What I did was wrong on so many levels

[Cometstorm]

The real issue here is, from what you are saying, you did not maintain VLOS. That's is an extremely unsafe practice and violates the FAA rules.

As I understand it, those are written as guidelines, not rules or law. Fly for Fun

I know that's been discussed on here many, many times.

For the record, this was a next door neighbor who's property abuts mine. A good softball throw could hit his house.

Beyond VLOS? Yeah, I guess so.... but only because of the seventy or so linear feet tree line between us (all on my property, not that that makes a diff tho)..

Depends on how far, or how strict one wants to interpret things I guess.

I routinely see folks posting about getting out two or three miles, especially with cheap antenna boosters.

Talk beyond VLOS!

I do understand and respect your point though.....

 

[Joe Glenn]

So, I'm a pretty new P3A and first time quad owner.

Wife and I live in a neighborhood where it's pretty much three acre wooded lots.

Late yesterday afternoon, I send the bird up through a tree opening above our rear deck.

I sent her over the trees to my neighbor's house, with who we are very good friends. Then I lower it to about 75 feet and hovered a bit before moving on. This was over their deck.

I did this not to spy, but as a "look at my new gadget" thing.

Anyway, I land the P3A back on my deck.

Wife and I put it in the car and drove over there to give them a close up look.

I was pretty shocked at the response upon our arrival.
Great Post and I totally agree with BrockRock!! Let him see that you can't really see all that much without a zoom lense. Also let himhanv
"Privacy invasion...Almost shot it down". That sort of thing.

It was not overtly hostile, but not pleasant.

I KNEW BETTER, BUT JUST HADN'T THOUGHT IT OUT!

The least I could have done was called beforehand, to have him watch for a celestial visitor in a joking sort of way.

Yeah, I'd had a few "beverages" as he and I often do.

64 years old, and again: I
KNEW BETTER!

Learned my lesson bigtime, so no flames necessary.

My reason for posting is to remind other newbies... Respect your neighbors areas, no matter how innocent your intentions may be.

Now, to go over and apologize AGAIN this afternoon.

I'll leave the quad at home, but bring some beer...

 

[JBR]

I once hovered (not directly over) my neighbor\friends wife who was walking around our neighborhood park. She stopped and looked at the craft then continued on. I flew around awhile and then caught her again as she came around the path near my house again. She barely glanced up and walked around a couple more times before she decided to head home. He route took her behind my house in the alley where she saw me landing my drone on the sidewalk. We laughed and she said she thought is was some kind of pervert, to which replied "Well..."

 

[Providian623]

Fortunately I live on 44 acres with no neighbors close by. I use my Phantom 3 4K to check my property. I never fly over any neighbors yards as I travel the perimeter. I mostly check for trespassers which I've had in the past. After reading your replies i think it would be a good idea to let the abutting properties know that I fly my perimeter and I'm not spying on them.
Thank you for the insight, as always

I do the same, but do not have as many acres as you do. However, a while back I was flying at dusk (I don't want to hear about night flying & rules guys) anyway I flew out across one of my ponds when my drone did a complete loop, steadied up and flew on. I climbed for some altitude and brought it back to me. Landed, checked everything, and took off again on the original path and height. This time it jumped hard to the left, dropped to almost water level, straightened out and flew on. So I'm thinking WTF is going on. Then it dawned on me. I have a 533' sky loop antenna wire running around a small section of my property (ham radio) and it runs over the top of the pond. I'd hit it both times. Lesson learned but at least NOT the hard way !

 

[DavidN747]

Thanks Cometstorm for the honest and interesting post. Many would not be "man enough" to confess.
As you say, education and a good lesson for all!
Cheers from down under.

 

[niflying]

Really?

 

[Journey]

The real issue here is, from what you are saying, you did not maintain VLOS. That's is an extremely unsafe practice and violates the FAA rules. Where I live, Ultra-lights and sea planes buzz over tree tops. You can't see them until they are nearly on top of you. So once you fly out of sight, you not only don't see your drone, but you can't see other danger. Here in NH, eagles and large birds are another unseen threat.

Enjoy your drone, but fly within the FAA rules before we all lose our freedoms to fly.

Give the guy a break! I bet you can count on one hand with four missing fingers the number of safe, experienced drone operators that have not flown their drone beyond the point they can visually control it. With a bad viewing background (green and brown hills, etc), I can lose my Mavic just a couple hundred feet away especially if it isn't moving against that background.

 

[Neon Euc]

I agree with journey ... I been flying for a year. No way near perfect but I fly out of sight most times. Nothing to worry about as it's at an empty golf course when no one is there when it's closed. But I guess as it's out of sight it's still bad???