Yesterday I was out flying filming a decent size dinner Yacht around sunset. There were other sailboats out there , I was about 10,000 feet out from launch at about 250 feet. Out of no where I hear a coast guard helicopter flying near me . I immediately dropped low down to about 80 feet and just stayed in place. Then I noticed the Coast Guard started circling the boats I was near in a weird diving orbits, almost as if there was an emergency.  I then flew the opposite direction , filmed some surfers for a few minutes and then ended my flight. After I couldn't see the helicopter I started a second flight, returned and landed. As I was driving away after packing up I noticed a police car snooping around the lot. Not sure if it was a regular patrol , or it had something to do with me . So my question is , if I was stopped am I breaking the law in any way. I was under 400 feet, not in a NFZ, definitely more than 5 miles from an airport . I was in a line of sight, I mean it was almost two miles out, but if I really watched it carefully I might have been able to see the phantom (for arguments sake), its black against the white clouds/ sunset and as soon as I noticed the CG heli I got out of the way. I'm registered with the FAA. Am I safe legally? Just Curious for future reference.

Are you in the US?

If so, is your "dinner Yacht" movie commercial (you receive money for it) ?
If so, do you hold a valid pilots license? (required for commercial)
and, if commercial, do you have your 333 exemption?

if it's not commercial, you should be fine..
if it IS commercial, and you have all the required license and exemption then again you should be fine...

if you're flying commercial without the above mentioned items, then you have something to worry about...

JGT

He doesn't say he's filming a commercial.

damienman12 - you're fine.  It's possible someone called and the PD was just checking it out.  Under the circumstances you posted - no problem.  I also wouldn't be too concerned about the CG heli if you yielded to it.  It's highly unlikely it was there because you were.

you're fine bud, the other day i basically followed a CG ship my entire flight...if you're not flying over a base, then they can't do anything about you filming them, take it from a vet 8)

You could have done what I always do before a flight- - -call the Local ATC and inform them of where you will be flying, what height and for how long, and then call them back when you have finished. Common courtesy and it wins load of brownie points.

As I live next door to Culdrose Naval Station, Im always calling them and they are grateful for the calls.
They will also let you know if theres anything in the air nearby or if they want to come by real soon.

Buzz

knupla2 Posted at 2016-4-15 13:47
He doesn't say he's filming a commercial.

damienman12 - you're fine.  It's possible someone called  ...

yes, I realize that he didn't state is was a commercial.. I was asking if it was in fact a "commercial venture"... (I.E. he received money for the photography)

Sorry, should have clarified it a bit more...

Sounds like just coincidence to me. In Florida the Police are always just snooping around, and there are so many different types all doing the same work.

You broke no U.S. or any maritime law so do not think it was related to you unless you were very close to the Yacht, then they could have called the cost guard for suspicious activity.  That would explain the patrol in the parking lot.
Make sure when you are flying to keep a good distance from any vesicles at sea, as they take things very serious and that might be the case for you, but not sure without more details.

Med Flight lands in a field near my house often. When I hear it I drop to around 20 feet and hover till it passes. After that I fly home and land till it takes back off and is out of the area.

I also regularly fly my drone in a rather xx-large community park, very near a local hospital. . .
Their air ambulance landing zone, is less than a couple kilometers away, from mine. ;-)
So I keep it on the down-low and preserve the ability to enjoy my hobby, without infringing on the rights and safety of others.
Showing our Respect, hopefully earns us some respect in return...

RedHotPoker

Most police officers when it comes to drone reports or calls, just respond and pull the 'make their presence known' card. They just show up, chit chat a little bit and get on with their day, since it's not usually a huge deal and they have better things to be doing than harassing a hobbyist lol.

buzzcbr@gmail.c Posted at 2016-4-15 09:37
You could have done what I always do before a flight- - -call the Local ATC and inform them of where ...

I was no where near an airport , or helipad for that matter . Far out of NFZs are you saying to call anytime I fly lol?

JustGoThere Posted at 2016-4-15 13:54
yes, I realize that he didn't state is was a commercial.. I was asking if it was in fact a "commer ...

Yeah, I kinda got that.  It just seemed to me even asking that was bit of a stretch.  Seemed to lean toward a presumption that he might be doing something in violation of FAA guidelines.  

In my business, I see a lot of "presumption of wrongdoing" so I may be a little sensitive to that kind of questioning.