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Privacy violation arguments about drones

and if you show the firearm you are conceal carrying that's called brandishing and that's illegal and will get your CCW pulled.
I never said I was concealing the weapon .. I said "conceal-carry" State ... in other words you are allowed to have a firearm attached to your waist in public ... I never stated hiding it and pulling it out in someone's face although that could be fun if someone runs up to you yelling about privacy laws ... let's have a debate on state gun laws instead of discussing drones .. good lord
 
Hey guys - keep this on topic or we'll need to close this thread. Obviously things can get ugly quickly when when discussing firearms, right to carry, open vs concealed, etc... Several users have already been warned.
 
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Whilst this privacy issue has happened to me whilst flying about six months ago this was also a woman complaining about flying near her house, I landed my craft and got the CAA rules on uav's out of my case and pointed out that I had been flying well within the CAA rules on distances away from buildings and people, and that if I wanted to spy on her or her house I would have to fly into her garden or be outside her window even then the cameras fitted to our drones are not surveillance cameras, she calmed down a bit and walk off since this isolated incident I've not had any further trouble from her or anyone else.

I've found that its better to engage in conversation with the general public that are showing a interest in what you are doing, and I let them look through my fat shark goggles or view the ST16 screen whatever I'm flying, I feel this goes a long way to securing our hobby is trouble free and leaving general public with no concerns, whilst you may not win everyone over it most certainly helps.
 
Where are you located? In the states the FAA has rules set. I would just rattle off these FAA rules to anyone like that. Can't fly over people. can't fly over private property. Can't fly above 400ft. Must stay in line of sight etc. Making sure you're adhering to them let them know if they don't like these FAA guidelines they are more than welcome to write their congressman or senator and make suggestions.
Here is the FAA page: Airspace Restrictions Not seeing anything about private property. If flying in airspace above private property, that space would not seem to be owned by the land owner, at least in the US. Aircraft fly over private property, all day, every day, without the permission of the land owners below them.
 
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In about 2005 I was involved in a lawsuit where the owner claimed airspace rights with regard to RC flying models and the court did not establish a height limit, instead stating the homeowner had a right to the reasonable use of airspace over their property. That same court made mention of things like public nuisance and disturbing the peace and laws against trespass as means to obtain redress by the property owner. A federal case around 1949 stated property owners have rights to airspace over their property but also did not establish how much airspace. That suit was with regard to military over flights of an individual's property. So a property owner has airspace rights but where they end has never been established. The FAA claims control over all navigable airspace.

Something we need to consider is that our desire to fly does not supersede a homeowner's or anybody else's rights. We have a right to the pursuit of happiness but we do not have a right to fly. We have the ability to fly but that's a different thing. Terms like fair and reasonable come into what we want to do, along with things like courtesy and respect. If we operate keeping those things in mind we'll do well most of the time. There will always be someone that objects to any and every thing, especially things they don't understand but we should be noting the number of communities that are banning use of our toys because of the irresponsible actions of people doing what we do. The FAA left the door open in Part 107 for local communities to pass rules regulating low level airspace use over their communities. That was a first because up to then the FAA made it clear than nobody could pass laws governing airspace use but them.

Those that have a selfish "it's all about me and what I want to do" attitude will end up being the cause for closing flight activities in a great many areas across this country. RC flight operations have been around a long time but until the introduction of multirotors there was not much of a problem with over flights of people's property or looking over fences to see and film into places others did not belong. Agreed, most RC flying fields were moved away from the more populated areas of communities a long time ago as populations increased and the desire for more common recreational and residential areas increased. but RC was otherwise pretty much left alone. We are bringing this onto ourselves.
 
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Hey guys - keep this on topic or we'll need to close this thread. Obviously things can get ugly quickly when when discussing firearms, right to carry, open vs concealed, etc... Several users have already been warned.
Agreed!
 
Now you know why some people want long range control. In some areas were you are allowed to fly total 100% legal. you get harassed. So people do want to take picture and video with their drone of that area. Their only option is to takeoff some where no one is at and fly to the place they want to take pictures. Yes you end up going out of LOS because people will harass you if you there 100% legal. Some people don't want to hear that is legal. They want you out.
 
When I have mine following me on my mountain bike over the cliffs, people love it and video the H with their iPhones lol... perhaps because it looks so weird... I usually go past them screaming 'they are here... run'......
 
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When I have mine following me on my mountain bike over the cliffs, people love it and video the H with their iPhones lol... perhaps because it looks so weird... I usually go past them screaming 'they are here... run'......
That's awesome ...I'll have to use that sometime ..
 
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When I have mine following me on my mountain bike over the cliffs, people love it and video the H with their iPhones lol... perhaps because it looks so weird... I usually go past them screaming 'they are here... run'......
LOL that is funny. I need to remember that and say the same thing one day.
 
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Yesterday I was flying the H over a lake in a public park within a residential neighborhood. A passer-by made some snarky comments about me violating people's privacy. He was jerk about it. I didn't want to get into a discussion with him because he looks like one of the guys how would get angry and worst case might break the drone! There are some homes very close to the lake and I try to avoid flying over people and the drone is pretty high up even sometimes at the max of 400 feet.

What do you guys do or say if you encounter a similar situation or if someone comes towards you asking you not to fly the drone or stop any kind of recording? You're in a public park not flying over anyone or if someone claims he lives near by.

What are our rights?
Most people don't have a clue what their rights are. We Do Not own the air above us only our government has that privilege. Arguing with ignorance is futile and that is exactly what numbnuts what us to do. Don't play their game, more importantly be safe some people are prone to violence and it doesn't take much to set them off in your direction. Tell the u r not recording but rather just flying and trying out new maneuvers for upcoming competition. A white lie is better than a mindless void ruining your day, or you,or your aircraft.
 
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Can't fly over private property is vague. Directly above the house? How far above a house? When the drone is in the sky, it's above a bunch of private homes if you're flying it in a residential area... unless an FAA rule prohibits it.
Not really vague. If your camera falls off will it land on private property. If it will it's illegal. If it's above a bunch of homes it's not legal. What lawyers have said is if you need to fly over private property you must get written permission from any property owner you may fly over. This is for commercial use. I'm not sure if these rules apply with hobby use. As for how far above a house. In the US we can only fly up to 400ft. However, for all commercial use all 400 of those feet need permission to fly over private property. Yea, these rules are oddly critical but I assume it's to keep these icky people from complaining daily and labeling anyone with a UAV as a spying perv.
 
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Yesterday I was flying the H over a lake in a public park within a residential neighborhood. A passer-by made some snarky comments about me violating people's privacy. He was jerk about it. I didn't want to get into a discussion with him because he looks like one of the guys how would get angry and worst case might break the drone! TheScreen Shot 2016-08-06 at 11.45.38 AM.png re are some homes very close to the lake and I try to avoid flying over people and the drone is pretty high up even sometimes at the max of 400 feet.

What do you guys do or say if you encounter a similar situation or if someone comes towards you asking you not to fly the drone or stop any kind of recording? You're in a public park not flying over anyone or if someone claims he lives near by.

What are our rights?
Go to Bert P. Krages - Attorney at Law It goes over "The Photographers Right" It has a whole bunch if information in 1 page that you can print off & give to those people who don't know where their rights stop & ours as photographers start. It is worth your time to check it out.
Hope that helps???
 
I had a guy come over to the park and tell me I had flown over his house and his wife saw it and got mad which in turn caused him to get mad so he had to come say something.
Guy-" hey man, you flew over my house, thats a major privacy invasion!"
Me- "really? did i?"

Now I did in fact fly over his house but, I was 225 feet above it and traveling at roughly 28mph. I was trying out the Orbit mode and how far it could orbit around me.

Guy- "Yes you did and I my wife and I don't appreciate being spied on! you need to leave this park"
Me- "ok i hear what you're saying but do you have a moment to see what the footage actually looks like? I want to show you that there is no way I could be "spying" on you"

Luckily I had my laptop with me so I popped the card into it and showed him on the screen, I paused it at where I thought his house would be in frame and asked him to identify his house for me. Picture a residential block with about 10 houses in frame with the camera looking more towards the horizon than down at the houses.
At this point the guy took a moment to identify his house.

Me-is your wife sitting outside right now?"
Guy-"yes"
Me-"do you see anyone in your backyard?"
Guy-"no"
Me-"can you even see a chair in your backyard?"
Guy-"no"

At this point I can tell he's irritated because I'm making him look stupid in front of the people I'm with.
So I politely say to him: "if you see a drone traveling above your house at roof level or low and slow by all means think that someone is up to no good. But if next time you see me here and see the drone flying way above your house and at a decent rate of speed don't come bother me and tell me i'm invading your privacy, what's stopping me from mounting a go pro on my selfie stick and hiding behind your fence to spy on you?"
He couldn't say anything else and that was it.

Now before you jump on me about flying over houses, yes I know i was in the wrong. that's why I flew back to park area and that's how he found me.
But my point of the story is people who see a drone and automatically assume they're being spied on. Thanks to media and all that. But they fail to realize everyone is walking around with a very small HD camera in their pocket these days. It's called a cell phone.
Just my two cents.
 
I was out today at the new APPLE CAMPUS in Cupertino California. I was on my second battery when I noticed two security guard approaching me. I asked if there was anything wrong and they said I could not fly over the APPLE construction site, I was very polite and said APPLE does not own the air space and that I am allowed to fly here. They took my license plate number down and then asked me for my Id I said absolutely not I am not doing anything wrong and please stop bothering me while I have my drone up in the air. They did not back down and waited for me to land and told me I was on private property and had to leave.
 
I was out today at the new APPLE CAMPUS in Cupertino California. I was on my second battery when I noticed two security guard approaching me. I asked if there was anything wrong and they said I could not fly over the APPLE construction site, I was very polite and said APPLE does not own the air space and that I am allowed to fly here. They took my license plate number down and then asked me for my Id I said absolutely not I am not doing anything wrong and please stop bothering me while I have my drone up in the air. They did not back down and waited for me to land and told me I was on private property and had to leave.


According to the supreme court property rights extend to between 83 feet and 500 feet above ground and considering that you are less than 2 miles as the crow flies from San Jose airport you could either be busted for trespassing or an airspace violation so I'd be a little more careful and a lot less smug
 
Article in sUAS News the other day about a media type flying a DJI whatever over the Apple campus. He'd done this a few times before. This time he was warned by security but continued to fly. A very short time later his DJI whatever flew off and dumped itself in the water. Take from that what you will, but Apple IS a tech giant. According to the media guy, DJI cannot figure out why his copter flew away for a permanent dunkin'.
 
Really .....
Article in sUAS News the other day about a media type flying a DJI whatever over the Apple campus. He'd done this a few times before. This time he was warned by security but continued to fly. A very short time later his DJI whatever flew off and dumped itself in the water. Take from that what you will, but Apple IS a tech giant. According to the media guy, DJI cannot figure out why his copter flew away for a permanent dunkin'.
Where did you read this........lol "A very short time later his DJI whatever flew off and dumped itself in the water."
 
If you are on your property you can carry a fire arm in the open, I have never done this but seen it and I would not go up and piss this person off just saying.
 

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