So, someone called the cops on me today

[nexxypoo]

Man, you guys really put the work on our team in this thread, right @rrmccabe ? 15 posts deleted and counting.

But seriously, let's get back on topic please. After-all, we should be celebrating 2,000 members!

I was only defending myself, but fair enough.
Glad someone is monitoring.
Thanks!

 

[User Name]

My experience of flying in public parks is that you end up with people coming to talk to you.

Same here. I'm sure it'll happen at some point, but I've experienced no confrontational attitudes so far. Twice while at random locations, I've had people come over, genuinely interested, to ask me about the Solo. And once at the local school, I had the staff watching from an open doorway and wave to me when I noticed them. On that occasion, I was dropping a small parachute for my son to catch.

In the end, we are the ones who stand to loose from a negative public perception, so it's worth the effort to remain calm and courteous, even when faced with an initially negative reaction.

 

[Acroduster]

I filmed my kids' school's fair a few weeks ago. In preparation, I informed the principal, fair director, fair ride manager, and security. Each time I flew (twice a day for 3 days), someone went to one of the cops to complain. Having spoken to them first, they were on my side and calmed everybody down. I was never actually approached as I was "out of bounds" of the fair guard rails and I kept the bird there as well.

 

[SkidKidz]

Try Keiser park over by Mark Twain HS plenty of open space there as I remember.

 

[Chip Luck]

Same here. I'm sure it'll happen at some point, but I've experienced no confrontational attitudes so far. Twice while at random locations, I've had people come over, genuinely interested, to ask me about the Solo. And once at the local school, I had the staff watching from an open doorway and wave to me when I noticed them. On that occasion, I was dropping a small parachute for my son to catch.

In the end, we are the ones who stand to loose from a negative public perception, so it's worth the effort to remain calm and courteous, even when faced with an initially negative reaction.

Like mentioned in my previous post, the lady that came up to my Jeep and shut the tailgate to take a picture of my license plate... I would up introducing myself, then and her 3 young sons came over, and let them hold Solo, then took it for another flight. I made a new friend (her husband owns a P3). We represent our hobby/profession and when flying in public, I wear decent clothes - to look semi-professional. It all helps us out in the long run.

Cheers

 

[EyeWingsuit]

Remember that if you have an attitude, you'll almost definitely get one back. The "offended" party is going to almost always be seen as "right" because drones are a change in our society. Educate as best you can. Be very observant of the rules, recommendations, and laws. In my home places (Dana Point, CA and Toronto, Ontario), it is illegal to fly a drone (or any other RC device) in a public park. School football fields, approved private property, etc are generally fair game.

But, being nice, respectful, and transparent are our best tools in the community. One never knows when you'll meet that busybody who will make it their life mission to shut down aerial cameras in their area.

 

[Chip Luck]

Remember that if you have an attitude, you'll almost definitely get one back. The "offended" party is going to almost always be seen as "right" because drones are a change in our society. Educate as best you can. Be very observant of the rules, recommendations, and laws. In my home places (Dana Point, CA and Toronto, Ontario), it is illegal to fly a drone (or any other RC device) in a public park. School football fields, approved private property, etc are generally fair game.

But, being nice, respectful, and transparent are our best tools in the community. One never knows when you'll meet that busybody who will make it their life mission to shut down aerial cameras in their area.

Agreed, well said and a good statement. We ALL have to professionally represent our UAS/drone use. Don't go out in public with you underwear hanging out and crash into the nearest object... that would not look too good. Wear something that is semi-presentable, be professional in attitude, and polite - for all of our sake and we will make a good public impression.

Cheers

 

[DevRogue]

that's just another reason why i carry my solo in a cooler. as inconspicuous as it can get vs a giant 3DR solo backpack or pelican case. View media item 23

 

[Koz]

Why'd it take him 41 attempts to pull out his wallet?

+1

I was thinking the same thing

 

[AUsome]

This is in NY/Brooklyn.

I try to keep all police contact to a minimum and zero if I can.

They shot some guy for trying to pull out his wallet 41 times.

Imagine what they would do to someone with a drone.

So, I guess if he had only pulled it out 40 times, they wouldn't have shot him. There you go folks, NEVER, EVER pull out your wallet 41 times or you will be shot once.

 

[DattaGroover]

Was flying at sunset at the park.

There werent that many people at the park.

I was flying out over the water and not over anyone on the grass. Just trying to get a shot of the sunset.

I only have the one battery (only had the Solo for 5 days).

By the time I started breaking it down a cop car rolled down the street. I knew it was because of me. I broke it down as fast as I could (I am carrying it on my back in the original case in an Ikea bag).

They parked and started walking into the park scanning the people and looking for the flyer.

I looped the handles of the Ikea bag over my shoulders and got on my bike and rolled out of there.

I think someone pointed me out in the park as I left, but I just kept going and hit a few turns until I was out.

WTF!

I was flying on the Oregon Coast (over the water) and I got some shots of a lighthouse (in the video later I see some people running to the Ranger Hut). Note this is NOT a national park.

10 minutes or so later I was flying at a nearby river, and a ranger walked up to me and said that someone had called Fish & Wildlife on me saying I was disturbing the seagulls. She said they are on the way (F&W, not the seagulls) and they will give me a $500 fine which I can later contest in court but if she were me, she'd pack up and leave. I did, and the F & W was just pulling in as I was pulling out. Close call!

Sometimes quietly leaving is the best option, though I agree with the others here, that if you aren't breaking any rules (or otherwise warned) staying around and talking to the cops is usually the best thing.

The video is the one titled "Oregon Coast & Inland" on this page:
Just for fun - Awaken Your Impact The lighthouse sequence starts at 2:12

 

[DattaGroover]

Lets keep it civil. Debate is fine but calling members idiots is uncalled for.

+1

 

[DattaGroover]

Yeah, you probably should have stuck around. Unless there is some local regulation and you weren't buzzing the people you did nothing wrong. From my experience people are very accepting of drones and find them fascinating. Hopefully the cop educated them.

I had an experience in The Netherlands when flying my drone next to a canal. This cop came up on a high-speed police boat, and started chatting about drones (I had already landed). He knew about everything there is to know about drones, including all the latest models, technologies, etc.

He also casually mentioned to me that it is illegal to fly drones in ANY cities in the Netherlands. He also said that flying over 20 meters in the air means exponential fines. I didn't tell him that I had been over one of the main canals in Haarlem (not over people) at about 150 meters earlier that day. He was cool, but some things are better left unsaid.

 

[User Name]

in the video later I see some people running to the Ranger Hut...

This is frustrating. A handful of people have unfortunately done stupid things with their drones, but the media has sensationalized these events so much that we now have average people tripping over themselves to call the authorities any time they see a drone, regardless of whether it's operator is doing anything wrong.

Disturbing seagulls? Are you serious? Next they'll claim your harassing oxygen molecules.

I'd love to see one of these false alarm raisers be dragged into court for harassment/lying when someone's video clearly shows they weren't doing what these people reported to the authorities.

 

[EyeWingsuit]

It would be difficult to agree with the assertion of "a handful of people" doing stupid things. And yes...they're sensationalized. That's usually what happens when stupid things people do hit the media. An infant needing stitches due to a prop slicing her head open is hardly "sensationalized," however. It's a tragedy that was a narrow miss of something worse. While it's been proven the FAA has misclassified many of the 700 drone sightings by aircraft pilots too. However, all it'll take is one drone in one engine downing one aircraft and we'll be done.

Frustrating or not, drone owners must work together with the public until they have a better understanding. This isn't terribly different than when the auto hit the streets, or aircraft started flying over houses. It'll take time until drones are considered "normal." Until then we have to coddle the public, work with the FAA, offer suggestions and solutions vs complaining and wanting to fight.

It's all about the perceptions, not the realities, as with most things in life.

 

[Arthur Burke - N4PJ]

My experience of flying in public parks is that you end up with people coming to talk to you. If you take a look at my video here:

To view this content we will need your consent to set third party cookies.
For more detailed information, see our cookies page.

Accept third party cookies

At 1m24s you can see two figures on the ground centre who turned out to be an elderly couple absolutely fascinated with drones. Spent quite a while talking with them.

Just a few days ago, I was attempting to catch the world's only flying Vulcan bomber, XH558, in the air from the air on its last UK tour. Results not great (

To view this content we will need your consent to set third party cookies.
For more detailed information, see our cookies page.

Accept third party cookies

) but a gentleman wandered over the talk to me as he was learning to fly racing drones.

I fly often in a local public park - mostly in the early mornings and later afternoons. I particularly favor early mornings - schools are already in session. I see lots of photographers and a few people fishing. There is an abundance of herons, egrets, osprey and sometimes there are bald eagles.

The other photographers are often interested in what I have and what I'm doing. Per most of the conversations I've had with them, they just see me as another photographer. I take pains to avoid calling it a drone and call it by name (whether it's my Phantom, Chroma or Blade) and make sure everyone realizes I'm not racing anyone - I stress that it's a camera platform.

 

[User Name]

It would be difficult to agree with the assertion of "a handful of people" doing stupid things

The number of people doing stupid things as a fraction of the number of people not. With how many quadcopters/drones are being sold annually, the number of people doing stupid things is unarguably very small. If it wasn't, there would be hundreds, if not thousands, of incidents each year, not a dozen or so.

And by sensationalizing, I'm referring to the fact that we have hundreds of media sources, not 3 or 4 (nbc, cbs, abc, etc.) as was the case in years past. The result is that each event gets multiplied making the general topic seem more prevalent. Sure, some idiot slicing up a baby's head is pretty serious. Someone finding a sunbathing monk on the top of a windmill they happened to be filming was not, yet it was national news.

I agree that it's just going to take time until people accept these thing's presence. As far as working with the public, it's going to be difficult when they can start from such an aggressive, confrontational manner, which is why I wonder if pursue action against someone making false statements to the authorities might make people think twice before calling the police. In this case, if the person called fish and wildlife claiming the operator was harassing seagulls, and the recorded video clearly shows they were not, there should be consequences for the person making false statements. You can't make false statements to the police without repercussions, and this should be no different.

 

[DattaGroover]

This is frustrating. A handful of people have unfortunately done stupid things with their drones, but the media has sensationalized these events so much that we now have average people tripping over themselves to call the authorities any time they see a drone, regardless of whether it's operator is doing anything wrong.

Disturbing seagulls? Are you serious? Next they'll claim your harassing oxygen molecules.

I'd love to see one of these false alarm raisers be dragged into court for harassment/lying when someone's video clearly shows they weren't doing what these people reported to the authorities.

I think they were aware of the loophole they could use when they want to get someone in a lot of trouble. The ranger told be they were the lighthouse keepers, so they understand the game all too well.

 

[DattaGroover]

that's just another reason why i carry my solo in a cooler. as inconspicuous as it can get vs a giant 3DR solo backpack or pelican case. View media item 23

Smart idea.