Tired of getting harassed when flying my sUAS

[N017RW]

Our Sherriff went on TV before the 4th and said even though some fireworks are illegal to use, a Deputy must observe the offense to be able to act on a complaint.
Having footage from the drone establishing its position and its targeting by the neighbor would be an interesting circumstance in obtaining relief.

 

[b17raymo]

These people are crazy though!!! We were grilling out and I decided to fly my drone to catch the sunset. I had my 9 year old with me and I was showing her the follow me option when all of sudden a volley of rockets are exploding right over our heads.

 

[b17raymo]

Our Sherriff went on TV before the 4th and said even though some fireworks are illegal to use, a Deputy must observe the offense to be able to act on a complaint.
Having footage from the drone establishing its position and its targeting by the neighbor would be an interesting circumstance in obtaining relief.

The footage does show the fireworks going off around it. But I had it pointed in our direction. They fired them from right behind

 

[UpLift Aerial]

For those of you who get people asking you questions and such, you should really get one of these...

(More styles available[emoji652])

You can get them here:
Aerial-Pixel Graphics and Apparel for DronePilots

 

[b17raymo]

You know that you can call the cops and your neighbors can have problems because they were trying to take your drone down in your own property.

I seriously thought about it. I just didn't expect this? We weren't intending on bothering anyone. All of my other neighbors love it, and have even come over to watch. I guess I was just hoping it wouldn't escalate to that.

 

[b17raymo]

OK why not buy one of those signs that states something like 'Caution remote aircraft in operation' plus one of the hi-vis vest in the forum thread HI - vis Do Not Disturb Vests/ Shirts? Gives the impression you have some authority to fly plus you know what you are doing.
Worth a try rather than people spoiling your enjoyment.

Hey that's not a bad idea!!

 

[macoman]

For those of you who get people asking you questions and such, you should really get one of these...

(More styles available[emoji652])

You can get them here:
Aerial-Pixel Graphics and Apparel for DronePilots

I have the vest....

 

[Firedrone]

For those of you who get people asking you questions and such, you should really get one of these...

(More styles available[emoji652])

You can get them here:
Aerial-Pixel Graphics and Apparel for DronePilots

Exactly Right
I Like that shirt !!!

 

[FlashBuddy]

Did you ever get along with those neighbors?

 

[GadgetGuy]

Did you ever get along with those neighbors?

My dog ate their cat. Surely, they still wouldn't be upset over that!

 

[jofus]

Only real encounter I've had so far was yesterday while I was packing up having just finished taking photos of a real estate listing. I don't like to have my car in the shots, so I was down the road a tad, and invariably up pulls the guy whose house I was parked in front of (I was on the road).

He gave me kind of an authoratitive, "What's going on here?" I just said that I had just finished taking photos of the house for sale and pointed at it. I guess that was enough because he pulled into his garage and shut the door without saying anything else.

Not a big deal really, and I don't blame him for asking since I was in front of his place. I just try to keep a friendly demeanor, dress like a professional, and nobody has really bothered me yet.

 

[KiloGolf7]

what side of town are you on? do you guys do meet ups once in a while? breakfast?

 

[Dallas Drone Guy]

I am so sick of ignorant people harassing me during an sUAS flight. Why does everyone pretend they are an expert? Tonight I was doing a time lapse with my canon whilst taking snapshots of a beautiful sunset in Northern Utah. A guy on a walk with his dog and 4 year old daughter started yelling at me out of nowhere. He said I needed the property owners permission to fly over their property, I showed him my iPad screen to show that I wasn't over any private property. He said it was illegal for an "airplane" to fly over private property without the owners permission and I asked him if a crop duster would need to get every property owners permission to fly. He said that is a different class and I asked him if he knew of any aircraft that had to ask a property owner for permission. He said "no but that drone is an FAA registered aircraft so it has to abide by the laws the FAA makes. I told him that is exactly what I was doing and told him I was an FAA licensed sUAS pilot and was fully aware of and abiding by all applicable laws. I showed him the photos on the sd card so he would know I wasn't spying on anyone. He told me "it is recommended that you fly over there at 150' towards the forest service land" I told him He seriously needed to educate himself before harassing any other drone pilots and I wouldn't be following his recommendation. He demanded to see my license. I told him to stop harassing me and he insisted on seeing my license saying he would call the police if I didn't immediately show him. I showed him at the same time telling him he was interfering with a pilot during flight and he took note of my name. I snapped my wallet closed and told him I didn't need to identify myself to him. He walked away and called the police (I am assuming). I told him as he walked away that the FAA has authority over the airspace from the tips of the grass up.

I landed my P4P since he sucked all enjoyment out of the beautiful moment. I stayed for another 45 minutes to finish up my time lapse and the cops never came so I assume he either didn't call or they told him how ignorant he was. I am thinking I will start wearing a GoPro with chest harness to document all encounters from now on. I want to assure everyone that I was polite but annoyed and never raised my voice like he did. I had my two boys with me and he had a 4 or 5 year old girl with him. I feel bad that that little girl had to be a part of that confrontation but I used it as a chance to teach my kids about respect and how to talk to strangers in public.

I believe that one can be charged with a terrorist crime if they interfere with a pilot in control of an FAA regulated aircraft. I always like to start off polite and thankfully no one has been as bad as the douche you've described. I have only been asked one time and it was while I was flying. I said you can rest assured that I do have a license and I'm not going to show you right now because I'm busy. They went away and that was the end.

 

[Dallas Drone Guy]

Before my first flight in the US I asked a police man if it was legal to fly it, he told me that if I follow FAA recommendations I wouldn't have any problems but if anyone in the street ask me to land it I should have to land it, even if I'm following FAA rules, the police man told me that peoples opinion are prior to pilots enjoyment...
Thank god I've never had a situation where someone ask me to land my drone, in my case all the people watch my flights amazed and asking me questions hahaha
If someone ask you to land it, land it and wait for 1 minute until he goes and then take the sky again![emoji573]

If someone asks you to land your drone I certainly would not give in, because that's ridiculous. If they told you to stand on one leg and hop up and down, would you do that to? I'm a law-abiding red-blooded free American man who is polite and courteous. I don't need to placate uneducated jerks. The most harassment I've received was actually from a group of bicycle cops in Chicago. The conversation started out with one of them asking, do you know how many rules you're breaking right now? You need to bring that thing down . I was at 30% battery and on my way back to land anyway, so I landed it and we proceeded to have a 15-minute conversation .By the time the exchange was over we were friendly and I had educated them on the laws and I proceeded with my shoot.

 

[ribjig]

"I believe that one can be charged with a terrorist crime if they interfere with a pilot in control of an FAA regulated aircraft."

There you go.
Simple response if someone is distracting.
"FAA requires me to pay full attention to my flying.
Interfering with me is a crime. I'll speak to you
when I'm done if you wish..."

FYI, my response to ANYONE asking questions
has been, "I'm a novice at this. I can talk to you
after I land."

 

[BigAl07]

I believe that one can be charged with a terrorist crime if they interfere with a pilot in control of an FAA regulated aircraft.

Horrible (and wrong) information. Interfering with MANNED aircraft is not the same as interfering with a sUAS. Contrary to popular belief , we sUAS operators do NOT enjoy the protection afforded by the FAA that MANNED aircraft have and rightfully so. Night and day difference. Many people "assume" that when Congress stipulated that sUAS are aircraft and as such can be "controlled" by the FAA this also gave them the same umbrella of protection as manned aircraft. That's simply not the case.

Please show us a single court case where anyone was charged and tried for interfering with a hobby/commercial sUAS operation. Honestly, with the current status of our court system people can (and are) get away with shooting them down with firearms. It happens way to often and if any charges are filled they are local ordinance violations and not charges from the DOJ (FAA can't charge they submit case to the DOJ and if appropriate the DOJ files charges).

With all of the above being said, it's a very bad idea to interfere with a sUAS operation because distracting the operator could lead to a mishap. Being a very bad idea does not constitute "a terrorist crime" in any way.

If we are going to be self-appointed Subject Matter Experts on sUAS law etc we need to make sure we know what we are talking about and reiterating it correctly to the people we interact with.

 

[ribjig]

"Please show us a single court case where anyone was charged and tried for interfering with a hobby/commercial sUAS operation."

Lack of legal anecdotes is not proof.

 

[BigAl07]

"Please show us a single court case where anyone was charged and tried for interfering with a hobby/commercial sUAS operation."

Lack of legal anecdotes is not proof.

Well then please show us where the legal verbiage is. I'll take either one but it must state sUAS.

 

[WV. Rootman]

Horrible (and wrong) information. Interfering with MANNED aircraft is not the same as interfering with a sUAS. Contrary to popular belief , we sUAS operators do NOT enjoy the protection afforded by the FAA that MANNED aircraft have and rightfully so. Night and day difference. Many people "assume" that when Congress stipulated that sUAS are aircraft and as such can be "controlled" by the FAA this also gave them the same umbrella of protection as manned aircraft. That's simply not the case.

Please show us a single court case where anyone was charged and tried for interfering with a hobby/commercial sUAS operation. Honestly, with the current status of our court system people can (and are) get away with shooting them down with firearms. It happens way to often and if any charges are filled they are local ordinance violations and not charges from the DOJ (FAA can't charge they submit case to the DOJ and if appropriate the DOJ files charges).

With all of the above being said, it's a very bad idea to interfere with a sUAS operation because distracting the operator could lead to a mishap. Being a very bad idea does not constitute "a terrorist crime" in any way.

If we are going to be self-appointed Subject Matter Experts on sUAS law etc we need to make sure we know what we are talking about and reiterating it correctly to the people we interact with.

The laws are ambiguous and people are ambiguous. We can't educate the people on this forum besides the public. There are a lot of mixed up people flying and watching us fly.

Everyone I found flying a drone, none of them use this forum. How many ignorant people are out there mix in with a lot of stupid people? There is so much to learn and we can not agree on this forum what is right. No, I don't think we can regulate ourselves. If man could resolve his problems, he would have a long time ago. We always think we can. It's NEVER going to happen. WE all need help. But we all can have a good attitude whether we are right or wrong. That in it's self is a positive step.

We have some that are super strict and we have some that are more liberal in their interpretation of the rules. I "try" to be polite, respectful and except the responsibilities for my actions. I love and have fun flying my P4. I get along with most of my neighbors, but it has nothing to do with my flying. There are some *******that nobody is going to make happy. LOL

 

[WalterPDean]

I am so sick of ignorant people harassing me during an sUAS flight. Why does everyone pretend they are an expert? Tonight I was doing a time lapse with my canon whilst taking snapshots of a beautiful sunset in Northern Utah. A guy on a walk with his dog and 4 year old daughter started yelling at me out of nowhere. He said I needed the property owners permission to fly over their property, I showed him my iPad screen to show that I wasn't over any private property. He said it was illegal for an "airplane" to fly over private property without the owners permission and I asked him if a crop duster would need to get every property owners permission to fly. He said that is a different class and I asked him if he knew of any aircraft that had to ask a property owner for permission. He said "no but that drone is an FAA registered aircraft so it has to abide by the laws the FAA makes. I told him that is exactly what I was doing and told him I was an FAA licensed sUAS pilot and was fully aware of and abiding by all applicable laws. I showed him the photos on the sd card so he would know I wasn't spying on anyone. He told me "it is recommended that you fly over there at 150' towards the forest service land" I told him He seriously needed to educate himself before harassing any other drone pilots and I wouldn't be following his recommendation. He demanded to see my license. I told him to stop harassing me and he insisted on seeing my license saying he would call the police if I didn't immediately show him. I showed him at the same time telling him he was interfering with a pilot during flight and he took note of my name. I snapped my wallet closed and told him I didn't need to identify myself to him. He walked away and called the police (I am assuming). I told him as he walked away that the FAA has authority over the airspace from the tips of the grass up.

I landed my P4P since he sucked all enjoyment out of the beautiful moment. I stayed for another 45 minutes to finish up my time lapse and the cops never came so I assume he either didn't call or they told him how ignorant he was. I am thinking I will start wearing a GoPro with chest harness to document all encounters from now on. I want to assure everyone that I was polite but annoyed and never raised my voice like he did. I had my two boys with me and he had a 4 or 5 year old girl with him. I feel bad that that little girl had to be a part of that confrontation but I used it as a chance to teach my kids about respect and how to talk to strangers in public.

** I try to be very polite but to share a story**
I was with my friend who was flying his drone when a woman came up. We had just seen her dog drop two loads her not even looking or picking up. She screamed “you can’t fly that” my friend replied calmly “yes I can” then she said “I know the law no drone flying in this State only on Federal land”. My friend with a straight face said “but, but we are looking for hazardous material that could be dangerous to people, animals even plants” as he looked concerned. I nodded in agreement. She scooped up her 5 lb Poodle and in a panic scurried off. My friend

almost crashed laughing so hard.