fans591b215d
lvl.4
Flight distance : 112451 ft
United States
Offline
|
So it was a beautiful fall day today. I got off of work early and decided to go flying. I had an appointment at 6 PM at a building that is for all intents rural, but still within city limits. The building has about 3 houses to one side and another dozen or so in the other adjacent square mile of land. I was flying for about 30 minutes when a woman came up to me and said,
"So, you're the drone guy!"
"Yes", I said
"Well we live out here for privacy and we don't like you flying over our house taking pictures."
"I'm not taking pictures of your house or property", I said
"Well, you are just being rude!" and she walked away screaming to a group of neighbors who had assembled in the building's parking lot, "I found him, he's over here."
Then another guy comes up to me and said, "Are you with the county?"
"No", I said.
"Well, we don't want you around, so it's time to pack up and go somewhere else; and by the way the guy down the road said he was ready to shoot your drone with a shotgun. Why don't you go down to the river and fly there?"
"I have and was asked to leave there, too.", I said.
I landed and packed up, while this assembled group looked on. Because I had a reason to be in that area and on that property, I didn't go to my vehicle. I figured it would be my luck that someone would be pissed enough to take action against me by doing damage to my vehicle or stealing my bird. Instead I took the bird in the building and went to my meeting.
Now here are the facts of my flights.
1. I didn't have permission from the property owner to fly from this point. Technically the property is owned by a company and the building's primary use is for union and community meetings. I was attending a meeting here, but I was in the wrong and I took a chance.
2. I ascended from the airspace of the property to a cruising height of 200'+ and flew out from this point away from the small cluster of houses, but near some of the stand alone houses, so in that regard I was probably wrong too.
3. At no time did I descend below 200' except when I came to a hover and descended straight down to my Home Point.
4. At no time did I hover over a house or point my camera straight down.
5. When asked to pack up and move on, I did without complaining or talking back.
I guess I'm growing more and more frustrated with this hobby. It's not fun anymore. I live in an outer ring suburb and have had the police called when I flew on/above my own propert and in a public park for the reasons of invasion of privacy of the public who were in the area. Both times I grounded my bird without hesitation or argument. Anywhere I go around my area I will be flying near the public. In order to fly legally, I guess I will have to find a farmer and get permission to take pictures of his corn.
Even if I do everything by the letter of the law, I do not want anymore contacts with police or angry people.
I would be interested in the community's thoughts on this.
Thanks
Chris
|
|