Was flying my drone at a location in NJ along the Delaware River. Fly there all the time and have had police stop and ask what I was doing. Never been a problem. Yesterday a cop pulls up asks what I'm doing and I said flying my drone. He asked where. I said over the river. He said no way, get the "thing" in now. I immediately complied and brought the drone back and landed. I then had a conversation with him. I was flying in an area that gets planes coming overhead into PHL but the location is not a NFZ. So I calmly began to "educate" him as to how the drone works. I showed him right on the screen the DJI no fly zones, and I brought up airmap to show him where I was standing, and how the airport is a NFZ and I was no where near there. I also mentioned I never go over 400 feet, at the time I was about 130 and he didn't realize the jets were much higher then the drone. He said, ok you seem to know what your doing carry on flying. I thanked him and he left.
I think the takeaway from this is follow the police demands. He said bring it in I brought it in. If I copped an attitude or immediately started trying to educate him it might have ended differently. No matter how right you are if the police give a command, follow it then at the right moment inquire as to why they gave you the command. This cop had no idea how the drone worked or safety features etc, they usually only know the "bad stories" about them.
I think the takeaway from this is follow the police demands. He said bring it in I brought it in. If I copped an attitude or immediately started trying to educate him it might have ended differently. No matter how right you are if the police give a command, follow it then at the right moment inquire as to why they gave you the command. This cop had no idea how the drone worked or safety features etc, they usually only know the "bad stories" about them.