Please stay away from animals and wildlife...

Acroduster · Nov 11, 2015

Drone may have been involved in suspicious death of police horse

Maddog · Nov 11, 2015

What a terrible tragedy- good reminder that animals & drones don't mix.

User Name · Nov 11, 2015

I flew my Solo over a field at about 100-120 feet that had two horses in it, and they paid it no attention at all, but I could definitely see a horse getting spooked if a quadcopter was buzzing them or flying lower and closer.

Wonder how exactly the horse was injured, I assume it may have broken a leg, since you always hear that as being a death sentence for a horse.

Unfortunately, it could have been entirely unintentional on the pilot, if the drone was, in fact, the cause of the incident, but with how crazy people are reacting to anything drone related, I'm not sure I'd blame the pilot if he kept quiet about his involvement.

Maddog · Nov 11, 2015

Unfortunately, it could have been entirely unintentional on the pilot, if the drone was, in fact, the cause of the incident, but with how crazy people are reacting to anything drone related, I'm not sure I'd blame the pilot if he kept quiet about his involvement.

I guess it depends where you stand on taking responsibility for your actions..

Burkeam · Nov 11, 2015

I guess the UK will talk about register uav too

User Name · Nov 11, 2015

Maddog said:
I guess it depends where you stand on taking responsibility for your actions..

Well, if a society wants people to take responsibility for their actions, it needs to ensure they'll be treated fairly when doing so. With the irrational fear and aggression being focused on drones, I'm not sure that can be expected. You have people firing weapons into the air to shoot them out of the sky, the government wanting to track every owner like they're terrorists and the media sensationalizing every incident.

I'm all for people taking responsibility for their actions. I'm also all for society being informed and reasonable. If the latter isn't the case, as I said, I wouldn't necessarily blame someone from not doing the former. Can't expect the one without the other.

LuvMyTJ · Nov 11, 2015

I many US states doing so is illegal and can get you into lots of trouble.

Burkeam · Nov 12, 2015

User Name said:
Well, if a society wants people to take responsibility for their actions, it needs to ensure they'll be treated fairly when doing so. With the irrational fear and aggression being focused on drones, I'm not sure that can be expected. You have people firing weapons into the air to shoot them out of the sky, the government wanting to track every owner like they're terrorists and the media sensationalizing every incident.

I'm all for people taking responsibility for their actions. I'm also all for society being informed and reasonable. If the latter isn't the case, as I said, I wouldn't necessarily blame someone from not doing the former. Can't expect the one without the other.

A issue is people's individual paradigms dictate their responsibility. I suggest most pilots take responsibility regardless of their paradigm. They submit to a different society, they put safety 1st, know and follow the rules and conduct them self professionally while piloting. The masses don't get this and thus the masses shouldn't be as privileged. Ok, this is a shocker to many PC people. I just drove 2.5 hours to get back to my family. I have to say if you aren't aware and disciplined to stay in the right lane except to pass - doesn't matter if it's the law, get your a$$ over to the right. It is right for efficiency of society. 3 lanes of highway and I'm driving in the right lane passing because all the cars are in the center and left lane. WTF. If I described you then please don'e expect to have the same right as pilots and commercial UAS pilots. YOU DON'T GET IT. Being a pilot is a privileged that is earned after hours of studying and investment into yourself. Please fly your drone freely as you wish but you (not you personally but to all as general address) are not a pilot. A pilot understand his/her surroundings, their responsibility and impact on it. Get educated, know the rules, teach others, have fun and become a PILOT mentally.

finally - stay to the right except to pass - end of my rant

User Name · Nov 12, 2015

Burkeam said:
finally - stay to the right except to pass - end of my rant

Let me be clear, I'm not suggesting people not take responsibility for their actions, I just said that I wouldn't necessarily blame someone for not doing so when the prevailing reactions are skewing heavily towards the irrational. And endangering a person is not equal to endangering an animal, unless you're a PETA extremist, of which I personally know several.

Here's an analogy - if you were to hit someone's dog in your car, and you know the owner to be an irrational, aggressive, gun toting lunatic, would your responsibility paradigm still compel you to knock on his door and tell him what happened? And if you chose not to, could the owner justifiably find fault with the unknown person (you) for not doing so, ignoring his own extremist nature?

If a society wants people to take responsibility for their actions, there needs to be an assurance of reason when handling the consequences of one's actions. Currently, we have the legal system allowing people to fire guns blindly into the air to shoot drones out of the sky, to hell with what happens to the bullets that miss. Does that sound like a rational, reasoned reaction to someone flying an RC aircraft?

Burkeam · Nov 12, 2015

User Name said:
Let me be clear, I'm not suggesting people not take responsibility for their actions, I just said that I wouldn't necessarily blame someone for not doing so when the prevailing reactions are skewing heavily towards the irrational. And endangering a person is not equal to endangering an animal, unless you're a PETA extremist, of which I personally know several.

Here's an analogy - if you were to hit someone's dog in your car, and you know the owner to be an irrational, aggressive, gun toting lunatic, would your responsibility paradigm still compel you to knock on his door and tell him what happened? And if you chose not to, could the owner justifiably find fault with the unknown person (you) for not doing so, ignoring his own extremist nature?

If a society wants people to take responsibility for their actions, there needs to be an assurance of reason when handling the consequences of one's actions. Currently, we have the legal system allowing people to fire guns blindly into the air to shoot drones out of the sky, to hell with what happens to the bullets that miss. Does that sound like a rational, reasoned reaction to someone flying an RC aircraft?

Two things
1st an aircraft is not a automobile and the FAA rules state 500' from any person, place or thing. Thus in this context the animal has the same right as a person. Period, it is the law with PETA or not.
2nd. Anyone whom fires a gun at a drone is committing a felony - period. NO ONE is allowed to shoot at an aircraft.

This is my issue. People talk about educating the public about the good of the drone but the majority of the drone operators are clueless to the FAA's role, rules and regulations. The education should come before you fly. The sport is now a disturbing technology in the hands of the masses. The masses don't need to be educated about drone the drone operators need to educate themselves about the rules of aircraft. Because this isn't happening the regulation will be forced on all. It will inconvenience me and the other pilots but not as much as the hobbyist. I welcome the regulation to keep the idiots out of the airspace. Let's keep them on the road where hit dogs.

Maddog · Nov 12, 2015

User Name said:
Well, if a society wants people to take responsibility for their actions, it needs to ensure they'll be treated fairly when doing so. With the irrational fear and aggression being focused on drones, I'm not sure that can be expected. You have people firing weapons into the air to shoot them out of the sky, the government wanting to track every owner like they're terrorists and the media sensationalizing every incident.

I'm all for people taking responsibility for their actions. I'm also all for society being informed and reasonable. If the latter isn't the case, as I said, I wouldn't necessarily blame someone from not doing the former. Can't expect the one without the other.

Very good point- if you think you're going to be lynched, better to be quiet.

User Name · Nov 12, 2015

Burkeam said:
Two things
1st an aircraft is not a automobile and the FAA rules state 500' from any person, place or thing. Thus in this context the animal has the same right as a person. Period, it is the law with PETA or not.

Person, place or thing. Please tell me how one can fly any drone without coming within 500 feet of a person, place or thing. This is what I'm taking about. The rules being put into effect are entirely irrational.

Burkeam said:
Anyone whom fires a gun at a drone is committing a felony - period. NO ONE is allowed to shoot at an aircraft.

You haven't been following the news: Judge rules man had right to shoot down drone over his house - CNET!

Burkeam said:
The education should come before you fly.

No argument there, but it's a different discussion from the interplay between responsibility and the public/legal system's ability to be objective and reasonable.