The right to bear drones

[Rob Levine]

"...this language would give the Federal government the ability to blow any press drone out of the air with impunity."

The Right to Bear Drones – emptywheel

 

[sar104]

Fascinating. I didn't realize that we had a right to use drones.

 

[Peter Hartmann]

If I had a bear, I don't think I'd buy it a drone....

 

[bbfpv]

What exactly is a "bear drone"? Is that like a selfie drone for bears?

 

[John Guild]

No, it means that the drone comes naked.

 

[42FrankZ]

No, it means that the drone comes naked.

That would be bare drones.

 

[jason]

Alternative facts. But consider three things the internet, trump administration and the source of this information emptywheel.

 

[Peter Hartmann]

That would be bare drones.

Yes - you are correct...I agree.

Apparently most drones are shipped "bare". I tried my drone (mine is a Phantom 3) for a couple of days the way I received it, but got concerned about operating it "bare" for several reasons.

1) The camera assembly is too close to the surface when the thing lands. That would be o.k. if you only land on smooth, clean surfaces. Definitely risk of damage if landing in dirt, sand, weeds, pebbly surfaces, etc. So I purchased some "landing skid extenders". Camera now high enough off the surface to be protected from contamination.

2) As received, unit had a tendency to tip over when landing in high winds. The "landing gear extenders" make it more stable, pretty much eliminating the danger of a "prop. strike".

Also, being a flexible plastic, provides nice shock-absorber.

( fortunately...we do not have "stealth - sneaky" style winds up here that some of you have in your areas....., so I can tell when the wind is blowing, and make allowances for that in terms of RTH / battery life, etc....).

3) As received, my drone had no prop guards. Yes - I have read the warnings from others in here - that if you install prop guards they will act as "sails" so your drone will blow away......substantially reduces its ability to fly, etc.

Not a problem for me. I realize I am a special case with a special drone living in a special area...

a) We have a special kind of wind up here in northern Arizona that does not seem to be able to sense and react to the skinny little prop. guards. And I was able to buy a special custom made set of prop guards - they came WITHOUT a sail ! Just thin plastic "rails" that aren't going to be affected by any wind speed slow enough to make a drone flight practical.....

b) I was shipped a special super-powered Phantom 3 - special motors made just for me - so powerful the addition of the prop. guards made no difference in ops. that I can detect.

3) We have bears, bunney wabbets, and coyotes up here in the high country of northern Arizona ( along with way too many people running around our small community ). . Some of them run around bare, without protective clothing.

Obviously, I am concerned that if my drone got loose - had some kind of mechanical failure,, or in some way got away from me, if it didn't have prop. guards it could cut up one of the Good Lord's creatures, who would then turn around and sue me for every dime I wish I had....

C'mon now...aren't YOU afraid of a mad bear or bunney wabbet....?

 

[42FrankZ]

Yes - you are correct...I agree.

Please don't.

 

[Peter Hartmann]

Please don't.

...........................................................................

"Please don't" ....WHAT ? You WANT me to operate my drone without prop guards....and risk getting a bunney wabbet or bear mad at me...? You have ANY clue how vicious creatures can get if they get cut up by an un-guarded drone prop ?

 

[42FrankZ]

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"Please don't" ....WHAT ? You WANT me to operate my drone without prop guards....and risk getting a bunney wabbet or bear mad at me...? You have ANY clue how vicious creatures can get if they get cut up by an un-guarded drone prop ?

No, please don't agree with me.

I could care less if you use prop guards or not. I just don't want what I say to be linked to your incessant and irrational call for prop guards.

 

[Peter Hartmann]

No, please don't agree with me.I could care less if you use prop guards or not. I just don't want what I say to be linked to your incessant and irrational call for prop guards.

. . . . . . . .
I knew it...you are anti bunney wabbet...! ( I bet you send your drone out hunting for the poor little dears.... )

 

[Meta4]

I realize I am a special case with a special drone living in a special area...

Obviously, I am concerned that if my drone got loose - had some kind of mechanical failure,, or in some way got away from me, if it didn't have prop. guards it could cut up one of the Good Lord's creatures, who would then turn around and sue me for every dime I wish I had....

Give it a rest.
By now everyone is well aware that the only thing you have to say is that you think everyone should fly with prop guards.
You aren't the only source of drone wisdom and there are some fliers that even have more experience than you do.
They even know what they are talking about and realise that their Phantoms aren't going to "get loose" and cause mayhem.
How about keeping your obsession to yourself now that every one is thoroughly sick of hearing about it over and over again?

 

[Peter Hartmann]

Give it a rest...........fliers that even have more experience than you do......... even know what they are talking about and realise that their Phantoms aren't going to "get loose" and cause mayhem.........every one is thoroughly sick of hearing about it over and over again?

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Cant help you - I don't control what gets into these "threads". And neither do you !

My recommendation is that if you see something in here, do something about it.

There are two things you can do to protect yourself from posts you don't want to see.

1) Contact forum management and give them the reason why you feel there should be censorship.

2) If you see a topic that you don't like, DONT READ IT.

I suspect I am wasting your time - but here goes - I have bad news for you. I am not the only one who believes "Phantoms get lost".

No matter how sick you get of hearing about "drone lost", if you type that phrase in, in this forum, you will find that your statement "Phantoms aren't going to get loose" is in error.

It happens. Any number of reasons, including some electronic or mechanical error in someone's drone, or the drone operator screwed up, and/or some combination of that.

Here's more bad news. I know just a wee bit about what happens when people get hurt.

My career was trying to protect insurance companies and their policy holders from claims by people who claimed some device injured them. Made good money at it. Because when people get hurt they can get "sue happy". You may wish that isn't the case, but it is.

Plaintiff attorneys are like ants when they smell honey. As in YOUR money. I cant give you a legal education within the confines of this "thread", but can assure you that sooner or later someone operating his drone without blade guards is going to cut up some innocent third party. An attorney will get involved. He will ask for a jury trial.

You may WISH there is no possible chance YOUR drone will get loose. I think I understand...it is "cool" to operate a drone without blade guards. To some folks, being "cool" is more important than life itself. I "get that".

Again....trouble is...sooner or later some attorney is going to "smell blood" when someone is injured by by a drone that lacks blade guards. He will know how to pick a jury to get the result he wants.

You may not appreciate what a properly instructed jury will do when they are convinced some device is potentially dangerous, and the operator should have known better.

Your "homeowner's" policy MAY provide you with legal counsel - that's probably all they will do for you ( depending on your policy) I am not clear whether they would have to bail you out of an expensive monetary judgment.

Then there is the matter of what the press and reporters will do, when they get a good photogenic story.

I understand that people like to have fun getting things their way. Sometimes the end result gets VERY expensive.

 

[Meta4]

I know I'm wasting my effort but here goes.
You give no-one else any credit for intelligence or knowing what they are talking about.
There are some people that are at least as intelligent as you and much more experienced.
With experience and intelligence it's easy to see that you are over obsessing and over exaggerating the perceived risk from flying without prop guards.
So much that you can't think of anything else and what you write shows that you really know very little about flying Phantoms.
The risk is nowhere near as high as your overactive imagination thinks it is.
And that extremely small risk is further reduced by responsible flying.
Give it a rest.

 

[Peter Hartmann]

[QUOTE="Meta4, post: 1199568, member: 6114........
You give no-one else any credit for intelligence or knowing what they are talking about............
.[/QUOTE]

..............................................................
You are mistaken. All those "threads" in this forum discussing horrific injuries for lack of prop. guards, and drones, including Phantoms, that got away......I most certainly do give them credit for knowing what they are talking about.

But I do understand where you and many others are coming from. It is "cool" to run without prop. guards. It's what you need to be. You have the ability to convince yourself "it isnt going to happen to me because I know what I am doing"......

That's the big difference between us - . I have seen people with a LOT of intelligence and who KNOW what they are talking about have things go wrong they insisted shouldn't have happened to them. Wish I had a dollar for every client who told me how unfair it was " they cant do this to me"....!

Now - please "have the last word". I am done with this "thread".

 

[Meta4]

You are mistaken. All those "threads" in this forum discussing horrific injuries for lack of prop. guards, and drones, including Phantoms, that got away......I most certainly do give them credit for knowing what they are talking about.
But I do understand where you and many others are coming from. It is "cool" to run without prop. guards. It's what you need to be. You have the ability to convince yourself "it isnt going to happen to me because I know what I am doing"......
That's the big difference between us - . I have seen people with a LOT of intelligence and who KNOW what they are talking about have things go wrong they insisted shouldn't have happened to them. Wish I had a dollar for every client who told me how unfair it was " they cant do this to me"....!
Now - please "have the last word". I am done with this "thread".

Peter you have very little idea at all and your fantasy about serious injuries is running away with you.
Your constant harping about something that's not really an issue is irritating and winning you no friends.

The world is full of things that can cause injury but we manage to live with them.
As well as potential consequences, you have to consider the probability of an event as well as things that can moderate risk.
All you think about is potential consequences and you have no idea about likelihood or actions that can reduce risk further.
How do you manage with some of the really dangerous things people do every day like crossing roads, using ladders or stairs, pouring boiling water, cooking on the stove, lawnmowing etc etc.
You'd be horrified at the numbers of people killed and injured each year by these.
The world (and your house) is full of risks. If you carry on at home like you do about drones, you'd never get out of bed.
And you'd still have to worry about falling out of bed.
Read this and get really scared: Unintentional Death from Bed Falls

 

[Peter Hartmann]

[QUOTE="Meta4, post: 1199650, member: 6114...............The world is full of things that can cause injury but we manage to live with them...........How do you manage with some of the really dangerous things people do every day like crossing roads............[/QUOTE]

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I respectfully suggest your anaology is in error.

The public DEMANDS that society protects us from devices that create an unreasonable potential for harm. We have rules and regulations about crossing streets, what manufcturers can and cannot do in their designs. If all those folks who post in other threads in here, discussing how our Phantoms can run away...cut them up, etc. are wrong, perhaps our resident censor should remove them.

I used as an example how regulations have forced auto makers to re-design their cars to make them safer to both the occupants, and some unrelated individual who thinks he has a right to also be on this planet. I love that hood/radiator ornament on my Packard V-12. Looks like a swan (we call it a comorant). Beautiful up-flowing wings. Sharp as razor blades with a nice spear-point on top. Cars no longer have hood ornaments. To protect the public.

I suspect the public is going to as the government to make some DEMANDS on us.

Those of you who "know" that prop guards ruin your drone experience...act as "sails" preventing you from operating your drone in higher winds...and/or those prop guards will be "in-frame" when you are photographing.... you really ought to start preparing your presentations for the inevitable legislative hearings...

 

[microlinux]

If you think prop guards are some sort of safety magic, I have bad news for you. There are a limited number of circumstances where they will prevent injury to a person you hit. They're certainly not a bad idea, but at same time, their primary purpose is to protect the drone, not people. A cage might be more helpful, but not so much your typical "prop guards".

I'm not sure what the micro-obsession with prop guards is. Prop hits are just about the least of your concerns in the grand scheme of things . . .

 

[Peter Hartmann]

[QUOTE="microlinux, post: 1202248, member: 82499. Prop hits are just about the least of your concerns in the grand scheme of things . . .[/QUOTE]
...............................
Yes you are right .....- there is that big meteor hanging around up there......

And those durn glaciers keep melting....

But I am not all that concerned with the "grand scheme of things". Havnt had much luck shooting down meteors with my M-1 service rifle......and that monster iceberg in the process of breaking off from the Antartic Ice Sheet.....not sure I can do much about that either....far beyond the range of my own personal airplane...and even if I could get there...what to do..wrap my electric blanket around it....? Hmm.....a nearby 120 volt outlet...?

My concern relevant to my drone....... is that some greedy lawyer is going to get hold of a case where a drone got away and cut up some innocent party, and/or some slime-ball journalist is going to help some politicans make a "cause" out of screwing us up, and thus we will have this grand hobby interfered with, possibly restricted out of existence.

That's why I think any drone sold should be equipped with prop guards.

Now to be fair..of course some folks cant be bothered with prop guards, and will remove them. Like me ! I removed the blade guards on both my table saw and my "Skilsaw".

However...also to be fair....since I am VERY careful... I am not likely to hurt anyone else. One of the many reasons for that is....to date...I have not seen either my table saw or my Skillsaw fly off my property on its on.