Stopping a Drone from from Voyeurism

[Joe Glenn]

Did anyone think it might just be a guy trying to get your attention hoping you would fly your drone then both fly together and be mates who go out to places flying around?

Now I have actually done that, fly my drone to another house BUT It's a friend of mine who also ownes a drone and I would hover or circle his house he would hear the drone come out look up and then get his in the air. But in this case I guess the guy does not know this person.

 

[sar104]

I'm somewhat disturbed by the apparently widespread obsession, on a UAV pilot forum, with wanting to shoot down other pilots' UAVs on the off-chance that they might be watching. Especially since everyone here is presumably fully aware of just how wide-angle these cameras are, and that the aircraft would have to be pretty close to be a significant privacy issue.

 

[N017RW]

I'm somewhat disturbed by the apparently widespread obsession, on a UAV pilot forum, with wanting to shoot down other pilots' UAVs on the off-chance that they might be watching. Especially since everyone here is presumably fully aware of just how wide-angle these cameras are, and that the aircraft would have to be pretty close to be a significant privacy issue.

Yea, I had a similar thought on page 3. While I am not disturbed I find it somewhat , but not literally, hypocritical.

 

[Fester]

So how hospitable would you be, if a phantom/etc. happens to be hovering say 6' from your wife/girlfriends window at say twilight, trying to get a peek thru, if say the curtain wasn't closed... If said situation applied to me, I'm reasonably sure that since I have low odds of finding the operator, capturing his means of peeping would be somewhat pleasing, although nowhere near the personal pleasure finding him personally would bring me.

 

[N017RW]

Such proximity crosses a line and seems to indicate a specific subject.
Now one could argue they are in your personal (air)space.

 

[Meta4]

So how hospitable would you be, if a phantom/etc. happens to be hovering say 6' from your wife/girlfriends window at say twilight, trying to get a peek thru, if say the curtain wasn't closed... If said situation applied to me, I'm reasonably sure that since I have low odds of finding the operator, capturing his means of peeping would be somewhat pleasing, although nowhere near the personal pleasure finding him personally would bring me.

That hypothetical situation isn't very realistic.
Try it with your own Phantom and see what you can see from six feet away from your own windows.
Anyone trying that is going to be very disappointed and give up quickly.
And that's not even factoring in the problems they would have flying so close to obstacles.

 

[N017RW]

M4 I agree with the premise of your argument. But it has happened and not all MRs are Phantoms.
I saw the post as a mental exercise.

 

[hit-n-run]

Shot it down.

Nice get it stuffed and hang it over fireplace.

 

[With The Birds]

Has the alleged offending AC returned? Would be interesting to learn if there is anything worth looking at. if the operator is invading the residents reasonable expectation of privacy in the area it's definately not cool.

 

[michaelshaw]

Be it operating a UAV out of plain view looking in on people, or hiding in the bushes with a gun aimed at taking down a spy, the whole anonymity factor to me seems to fuel the privacy concerns.

I was filming some of my kids' water activities from a hover point out over the lake they were on this past weekend. Like many, I enjoy the unique perspectives that aerial photography allows. I was later told by an older kid that was there that a supervisor of the activities said that what I was doing was illegal because I didn't have all of the kids permission to be photographed. I guess it is something about a flying camera that is perceived differently than half a dozen parents holding up iPhones, camcorders, or DSLRs.

I wonder if the young 20-something had any idea about the 20-year felony for taking down an aircraft when he was spraying water towards my P4P with the water hose meant for the kids activity area .

 

[MrGreenjeep97]

Show him your......bbies???

 

[N017RW]

Be it operating a UAV out of plain view looking in on people, or hiding in the bushes with a gun aimed at taking down a spy, the whole anonymity factor to me seems to fuel the privacy concerns.

I was filming some of my kids' water activities from a hover point out over the lake they were on this past weekend. Like many, I enjoy the unique perspectives that aerial photography allows. I was later told by an older kid that was there that a supervisor of the activities said that what I was doing was illegal because I didn't have all of the kids permission to be photographed. I guess it is something about a flying camera that is perceived differently than half a dozen parents holding up iPhones, camcorders, or DSLRs.

I wonder if the young 20-something had any idea about the 20-year felony for taking down an aircraft when he was spraying water towards my P4P with the water hose meant for the kids activity area .

I agree completely, especially the end of the first paragraph and had voiced similar thoughts in the past.

 

[Fester]

That hypothetical situation isn't very realistic.
Try it with your own Phantom and see what you can see from six feet away from your own windows.
Anyone trying that is going to be very disappointed and give up quickly.
And that's not even factoring in the problems they would have flying so close to obstacles.

There are precedents and yes, we're talking a intentional specific situation. As far as looking thru a window from 6' away, if that room were illuminated and the drone was outside in a low light condition you'd see inside that room rather well. Mostly the arguments on the subject are rather vague, I wanted to make a point that removes the ambiguity.

 

[Roadking]

I live on a lake and have a neighbor who's daughters like to sunbathe topless. He once said "if a drone ever flew over my house and looked at my daughters I'd shoot it down".
Meanwhile, boats are driving by all day.
And how is his issue with the drone? Maybe he should talk to his daughters.
People are just weird when it comes to drones.

 

[N017RW]

The answer to your question is rooted in anonymity.

 

[RollTideMike]

Since you have a pool, rig up a dummy and some fake blood, float it in the pool and wait. If he sees it he should report it, cops show up and you have an easy explanation and he's caught red handed. Or at least he would be looking long enough to get your bird in the air.

 

[michaelshaw]

The answer to your question is rooted in anonymity.

Yes. That and some kind of power/control dynamic. At least a boat passing by and looking at topless daughters could be yelled at, threatened or otherwise motivated to stop looking and move along. A drone, etc., can not and that is threatening even in "legal" airspace. I found in my experience this past weekend a totally different side of people who remarked how cool it was what I was doing once they made the connection between the AC and me. I even sold a guy, in his words, into buying a P4P after he had a P2 a while back just by talking about the P4P and what I was able to do.

 

[DocDiggler]

It's pretty amazing to me that so many drone owners are suggesting that the drone be somehow destroyed.
There is no evidence that the owner is even looking at the guy and his wife. Just because it's up there doesn't mean it's focused on them.
What if a neighbor hired him to check their roof? So many other possible scenarios.
Furthermore suggestion it somehow be knocked out of the sky or disabled is very irresponsible advice.
Shame on any drone operator who recommends that.

Depends on how close and how long the drone would be to your place
It's like a fly or mosquito hit it when it becomes annoying

 

[9245]

Depends on how close and how long the drone would be to your place
It's like a fly or mosquito hit it when it becomes annoying

20 Year felony

 

[pomonabill220]

than half a dozen parents holding up iPhones, camcorders, or DSLRs.

WITH zoom lenses!