Drones
 

I got myself worked up a bit last night. I live in a rural area, pretty decent size properties around us (5+ acres).

I let the dogs out into the back yard and went out with them. I hear the unmistakable sound of a small flying craft, look up and there it is, about 100 feet up, hovering over my back yard, a drone.

I flipped it off. It stayed there long enough I could have gone inside and come out with a shotspoon.

Very disconcerting.

Best not to shoot it down - the FAA says it is a federal crime.

Call this guy:)

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Eric..did you notice a camera on it?

Couldn't tell, it was about 100 feet up, directly over my observatory :(

I assumed it did as the operator had to be at least 1/2 mile away. It was none of my next door neighbors.

Realtor or thieves? Just kids and a new toy?

What goes up must come down eventually, to its source.
Follow and video it going back. Tell the popo to get moving.
Aren't there local/FAA restrictions on where to fly as well?

Yeah, don't know. I think it shows a total lack of respect though.

I own the airspace over my property up to 2000 feet.

This is going to be a huge problem.
I can see where drones have their place, particularly for search and rescue etc.
But we are going to have to find a way to control their usage/protect peoples privacy.

No one wants to be filmed in their backyard skinny dipping in their pool.

A year or so we were at San Simeon beach on the central coast, arguably one of the most beautiful beaches in the world.

Kid was flying his drone down the beach a few feet in front of him while he monitored the camera on the remote control. I know it probably was his new toy but he was missing out on the beach.

Not according to the FAA. Small manned aircraft likely fly over your property on a regular basis.

Drones or UAVs are here. Much like computers and cell phone are everywhere. Just a fact of life.

I am not arguing, just citing what the FAA says.

Not true - very likely you own rights to use it (subject to federal laws and regulations). ALL airspace in the USA is part of the NAS (National Airspace System). This has been borne out in many court cases and is clearly federal jurisdiction. The local yokels can't do squat about this. They CAN prohibit "operations" (takeoffs or landings) from occurring within a certain area (since they can regulate surface activities not part of the NAS), but they can't prohibit an authorized operator from using the NAS in accordance with federal laws and regulations. Local laws can also prohibit voyeruism, etc. but not use of the NAS in accordance with federal laws and regulations.

The NAS has to be standardized federally otherwise it would be a nightmare - can you imagine every two-horse town in America with different airspace rules / regs? It would create an unnavigable mess that would only stymie or kill aviation entirely.

Drones operated irresponsibly or in a dangerous way can definitely be reported. As far as someone cruising around over your property incidentally? Not much can do there.

Honestly your best protection is to buy property that's near an airport in class B, C or D airspace (since most drone operators don't want to deal with the hassle of obtaining FAA approval for Part 107 operations therein). Most of the "problem" operators aren't certificated / Part 107 guys anyway, they're "hobby" operators just screwing around and are ignorant of the laws / regs.

OP needs to film, his own $5,000 attack drone with a cali compliant 10shot net gun system, bringing down the other drone filming him, in his own yard/home to begin with, because there are no laws for personal ownership and privacy.

(is that really the future? no privacy? backyard air defense systems? but only approved ones?)

my brother ordered one of those silencer for work. i cant wait to try it.

Who's the "one star" dork? Seriously, you had to rate this post? I don't get it. Loser.

i just tried to bump up the average bud..:D

(psst..my money is on that SEAHAWK guy) :D

:)

Ignorance of the law is no excuse...but not giving a schit is.....BOOM ;)

The FAA has no police force. Much like the mythical phone police.

They can and have finned businesses that operated drones illegally. If it was some kid just flying his toy and not selling the photos, there is little that will happen even if they caught him red handed.

No crime in throwing some rocks at it is there ?.....where's that boomarang when you need it, or a throwable fishing net ?

The operator be miles away, not even in sight.
Gps, waypoint to waypoint flying, 4K camera’s, are pretty common these days.

I am not sure how long the shoot down is a crime will hold up either. They suspended the law requiring you to register them (the hobbyist size) which removes them from the same category as an airplane.

most crooks are nowhere near that hi-tek
far more likely a neighbor kid playing with his new toy

and our gun-nuts want to shoot it

would you guys shoot down a model plane also ?
if not why

'cause they are too damn hard to hit ;).

Most model planes fly around. This thing could (sounds like it did) come and hover over you while watching and recording what you're doing. I suspect you'd be pretty grumpy if I came into your backyard with a video camera and hung out while you or your wife or kids were outside. This is really no different but completely different from a model plane.

That is why full auto 50+ cal needs to be legal!!
:cool:

Most people are not able to recognize the difference between the Russian trenchcoat stalker on the foggy corner following you down the street VS. a series of innocuous static camera globes on every corner.

Rat bastard! :cool:

I was on a panel at a UAS conference yesterday and this very issue came up.

I don't have a dog in this fight since the stuff we make is either DoD or commercial grade. I don't make hobby anything. DJI slayed that market years ago.

One of the LEO guys attending the conference about the potential violations of city, county and federal regs for discharge of a weapon against a non threat.

Not my area of expertise.

I can tell you I support much more stringent regulation for commercial operators.

This

When it comes to tech., some crooks have it some crooks do not. A neighbor's kid is a possibility. As to it being far more likely, I fail to see sufficient information being provided to come to that conclusion.

While it is possible to outfit a model plane with a camera, I have yet to come across anyone who encountered a model airplane with camera snooping around or peeping. There is a degree of difficulty to overcome with fixed wing versus copter-like drones and being able to snoop/peep.

As to copter-like drones, I have and my neighbors have encountered such peeping in windows.

The desire to shoot it down is immaterial of the platform. Further it has nothing to do with being a gun nut or not. It is however correlated with what the other side is seeing or could possibly see.

Since you asked why, I feel it important to really put it in a context you can understand. To this I provide the following hypothetical example: Lets say you are giving the plumber a hummer as a tip for once again unclogging your toilet because you repeatedly fail to courtesy flush. Your neighbor has a quad copter and is curious why the plumber's van shows up so often for 15 minutes at a time. Your neighbor decides to have a look see using the quad copter. While giving that hummer to the plumber you notice a quad copter peeping through the window. Possibly recording your tip to the plumber. Odds are you are going to want to shoot it down and immediate is not soon enough. Again, hypothetically speaking.

Well this thread took an unexpected turn. Any plumbers care to comment?

How is it not ok for some guy to point high power binoculars into the bedroom window of some teenaged girl/woman. ... but ok for flying a camera up to the same window? Airspace?

As far as R/C plane Vs Drones, I believe many medium to high end drones come with cameras built in.

And as far as shooting them down, many of us live in the city where discharging a fire arm will get you a visit from the Popo.

Which brings me to my new business venture... the anti drone drone!

Gotta ask, what line of work requires a shotgun silencer?

Plumbing!

lol

Paintball gun. And practice rapid fire. Toy vs Toy.

Make a frequency jammer. The more expensive drones will fly home when they lose contact with the transmitter.

What about a pet Falcon or Eagle ? He's eat it alive !

Wrist Rocket. High pressure water hose.