First run in with neighbor.....and the law

[Monte55]

The poster that you are responding to may be conflating "intimidation" and "control". While I'm sure po. It's lice are not taught to intimidate, they are definitely trained to control a situation. Sometimes, we do have to intimidate to control.

I think there are many good cops but there are bad ones to. Strap a gun on them with a badge and some do not want to be questioned about their practices. Its an insult to them and they think their opinion is the only thing that counts. Best not to piss them off. They are trained to take control but sometimes they take it too far. I have seen it happen many times. You can question their authority and be slammed to the ground. You may win in a court of law but after how much hassel. I have no doubt they will cover each other no matter who is right or wrong. That's how people are. Too bad many are so narrow minded they have to follow the norm while innocent people get dumped on. Im sure many drone pilots think the same. We can do no wrong no matter what we do. I'll back you up buddy cause you are a fellow pilot. To all of this...I say crap.

 

[Jussaguy]

All right guys. Everyone here should watch this whole video. It will clear a few things up, but if your strictly focused on property owner air rights, it's laid out in the first 1-1/2 mins.

This lady basically says (aside from longer talk about registration), that the Courts are figuring it out now.

First she says things like its the same $5 "for a Boeing 747 and a Phantom" which is untrue. As of now, the Supreme Court has PURPOSEFULLY not given actual numbers, the average according to most things you'll read on the case (of which I can't remember the name), it is not exactly where your structure ends or the 5 feet as some people are saying. The fact is there is no hard rule right now (there will be soon I think) but it's generally 100 to 500 feet and then it's up to a jury based on the facts as to whether you are trespassing.

 

[Helihover]

Wow. I'll quit trying to educated my fellow pilots. I'm not sure how much more clear I can be.

ALL of your replies along with others are constantly stating words such as, "think", "I can't remember ", "generally", and so on and so on. I'm stating facts here trying to help people understand their rights. Someone who's worked with the FAA helping to design these regs, owns several businesses pertaining to this very area of discussion, still isn't enough for you. I'm fine with that. Just stop posting what you are saying is true, or generally true. It just manifest into what we have here, which is, drone pilots not knowing their rights, because YOU or Whoever posted and said so. Because now your at 100-500 feet and our guidelines want us to stay below 400 feet. Again guessing at an answer does nothing but polute the forums when you post it.

Have fun flying fellow droners!

 

[N017RW]

Don't get upset because someone is not aware of your resume'.
You're an anonymous stranger in the 'iVerse'.

Half the stuff on the web is crap so each is responsible for their own actions.

I certainly can't say: "but Helihover told me...".

What's the Russian proverb..."Trust but Verify"???

 

[Reed L]

Different countries - different laws. Remember we are a multinational community here.

 

[bernek]

I've got a same type of neighbour telling me that I'm spying on them and I only flew close to their property not above it. My height was 100 meters~328ft (with a P2V) recording 720p 60fps. They didn't want to look or understand that from that height moving at 30-40 mph filming at 720p people like look like ants or just tiny blobs.

 

[m0j0]

The poster that you are responding to may be conflating "intimidation" and "control". While I'm sure police are not taught to intimidate, they are definitely trained to control a situation. Sometimes, we do have to intimidate to control.

I don't know if intimidate is a word I would use. Mere officer presense may be intimidating. The fact that I have a badge, gun, secondary tools and training may be intimidating when I am giving someone a lawful verbal command but I was not taught to intimidate. After a command is given you can choose to comply with the command or not. Officers are always hoping that you comply. If you don't, you will not be intimidated by me, you will be forced to comply. That may sound intimidating but really it isn't meant to be.. lawful command comply or don't. One allows us to proceed civilly where nobody potentially is injured, the other could result in yours or my injury. That is the responsibility officers carry, uphold the law. I won't open on off-topic subject but go back and look at many of the videos where use of force is questioned. It usually begins with a lawful command and a failure to comply. The question then comes in... was that an appropriate amount of force necessary to force compliance. If it is obvious that it isn't then you may have a problem. At any rate, most officers are not jack-booted-thugs looking to hurt citizens or infringe on the constitutional rights. They are good guys that have a job to do.

So making a long point longer... When the police show up and you know you are the target of an investigation. Unless they have a warrant, politely tell them to kick rocks. Close the door and walk away.

 

[henick]

I still take issue with the seizure and arrest comment. At this point I do not think there is anything but an allegation. I would absolutely stop offering information I would attempt to avoid the idiot neighbor but fly in accordance of the rules. That's it.


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People don't realize when you say get off my step and close the door that they (the police) need to charge you if they want to talk to you again. If they sit in their car thinking about what to charge you with, they'll have to do that on their own and they can look like an idiot to a judge also.

 

[Douglas Cornwell]

I totally feel your anxiety even though you did not commit any disturbing or criminal act; just happens someone out there feels like they have to ruin your day.

As a new professional drone operator in Germany I have had to deal with this amost once a week.

Yesterday I was mapping a golf course that I have flown over since last year when 2 vehicles came charging into the parking lot like a FBI raid. A hostile women jumps out of the car and heads straight to me making crazy accusations. Then her husband picks up where she left off stating that he will shoot my drone down if he ever sees it again. She declares that I was recording her and her kids, their dog, their property ........ etc.

The man tells me that I was performing a criminal act and that if he finds any pictures of his house on the Internet then he would take action against me. I was under contract by the golf course to take pictures and it just so happens that there house/farm sits directly on the outter edge of one of the fairways.

Only a few minutes later I showed them Google Earth and a wonderful close-up of their house that was already accessible on the Internet. Their tone quickly changed when they had all the facts.

My advice . . . fly safe, stay away from private homes and keep a record of when and where you fly.

Good luck!

D Cornwell

 

[MisterDavo]

After reading this thread (I'm a new Phantom owner) I can't help thinking that any noise my Phantom might make, even from my back yard at low altitude has to be WAAAY less loud than my neighbor mowing his lawn. A lawnmower (which might run for 20, 30 minutes is REALLY loud - so much I can't really enjoy being outside at all. But nobody calls the police because their neighbor is making a huge racket with their lawnmower. So if he can't be charged with nuisance/noise over a lawnmower then there seems no possible way I could be charged with 'drone' noise. Is the comparison fair?

Davo

 

[Traveler]

Having read all post, I can first and foremost conclude, we are all passionate about freedom to fly and privacy.

With regards to how to deal with a bad neighbor, this can be very difficult. A good neighbor wouldn't have called the police without some attempt of polite mediation. His first interaction with you was just to collect information in the form of your name and address so he could report you. That was really a no win situation for you. I know firsthand what that's like.

So what can you do. Simple, you can continue to fly and fight, or not fly there. You are the only one who may be confronted again by either the neighbor or the police. If you do decide to fly:

First, I would have no additional communication with the neighbor. It would likely just be counterproductive and may lead to a larger issue. If confronted, I would consider a response of, "Please stop harassing me, I have nothing to say to you".

Second, be polite with police. I'm sure that they would rather be fighting real crime, but respond they must. Ask them, what are you specifically accused of. If it's anything other than the act of flying a drone, i.e., laws on nuisance (an unlawful interference with the use and enjoyment of a persons land), you could have a real issue getting the responding police to side with you. Doesn't mean your wrong, people win in the courts all the time, but off to court you may go. I know, that just takes you right back to "you can continue to fly and flight or not fly there".

Third, I would be prepared to defend yourself. Politely but firmly, state the facts of the FAA regulations that permit you to operate. Chances are they don't know the regulations that cover drones, but you should. Within reason, print and have on hand the applicable sections. Printing is cheep, offer them a copy. Giving them this information may lead them to say to the next caller, "we have investigated this and the drone operator is operating within his rights".

Final thoughts are, If you read enough post on this forum, you will find as many members that say you can't do zzyzx as members that say you can. Do your own research. I would also note that many members expressed how they would dislike and even retaliate if a drone was hovering over their property. Strong statements from people who actually fly drones. Makes you think, if a drone pilot is so concerned about a drone over their personal property, are we really surprised when a none drone pilots is less than appreciative of it. For myself, I love to watch all aircraft, and if by chance I happen to see a drone in my neighborhood or over my home, I would enjoy the moment in it entirety!






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[LosDosMonitos]

Reading the entire thread really helped me, a new drone pilot, come to my own conclusions about how to handle and how to not handle certain situation. Good read for anyone else in my position!

 

[Lescenatt]

I haven't flown my P4 in weeks because it's too dang hot. I installed the last firmware update and took it out for 9 minutes until the battery was low. As I landed, a strange guy pulled up and looked curious and asked how far that goes. I said it can go around 3 miles on a good day and I started to approach him thinking he was friendly and was going to talk. He immediately revved away from me and got all sketch so I backed up. He took his phone out and started looking for my address obviously. I said my address is XYZ, I'm not doing anything illegal. He was recording me and said so are you recording people? You ar huh? And then took off. This was around 8:30pm.

I literally flew straight down my street block. I live on a hill/mountain so I have an excellent view and clear line of sight. I probably didn't get much more than 1/2 mile away. I live in a community that basically backs up to a wash and wide open desert but have to pass a few houses to get ther, so I really don't fly over any houses and when I rarely do its at about 350' and long enough to fly over.

At about 10:30pm I get a knock on the door which wakes my 2 and 4 year old kids up. It was the police. Dude called 911 and reported me. The cop was pretty cool and said he had to just take my information down and give me a warning. He said it would be best not to fly around there again because if they got called back, they would have to wrte me up for disorderly conduct and it would be up to the prosecutor if they wanted to pursue it. I told him that it's just a case of his word against mine, what if the guy just starts calling. Also, how is he or even you going to be abl to identify a small object 300+ feet in the sky moving 20+ mph as mine?

The guy claimed I was hovering over his house for 5 minutes taking pictures and video at 50' above his house. Mind you, my entire flight was not even 10 minutes, I did zero hovering, I never hover over houses, and I wasn't even cording that flight.

I can't believe I was told if they get called again I am getting a ticket.

I hope is not too late...
You have only to download and check your plan flight at the site my healthydrones.com.
Once check , date, time, maps where you have flyght, drone no se towards ( when you take a photo)
If you are ok, but only if you are ok ( away from her property and roof) you will can kill her by the" law ".... they cry for all rest of live, but if you not respect altitude and area designer by faa... you will have only to Pray and take a new neighbor friends

 

[avi 8]

Don't talk to cops, by a law proff

 

[jbwill]

CAN YOU SPY WITH A DRONE? not without everyone knowing it. Since it's 20 minutes long, I copied pertinent clips helped me shut down those complaining.