Re: Low Altitude FPV Flight Down Entire Las Vegas Strip at N
jwuman said:
fly high photo?
did LV PD make you stop flying? there is a case here in CT right now with a phantom pilot pursueing legal action on the PD for just that and some other harassment issues,,,,i do like the video,,,not sure i would try it based on the liability of an inadvertant run in with persons or property,,,but for sure the LVPD will pursue some sort of ordinance soon sine you are getting their attention, curious if you can elaborate on your interactions and the general position they had,,,and your responses,,
I definitely understand not wanting to do this yourself due to the risks involved. I too was quite nervous about it, and considered the risks before attempting, and ultimately decided the risks involved were worth the end result.
The police must have followed the drone down most of the strip, and finally caught up with me after I got out of the car to land the drone. The conversation as I recall went something like;
LVMPD: Hey! You can't be doing that here.
Me: Oh, I checked for local ordinances before flying tonight, I couldn't find any laws on the books for flying a remote control helicopter (I always say RC helicopter and not drone when talking to LEO), what law exactly am I breaking?
LVMPD: How about endangering the public?
Me: Well it is 4:00am, and I made a conscious effort to avoid flying over pedestrians or sidewalks, who exactly was I endangering? Myself? It was pretty stressful for me to fly this thing all the way down the strip, I agree I probably endangered myself.
LVMPD: Umm, Welll....Duh...Partner?
LVMPD 2: Well this is trespassing on private property.
Me: So your saying my helicopter in the air is trespassing?
LVMPD 2: No, I'm saying your trespassing on private property.
Me: That's fine. I'll just get back in my car then and sit across the street and fly my helicopter from there then, is this trespassing?
LVMPD 2: Well no...But all of these hotels that you filmed are intellectual property, they have copyright protection (I'm not even joking, the police officer really tried using this as a way to get me in trouble)
Me: Well if I was making movie or another commercial project to make money on, you might have a point, but I'm only doing this for a thrill, a hobby, not to make money.
That's about the extent that I can remember. I was probably a little more rude and argumentative then I posted here, but the adrenaline pumping through me after finishing the flight I'd been waiting for my entire trip, I was pretty pumped up to say the least, and I knew I did nothing wrong or illegal, so I acted that way, confident I had the moral high ground, basically inferring for him to go away.
I finally told them if they were going to arrest me, or ticket me please do it now, and I had much better things to go then sit here and debate laws with them. I was walking away when one of them said to me "We'd better not see you flying that again!" Yea, ok buddy, slow night in Vegas for you? You really are going to arrest someone flying a remote control helicopter who's endangering nobody? I didn't think so. That was the end of my conversation with them.
