with your Phantom if you want to by flying over water parks and the like. I'm just here to play Devil's Advocate.

I'm also trying to make sure that people like you don't ruin the hobby for the majority of us who don't go out endangering people and think it's no big deal.

This is also a really good post to refer to when dealing with questions like this.

viewtopic.php?f=4&t=19245

 

[JustForFun]

Last I checked my car can still be controlled if it dies...I can set the emergency brake, I can still pull it off to the side of the road. We are also required to buy insurance to drive them. That is such a straw-man argument and is apples to oranges in this case.

Plenty of other failure that could occur that might prevent you from being able to control your car.

That '4lb drone' as you call it also has 4 rather rapidly spinning propellers which may or may not create injury.

I also have my PP-ASEL (not current and if unsure it means Private Pilot - Airplane Single Engine Land) license. I understand the hazards of both land-based and air-based travel. Land based is just a little more forgiving.

Hey, but by all means, continue to play Russian Roulette with your Phantom if you want to by flying over water parks and the like. I'm just here to play Devil's Advocate.

You've got your opinions and I have mine. Interestingly enough, I wasn't breaking any laws. Nor do I think I should have been, even once these things are "regulated."

I'm also trying to make sure that people like you don't ruin the hobby for the majority of us who don't go out endangering people and think it's no big deal.

Clearly, that's my intention - ruining the hobby.

Endangering people... Like I was making kamikaze flybys or something. Keep your britches on old man. Not even one blade of grass was injured while I ran down 5 batteries of flight time today.

You go deal with the FAA and your PP. For now, I still have some rights under 400'.

 

[JustForFun]

Maybe this is a much more high strung group of hobbyist's than I expected! :roll:

 

[BigTulsa]

Maybe this is a much more high strung group of hobbyist's than I expected! :roll:

Maybe we're interested in not getting regulated out of legality by the actions of a few who don't take safety seriously

 

[OI Photography]

Endangering people... Like I was making kamikaze flybys or something. Keep your britches on old man. Not even one blade of grass was injured while I ran down 5 batteries of flight time today.

What you're missing here is that you have far less of a surety with a Chinese-built hobby aircraft that there won't be a catastrophic system failure, and that when there is one a far higher percentage of them end up in a crash. Additionally, there's no regulation or expectation of risk from those who you are flying over or near.

The Phantom can be completely out of your control before you can realize it, and the people who went to that park that day aren't expecting to have that risk introduced by you. Regardless of what laws aren't in place now or will be in the future, the people who asked you not to fly in those locations have no obligation to determine immediately how good of a pilot you are or aren't or how safe and airworthy your flying blades really are, or to even try to.

 

[JWarren]

Maybe this is a much more high strung group of hobbyist's than I expected! :roll:

No, its just that we are the demons of the month(s) for the media and anything at all will be used against us to regulate us by law till we can't fly over 10ft outside of our backyard. God knows you aren't the first to fly over people nor the last and I'm sorry if you feel like the whipping boy on this topic, Go to YouTube and look at all these people who are giving our hobby, and hopefully some day professions, a bad name. Jump to about 1 minute on this video...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fuGvMb89hig

With IDIOTS like this, its not a matter of if, but when someone gets hurt bad, and that person will be called before congress to testify and we'll look like a bunch of fools with our DJI's in our hands because people don't use common sense when it comes to our aircraft. If I were you I'd take this all as a "I'm glad I leaned this before.....". But that's just me.

Best wishes,
J.

 

[JWarren]

And if anyone ever deserved to have the DJI Phantom stored where the sun don't shine, its this person.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_U8iHn_2l0U

I don't even know where to begin at this persons utter stupidity.

 

[Mal_PV2_Ireland]

You will soon have the exact same rules and regulations that other countries have. 120m height limit, 400m distance, no fpv goggles, insurance and registration for commercial work, no flying around cities, 50m distance from people not under your control and 150m distance from crowds. It will be hard to police but if the law wants to get you it will. Just fly responsibly, I already do most of my flying within those rules, not because of fear of the law but because I get my best photos within those ranges. Dont fly over people just because of their reactions of amazement.

 

[Phantom_Menace66]

There were probably 1k ppl there

Only a thousand people there? Oy Vey!

 

[JustForFun]

There were probably 1k ppl there

Only a thousand people there? Oy Vey!

Yep, spread out over a half mile of a city road... Not like they're all standing on top of each other.

 

[eroomomni]

What do you guys normally say when you're approached?

I fly a lot and have for many years. I have never been approached by authorities. Probably because I try very hard to be away from crowds and attempt to stay out of mass public view.
I started a thread of hostile "Phantom Haters" a while back viewtopic.php?f=4&t=14908 when I was approached in a negative way. I ended up asking this group the same question but in my opinion I was not provoking a reaction since I was flying away from everyone at an hour where virtually no on was around.
On another thread the discussion of fireworks video is beginning entitled "Prepare Yourselves ... They're Coming" viewtopic.php?f=6&t=19495
It's a shame that so many things are happening so quickly that is creating such extreme regulations. I hope no one minds if I repeat here what I commented on the "Prepare Yourselves" thread:
The fireworks video reminds me of the beautiful videos I've seen of the Grand Canyon and Yosemite, taken by RC aircraft fitted with a camera. Both of which I would have liked to do but are now against park regulations and those doing so are subject to citing. I saw a video yesterday of an overhead view of a 4th of July parade with what looked like the whole town in attendance. All I could think of was how this might be on the local news today (July 5th). Everyone knows about our Phantoms and many are just out to spot and complain. It's just the nature of the beast. I hope all who do what we see in the fireworks videos (and similar) attempt to keep a distance from the crowd and mass public view. Unfortunately, next year fireworks will likely be added to the ever-growing list of no-flights zones. Observed by most but violated by those who affect this great hobby.

 

[JustForFun]

I really purchased this drone for the pictures. If all the places I want to shoot become no fly zones simply because people are scared of "what could happen"... When nothing at all happens in the first place... Then this hobby won't be for me very long.

Makes you wonder if folks who are anti-drone are also anti-gunners.

 

[eroomomni]

Respectfully, I find that most who are passionate about multi-rotors and it's fun, and release of the joy of flying and controlling the aircraft in a creative way don't use the word "drone". It also seems that most who are passionate about flying like this are hooked for life and don't have a thought like "this hobby won't be for me very long", as was stated above. That is why several have shared their common sense in a civilized way. Thirdly, as for the "anti-gunner" comment, I don't think this is the time or place but JustForFun might be surprised to know the answer to the curiosity.
I rarely comment on threads that are nearing hostility but had to throw my two cents in and need to log off now and enjoy the fresh air. Have a great weekend.

 

[JWarren]

I really purchased this drone for the pictures. If all the places I want to shoot become no fly zones simply because people are scared of "what could happen"... When nothing at all happens in the first place... Then this hobby won't be for me very long.

Makes you wonder if folks who are anti-drone are also anti-gunners.

Sorry if it feels like you are being piled on. You aren't. It's just the frustration of seeing the littlest thing make the national news trying to make our hobby/passion into the new boogie man. I still don't understand why R/C helicopters have been around for so long and the media/public didn't take note of what COULD happen, but now all of the sudden they do. Keep on flying JustForFun.

Regards,
Joel

 

[JustForFun]

Respectfully, I find that most who are passionate about multi-rotors and it's fun, and release of the joy of flying and controlling the aircraft in a creative way don't use the word "drone". It also seems that most who are passionate about flying like this are hooked for life and don't have a thought like "this hobby won't be for me very long", as was stated above. That is why several have shared their common sense in a civilized way. Thirdly, as for the "anti-gunner" comment, I don't think this is the time or place but JustForFun might be surprised to know the answer to the curiosity.
I rarely comment on threads that are nearing hostility but had to throw my two cents in and need to log off now and enjoy the fresh air. Have a great weekend.

Just to be clear, I do appreciate the civil tone. @eroo & @jwarren.

Is not that I don't enjoy the hobby, I do. I am passionate about the hobbies I invest in. I am even more passionate when I'm within the rules, but being treated like I'm not.

I'm not "trolling" or looking for trouble. I honestly wondered if people got the same level of attention while flying... Negative or positive... And how they dealt with it.

The roll over and apologize like you did something wrong approach doesn't sit real well worth me either.

 

[BigTulsa]

I really purchased this drone for the pictures. If all the places I want to shoot become no fly zones simply because people are scared of "what could happen"... When nothing at all happens in the first place... Then this hobby won't be for me very long.

Makes you wonder if folks who are anti-drone are also anti-gunners.

Sorry if it feels like you are being piled on. You aren't. It's just the frustration of seeing the littlest thing make the national news trying to make our hobby/passion into the new boogie man. I still don't understand why R/C helicopters have been around for so long and the media/public didn't take note of what COULD happen, but now all of the sudden they do. Keep on flying JustForFun.

Regards,
Joel

Why? Because typically the R/C helis and the like are put together and flown by serious hobbyists who have to build them and have AMA memberships and memberships to local clubs which have charters. They don't go out flying their R/C helis above crowds. They self-police for the most part.

What has happened is that with the advent of the RTF quadcopters that are easy to fly, it gives everyone a chance to own one without really even studying how to properly use it. Even RTF helicopters aren't easy to fly because most don't have GPS stabilization like these do that allows someone with zero experience flying RC to jump right in. You have to take lessons to understand how to fly both RC airplanes and RC helis to understand the flight physics of both.

I'm glad it expands the base of the hobby, but it's doing so at a cost. Please educate yourself when purchasing one of these things if you're a first time RC pilot.

 

[sar104]

I really purchased this drone for the pictures. If all the places I want to shoot become no fly zones simply because people are scared of "what could happen"... When nothing at all happens in the first place... Then this hobby won't be for me very long.

Makes you wonder if folks who are anti-drone are also anti-gunners.

That seems most unlikely, and probably completely backwards, based on the prevalence of comments on so many drone-related news articles by posters asserting their rights to shoot drones out of the sky with their constitutionally-protected arsenal of guns. I see a much stronger correlation between those groups.

 

[JWarren]

Good points BigTulsa. I used to fly R/C Helicopters and planes. First thing I did when I decided to buy my PV2+ is renew my membership to the AMA, before my Phantom was even here. I'm the last one to ever call for new laws, but perhaps if you actually had to get certified, like to carry a concealed weapon, it would weed out the "toy buyers" from the serious students of aerial photography and video with a hard interest in R/C flight.

Regards,
Joel