What do you say to AHs who tell you it's illegal to overfly a house.

Joined
Feb 13, 2015
Messages
1,211
Reaction score
299
Age
69
Location
KVNY
Was in a public park and set up a Ground Station that took an exit over some houses at 200' on the way to the first Way Point. This guy comes up to me and noting the camera started spouting out that it's illegal to fly over a house with a camera. And also because I'm in a public park (it's not in any No Fly Zone) I can't fly there either.

I kept calm and told him it wasn't and to go look it up. I prefer to be a good ambassador for the Phantom, but guys like that try your patience.
 
Depends on the other persons disposition. If they started off yelling and being a bully I'd probably just tell them it's not illegal and that they don't enforce any park rules, have a better day. If they seemed reasonable I'd probably explain why it's not illegal and offer to stay away from the houses in question. I'd explain quickly the background on drone flying and see if that lead to an open conversation.
 
If he's pleasant, you might also ask him if he'd like you to take a photo of his house. If so, be sure to take it from the front unless he specificately asks for another aspect. I've taken photos of homes and the owners were delighted.
 
Yeah, later in the morning I went to a local fire house that has an old air raid siren from the cold war days. Asked them if I could video it and offered to email them some pics. Totally a different reaction about drones. They were speculating on all the cool things they could do in fire fighting scenarios and the like.
Air Raid.jpg
 
  • Like
Reactions: gingericeman
I carry several documents in my travel case like the 'Photographers Rights", the suggested FAA rules, my AMA membership card, information about the AMA and my personal informational cards. I have not had the need to pull them out as everyone I have encountered were interested in my Phantom for all the cool things about it. :cool:
 
I'm gonna go with the fact his Girl left him and she sent you to spy on his cheating self.
 
Of the original post

Is that a fact officer? Care to show me your FAA badge and ID?
I will kindly suggest that you stock up on tin foil, cover your house with it thoroughly and pull the dam shades tightly shut.
And kindly rattle off a few hundred other meaningless items of pure rhetoric just to let him know which of us has the most bull!
 
  • Like
Reactions: snowghost
I have encountered this plenty of times, depending on how quickly the situation appears to be escalating determines my reaction. First off I carry with me at all times a copy of the latest FAA guidance, my UAS flight notification paperwork (if within 5 miles of an airport), my business cards, and my lawyer's business cards. Below are just a few of the situations I have encountered:

1) Was filming a walkthrough of a nature preserve, park volunteers told me it was illegal to fly there and on top of that it was illegal to take pictures. I pulled out my copy of the FAA's guidance, the local state park regulations, and the local county park regulations then asked for them to show me what regulation banned my flight. They looked through the paperwork then said something about calling a supervisor....they disappeared and did not return.

2) Was filming a house for sale and was questioned by a nearby homeowner. Handed them my business card and told them I'd send them a birds eye view of their neighborhood once the footage was complete; they went from confrontational to fascinated. I also let them watch my FPV monitor as I filmed.

3) Was filming a Christmas show after dark and when I landed turned around to find a cop standing right behind me. He never said a word to me and I decided to do the same.

4) Was inspecting a cell phone tower and had a nearby homeowner run over and ask me what I was doing flying over his property taking pictures of his dirty back yard. I explained I was hired to inspect the cell phone tower adjacent to his property and explained the camera was not looking down at all. He was still pretty irate and was going to complain to "somebody" so I offered to show him my FPV screen and let him watch me complete the task. By the end he was all calmed down and he took one of my business cards.

My list goes on and on. My favorite was the homeowner who finally figured out it was silly to harrass me when every helicopter that flies over is recording real time video at a higher quality than I ever could, and that Google Maps' satellites photograph every inch of his house at least once a year.

I have yet to have any real problems, an almost comical situation was when I was filming in a rather seedy part of town. The minute the drone got in the air, the entire street pretty much cleared out, cars and all. Not one car or person came down the street until I was all packed up and leaving.

I think it helps that I wear a bright orange reflective vest, I wear my company shirts, and approach every flight as if I have every right to be there (which as a matter of a fact I do). I have yet to have to provide my lawyer's card.
 
  • Like
Reactions: snowghost
Yeah, later in the morning I went to a local fire house that has an old air raid siren from the cold war days. Asked them if I could video it and offered to email them some pics. Totally a different reaction about drones. They were speculating on all the cool things they could do in fire fighting scenarios and the like.View attachment 18485

I wonder if they'd sell that siren? I'd love to preserve it, that thing is sweet!
 
There are 225 in L.A. Google L.A. Air raid sirens.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Ezookiel
I had one case (at the beginning) while filming a property in a residential area of second homes where a guy came over because I just happened to stop over his balcony obviously some 100 feet high. The problem was that I had forgotten to press record, but besides that he allegedly called the police which told him to take the registration number under the craft :D because they didn't have a clue what he meant. Anyway after he undertstood I was not working for the tax people or for some kind of surveillance agency he went away. I imagine he must have had something to hide considering how worried he was. Just imagine posting a video where a wife recognizes her husband's car in a place where it should not be. Offering to send a neighbor some photos is the right approach and generally appreciated (because it's free).
 
Similar to PCTX's account of Australian regulations here in the UK the rules concerning SUAS and privacy are very clear and lack ambiguity.

Flying within a horizontal distance of 150metres of buildings that you are not directly responsible for is not permitted without prior authorisation from the CAA.

Flying within 50m of a person, or persons, that you are not directly responsible for is not permitted.

There is also legislation in place to protect one's expected rights to privacy, this includes in or on your own property. Once outside these boundaries there are no expectations of privacy which probably explains why here in the UK we have one of the highest concentrations of CCTV cameras per population. One exception where a photo or video restriction can be imposed is that of a crime or accident scene where such activity could compromise or impede an investigation or cause further distress.

Regards

Nidge
 
Have they been converted for Tsunami or such use? They still test them?

Growing up in a semi-rural town the sirens used to be used to indicate 12 noon and 6 o'clock pm. Not sure if they do that anymore.

<snip>I imagine he must have had something to hide considering how worried he was. Just imagine posting a video where a wife recognizes her husband's car in a place where it should not be. </snip>.

Well, if you don't play those games you don't have to worry about getting caught. I think if you get caught cheating on a spouse you deserve everything you get.
 
  • Like
Reactions: dirkclod
Similar to PCTX's account of Australian regulations here in the UK the rules concerning SUAS and privacy are very clear and lack ambiguity.

Flying within a horizontal distance of 150metres of buildings that you are not directly responsible for is not permitted without prior authorisation from the CAA.

Flying within 50m of a person, or persons, that you are not directly responsible for is not permitted.

Regards

Nidge
I dont interpret the rules like that Nidge. The 150m rule only applies to substantially congested areas. So a farmhouse in a field for example does not come under that rule. Note that the 150m rule states "over or within" and the 50m rule (for all structures, vehicles, people) only states "within". Therefore if a building is not part of a substantially congested area, I believe the rules allow me to overfly it as long as I am at least 51m above it.

Also interesting to note that even though the 30m/50m and 150m rules do not apply to non surveillance SUAs, as far as the CAA are concerned, (for commercial use especially) both articles apply to both aircraft types.
 
I also make it a point to be really high if I overfly a house--I mean at the end of the day if a Cessna flies legally over a neighborhood, he could have a much more powerful lens/binoculars than the Phantom.
 
To keep our Sport or profession we must be responsible and courteous. Is there a listing of No drone sites and a clear rules and regulations for flying?
 
To keep our Sport or profession we must be responsible and courteous. Is there a listing of No drone sites and a clear rules and regulations for flying?
It depends what scope of area (country/planet/state) you are discussing, but I would say on a general basis, no and no.
 

Members online

No members online now.

Forum statistics

Threads
143,066
Messages
1,467,358
Members
104,935
Latest member
Pauos31