California SB 142 - if it passes, what will you do?

[Mathew Beall]

If the California "Drone Trespass" bill passes (right now all it needs is a signature from Gov. Brown for it go to into effect) - what will everyone do? It seems as if the bill only applies to private property - so I could still fly at areas like parks, beaches, etc. that are public property. But it means I can't fly around my neighborhood anymore, so it becomes a trip anytime I want to do some flying. I could stay within the narrow band of 350-400 feet - but I am worried about people being litigious and me having to prove that I was within that narrow band.

What will everyone else do? I could just fly it around and wait for something to happen, but that sure sounds like a lot of trouble - and I, like most people here, have already had people approach me with fear already regarding my P3.

Matt

 

[John Locke]

I'm interested in the details of the law, if passed. I assume you can fly above your own property, right? There would no grounds to complain from anyone, right? So you go up to 350' above your property, then fly around. I'm pretty sure when you get to 200' that nobody will be able to prove you're below 350 anyway, it's pretty hard to judge something that small that far away for height, only you will know with your telemetry. "Yes sir, Absolutely, that drone is over 350' high, didn't you see it?" Frankly I don't fly from my house anyway, I don't want my neighbors to know what I do with my money. Yes, my close friends in the neighborhood know about my hobby, but not everyone. I typically to go the hills to fly around anyway, it's just safer. I look for wild animals, marijuana growers LOL, capture sunsets, etc. I'm not too worried about the law, but it's sad we would legally only have a 50' window of elevation to travel over houses, from 350 to 400' high. Helicopter pilots won't like that much, forcing all drones up to 350. I doubt if that law will stay the same for long because the next step of evolution with drones will certainly be zoom lenses, Hah!

 

[lonjsnyder]

There's not much hope for us with incidents like this:
Drone operator taken into custody after close call with LAPD helicopter in Hollywood


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[Incognito]

So here is a hypothetical situation

your out flying around your neighbourhood following the letter of this law 350-400ft and say your a good 4-500ft out and you see a heli coming into the area, your immediate reaction would be to drop the quad down real low to get out of its way but in doing so your gonna drop into the invasion of privacy window

looks like its gonna be damned if you do damned if you dont

 

[tcope]

If I was in CA, I'd fly like it did not exist. It's not lawful. I'd fly and see if the police said anything. If they did, I'd explain that only the FAA can regulate airspace and no one owns the airspace. I'd then wait to see if they issued a citation. If so, fight in court and see of a not-guilty would end their little matter.

 

[lonjsnyder]

I believe that to be bad advice
Drone seized by police at Los Angeles park – DIY Drones


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[envisionabove]

This will only goto other states, CA starts them the other states follow.

 

[envisionabove]

I ripped this off rc groups...make sence..I always knew it was for paparazzi more than anything else.

I saw a big discussion on this law in another thread. I am not in Cali, so I didn't verify anything posted.I was just following it a bit, because generally what Cali does, many other areas follow.

The general consensus was that this law has civil penalties, but no criminal penalties. So when your neighbor with MRDS (Multi-Rotor Derangement Syndrome) calls the cops, they are going to say, that's not our department. Go call a lawyer to sue.

While anyone can sue anybody else for any reason, it should make it very difficult to prosecute. How are they going to prove anything? With pics of your MR at best? We have telemetry.

With civil penalties you have to prove injury. If you don't crash into your neighbors house, or post pics of their topless 16 year old daughter on Facebook, what is the injury?.... well I guess there is always mental anguish.

Some of the other consensus was that this law referred to flying over private property, and flying over roads to look at your neighbor would not count.

Sounds like the law makers just passed something to satisfy their paparazzi phobic, MRDS, Hollyweird, constituency, and it will have very little teeth, as long as you are not trying to capture video of Jenifer Aniston's "landing strip".

 

[taroh]

I'm interested in the details of the law, if passed. I assume you can fly above your own property, right? There would no grounds to complain from anyone, right? So you go up to 350' above your property, then fly around. I'm pretty sure when you get to 200' that nobody will be able to prove you're below 350 anyway, it's pretty hard to judge something that small that far away for height, only you will know with your telemetry. "Yes sir, Absolutely, that drone is over 350' high, didn't you see it?" Frankly I don't fly from my house anyway, I don't want my neighbors to know what I do with my money. Yes, my close friends in the neighborhood know about my hobby, but not everyone. I typically to go the hills to fly around anyway, it's just safer. I look for wild animals, marijuana growers LOL, capture sunsets, etc. I'm not too worried about the law, but it's sad we would legally only have a 50' window of elevation to travel over houses, from 350 to 400' high. Helicopter pilots won't like that much, forcing all drones up to 350. I doubt if that law will stay the same for long because the next step of evolution with drones will certainly be zoom lenses, Hah!

DJI will add "minimum alt" in the area on next FW update. ;-)

 

[Justgregg]

We saw this comming, didnt we? Thank you to all the irresponsible pilots that are out there!

 

[REBELimgs]

We saw this comming, didnt we? Thank you to all the irresponsible pilots that are out there!

Now if only they'd ban cars because a small percent of the population gets drunk and decides to drive. Prohibition; 65% of the time, it works all the time.

 

[IflyinWY]

California is such a great place to hate. I moved to Wyoming...

 

[REBELimgs]

California is such a great place to hate. I moved to Wyoming...

Easy to find a job with a living wage there? I could use some new scenery.

 

[IflyinWY]

Easy to find a job with a living wage there? I could use some new scenery.

Nope, not unless you're into the gas or oil industry. There are others though. We're always looking for folks to care for the elderly and help out in the medical industry.

Scenery is one of our specialties...

 

[IflyinWY]

Here's a 30 minute drive, followed by a 1 hour hike...
www.wynotweb.com

 

[ianwood]

Cleaned up a lot of bickering from this thread. Keep it on topic. Do not engage trollish behavior.

On topic, clearly all you California haters are just jealous!

 

[IflyinWY]

Cleaned up a lot of bickering from this thread. Keep it on topic. Do not engage trollish behavior.

On topic, clearly all you California haters are just jealous!

Hate to say it Ianwood, but you're wrong.

My apologies though. I did not know this thread was running amok.

 

[Khyber]

If it passed I would just fly above 350feet in key areas. Its a tough law to enforce. Ridiculous one at that.

I work in Santa Monica and just found out through some research you can't fly a phantom there legally since they have a ordinance for model planes, Santa Monica PD applies that ordinance to multi-rotors as well.

I assumed the law was for criminal charges, if its only for civil matters well I have nothing to worry about then.

 

[Deleted member 29014]

I believe that to be bad advice
Drone seized by police at Los Angeles park – DIY Drones


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

He he. This is the perfect place to come to get bad advice. Unfortunately, all the loud "do as you want crowd, screw the police, the hell with the FAA" types never close their post with "I will fund your legal defense."Talk is cheap, and cheaper from behind a keyboard.

 

[Deleted member 29014]

I'm interested in the details of the law, if passed. I assume you can fly above your own property, right? There would no grounds to complain from anyone, right? So you go up to 350' above your property, then fly around. I'm pretty sure when you get to 200' that nobody will be able to prove you're below 350 anyway, it's pretty hard to judge something that small that far away for height, only you will know with your telemetry. "Yes sir, Absolutely, that drone is over 350' high, didn't you see it?" Frankly I don't fly from my house anyway, I don't want my neighbors to know what I do with my money. Yes, my close friends in the neighborhood know about my hobby, but not everyone. I typically to go the hills to fly around anyway, it's just safer. I look for wild animals, marijuana growers LOL, capture sunsets, etc. I'm not too worried about the law, but it's sad we would legally only have a 50' window of elevation to travel over houses, from 350 to 400' high. Helicopter pilots won't like that much, forcing all drones up to 350. I doubt if that law will stay the same for long because the next step of evolution with drones will certainly be zoom lenses, Hah!

Why would anyone, other than a dumb kid, want to fly over people's houses? That law is a knee jerk response to stupid flying. Thank your fellow quad flyers for that.