I've been trying to shoot you down!

[greavsieb]

Hi all.

I'm fairly new to the drone thing. I realise that you need to be careful where you fly a drone, so I've tried to carefully plan before I have a practice. Today, I found an open field which looked like the perfect spot to fly the drone, in the middle of green belt. There is the occasional house around, and the motorway is a good mile or so in the distance. Half way through the flight I was approached by a man who was filming me with his mobile. I thought that he was admiring my figure of 8's! But, it turned out he wasn't happy as he said I was flying over his house and filming him. 1. The gopro camera wasn't attached, so I know I was fine on that one. He then said that he's been trying to shoot me down! Anyway, it turns out he's a bad shot as there's no damage to the drone, but I thought that because I was definitely over 50m high it would be okay!? He claimed that I needed to be over 150m away. Again, that's not true! Can someone clarify if it's okay to fly over a house as long as it's 50m in height? Thank you. Ben

 

[robsquad]

easy answer is fly 150m + away from anyone and dont go anywhere near houses,people or buildings.
be discreet or problems will walk your way

 

[jryser]

Steve Mann has some excellent insight to this. But he does not own airspace beyond the useful working space above or around the home. Tell him you will call the police and do so - for shooting in the air. The neighbor is violating a whole lot more by firing weapons into the air and risking the public with errant bullets.


Sent from my PT beating heart

 

[N017RW]

You cannot get legal advice here.... esp. from some anonymous poster!!!

What good is being right if your harmed by someone?

Never get into a pi$$ing contest with a man who claims/admits to shooting at your quad.

Not even a document that [you say] gives you the 'right' to fly at or above any specific height over his property will be convincing to this type of person.

Do you know who's property you we're on/over?

 

[greavsieb]

Steve Mann has some excellent insight to this. But he does not own airspace beyond the useful working space above or around the home. Tell him you will call the police and do so - for shooting in the air. The neighbor is violating a whole lot more by firing weapons into the air and risking the public with errant bullets.


Sent from my PT beating heart

Thanks. I'm presuming that his 'shooting talk' was just used as a threat, as I never heard any gunshots. He was the typical bloke who claims to know it all, with his '40 years experience as a helicopter pilot'. I realise that it would be easier to not fly over someone's house, but it would be interesting to know for sure exactly what the legal stance is.

 

[greavsieb]

Never get into a pi$$ing contest with a man who claims/admits to shooting at your quad. Not even a document that you say gives you the 'right' to fly at any specific height over his property will be convincing to this type of person.

Do you know who's property you we're on/over?

Hi, I was not on his land. It was in a farmers field. So, if the farmer had shot it down perhaps this would be a different story! The drone did fly over his house, so I can understand why he wasn't pleased. Thanks for your advice anyway, and I think it's probably safer to keep well away from his house! Ironically I looked to purchase the only other house next to his... I'm pleased I didn't buy it!! Every cloud...

 

[Josh S]

easy answer is fly 150m + away from anyone and dont go anywhere near houses,people or buildings.
be discreet or problems will walk your way

The only exception to robsquads post is if there's naked ladies. Then all rules go and you get in and get that shot.

 

[750r]

Welcome to the forum .
Most people's paranoia is about being spied on you had no cam on the bird so what did he say about that ?
Call the cops would have been the best bet people are very misled on "drones" everything they see in the sky now is watching them . Best thing to do is have a body cam on call the cops let them take care of the moron . I would love to see how that goes down especially since you have no camera on it .
You just can not fix stupid
Be safe have fun

 

[greavsieb]

Welcome to the forum .
Most people's paranoia is about being spied on you had no cam on the bird so what did he say about that ?
Call the cops would have been the best bet people are very misled on "drones" everything they see in the sky now is watching them . Best thing to do is have a body cam on call the cops let them take care of the moron . I would love to see how that goes down especially since you have no camera on it .
You just can not fix stupid
Be safe have fun

Thanks. I'll let you know how that goes next time around!

 

[GoodnNuff]

Steve Mann has some excellent insight to this. But he does not own airspace beyond the useful working space above or around the home. Tell him you will call the police and do so - for shooting in the air. The neighbor is violating a whole lot more by firing weapons into the air and risking the public with errant bullets.


Sent from my PT beating heart

I'd be careful taking advice from any of the armchair lawyers here. The gentlemen you mention in your post above could have landed some people in jail with his recent advice. He argued that all beaches in the United States are public property in response to a drone pilot who had been kicked off a "private" beach with threats of arrest for trespassing. Mr. Mann declared that all beaches and wetlands are open to the public and you cannot be asked to leave or be arrested - there is no trespassing he declared. He even had citations supporting his "knowledge." When other's pointed out that he was wrong, he became more heated, and claimed that this had gone to the "Supreme Court where this was decided!" His links were to the Florida Supreme Court who had decided that all beaches in Florida are public, as they are in Hawaii, and perhaps a couple of other maritime states. However in the majority of states, private property is just that - private, whether it is beach front or not. So had I followed this fellow forum member's advice here on the West Coast, I would have made a fool of myself and perhaps been prosecuted for trespassing.
Seek legal advise from those who are qualified to give it.

 

[Deleted member 29014]

Steve Mann has some excellent insight to this. But he does not own airspace beyond the useful working space above or around the home. Tell him you will call the police and do so - for shooting in the air. The neighbor is violating a whole lot more by firing weapons into the air and risking the public with errant bullets.


Sent from my PT beating heart

AMEN!

 

[Deleted member 29014]

I'd be careful taking advice from any of the armchair lawyers here. The gentlemen you mention in your post above could have landed some people in jail with his recent advice. He argued that all beaches in the United States are public property in response to a drone pilot who had been kicked off a "private" beach with threats of arrest for trespassing. Mr. Mann declared that all beaches and wetlands are open to the public and you cannot be asked to leave or be arrested - there is no trespassing he declared. He even had citations supporting his "knowledge." When other's pointed out that he was wrong, he became more heated, and claimed that this had gone to the "Supreme Court where this was decided!" His links were to the Florida Supreme Court who had decided that all beaches in Florida are public, as they are in Hawaii, and perhaps a couple of other maritime states. However in the majority of states, private property is just that - private, whether it is beach front or not. So had I followed this fellow forum member's advice here on the West Coast, I would have made a fool of myself and perhaps been prosecuted for trespassing.
Seek legal advise from those who are qualified to give it.

There is a huge difference between flying "over" private land and "launching" from private land. I can fly over private land all day and then some and have not violated any law. But if I step on the private land to launch or recover then I'm trespassing... not terribly complicated.

 

[GoodnNuff]

There is a huge difference between flying "over" private land and "launching" from private land. I can fly over private land all day and then some and have not violated any law. But if I step on the private land to launch or recover then I'm trespassing... not terribly complicated.

The discussion I refer to had nothing to do with flying over private land. The drone pilot was standing on, launching from, and flying over a private beach resort. He was asked by security to leave. He got a bit mouthy (the interaction was on phone video) but left. In the video the security guard points out the boundaries of the resort property and tells the pilot he can stand beyond those lines to fly. A resonable request in my opinion.
That is the point where our resident expert told everyone that all beaches in the USA are public right of ways and that nobody can be kicked off a beach. Following that advice could be costly.

 

[Deleted member 29014]

The discussion I refer to had nothing to do with flying over private land. The drone pilot was standing on, launching from, and flying over a private beach resort. He was asked by security to leave. He got a bit mouthy (the interaction was on phone video) but left. In the video the security guard points out the boundaries of the resort property and tells the pilot he can stand beyond those lines to fly. A resonable request in my opinion.
That is the point where our resident expert told everyone that all beaches in the USA are public right of ways and that nobody can be kicked off a beach. Following that advice could be costly.

Agreed, don't get your panties in a bunch...

 

[GoodnNuff]

Agreed, don't get your panties in a bunch...

Panties weren't in a bunch.
Just tried to clarify the story for you.
Oh well.

 

[Holt]

Sounds like someone with too much time on their hands. If he claims to have been shooting at your drone, maybe he would shoot at you. I'll be carrying my pistol in its holster when I fly. I don't appreciate anyone threatening me or my property.

 

[Canadian]

It should be a goal of this forum to get some lawyers involved in droning. Then they could drone here and point out the legalities of this, that and the other…

 

[jryser]

I appreciate the warnings regarding armchair lawyers - of course my intent was more to use common sense in situations like that - although I think I would land, make sure any potential situation is defused, and follow up with police immediately. I'm not going to die over my P3P no matter how much I love it! [emoji38]. And yes, I legally protect myself with my second amendment rights but I won't risk jail for my P3P either! [emoji16]


Sent from my PT beating heart

 

[Milly]

I think its a bit of a worry that this relatively new global pastime has so many grey areas with different laws for different lands, in the USA you could be arguing when to and not to use your weapon, but in the UK you get locked up for having a weapon.
Common sense has to prevail and most folk like to protect their privacy regardless of what the law says.
Although I fly a PV2+ I would be ticked off if people launched on common ground adjacent to where I live and took aerial photos and posted them on social media with location, but it is happening more and more with some of the anti drone brigade feeling justified in voicing their displeasure at this.
If someone is ticked off with what your doing I think it would be a good idea to land and try and win over the objector before shooting him.

 

[Canadian]

I think it would be a good idea to land and try and win over the objector before shooting him.

That's what we, here, would call a reasonable way of dealing with problems.