DRONE JUSTICE TONIGHT! YOU'LL LOVE THIS WEIRD ONE!

No, they just just don't get it. Or probably do, but just don't care. I'm gonna fly where I want and to hell with everyone else.

"I also figured I was going to land in the grass, and if anyone got upset so be it."

Keep flying in the hood. Keep starting incidents. Get more people mad at us. Cause more problems. This sure is a different generation than I grew up in.

The grass was 100s of yards from anybody outdoors, and there are no first floor units. It's as remote an area there is on these grounds.

The beach is deserted, and very much not in the hood. Beach to the grass involved coming over some sea oats. This was not any kind of intentional "in your face type deal". If the VERY REAL malfunction, that could have cost me $1,250 in a flash, wasn't SO DUMB and preventable, I'd say this was bad luck. I'll make a small checklist, like in airplanes, real ones, and use it. I won't do it again in other words.
 
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I wonder if things would have taken a totally different direction if the words "Reward If Found, call 000-555-1212" had been displayed on the bird.
mw_hmmm.gif
Makes me want to remove my stickers..
 
I've done a little about face about this. It could almost appear like the people I saw in such a bad light because they were so mad were in fact arguably abused a bit. Provoked, then set up with an episode of "Caught on Video", for angry sheriff's deputy to watch and then get lied to.

Not my intent. Coming right to their condo asking about my "drone" seemed like I obviously knew where it was, because I had picked them out special. Looking down the building from where it was, I had no idea which one. My GPS was faithfull telling me right where it was, and the elevator video told me the floor #! LOL And bless them they handled just like a newborn baby. The threat to hurt it was just pent up outrage, over my lusting at his wife from afar. LOL

I didn't know my next door neighbor is much younger than the mostly elderly residents, here smart, calm, rational, and I didn't know she was the HOA Board President until later that night after the deputy arrived. I would have just gone to her, and then she could have talked to the people, and got my bird back home. The couple had talked to HOA Treasurer (why?), who is an older "mad at the world" type guy. I was concerned that it might be injured.

Springing them with the "caught on video" stuff, by a VERY stern Sheriff's deputy was approaching "cruel and unusal punishment". I didn't know I could possibly have received that until after they had branded me a pervert to The Treasurer, and gone out to dinner.

The public LOVES "caught on video" stuff, nearly as much as they reflexively HATE "Drones". Caught at dinner, reflexively "sticking to their story" to a cop who had watched them take it on video, got them read a riot act that would have ruined my appetite. Boy. Ouch.

I'm going to tell them the whole story, including my incredible feat of not making sure the propellers were snug (loose is more like it)), and that springing "caught on video" on them at dinner was cruel and unusual punishment, wasn't my intention, and offer to pay for their wrecked dinner. And then make sure they know I understand their point of view, tell them a little bit about these things, try and repair the PR damage.
 
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You, sir, are a true gentleman. Hats off to you for trying to mend fences even after all that unpleasantness.
 
No, they just just don't get it. Or probably do, but just don't care. I'm gonna fly where I want and to hell with everyone else.

"I also figured I was going to land in the grass, and if anyone got upset so be it."

Keep flying in the hood. Keep starting incidents. Get more people mad at us. Cause more problems. This sure is a different generation than I grew up in.


As I said earlier, these statements don't reflect where and how I was flying, in the LEAST. A deserted beach can't get anymore unoffensive, with nobody in sight for miles. Way far enough from my condo building to be unnoticeable, but I was upwind and close enough so the level soft grass, was a tempting, possibly optimal choice. I did think the bushes would block some of the wind, but the wind hitting the building from the East, produced some really turbulent eddy currents. I couldn't move North, away from the Fearful Ones, towards more remote grass because of the wind out of the North at that point, and my reluctance to be aggressive on the controls. I discovered that the hard on shore Easterly wind hits the building and splits into North and South components, and I know an updraft, because of the Pelican's cruising by all the time.
*******
Dude, THE BEACH, be 'bout far from the 'hood as yo can get without goin swimin man! And I can't, but might try anyways 'cause I love my drone would drown to save the mofo thing! They's no crack dealer or ho down there as far as the eye can see -- in either which way. So I was sacrificin my alien right to be happy, semi-severely, so my drone won't fall on some crack dealer, or my favorite ho. And I ain't STUPID man -- I KNOW they's all fungible as a ***** , so it's for THE DRONE CAUSE dude!
******
Try a little tumble in the sand, and it's a MESS. Plus the grass was basically in the middle of nowhere. Just a hop over some sand anchoring bushes -- I hoped would block some wind -- from the beach (WRONG). Just on condo soil. I'll take a grouchy board member's bitching over losing $1,250. SO PLEASE CHANGE: "...if anyone gets upset so be it", TO: "risk a grouchy board member's bitching over a 'rumored condo no fly zone' (Seriously) versus losing $1,250 I paid for a machine I now love so much I'd rather sleep with it then my wife." (Joke, honey) Thanks. That's what I meant.

****
Speaking of "my generation", TO MY HORROR, I AM GETTING OLD! I COULD POSSIBLY BE OLDER THAN YOU! 62 1/4 now. "This sure is a different generation than I grew up in" though, is not something that I hear coming out of a well educated 62 year old, in the financial or technical fields at least. None of my friends, would utter it, so you must be...68-72+ if a college educated professional (or retired) from a suburban area, or...wow 57, if you live in a rural area, especially in the south, with no college degree, 57 is right in the heart of the "drone shooter age" in this demographic category. In the highly educated Northern profession category, they would never shoot a drone at any age. In NJ you'd be lucky to find a gun to DO it with, and if you got caught just with the gun, it's probably a life sentence. In Miami, fly your drone in the wrong 'hood, and it could get machine gunned out of the sky. Coke smugglers thinking your spying on them, or rival gangs. You like UAVs, but you have the mindset that shoots them. Standard Deviation is huge, so I could be way off. Plus 62 isn't the normal "bitter, cynical, old and grouchy" point yet, up North anyway. JUST OLD.

It's funny how I could never picture being this old and here I am. It kind of creeps up on you, then here you are. It ah, kind of sucks. I'll take 25! To own one you can't fear technology, that would bring my age guess down. If you're a EE, digital designer defense contractor type, or Portfolio Manager Bond Trader type, (Both ME), you could be in your 70's. ANYWAY NOW MY GUESS IS 67! If I'm correct, "Sorry sir, no disrespect intended". If younger, then please show some respect to your elders, and don't put words in my mouth **** it! And don't act like an old grouch for a while longer yet, sonny! There's plenty of time left, and if you're a grouchy old guy under 60, what going to happen when you're 70? Scary right? So lighten up!

***
During my generation, growing up during the great depression, we learned to not throw away money ($1,250), because some grouch might yell at you, for a possibly imaginary rule! OK, my grandpa passed that wisdom on. But I was taught to be respectful and polite to my elders who were Mr. and Mrs. with my mother's friend "Carol" being the only exception. But I kind of like being called by my first name by my friends kids. I can't believe some of my friends kids. I'll come in the house, and I'll have to say, "Lucas, what's the deal, you can't even say hello?!" "I'm sorry. Hi Glenn." With a nice smile. That softens me right up. But I might add, "I can't believe your parents haven't taught you that!" And he'll laugh because he's smart, and knows I'm teasing his dad.

And if I EVER wrote a disrespectful email -- to an elder no less -- and put words in their mouth they never said, I'd get spanked, my mouth washed out with soap, and forced to apologize ("sound like you mean it too").

Well...OK, that's what I taught my kids, who will pass it along too my young grandchildren. After little Johnny wrote the "I LOVE YOU" Office Macro email attachment, I gave him a choice: The stun gun on the butt (high tech spanking), or the FBI. "You choose!" He only served 1 year, and now makes $250,000 at Google. Totally serious.

Well? Am I older than you? :) Are you 67?
 
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You, sir, are a true gentleman. Hats off to you for trying to mend fences even after all that unpleasantness.

I REALLY appreciate the kind words. I have a big conscience, sometimes too much empathy, but think they got a rougher time then they probably deserved. And that's just them. Throw in the larger PR picture, and the cause of this fiasco -- me not making sure my propellers weren't loose -- and some kind words are welcome. I WILL offer to pay for their dinner too. They're here on vacation, and I guarantee they lost their appetite after THAT phone call, and I only met them at their worst. Not handled well -- by either party -- but knowing that if I'd tightened my props, it wouldn't have even happened, is a slap in the face. Thanks again.
 
I'm 60. And I "liked" both your posts above where you specified you weren't flying in the hood, well before you decided to call me out in a long post. I thought that would let you know that I got it, but I guess not.
 
The condo where I live has a lot of paranoid people about "spying drones". Typical I bet, but bizarre. A dusk this evening I went flying, and was going to keep it down over the beach, far away from the building. I was flying it from my balcony. I was going to hand catch it, or land it below me in the grass, which because of the wind I wasn't enthralled with. Bottom line: It was real windy, probably too windy to fly. But these things fly SO WELL.

OK I was near this building over the beach, and I got a "Motor Seizure" RED WARNING (I would think catastrophe, and there wasn't one). Followed by a "Motor at Idle" RED WARNING. And the wind was really picking up. I figure I need to get it down quickly, take the warnings seriously, and if they are false alarms great. I also figured I was going to land in the grass, and if anyone got upset so be it. ANYBODY SEE THESE? IT SPINS RIGHT UP NOW IN MY LIVING ROOM. NO PROBLEMS!??

The wind hitting the building created a lot of turbulence. Not my finest idea. Live and learn right? The wind had it bouncing around, and I was paranoid about the motors, so I just set it down quickly. Successfully. Video up. Seemed undamaged. I go down there, forgot my key, had to climb a couple fences to GET to the stupid grass, and it's GONE!

I glanced at my phone and saw a lady in the lobby with it, and that thing transmitted out of the elevator, through re-bared concrete and I saw it take an elevator ride, and I saw it being taken into a Condo. NOTE THIS IS AFTER THE BIG EVENT. The GPS told me where in the building it was. South side. 3rd floor, my first try, found it. These people were pompous *****, and were convinced that I was hovering outside their balcony to look at the wife. I told them about my problem, the red faced husband said BS, and they told me that it had landed "ON OUR BALCONY, ON OUR PROPERTY. We're going to keep it and let the board decide what to do tomorrow. FAIR ENOUGH! Or we'll call the police right now." They knew I knew they were lying, but knew (WRONG) they couldn't get caught. She at least let me tell them out to turn it off, and they did, and slammed the door in my face. I HADN'T REVIEWED OR EVEN THOUGHT ABOUT THE VIDEO YET. OMG WHAT A SURPRISE!

I NEVER SHUT THE VIDEO CAMERA OFF! I got stunning 4K video of the setting sun, the rough beautifully colored water, and my whole landing fiasco. And, to my SURPRISE AND DELIGHT, I got the FELONY GRAND THEFT from the grass, the trip up the elevator, and the door closing to their condo. SO I CALLED THE POLICE! Told him what happened, showed him the videos, we hit it off good. The couple had gone out to dinner, wouldn't answer the phone, and had called the "BOARD President", and said how it flew onto their balcony. The deputy tried their phones a bunch of times, and said he wasn't going anywhere until he confronted them and I got my drone back, and he'd take them to jail for Grand Theft. I said that might be a little much, I'd be mad if I REALLY thought it was looking at me. He said then he'd just wait until they came back, and give them a talking too, and "they better not screw that conversation up!" Yikes, smoke was coming out his ears.

They called back, and stuck to their balcony story for a while! BAD move. The deputy said, "Listen, I don't think you understand the trouble that you're in. I have videotape here proving that you are lying to me now. You are looking at Felony Grand Theft, and now Lying to a Police Officer. You're potentially in a lot of trouble." (IN PERSON, WITH THEIR ATTITUDE, THEY'D BE IN JAIL RIGHT NOW.) That shut them up, and they promised to give it to the president that night, and she's my next door neighbor, and we're friends. I said I wasn't going to press charges The deputy told me about 3 times to call and confirm I got it back. He was just looking for an excuse. DON'T BE A POMPOUS RICH PERSON WHO LIVES IN THEIR 1/2 MILLION DOLLAR CONDO 3 MONTHS OUT OF THE YEAR, AND BLATANTLY LIE TO A COP, WHO DEALS WITH DRUNKS ALL DAY, making peanuts compared to you. HE'S GOING TO GET REALLY MAD. REALLY REALLY MAD. I got it back by the bemused president.

I texted a "sorry to have bothered you" semi make nice text, and got a nasty reply. So maturely, I said that if I didn't receive a apology within 10 minutes, "I "just might" change my mind about pressing charges, and if you think your dinner was ruined, a night in jail on felony charges will ruin an entire vacation." Then I gave them Roy Black's Contact Info, the highest profile criminal lawyer in the state (Rush L, William Kennedy Smith, lots of others), and said he's probably really expensive, but he'll almost surely get you off with probation. I don't think I got the apology. I'm not a very good *****. It takes a LOT.

HOORAY FOR DJI LIGHTBRIDGE! MAGIC!! Transmits to my phone through a metal elevator, through multiple floors of a concrete slab, re-bar re-enforced structure, and allowed me to compliment the lady on her toenail polish! Sends me accurate GPS coordinates spot on their condo. If I had thought to look at the altitude, I might have guessed 3rd floor. There are 2-8 floors here. I was still getting video, but the camera gimbal was pointing down. Half the owners are never here. I just rent, but am leaving in a month. And I'm friends with my landlord and gave her husband a wounded Blade 350QX he loves. A "warning from the board" about her tenant will just amuse her. The deputy could also see I couldn't see in their bedroom. Actually, I could, not very well. A HAPPY ENDING DRONE STORY!!
Betcha the wife wasn't even worth spying on, IF that was the case. Good Job.
 
No, they just just don't get it. Or probably do, but just don't care. I'm gonna fly where I want and to hell with everyone else.

"I also figured I was going to land in the grass, and if anyone got upset so be it."

Keep flying in the hood. Keep starting incidents. Get more people mad at us. Cause more problems. This sure is a different generation than I grew up in.
The 10% will always ruin it for the rest of us....
 
I REALLY appreciate the kind words. I have a big conscience, sometimes too much empathy, but think they got a rougher time then they probably deserved. And that's just them. Throw in the larger PR picture, and the cause of this fiasco -- me not making sure my propellers weren't loose -- and some kind words are welcome. I WILL offer to pay for their dinner too. They're here on vacation, and I guarantee they lost their appetite after THAT phone call, and I only met them at their worst. Not handled well -- by either party -- but knowing that if I'd tightened my props, it wouldn't have even happened, is a slap in the face. Thanks again.
Great story but just think what would have happened if you had no video evidence you would have been labled a peeping tom , pervert , kicked out of your condo NO WAY would i be as nice as you seem to be, Sorry but just let the them be, no contact nowt .They are liars and would have got you into serious trouble .
 
Read me flogging myself below. Not REALLY so great. When you think about it.
Especially considering that the props were not the cause of the erratic flight.
 
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As Jon Steward said among his last words in his closing appearance on the Daily Show, "******** is everywhere."

Freely translated as someone in this thread said, perception is reality.

So drone pilots have to learn to live with the perceptions of others. No way 'round it.
 
You should have allowed the police to charge them with theft. It possibly isn't the only criminal act they were involved in and a search of their appartment might have turned up other stolen items.
 
This whole "story" seems fishy to me. The maniacal, long winded follow up posts by the OP, seem odd as well.
 
The whole story seems great to me. I loved it, hope it's true, and have no suspicions.

It's a classy gesture to offer to pay for their "wrecked" dinner. I'm interested to see how they respond.
 
Great story but just think what would have happened if you had no video evidence you would have been labled a peeping tom , pervert , kicked out of your condo NO WAY would i be as nice as you seem to be, Sorry but just let the them be, no contact nowt .They are liars and would have got you into serious trouble .

I really appreciated this post, and have PMed saltire, and thanked him, for bringing me to my senses. The beach was a very isolated place to fly, the grass in a strip facing the beach, with bushes in between, and no first floor Condos is pretty deserted too. And I didn't even plan on being there. The lesson for me is USE A CHECKLESS. Loose props ARE lame.

Bad luck too. I learned how dramatically a hard East wind, off the ocean, can deflect off a large building facing it.

On the South end of the building, trying to keep control inputs at a minimum, I found a deflected wind howling from North. With nasty turbulence. I was watching it closely now, and seeing the video later made me realize the gimbal is one hell of a great trick. No sign of turbulence. Stuck there had me in 30' in front a condo for 30 sec., 30 ft, and then make a rather abrupt landing and it even drifted a tad on the bushes. AND FOR THIS THEY STEAL MY DRONE, LIE AND SAY IT LANDED ON THEIR BALCONY! CALL ME A VOYEUR, AND ARE GOING TO TRY TO HURT MY REPUTATION BY ONLY RETURNING IT TO "THE BOARD"! It's amusing now that the GPS told me exactly where it was. THEY probably assumed of course I knew where it was, the condo I had hand picked to peep into. How else would I get the condo right on my first guess. **** I wish thst going could have recorded audio!

I AM only renting here, and suppose I'd been here 6 months (vs 15 years), with a landlord who wasn't easy to get along with? I could have ended up hosed, and those people had no way of knowing that wasn't the case.

After I was sworn at, threatened with the police (LOL), had the lady practically say they were lying, but I couldn't do anything about it, AND slamming the door in my face. For some reason I still wasn't that pissed, I only wanted to see what the problem was. When to my delight I saw that I continued recording through the whole affair, and had it on my phone, I STILL was going to give them an out. But they arrogantly wouldn't answer the door. Even when I said I was going to call the police, and they WERE GOING TO WISH THEY'D ANSWERED. A HINT!

Then they arrogantly went to dinner. And didn't pick up "Restricted" calls on their cells. The rest is history. And they got what they deserved. And if I'd apologized to those assholes, I'd be kicking myself.

And I cleared myself with a stunning video that made everyone who saw it gasp. Saw it catch the liars. Knew I found it via GPS. Knew it transmitted out of an elevator and a concrete/steel constructed building. That broke up at times. My first Lightbridge hickup! They left with a higher opinion of these things than before the "drama".
 
I'm 60. And I "liked" both your posts above where you specified you weren't flying in the hood, well before you decided to call me out in a long post. I thought that would let you know that I got it, but I guess not.
Sorry Snerd. It should have. I think we're on the same page now, and yes we need to band together. I had fun writing that rediculously long post. I've worked in front a monitor my whole life, and am so fast I'm dangerous. So I use my cell phone to stifle myself. Sometimes that doesn't even work! LOL Should have noticed your likes. Thanks.
 
I think this is great! They want to steal and lie and got caught. I recently had a local car show (August). I asked permission to fly my P3P there and received permission.

I flew around the classic cars, staying under it so as not to freak anyone out. Very careful to avoid flying over cars at low altitudes, so the car owners would not get concerned by it. Some even waved to it. Those with questions came up and asked away. I allowed them to see the iPad mini display so they could see how close it had to be to see something. Had one fella following me all over the golf course parking lot asking questions, which I answered to the best of my ability. In the end, it was a positive experience flying for me and informative for those attending who came over. Even made a DVD of the footage and gave them away to those who were there and wanted one. Still have a few tucked under my counter at work if someone comes in and wants one.
 
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