Hello & questions!

[wincrasher]

Hello!

I've had my Phantom 2 Vision for only a couple days and am getting very comfortable with it. So far no problems!
For someone with limited building skills and poor depth perception, this craft has really opened up the world of RC aircraft that I've never been able to enjoy.

I don't really see the thrill in going high, but I get the desire to go far. The furthest I've dared to go is 850 feet, so far. Pictures are great at around 150 to 200 feet. Much higher and it's just big landscapes, which is OK i guess, but not my interest.

Now the questions!

Have you had neighbors complain? Mine have been either quiet or just curious. I had one ask if I was going to report their zoning violations.

Do you carry liability insurance for your craft? I know RC clubs carry some, but can individuals get it? Is it a good idea?

I want to put some videos on Youtube, but want to add music. Want to do it in the right way and don't mind paying, just clueless as how to do it. I see some folks with videos and copyrighted music - they usually have some accreditation and a link to buy it. Can someone point me where to go to understand how to do this? I already have a youtube account and have a soundless test video posted.

 

[Shrimpfarmer]

Welcome

I can answer the music question. I will assume you are not doing the videos for any financial consideration. If your are all bets are off.

I have published quite a number of videos on youtube and most of them make use of copyright music. Youtube now has arrangements with most music owners where you tubes software automatically identifies if the music is copyright or not. They then observe rules agreed in advance with the music owners. They might disable the audio (worst case scenario), place adverts over the start of your video but allow you to use it for free (a win win scenario) or some even allow you to use the music without doing anything.

If its going to be a complex edited video cut to a particular music track then I would advise you to upload a test video, i.e. a still with the music track. You will quickly be notified which scenario is going to apply to you. If they don't mute the audio after a while they you can assume the track is safe to use.

Youtube always send you an email pointing out that the music matches copyright. Its the decent thing to do to click on the link and acknowledge the copyright. I have followed this route many many times without any problems.

Of course there are no guarantees, you could produce a video, upload it and a few days later the owner could pull the audio. One tip. If the video is awful then its likely to get muted.

Good luck.

 

[wincrasher]

Thanks for the info!

I was concerned that just posting it and waiting to see what happens would get me violations. Wasn't sure if there was a marketplace or a list of authorized music I could use and stay in the clear.

Most likely my videos will be fairly short and contain a single song. More than one might get problematic.

I'll follow your approach and see how it goes.

 

[gazchap]

For music, I always use tracks from www.incompetech.com

 

[750r]

My neighbors called the police a few weeks ago seeing a "UFO" above my house . When I'm home fling I stay in my yard I won't fly over anyone's property I landed and started cleaning my gutters out seen the police pull up to my neighbors house and them pointing above my house I yelled down what's going on the cops asked if I seen anything flying around my house I laughed and said come over showed them the phantom and did a little flight for them they where both in tears laughing and one now has a phantom seen him couple days ago said he loves it .
I got a good laugh out of the whole ordeal and now the whole block knows I have one word travels fast with old people lol

 

[Peter Patricelli]

My experience leads me to predict that 45/50 people will be curious and/or tolerant of a PH flying over their house or property, but most already know (and those that don't...soon will) that these things carry cameras that record video....and suddenly their house/property/zoning violations/private MJ patch/PRIVACY is being violated!!! I predict less tolerance as these things become more common and the "cute" factor wears off. One state has already made photographing/video'ing private property illegal without permission (Texas) and MOST STATES had legislation introduced and discussed this year as to legal limits on this sort of thing. Somewhere, someone is going to treat a Phantom as so much quaint circuitry in a CLAY PIGEON!

Also....I would personally urge everyone to approach flying over city and suburban neighborhoods as not necessarily any more retrievable/savable than flying over WATER!! If your bird comes down in someone's yard...do you labor under the misconception that the landowner has ANY legal obligation to give it back (assuming you know where it went down)....OR that you have any right to cross onto their property to retrieve it?? Most will...but you have NO RIGHTS or recourse. And, with this sort of thing becoming more common, and the privacy discussion becoming more heated, I predict that fewer and fewer people will maintain their sense of humor.

I personally consider this sort of flying as HIGH RISK flying...and never do it. And, because of the potential for a crash/fly-away to cause publicized negative issues...if not damage or safety issues....would urge everyone NOT to do it until you have many months of flying time, skill, and experience with the CURRENT set up of equipment. The most irresponsible flying, IMO, is strapping something new onto your bird and rushing out to your driveway, in a typical dense housing neighborhood, to instantly "try it out". The current "cute" factor will not last forever, and less long the more it is pushed and abused. Just my $.02

 

[OI Photography]

My experience leads me to predict that 45/50 people will be curious and/or tolerant of a PH flying over their house or property, but most already know (and those that don't...soon will) that these things carry cameras that record video....and suddenly their house/property/zoning violations/private MJ patch/PRIVACY is being violated!!! I predict less tolerance as these things become more common and the "cute" factor wears off. One state has already made photographing/video'ing private property illegal without permission (Texas) and MOST STATES had legislation introduced and discussed this year as to legal limits on this sort of thing. Somewhere, someone is going to treat a Phantom as so much quaint circuitry in a CLAY PIGEON!

Also....I would personally urge everyone to approach flying over city and suburban neighborhoods as not necessarily any more retrievable/savable than flying over WATER!! If your bird comes down in someone's yard...do you labor under the misconception that the landowner has ANY legal obligation to give it back (assuming you know where it went down)....OR that you have any right to cross onto their property to retrieve it?? Most will...but you have NO RIGHTS or recourse. And, with this sort of thing becoming more common, and the privacy discussion becoming more heated, I predict that fewer and fewer people will maintain their sense of humor.

I personally consider this sort of flying as HIGH RISK flying...and never do it. And, because of the potential for a crash/fly-away to cause publicized negative issues...if not damage or safety issues....would urge everyone NOT to do it until you have many months of flying time, skill, and experience with the CURRENT set up of equipment. The most irresponsible flying, IMO, is strapping something new onto your bird and rushing out to your driveway, in a typical dense housing neighborhood, to instantly "try it out". The current "cute" factor will not last forever, and less long the more it is pushed and abused. Just my $.02

Agreed, and well put. Every day now I wonder if today is going to be "that day"...when public opinion shifts. As soon as Glenn Beck or someone similar decides they have an issue with our favorite toy, we'll have a lot more hassles than just the FAA to deal with.

 

[wincrasher]

Well I'm not worried about flying over my neighborhood. I know everybody, and we're all friends. We all have over 1 acre lots and part of the neighborhood fronts a large lake.

It would be a sad day if any one of them would not let me recover my craft if it landed in their yard. What kind of uncivilized places do you folks live? Of course you'd knock on the door first before you went to get it back!

But I suppose the party would be over if a crash damaged something or if I pointed out a bunch of HOA violations I've discovered at the next meeting.

Not much risk of hurting anyone, as very few people are found outside these days. But a dented car is probably not out of the realm of possibilities I suppose - that's why I was asking about insurance. Maybe homeowner's covers this kind of thing - I may ask my agent.

Just as another topic of conversation - you really have no expectation of privacy outside of the 4 walls of your house. Googlemaps pretty much has covered that ground. Peeping inside is already covered by existing laws and is really a disgusting abuse of these devices if anyone is doing such a deplorable thing. I think people are mostly concerned with Government drones and those of the local police forces, not us hobbyists. We'll probably get swept up in it though, regardless of how well behaved we generally are.

I do know that the industry I work in is stirred up over environmentalists photographing their sites without actually trespassing - of course photographing and turning them in to the EPA. Don't know if that is behind the Texas law, or the concerns of citizens.

 

[750r]

It is funny how you join a forum and some just assume your some 20 year old with no common sense or your new to the hobby and have no clue . Some people just like to preach . For the record I have around 15 years or so with RC aircrafts and yes bad things happen and do happen to the most experienced people . You take a chance everyday just getting in your car and going to the store things can go wrong in a split second . You can not go through life looking at the glass as half empty .
I agree you should not fly in town or cities (like the moron bouncing his phantom off buildings) Put it this way I can go shoot my guns in my back yard if that gives a little better pitcher of my neighborhood . I didn't just run out and put my battery in my cute little toy and fly :lol:
I am sure in time we will get reports of bad things going wrong and the news will run wild with it to get people in a huge fuss because thats what they do they juice all there stores up to get ratings and take things to far . In time we will all pay the price for some fool doing wrong with his toy or just being carless .
Being this was the first IOS that I got I spent a month out the farm just learning how she fly's this is by far one of the safest aircrafts I own any of my other birds will hurt or even take chunks out of your flesh .
Not saying you where pointing your finger at my post with your 2cents but I have been seeing a lot of you people with few hundred post talking down to us with fewer post just trying to get some simple feedback . We are all here to help one another .
Happy Flying !