So I had my first negative interaction with the public while flying my H480 today. Went to my usual flying space, a recreation center with soccer fields. I go usually at dusk when no one is there except a jogger or two and maybe a dog walker, now with the fields closed I was able to during the day. But today, the entrances were all blocked off too, so looked for another place. I had noticed a spot along my route that was opposite a housing area, but where I took off from was clear and led to some foothills which I though would be interesting to explore (while maintaining VLOS). Went through 1st battery, was part way into 2nd, and could hear a couple at a nearby ranch talking about the drone. They were fascinated by it and then noticed I was the one controlling. All positive comments.
Then over at the housing area suddenly there is a guy looking over his fence and yelling at me to "Get that **** thing out of here!" He continued yelling that it was bothering his dogs and that I need to leave. Note that I never crossed the street to where the houses were, but only went over the empty strip on my side of the street up to the hillside. He keeps on yelling, so not wanting to be a bad guy, I start flying home to land. Not fast enough for him as he keeps yelling. Note that the guy on the other side at the ranch tells this guy that the area I took off from is actually his property and he has no issue with me flying there. I land and start breaking the drone down to put away when this Tesla Model S pulls up on the street and stops next to where I am off in the dirt. I don't really pay attention as I'm putting away the drone, then he pulls into the dirt and circles around me several times, then stops and rolls down the window and starts yelling again about what am I doing there, etc. I tell him I was just doing some recreational flying and that what I was doing was perfectly legal. He says BS and that he was going to call the cops. I try to explain I'm not doing anything wrong, I do know the FAA rules, but that I did land and am leaving simply because he asked me to. Not good enough. Keeps yelling, takes my picture with his phone, says he's going to post on the neighborhood web site, I'm not moving fast enough, I better not came back there again, yadda, yadda. Total jerk, not willing to talk reasonably, so I finished packing up (but taking my time now) and drove off. Trying to find the community web site to see if he posts something.
Then over at the housing area suddenly there is a guy looking over his fence and yelling at me to "Get that **** thing out of here!" He continued yelling that it was bothering his dogs and that I need to leave. Note that I never crossed the street to where the houses were, but only went over the empty strip on my side of the street up to the hillside. He keeps on yelling, so not wanting to be a bad guy, I start flying home to land. Not fast enough for him as he keeps yelling. Note that the guy on the other side at the ranch tells this guy that the area I took off from is actually his property and he has no issue with me flying there. I land and start breaking the drone down to put away when this Tesla Model S pulls up on the street and stops next to where I am off in the dirt. I don't really pay attention as I'm putting away the drone, then he pulls into the dirt and circles around me several times, then stops and rolls down the window and starts yelling again about what am I doing there, etc. I tell him I was just doing some recreational flying and that what I was doing was perfectly legal. He says BS and that he was going to call the cops. I try to explain I'm not doing anything wrong, I do know the FAA rules, but that I did land and am leaving simply because he asked me to. Not good enough. Keeps yelling, takes my picture with his phone, says he's going to post on the neighborhood web site, I'm not moving fast enough, I better not came back there again, yadda, yadda. Total jerk, not willing to talk reasonably, so I finished packing up (but taking my time now) and drove off. Trying to find the community web site to see if he posts something.
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