People throwing stuff at your drone

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Hi Folks,

Over the weekend I was editing video and noticed a couple of guys trying to knock down my drone. I was surprised because I hadn't noticed when I was flying. I'm not sure how to prepare myself for something like this in the future.

Last summer I was asked to take some video of a post-fishing-tournament event ... a party out on a dock. I agreed. There was a lot of positive interest, the kids were thrilled and two different guys came up to me wanting to talk about costs and uses and such. A third guy came up to me and said he hates drones, they invade privacy and he wants to shoot them all down. I was flying at the time so I wasn't paying much attention. I asked him to hold the thought until I was done as we could talk about it. (I have similar feelings and try to stay away from houses and peoples' business unless invited to do otherwise.) When I was done, the guy was gone so I dismissed it.

I hadn't looked hard at the video until I was editing this past weekend. Then, I noticed this guy throwing stuff at my drone. As I looked more closely, in other scenes, he is with some buddies looking like he's trying to figure out how to knock it down without hitting a boat or worse a person.

He did not seem intoxicated but there were certainly a lot of drunk fishermen around. Drunk or not, I'll certainly be more wary of flying near people in the future. But, what do you do if someone threatens your drone? Send it up out of reach then land it somewhere else? How do you respond to people that aren't clear on laws, private property permissions, and are just plain ignorant? Has anyone else had to deal with this?

Thanks!
 
I have not had anyone throw anything but have had several ask if I was peeking in there windows, so I made up cards and now when anybody ask or makes statements about it I give them a card tell them to email me and I will send them the link to the video. Have had one person email me and got an email back saying he liked the video and said he had not thought about it being used for taking nature shots. I also make sure I am not flying around a lot of people!
 
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Obviously the dumbazz doesn't realize you could call the cops on him for damaging personal property if he hit your Quad, no different than throwing rocks at someone's car.

I don't look forward to the day someone confronts me, cause I don't react well to dumbazz people.
 
There will always be people who think everyone is out to get them. I was flying over one of my auction sites and some guy said he would rather I not do that and he would shoot one down if he ever saw one fly over his house. After showing him the still shots I took of the auction he was pretty impressed and seemed somewhat more understanding of why we are flying them. But there's never a shortage of idiots, so beware!


Sent from my iPhone using PhantomPilots mobile app
 
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Start throwing rocks at their car or truck?

Just kidding, but point is, it's the same thing. If I can get could so something I would probably politely but sternly tell them it's vandalism if they damage the drone as it's legal to fly and that they would be liable for any damages.
 
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I had a guy throw something at my quad once, never realized it until I downloaded the video for editing. What I realized from the experience is that he threw like a wuss. Had he hit it, I would have never known what happened because it would have take me hours/days to recover the drone in the area I was flying. This was a mountainous area and I think he hiked to the spot to get a view of a sunset that I was able to just fly to. Long story short, post production is sometimes interesting!
 
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Start throwing rocks at their car or truck?

Just kidding, but point is, it's the same thing. If I can get could so something I would probably politely but sternly tell them it's vandalism if they damage the drone as it's legal to fly and that they would be liable for any damages.
I am not that nice. If I see someone trying to damage my property, I will knock the [EXPLETIVE REMOVED] out of them.
 
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I have not had anyone throw anything but have had several ask if I was peeking in there windows, so I made up cards and now when anybody ask or makes statements about it I give them a card tell them to email me and I will send them the link to the video. Have had one person email me and got an email back saying he liked the video and said he had not thought about it being used for taking nature shots. I also make sure I am not flying around a lot of people!
Spectacular idea! I may do this myself. :)

PS - keep an eye out for jokers with green lasers too. They have the potential to destroy the camera sensor. Several people have reported green lasers pointed at their drones, day & night.
 
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I've heard of someone making a fake media pass and telling people they are filming stock nature scenes for a film or TV show just so they leave him alone. He said he never does anything illegal but people are more chill about the drone flying around. Makes sense I suppose.


Sent from my iPhone using PhantomPilots mobile app
 
Unfortunately, flying in public places such as parks or at gatherings/events is more of a hassle than it's worth. I prefer to fly over lakes or private areas where there aren't more than a couple people.

That said, proper flying etiquette is always a good idea. Don't fly low over people's homes and if in a public area avoid hovering over people or give then reason to believe you're filming them. That invites confrontations 90% of the time.

To be honest, the pilot of the drone in that video was asking for trouble. I'm not condoning what the fisherman did, but to blatantly film a bunch of people (especially as close as he was to them) is never a good idea in today's anti-drone climate.
 
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so that guy actually hit a prop with his line and it wrapped around the motor??? I'd really try to find out who that asshat was so I could have him charged with wreckless endangerment or something, you have evidence that he tried to take down an expensive piece of equipment performing a lawful action.

I'm also of the opinion that it makes no sense to fly over someone's home (or hover) or groups of people unless I'm at least 200+ feet up, it just asks for problems.
 
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Obviously the dumbazz doesn't realize you could call the cops on him for damaging personal property if he hit your Quad, no different than throwing rocks at someone's car.

If this happens to me, I'm gonna ask their name first of all, then when they do, I will say 'great, now I know who to charge with damage to personal property'
 
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As a former Police Officer, many states and municipalities classify this behavior as Felony Vandalism. This is the ORC for the State of Ohio.
2909.05 Vandalism
(B)(1) No person shall knowingly cause physical harm to property that is owned or possessed by another, when either of the following applies:
(a) The property is used by its owner or possessor in the owner's or possessor's profession, business, trade, or occupation, and the value of the property or the amount of physical harm involved is one thousand dollars or more;

(E) Whoever violates this section is guilty of vandalism. Except as otherwise provided in this division, vandalism is a felony of the fifth degree that is punishable by a fine of up to two thousand five hundred dollars in addition to the penalties specified for a felony of the fifth degree
E N J O Y !
 
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so that guy actually hit a prop with his line and it wrapped around the motor??? I'd really try to find out who that asshat was so I could have him charged with wreckless endangerment or something, you have evidence that he tried to take down an expensive piece of equipment performing a lawful action.

I'm also of the opinion that it makes no sense to fly over someone's home (or hover) or groups of people unless I'm at least 200+ feet up, it just asks for problems.

Well at least with 200 feet to play with you can try to warn bystanders it's coming down.
Other than that I see no real comfort in otherwise flying over groups of souls at any height.
 
I think that fisherman would be pulling a hook out of his lip if that was me. I guarantee, I'd land...and find him.
 

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