Run in with the Police..

[Suwaneeguy]

As for the cops, I think I would kindly say to them that they better check with the FAA and find out if they have authority to enforce the laws or not.
AFAIK, local police do not yet have that authority.
But ask if there is a local law preventing such usage.
As some cities do have laws about launching and landing within city parks.

 

[Air5]

Hello everyone,

I wanted to share a quick story with everyone so that they can be prepared if they have a run in with law enforcement.

I was flying from a park near downtown Tampa which is also near the arena which had a small event going on, no I was not flying right on top of the crowd. However, due to the political content of the event there was a larger than normal police presence for this day/time. A cop spotted me and ran over to me at the time I was landing the phantom. He was being a bit of a tough guy asking me what I was doing, I simply told him I was a hobbyist and asked if I had done anything wrong. He said I shouldn't be flying over the arena as a crowd was nearby (never said one way or the other if I had done something wrong). Then two other officers showed up as backup and one asked to see my ID. Although I am aware I was not obligated to provide it as they never told me what crime I was suspected of, I provided it because I really am a hobbyist not doing anything wrong and didn't feel the need to make this a crappy situation when they were just doing their jobs. One officer started snooping around my phantom bag and I told him he could have a look, at which time he started taking multiple photos of all my equipment with his cell phone. One of the officers then asked me (three times total thought the ordeal) if I was selling the picture/video I was taking. I told them no of course and reminded them I was just a hobbyist. They finally calmed down as I answered all their questions.

At this point I thought the ordeal was over when one of the officers remarks to me "Well, are you going to fly it some more?" I responded, "Is this a trick or something?" They said no as long as I fly in the other direction. So I took off again and they were so amazed asking tons of questions about the app, controls, range, battery life, where I got it, etc, etc. The whole ordeal went from a cop charging at me acting like a tough guy to the 3 of them thanking me at the end!

Bottom line is:
Follow the guidelines (no night flying, 5 miles from an airport, under 400 feet etc.) and apparently do not sell your footage as perhaps you need some type of license to do so?

Cops are curious. It is new to them to and they want to be educated on them.

Here is the link so you can see what type of flying I was doing to attract their attention and you can be the judge.

Thank you,

Jonathan

Great handling of the situation.

I live in Tampa as well Typically Tampa LE are usually pretty cool when it comes to stuff like this. After having the RNC coming to town they are more tolerant of photographers/media and now "drones". However I do know that there will be a time where cops might try and give us hobbysits a problem. You are a model of how things should be handled. I think they were expecting you to be one of those guys who post Youtube videos of how they resist cops requests to show ID.

The only thing I feel weird about is them photographing your equipment. That was a bit over reaching in my opinion. But it seemed to have ended well for you. I am new to the Phantoms and have the Phantom 3 on pre order so this post is helpful in gauging how Tampa LE handles UAS. Thanks!

 

[herein2014]

Ironically based on Google maps you were within 3 miles of Peter O'Knight airport and less than a mile from Tampa General Hospital's heliport so technically unless you filed a UAS flight notification report with the control towers of both airports you were violating the FAA's latest guidance who by the way asked local law enforcement to "assist" them in apprehending violators.

Whenever I fly within 5 miles of any airport I file a UAS flight notification 3 days before my flight and answer any questions they may have. I also check Google Maps and use their "measure distance" tool prior to flying in any new area to determine which airports I need to file the paperwork with.

I have had plenty of curious bystanders question my presence as well as a few cops. I keep my UAS flight notification paperwork in a binder at the top of my Phantom case, and I keep a copy of the FAA's latest guidance in the same binder. I also keep a couple of my lawyer's business cards in my wallet and in my Phantom case.......so far no one has chosen to continue the line of questioning much past that.

 

[dirkclod]

The only thing I feel weird about is them photographing your equipment

Is called CYA in LE bro

 

[steveeds]

Cops are people first and cops while at work. They are trained to assure that they have any situation 100% in control and not allow any unknowns to surprise them. Even though they probably didn't have any idea what they were looking for, they were trying to make a threat assessment of you and your equipment at first. Don't forget, no one thought of two brothers on foot with backpacks at the Boston marathon was a problem until too late.

Most, not all, will calm down as soon as you 1) recognize their authority by answering their questions and doing what they say 2)don't exhibit any evasiveness or other guilty behavior(they have been trained in this) 3) act normal.

It seems from your story that they just became "guys" as soon as they relaxed and were the typical "wish I had one of those" bystanders. Most of them are in a tough situation and seldom have specific knowledge of "drones" etc. Drone is the same word they use for those government things that kill people.

I think that you handled this perfectly.

Quite right, Through only observation I feel the U.S police have a pitbul action style system in-place. You are best to bow down and answer all their questions and show you are under their control, you should survive the encounter (other factors not said out loud here)

We walk on thin lines with our Phantoms in all countries but I'm forever happy I'm not in the States and getting looked at by your Police, a very scary pack when angered.
I'm glad you passed the test, seems most UT videos few do.

 

[djphantom2015]

You missed your chance in guan#ta+na@mo, could have made some nice videos there

 

[locoworks]

The FAA measures distances from airports from the geographic center of the property.

I was wondering when it says you have to be X amount of distance from people, is that measured at ground level and effectively putting the person in an imaginary cylinder with radius X of no fly zone with them in the centre, or is it pure distance except for directly above the person a half sphere with X radius with them in the middle and just a cylinder of no fly zone around 1 metre diameter directly above the person??

also is it like full size practice where min height limits and distances are ignored on landing approach and take offs?? we've all seen the pictures of commercial aircraft overflying a beach somewhere on approach with the public looking like they could touch the UC ( can't remember which airport or where though? )

 

[SteveMann]

You are thinking of the Sint Maarten International Airport on the Caribbean island of Saint Martin.

There is supposed to be a 150 Meter safety zone, but because it's a tourist attraction it's not enforced.

You don't list your location in your preferences. In the US there are no "X amount of distance from people" in any FAA rules. Even the proposed Part 107 rules simply say "no flight over people not directly involved in the flight". In my comment to the NPRM I argued that "directly" should be removed. If you are shooting a movie scene from a Phantom with a cast of hundreds (OK, dozens plus a lot of CGI), the extras know where the camera is and are apparently OK with it over them, so that makes them involved in the flight, but not directly as in an operator and observer.

 

[locoworks]

yes, that's the airport. I'm in the UK where the CAA and the BMFA ( for modellers ) set the rules and we have to be X amount away from people not involved with the flying and structures. your rules will be different but I thought that perhaps a distance standard for measuring applied to both sides of the pond.


hypothetically ( as I couldn't happen ) if your drone was 5.1 miles directly above an airport, are you in a no fly zone based on the 5 mile distance limit ??? or is distance just a lateral/horizontal measurement for the rules. so just X and Y axis, no Z??

 

[steveeds]

hypothetically the star trek transporter is not possible, in reality it will never be possible, I would say an Airport controlled airspace that covers X and Y leaving Z at the edge of space (to all intense and purpose) just a guess I could be wrong and will find out soon.

Sorry to interrupt

 

[locoworks]

hypothetically the star trek transporter is not possible, in reality it will never be possible, I would say an Airport controlled airspace that covers X and Y leaving Z at the edge of space (to all intense and purpose) just a guess I could be wrong and will find out soon.

Sorry to interrupt

it was hypothetical for a reason. in the UK it is 30metres away for some things, 50 for others and 150 for others. I'm just wondering if you are 151 metres AGL in the Z axis but only 1 metre in the X or Y axis are you actually 151 metres away or 1 metre??

 

[Hughie]

In the UK the 150m is X&Y only, the, 50m/30m is X&Y&Z.

 

[locoworks]

In the UK the 150m is X&Y only, the, 50m/30m is X&Y&Z.

thanks for that, nice to see consistency in things.

 

[Hughie]

thanks for that, nice to see consistency in things.

The nuance is that the references to 150m in Article 167 state "over or within", but references to 50m/30m only state "within". Which to me, suggests that it is OK to overfly the 50m/30m objects as long as you are > 50m above.

http://www.caa.co.uk/default.aspx?catid=1995&pageid=16012