Contacted by FAA !

[DroneGuy2016]

You still had no legal obligation to respond to a posting to you on FB, whether from the FAA or any other entity, real or fake.

I responded out of curiosity. If a government agency contacts you and wants to speak with you, wouldn't you be very curious to know what they had to say? I wanted to learn from them what I had done wrong so I would not do it again.


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[GMack]

I just saw some video on Youtube where the FAA called the guy over his Facebook post of his drone flying over his own property here:

Then I see this one about the FAA saying posting on Youtube is commercial usage since Youtube also runs ads and commercials so they claim one's video is commercial and therefore illegal?

The FAA Says You Can't Post Drone Videos on YouTube

Guess the 107 test will open up some areas maybe for those with the license, but it does seem like they are monitoring Youtube for input and education both.

 

[N017RW]

I responded out of curiosity. If a government agency contacts you and wants to speak with you, wouldn't you be very curious to know what they had to say? I wanted to learn from them what I had done wrong so I would not do it again.


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Good call.

 

[GadgetGuy]

I responded out of curiosity. If a government agency contacts you and wants to speak with you, wouldn't you be very curious to know what they had to say? I wanted to learn from them what I had done wrong so I would not do it again.


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Curiosity killed the cat. If it truly is a government agency, they can certainly contact you through proper legal channels, unless they are on a social media fishing expedition, hoping for you both identify and incriminate yourself. Did they also say they were from the government and only wanted to help?

95% of all convictions by the FAA are obtained through self-incrimination, according to a prominent drone attorney, who previously worked for the FAA for 20 years. If ever contacted through proper legal channels by the FAA, invoke your right to remain silent, and contact a competent drone attorney. You have no legal obligation to respond to contacts on social media. Don't convict yourself!

[edited for clarity]

 

[N017RW]

Wait, a Lawyer recommends obtaining legal services?
Shocking.

Legal advice on the web in chat forums is worth all you pay for it.

Seems the OP made the right choice. He was in violation yet the incident was resolved with no legal (or any) costs to him.

Seems a lawyer or the 5th Ammendment wasn't necessary after all.

 

[GadgetGuy]

Wait, a Lawyer recommends obtaining legal services?
Shocking.

Legal advice on the web in chat forums is worth all you pay for it.

Seems the OP made the right choice. He was in violation yet the incident was resolved with no legal (or any) costs to him.

Seems a lawyer or the 5th Ammendment wasn't necessary after all.

The relevent take away is that 95% of all convictions by the FAA are obtained through self-incrimination. Don't convict yourself! Don't volunteer anything or respond to anything that isn't coming through legal channels of communication, which does not include social media! Even if they are from legitimate entities, they are on a fishing expedition, trolling for those who are foolish enough to identify themselves by responding. Being curious is a lousy reason to put a target on your back. YMMV.

 

[N017RW]

Well, we have a hand-full of Lawyer-free, cost-free, resolved cases similar to the OP's that have been documented here.

I admit I'm too lazy to chase web-lore...
What are these self-incriminated FAA convictions for?

How many or what % are for MR operators/pilots?

 

[GadgetGuy]

Well, we have a hand-full of Lawyer-free, cost-free, resolved cases similar to the OP's that have been documented here.

I admit I'm too lazy to chase web-lore...
What are these self-incriminated FAA convictions for?

How many or what % are for MR operators/pilots?

Undoubtedly, these resolved cases, to which you refer, would have been resolved without responding to the inquiries, for lack of evidence, including the identity of the alledged perpetrator. These are social media fishing expeditions not much different than the email phishing scams. They are looking for naive curious victims to raise their hand by responding. They don't worry about the ones who "got away" by not responding to the bait. When you go fishing, the smart fish don't take the bait!

 

[James munn]

Yesterday I received a message on Facebook from someone claiming to be from the FAA. Looking at his profile it seems legit and he actually wants me to call him at his office. He says my videos concern him and there is an allegation of me flying commercially which I have not done. He wants my name and my FAA registration number and to discuss this. I don't mind discussing this with him but I do not feel comfortable just giving him my information especially when I have not done anything wrong. I have no idea what could be concerning in my videos either. Should I call the guy or does this sound like something I should avoid? It seems like a strange way for the FAA to conduct business in my opinion. But I guess he doesn't know who I am so this is the only way they can contact me.[/QUOTE) fab is owned by the cia they know more then you think

 

[James munn]

CB is owned by the Ciara they know more then you think

 

[GadgetGuy]

CB is owned by the Ciara they know more then you think

If they already know so much, then they can go through proper legal channels of communication. If they are leaving messages on FB and asking for your name and FAA reg number, they obviously don't know anything, unless you volunteer it! Don't!

 

[TJC]

Yesterday I received a message on Facebook from someone claiming to be from the FAA. Looking at his profile it seems legit and he actually wants me to call him at his office. He says my videos concern him and there is an allegation of me flying commercially which I have not done. He wants my name and my FAA registration number and to discuss this. I don't mind discussing this with him but I do not feel comfortable just giving him my information especially when I have not done anything wrong. I have no idea what could be concerning in my videos either. Should I call the guy or does this sound like something I should avoid? It seems like a strange way for the FAA to conduct business in my opinion. But I guess he doesn't know who I am so this is the only way they can contact me.

I have been in IT for 27 years... everything about this makes me say SCAM....have some fun with it if you want by calling him... make up a name..(until you can prove he is legit that is) But if a government agency wants to contact you they will do so by knocking on your front door or sending you a registered mail...

 

[N017RW]

I have been in IT for 27 years... everything about this makes me say SCAM....have some fun with it if you want by calling him... make up a name..(until you can prove he is legit that is) But if a government agency wants to contact you they will do so by knocking on your front door or sending you a registered mail...

You should read the previous messages.

It's all been sussed out already, days and days ago.

It is/was LEGIT.

 

[BigAl07]

I have been in IT for 27 years... everything about this makes me say SCAM....have some fun with it if you want by calling him... make up a name..(until you can prove he is legit that is) But if a government agency wants to contact you they will do so by knocking on your front door or sending you a registered mail...

Hello TJC.

If you'll browse back through this thread you'll see that this indeed was legitimate and was confirmed by phone calls and official letters in the mail. It was an "Informational Only" contact that resulted in no enforcement what so ever.

Also note that this isn't the only time that the FAA has used Social Media to make initial contact with a UAS operator.
Several other threads on this very forum have also proven this to be true and to my knowledge (at least the ones on this forum) have all been "Information Only" and resulted in zero type of enforcement.

I responded out of curiosity. If a government agency contacts you and wants to speak with you, wouldn't you be very curious to know what they had to say? I wanted to learn from them what I had done wrong so I would not do it again.

DroneGuy2016
I feel like you handled it VERY well and did the right thing all the way around.

Did you ever get the DOT letter? I was curious to know what it said and how they were involved as well.

Thanks for sharing so that others can learn and we can all grow as a community together.

 

[DroneGuy2016]

Hello TJC.

If you'll browse back through this thread you'll see that this indeed was legitimate and was confirmed by phone calls and official letters in the mail. It was an "Informational Only" contact that resulted in no enforcement what so ever.

Also note that this isn't the only time that the FAA has used Social Media to make initial contact with a UAS operator.
Several other threads on this very forum have also proven this to be true and to my knowledge (at least the ones on this forum) have all been "Information Only" and resulted in zero type of enforcement.



DroneGuy2016
I feel like you handled it VERY well and did the right thing all the way around.

Did you ever get the DOT letter? I was curious to know what it said and how they were involved as well.

Thanks for sharing so that others can learn and we can all grow as a community together.

The DOT letter was an exact duplicate of the letter I received at my home. It was just sent as certified mail. Both letters say Department of Transportation/ Federal Aviation Administration.


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[BigAl07]

The DOT letter was an exact duplicate of the letter I received at my home. It was just sent as certified mail. Both letters say Department of Transportation/ Federal Aviation Administration.

Thanks for the info. Duplication? Tax $$$ hard at work LOL!

Appreciate the quick update.

Allen

 

[N017RW]

+1 Al & DG2016.

I labeled it a 'good call'.

 

[GadgetGuy]

Hello TJC.

If you'll browse back through this thread you'll see that this indeed was legitimate and was confirmed by phone calls and official letters in the mail. It was an "Informational Only" contact that resulted in no enforcement what so ever.

Also note that this isn't the only time that the FAA has used Social Media to make initial contact with a UAS operator.
Several other threads on this very forum have also proven this to be true and to my knowledge (at least the ones on this forum) have all been "Information Only" and resulted in zero type of enforcement.

The initial social media contact could never have been followed up by phone calls and official letters without the UAS operator first responding to the social media post, providing their own name and their FAA number, which put the target on their backs. You are under no legal obligation to respond to a social media post from anyone! Do not respond to these fishing scams by the FAA! if the FAA wants to get in touch with you, make them do so through proper legal channels of communication, which does not include FaceBook or YouTube! Your FaceBook account and your YouTube channel are not part of your FAA Small UAS Registration file! If the FAA wanted them to be, they would have been required during the registration process!

 

[BigAl07]

The initial social media contact could never have been followed up by phone calls and official letters without the UAS operator first responding to the social media post, providing their own name and their FAA number, which put the target on their backs.

All we can do is go by is what the OP said and if you'll read his very words he never gave them such information even during the phone call. Anything else is just assumptions and worth what you paid for them.

 

[GadgetGuy]

All we can do is go by is what the OP said and if you'll read his very words he never gave them such information even during the phone call. Anything else is just assumptions and worth what you paid for them.

He called them in direct response to their post. That's all that was necessary to complete the link.