Might need a better screen....missed what could have been a disaster.

Joined
Feb 26, 2015
Messages
484
Reaction score
158
Age
64
Location
Lompoc, CA.
While flying around the neighborhood on the evening of July 4th 2016, I happened upon many fireworks displays.
Hovering at this one, to get some good video, all I could see in the Android screen was the fireworks and people milling about. It wasn't until the next morning, after reviewing the video, that I noticed several of the people were trying to take out my drone. Luckily, they were not successful.

Time to break out my VR goggles again....

To view this content we will need your consent to set third party cookies.
For more detailed information, see our cookies page.
 
It's the type of tablet its the size , if you're using a phone, it'll be too small to pick everything up.
that said, I don't understand the obsession with people throwing things, it seems every single video where there are people around they feel to meet a challenge and throw things at the drone. At the park the other day behind my parents house I was doing the same thing, and a bunch of kids were throwing rocks at my drone, I was able to see it thanks to a large enough screen, but I ran over there and had a nice talk with the parents.I asked if their kids throw rocks at cars, they just allowed their kids to keep throwing rocks, I explained the "toy" costs about 1k dollars and I'd easily ask them to pay for it if it got damaged. If someone did break it, I'd immediately call the police, same result as if they threw rocks at parked cars.
 
  • Like
Reactions: phantomi
It's the type of tablet its the size , if you're using a phone, it'll be too small to pick everything up.
that said, I don't understand the obsession with people throwing things, it seems every single video where there are people around they feel to meet a challenge and throw things at the drone. At the park the other day behind my parents house I was doing the same thing, and a bunch of kids were throwing rocks at my drone, I was able to see it thanks to a large enough screen, but I ran over there and had a nice talk with the parents.I asked if their kids throw rocks at cars, they just allowed their kids to keep throwing rocks, I explained the "toy" costs about 1k dollars and I'd easily ask them to pay for it if it got damaged. If someone did break it, I'd immediately call the police, same result as if they threw rocks at parked cars.
You're right and the law clearly state that shooting a bullet or stones to a quad and taking it down is illegal and punishable.
 
  • Like
Reactions: whoreable
Time to lay down some suppression fire, perhaps carpet bombing or a few strafing runs. Wishful thinking anyway.
 
  • Like
Reactions: WetDog
Hope they enjoy loss of freedoms and repair costs when they damage an object over 500$ which is punishable by jail
 
It's the type of tablet its the size , if you're using a phone, it'll be too small to pick everything up.
that said, I don't understand the obsession with people throwing things, it seems every single video where there are people around they feel to meet a challenge and throw things at the drone. At the park the other day behind my parents house I was doing the same thing, and a bunch of kids were throwing rocks at my drone, I was able to see it thanks to a large enough screen, but I ran over there and had a nice talk with the parents.I asked if their kids throw rocks at cars, they just allowed their kids to keep throwing rocks, I explained the "toy" costs about 1k dollars and I'd easily ask them to pay for it if it got damaged. If someone did break it, I'd immediately call the police, same result as if they threw rocks at parked cars.

And what did the parents have to say? Did they even care?
 
And what did the parents have to say? Did they even care?
They both were acting like its no big deal, didn't even say sorry. I told them how lucky they were they didn't hit it because 1000.00 dollar is expensive to break
 
They both were acting like its no big deal, didn't even say sorry. I told them how lucky they were they didn't hit it because 1000.00 dollar is expensive to break

Yep,I'm not surprised.
Were those rocks? I thought from the video it was some kind of ball,I thought it was a football.And the dude throwing it didnt look like a kid,he looked older,but you know them,he looked older from what i could tell in video
 
Thats a bizarre conclusion you draw, that you need a better screen ? The obvious lesson here is that people dont like being flown over (I dont like it one bit either) and you should refrain from doing so as much as possible. To quote AMA safety code: "All pilots shall avoid flying directly over unprotected people".
 
Another incident, with parents looking on....no direct over flying either.

To view this content we will need your consent to set third party cookies.
For more detailed information, see our cookies page.
 
Another incident, with parents looking on....no direct over flying either.

To view this content we will need your consent to set third party cookies.
For more detailed information, see our cookies page.
I don't condone trying to take a drone out like that but it doesn't matter if you were flying directly over that group. It was obvious you were focused on them. It wasn't a fly by, it was hovering. I certainly would have approached you about it. Fly with common sense and you'll likely avoid people throwing rocks at your drone to stop you from voyeuring them. Pretty simple.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Chasbro
While flying around the neighborhood on the evening of July 4th 2016, I happened upon many fireworks displays.
Hovering at this one, to get some good video, all I could see in the Android screen was the fireworks and people milling about. It wasn't until the next morning, after reviewing the video, that I noticed several of the people were trying to take out my drone. Luckily, they were not successful.

Time to break out my VR goggles again....

To view this content we will need your consent to set third party cookies.
For more detailed information, see our cookies page.
Time to consider it's not wise to fly near that activity. And for what, fountains and ground spinners? Groups like that are generally not behaving in the most responsible manner. Give them a reason and see what happens. Don't give them a reason. That's your best approach.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Vertigo
I don't condone trying to take a drone out like that but it doesn't matter if you were flying directly over that group. It was obvious you were focused on them. It wasn't a fly by, it was hovering. I certainly would have approached you about it. Fly with common sense and you'll likely avoid people throwing rocks at your drone to stop you from voyeuring them. Pretty simple.


and I would have told you, I'm doing nothing wrong and GET OVER IT.
what is with people like this. Go to a beach dude and look at all the people walking around with a video camera, just filming all sorts of things, unless its little kids, you would look like a fool.
in that guys video he was hovering for seconds, not minutes. The issue is not the drone/camera, its people thinking they have a right to destroy others property, I don't like a lot of things, but I can't walk up to the guy who smells next to me in line and tell him about it. I'd look like a fool.
 
  • Like
Reactions: jhayman
and I would have told you, I'm doing nothing wrong and GET OVER IT.
what is with people like this. Go to a beach dude and look at all the people walking around with a video camera, just filming all sorts of things, unless its little kids, you would look like a fool.
in that guys video he was hovering for seconds, not minutes. The issue is not the drone/camera, its people thinking they have a right to destroy others property, I don't like a lot of things, but I can't walk up to the guy who smells next to me in line and tell him about it. I'd look like a fool.
Depending on the area and the beach, the flight might not have been allowed at all. In my area beach flying is banned during the summer. I wouldn't do even if there was no restrictions for the simple fact that people aren't comfortable with it and I prefer not to instigate confrontation while I'm flying my expensive bird if I can help it, right or wrong. Common sense tells me that as much as I have point about public filming, it's not worth forcing the issue during flight. There's way too many other things to film besides filming a group of people I don't know. And call it just seconds but it was long enough and low enough of a hover to be weird, unless it's your crowd. If the kid didn't throw a rock, how much longer would he have hovered there?

As a drone flier I have three perspectives, personally. I would reprimand my kid if they did that because it's illegal to do so and dangerous as well. I would also be more sympathetic because fellow drone fliers understand that from our perspective it's just filming stuff for fun- it's nothing personal. But I'd also be weirded out having someone buzz my group and hover. I'd also be nervous because I know a lot of people do not know how to control their drone hardly at all. If the hover continued I would have at least seeked out the pilot to see what's up.

Common sense and forethought can usually help avoid a potential disaster.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Vertigo
Btw, if either this pilot or fastfed is interested in getting a 107, or even just being enlightened, read the remote pilot study manual chapter 10 section on desicion making and judgement- the five hazardous attitudes. Between the two of you, four hazards can be identified. This will likely be on the test, so you best know them. ;)
 
Depending on the area and the beach, the flight might not have been allowed at all. In my area beach flying is banned during the summer. I wouldn't do even if there was no restrictions for the simple fact that people aren't comfortable with it and I prefer not to instigate confrontation while I'm flying my expensive bird if I can help it, right or wrong. Common sense tells me that as much as I have point about public filming, it's not worth forcing the issue during flight. There's way too many other things to film besides filming a group of people I don't know. And call it just seconds but it was long enough and low enough of a hover to be weird, unless it's your crowd. If the kid didn't throw a rock, how much longer would he have hovered there?

As a drone flier I have three perspectives, personally. I would reprimand my kid if they did that because it's illegal to do so and dangerous as well. I would also be more sympathetic because fellow drone fliers understand that from our perspective it's just filming stuff for fun- it's nothing personal. But I'd also be weirded out having someone buzz my group and hover. I'd also be nervous because I know a lot of people do not know how to control their drone hardly at all. If the hover continued I would have at least seeked out the pilot to see what's up.

Common sense and forethought can usually help avoid a potential disaster.

I have flown all over, over many people (meaning at groups/events and what not) and no one ever got upset , most of them dont even know what it is and many just come up and ask questions.
If you're saying where you live you cannot fly a drone at the beach, well then I guess you can't and we should all follow the rules, those kids in the video were throwing rocks at the drone not because they don't want to be on camera, shoot, I'd bet they don't even know it has one. The kids parents I talked to didn't.
When kids do this they do it because they think its fun, its a challenge and when adults do it, its because they are acting like kids :)
 
Last edited:

Members online

No members online now.

Forum statistics

Threads
143,066
Messages
1,467,359
Members
104,936
Latest member
hirehackers