I recently took a vacation trip to Southern Arizona and went to Patagonia lake.  Prior to going, I searched and researched again and again to verify any no fly zones to where I was going to be camping.  There were not any No Fly Zones in my area according to the DJI website. I even confirmed with the main Arizona State Forestry Division office prior to leaving for the trip.  While visiting my family there (takes 3 days to get there), I was able to take some incredible photos, mostly B&W. On my 3rd day of enjoying the camp with my family, I was approached by a Forrest Ranger and was asked if it were a drone.  I educated him, politely but accurately, the difference between a drone and a quadcopter.  He asked if I had a camera on it.  I told him it did.  He said that it was illegal for me to fly since I had a camera on the "drone" (grrrrr.....i HATE that word.).  I invited him to search my photos and to show him that they were infact all innocent.  He reiterated that since it has a camera, it was illegal, and that Arizona has legistlation going through the works to ban any and all "drones".  I told him that I comfirmed with the internet and the main Phoenix office that Quads were legal except Govt area and Federal property.  The Phoenix office even advised me to be sure not to fly within 3-5'ish miles of the border (we were 16 miles from the border).


    He again informed me that cameras were illegal.  I asked him, "Cameras, eh? So EVERYONE here with a DSLR is illegal?"  He had no clue what a DSLR was but I obliged and put the Quad away.   I just wish us, the hobbyist, had legal rights. He had NO RIGHT to tell me to put away my quad.  People who do not understand what something is are usually afraid of it.




Michael
Phantom 3 Pro

If you ask for proof that you are in violation of the law, they are obligated to show you that proof. Of which I am assuming that he would not be able to find. At least that is how it works with normal police officers...

Jkeller84 Posted at 2015-7-25 05:21
If you ask for proof that you are in violation of the law, they are obligated to show you that proof ...

I did ask for a Legislation number and all he could provide me was the main office in Phoenix, which I already called prior to the trip.  I told him that and well.....when you're the king of your castle, you make the rules.  I was going to argue with him but where would that of taken me.  Rather than make the Hobby and DJI look bad, I just bit my tongue and let him feel like he was the prize of the camp grounds.

Interesting, my Son just moved to Mesa and we are planning to go visit in a couple weeks. I'm taking my P3P and plan on flying every chance I get along the way there and back with much flight time planned in the Mesa and surrounding area. My thing is to fly until asked not to and then (using discretion) question weather I am in violation or not ( ie. move to another location). I usually look around to see who's around before I fly and assess if it may be a problem. I don't want to intentionally bring on problems.

Drone are banned from all federal public parks.

If you where in one, it is illegal. You sure it isn't one?

suqsid.bobmail Posted at 2015-7-25 07:02
Drone are banned from all federal public parks.

If you where in one, it is illegal. You sure it isn ...

That is actually incorrect information. Drones are not banned from all parks. National Parks will not let you launch from their property, but you can fly into and out of National Parks and not be in any jeopardy, as long as you don't take off or land in one of the parks.
State and local parks could be different, and airport surroundings are of course off limits for flying, which makes perfect sense.

P3PO Posted at 2015-7-25 06:04
Interesting, my Son just moved to Mesa and we are planning to go visit in a couple weeks. I'm taking ...

Plan on being quick and fly high to avoid sound pollution, and make sure you don't have on lookers as they will report you right away to the park ranger and from then on its a headache.

Arizona has legistlation going through the works to ban any and all "drones"

Legislation "going through the works" is not a law. How hard is it to find LEOs that know the laws they are enforcing. I see this type of stuff all the time. If they don't like something, suddenly there's a law against it that they have no proof of.

This location is on no no-fly zones I can find (see image). Sounds like yet another official acting out of inference rather than fact.

people are afraid of what they dont understand. ie flyaways. im terrified!

thanks to the media and other fear mongers, they have poisoned the ignorant………I have contemplated selling my Ps, then I think, Bull$hit !!, I refuse to be bullied !! And then there is the double standard, i.e., to hone my skills I occasionally fly in my local athletic complex, comprised of 3 baseball fields, soccer field, a football field and a half mile asphalt walking path, needless to say it's a huge open area and I do this when there is barely a person to be seen , yet I am approached with condemnation…….Yet at the towns thursday nights party in the park concerts another gentleman flies over the crowd of a thousand and people think thats cool and the police do nothing.

Photography is not illegal in the USA yet.  (Neither are Quad Copters.)

In the USA we do have laws that protect your right to take photographs.

Here is a helpful PDF explaining photographers rights in the USA.    http://www.krages.com/ThePhotographersRight.pdf

Fulgerite Posted at 2015-7-26 01:06
Photography is not illegal in the USA yet.  (Neither are Quad Copters.)

In the USA we do have laws  ...

Thanks for the link.  Sometimes knowing your rights makes it a bit easier to be a goodwill ambassador for the Phantom.  An informed position and a smile are nice tools when dealing with the less well informed.

Ummmm...There is no pending "drone" legislation in the Arizona State Legislature at this time. Nothing at all, per azleg dot gov /bills.asp bills search.
On the other hand, Phoenix and Paradise Valley are considering some drone privacy ordinances. Story here.

Bottom line: Ranger was talking out of his ...something or other. But you did the right thing, of course.

Oh, and you are correct in the thread title. We tend to fear what we don't understand ... and then hate what we fear. The answer: Education...I guess.

suqsid.bobmail Posted at 2015-7-25 07:02
Drone are banned from all federal public parks.

If you where in one, it is illegal. You sure it isn ...

After reading my post, I guess I really didn't make it clear.  It was a State park.  Patagonia State Park and Camp grounds.

Here is the only thing I could find that remotely (Ha - No pun) could be cited by the Ranger - AZ State Park Rules and Regs...noise? Now there IS a section about Pets, and one regarding Weapons...I guess our P3's could be regarded as either, depending on your point of view.

R12-8-124. Disorderly Conduct
    An individual shall not engage in disorderly conduct within a state park.
    Within a state park, an individual shall not knowingly disturb the peace of an area or another individual, make unreasonable noise, engage in violent behavior, use provocative language or gestures, or recklessly handle, display, or discharge a deadly weapon or dangerous instrument.
    An individual shall not use a loudspeaker in a state park without first obtaining from the Director a special use permit that authorizes the use of a loudspeaker.

It is published on the AZ State Park pages here.

I live in Australia and often get ignorant comments leveled at me by passers by. This is despite trying to be unobtrusive when I fly and respecting the local laws (which are still a bit knee-jerk). Thankfully, I have not yet been approached by any officialdom. Anyway, here selection of some ignorant comments;

1. "Who you gona spy on?"
2. "They use those to spy on girls in bikinis, don't they?"
3. "They should be BANNED!"

The first comment was made as I was setting up, before I'd taken off (obviously). So, I explained that there was fair warning (via the noise) that the quad copter was nearby, so spying was not really possible. The second comment is quite common as there has been some negative media reports about supposed "spying" on beach-goers. To that I usually explain that it would most likely be easier to walk down the beach with a mobile phone taking pictures than use a quad copter. After all, there is the noise and the lack of any zoom. The last comment was just from an extremely ill-informed and grumpy old woman walking past. I just shook my head at her total lack of understanding.

Anyway, we all need to ensure we are responsible, respectful and courteous when we are presented with opportunities to educate the general public. We cannot help but attract attention, so let's make it positive.

motoscoddie Posted at 2015-7-26 10:12
I live in Australia and often get ignorant comments leveled at me by passers by. This is despite try ...

I agree, Moto.  And I agree with many on this forum.  I do recall informing the Ranger that there were no zoom on the camera and *if* I were to take a photo of a young lady on the beach area of the lake, I would have to be 5-7 meters above her.   Yea, I can imagine her staying still when the sound of a "swarm of bees" is right above her.

I've learned a lot from this forum and I appreciate all that has posted.  Thank you all  

I was asked to leave the stockyards yesterday afternoon because a ranch hand saw the quad nearby.  I was taking pics of the train station and he said he was prep'ing to move some cattle nearby and he just knew it would spook them.  I was happy to oblige and bring it down ... to which I was confronted with the whole "this whole area is a no-fly zone" speech.  Of course, it is not and he was wrong.  I opt'd to just remain kind and let them know the bird was coming down so they could tend to their business but part of me wanted to inform them that they had no idea what they were talking about.  I'm actually pretty sure they knew that neither of them knew the laws but I let them have the power kick and respectfully left the area altogether.  Ignorance is bliss I suppose.