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

[GadgetGuy]

I see civilian and tour operated helis over my property all the time. One of the very few downsides of living near the Hollywood sign. We tolerate it although we have been pushing for legislation to curb it.

Similarly, I don't want to see a swarm of drones over my property either. But SB142 is not the answer. It's obtuse. 350ft is absurd. Not to mentioned dangerous considering the number of helis around here flying below 500ft regularly and most for no reason.

There needs to be a sensible middle ground. Maybe it's 200ft. Maybe 150ft. The height is less important than the intention. Any law should allow for two things to coexist as much as is possible:

• Quiet and reasonable expectation of privacy on your property.
• The ability for a drone to transit the airspace above your property.

As with many things, the devil is in the details. The expectation of privacy is within reason.

If you're sunbathing nude, GA traffic can and probably will see you (at least they will in SoCal). If that GA traffic simply carries on it's merry way, no harm, no foul. Even if they got to see your boobies! If they descend and circle or otherwise linger, that's no bueno. Similarly, if they took a picture with a zoom lens and sold it to TMZ, that's also no bueno.

The same should apply to drones. And since the FAA insists drones are aircraft, let's keep it consistent and use the same local ordinances that already in place to protect people's privacy from helicopters and planes.

SB142 is unnecessary.
SB142 is in conflict with existing FAA regs for civil aviation.
SB142 is dangerous.

Agree 100%!

 

[GadgetGuy]

Sorta related, but not exactly... Last Friday I was out flying.. from my back yard! There is a High School about 2/3 or a mile from me, and I could hear some kind of game being played. Next to the school is a Walmart. I fly as many as 20 flights a day out of my back yard for Beta testing. Lots of flights needed, and driving 3 trips to the lake is absurd! So I hit the Walmart parking lot, as I do all the time.. great signal as usual using the 32 channel hack... and head west to the school to see what they are doing. I'm about 200 yards from the field at close to 350 feet and I get a drop in video, but the app tells me RC signal lost. That's a new one!! I got a bit concerned, but know she will RTH without trouble... but then I hear a **** helicopter! Its an air ambulance coming in fast... and once I see it I realize its heading right to where I'm flying. Quickly I cycle the power on the controller and managed to get control.. a quick 360 pan to find the heli.. no where in site! Do I go up, where I know Ill be above it, but obviously break the 400 ft boundary and maintain control. Or do I drop quickly and hope it doesn't RTH again, which would put me below this crazy 350 ft limit over houses? At 600 feet I finally found the chopper, landing north or Walmart near the highway and I fly home safely.

The point in all of that is that limitations WILL be broken. Could people cry about me being over their home?? Sure, but leaning to the side of safety FAR exceeds my concern for their privacy! Especially since I was in their vicinity for reasons other than looking at them. Real aircraft ARE in the same altitude ranges that we fly, and for some like myself, its actually safer for me to fly outside the ranges of 100 and 500ft than it is to fly below 400ft.

I've had very similar situations as well! Safety trumps a height number!

 

[lonjsnyder]

Here's a very informative article that substantiates what you're saying;
http://dronelawjournal.com/

 

[GadgetGuy]

Here's a very informative article that substantiates what you're saying;
http://dronelawjournal.com/

That's where we got it from!
Corroberated by independent research!

 

[ianwood]

Vetoed!

Governor vetoes drone bill, signs revenge porn measure

Too bad about the revenge porn though!

 

[Man.Of.Kent]

The problem is this mentality that people complaining matters. No matter what anyone does, there will always be someone to complain. Learning that its best to not empower them by giving them an ear to complain to is the key!

As an observer I would say the US lost that battle a long time ago. The litigious disease is gradually infecting the UK now, with the 'where there's blame - there's a claim' mentality making people afraid to sneeze in public.

 

[GadgetGuy]

So glad this is now a purely hypothetical discussion thread!
Keep on flying!

 

[GadgetGuy]

Vetoed!

Governor vetoes drone bill, signs revenge porn measure

Too bad about the revenge porn though!

Yeah, how am I going to get even with all my exes now?
Actually, if you tell the "man" you already gave them all copies, who's to say you don't have yet another backup in the cloud somewhere...?
Ain't technology grand?

Happy unrestricted hovering to all!

 

[Man.Of.Kent]

. I fly as many as 20 flights a day out of my back yard for Beta testing.

Glad I'm not your neighbour!

and head west to the school to see what they are doing.

This is the bit that would get you in deep water in the UK. We are not even allowed to take photographs at nativity plays etc, let alone use cameras to view from a distance.

 

[GadgetGuy]

Glad I'm not your neighbour!



This is the bit that would get you in deep water in the UK. We are not even aloud to take photographs at nativity plays etc, let alone use cameras to view from a distance.

If we wanted the King or the Queen to tell us what we could and couldn't do, we never would have left! America, home of the free, and unrestricted drone flying, for now!

 

[Man.Of.Kent]

Home of the free? I sense a frisson of irony there!

If every Yankee dispute ends up in court, or with someone/thing getting shot, we're glad you left [emoji636] [emoji12]

 

[III% Streve]

We all see our side of the pond as better in many ways. But see the other guys side having legit attributes that we wish for. I doubt its ever meant to be ill willed.

 

[Mathew Beall]

Well - the Governor of California veto'd the bill yesterday - so that is a good first step! We will see what happens after this.

 

[Man.Of.Kent]

We all see our side of the pond as better in many ways. But see the other guys side having legit attributes that we wish for. I doubt its ever meant to be ill willed.

Very true Mr Streve [emoji631] [emoji106]

 

[P3ron]

This is Gov Jerry Brown's official response. This is great news for now.

Sen Governor's Vetoes 09-10-2015 8
Governor's Veto Message
To the Members of the California State Senate:

I am returning Senate Bill 142 without my signature.

This bill would enact trespass liability for anyone flying a drone less than 350 feet above real property without the express permission of the property owner, whether or not anyone's privacy was violated by the flight.

Drone technology certainly raises novel issues that merit careful examination. This bill, however, while well-intentioned, could expose the occasional hobbyist and the FAA-approved commercial user alike to burdensome litigation and new causes of action.

Before we go down that path, let's look at this more carefully.


Sincerely,



Edmund G. Brown Jr.

 

[Man.Of.Kent]

Sense prevails [emoji122]

 

[Pulsar747n]

Sorta related, but not exactly... Last Friday I was out flying.. from my back yard! There is a High School about 2/3 or a mile from me, and I could hear some kind of game being played. Next to the school is a Walmart. I fly as many as 20 flights a day out of my back yard for Beta testing. Lots of flights needed, and driving 3 trips to the lake is absurd! So I hit the Walmart parking lot, as I do all the time.. great signal as usual using the 32 channel hack... and head west to the school to see what they are doing. I'm about 200 yards from the field at close to 350 feet and I get a drop in video, but the app tells me RC signal lost. That's a new one!! I got a bit concerned, but know she will RTH without trouble... but then I hear a **** helicopter! Its an air ambulance coming in fast... and once I see it I realize its heading right to where I'm flying. Quickly I cycle the power on the controller and managed to get control.. a quick 360 pan to find the heli.. no where in site! Do I go up, where I know Ill be above it, but obviously break the 400 ft boundary and maintain control. Or do I drop quickly and hope it doesn't RTH again, which would put me below this crazy 350 ft limit over houses? At 600 feet I finally found the chopper, landing north or Walmart near the highway and I fly home safely.

The point in all of that is that limitations WILL be broken. Could people cry about me being over their home?? Sure, but leaning to the side of safety FAR exceeds my concern for their privacy! Especially since I was in their vicinity for reasons other than looking at them. Real aircraft ARE in the same altitude ranges that we fly, and for some like myself, its actually safer for me to fly outside the ranges of 100 and 500ft than it is to fly below 400ft.

Since the FAA calls UAV aircrafts, the person with the RC is the "Pilot in Command"
As a pilot in command you have the obligation of "see and avoid".
If you need to brake the law (500ft) to avoid a collision, by all means do it! You will get in much trouble is you crash the helicopter than if you brake the law!

 

[III% Streve]

Since the FAA calls UAV aircrafts, the person with the RC is the "Pilot in Command"
As a pilot in command you have the obligation of "see and avoid".
If you need to brake the law (500ft) to avoid a collision, by all means do it! You will get in much trouble is you crash the helicopter than if you brake the law!

I'm well aware. Also very sensitive to heli traffic being a 15 years crew chief and airframe inspector on a Blackhawk.

 

[GadgetGuy]

Very true Mr Streve [emoji631] [emoji106]

Indeed. It was all meant in good fun! No ill will intended at all! I'm just glad we still have a brief window of unrestricted flying here. I know it won't last, so I'm making the most of it! Come join us!