I'm still a newbie so forgive me if this question seems naive, but it seems to me that there are many, many videos on Youtube that appear to show illegal drone flights - especially flying over people, cars, and houses. Not to mention flying with goggles without a spotter, and over the maximum altitude allowed. Just search youtube for "Drone vs. ..." and you'll see what I mean. I've met a local FPV drone racer and watched him fly with goggles over people, and watched his many videos which show things like flying in major U.S. cities over busy city streets.
Am I missing something? Or do many people fly drones illegally, and even post them on Youtube or elsewhere? If so, does this risk ruining drones for the rest of us that do our best to follow the laws?

Short answer is yes/no.  On youtube look up flights over Los Angeles.  There are people flying drones at Santa Monica Pier (a no fly zone), Downtown (i don't know zone), Beverly Hills, Hollywood blvd, Griffith Park (a no fly zone).  Do they have permits? Don't know.  But i think this does risk ruining drones for the rest of us that do try our best to follow the laws.  If it were my policy I'd make it so that you'd have to have a training, license, and insurance but you can fly anywhere.

I think (here in NL at least) there is a lot of 'almost legal' flying.
Or 'responsible flying' as some want to call it.
So not like over people, or buildings etc. but too close if you live by the law.
Maybe not intentional, since most don't know everything they need to know.

Well there is legislation being put together (internationally) that will require all drone manufacturers to install a permanent electronic signature on every drone made. So these 'wild-west' days may be numbered. With the introduction of U-Space (in Europe) and the licensing of commercial operators with the use of fully autonomous delivery drones, this seems inevitable. https://www.expouav.com/news/lat ... integration-europe/
Plus a conference demo ... - global ambitions ....

Danger Lampost,
It is like news report. You only here about the Bad.

Most of us Drone pilots respect the law. The few who don't are idiots.

Enjoy your drone and fly safely.   

B1houdini Posted at 2018-3-13 13:23
Danger Lampost,
It is like news report. You only here about the Bad.

^This^
*******Edit*********

You will always find that one special idiot ready to break laws and fly illegally or without thinking

B1houdini Posted at 2018-3-13 13:23
Danger Lampost,
It is like news report. You only here about the Bad.

I'm ambivalent, just keeping an eye on what the 'authorities' are cooking up. Personally I prefer that the responsible flyer takes their activities into account and has enough real time info to hand to make the decisions ourselves rather than have the whole airspace effectively being remote controlled by some master controller in an office or even in a server room. What is obvious is that airspace is going to get cluttered in the next few years - for example more of these too ...
The fun could go quite rapidely with this overaching 'control of everything' mentallity - which I should add is a classic rentier ploy to extract money from us all.

I'm sure there are more people who drive their cars illegally than who fly drones illegally.

A CW Posted at 2018-3-13 14:28
I'm sure there are more people who drive their cars illegally than who fly drones illegally.

I'm sure you're right if you talk about total numbers of people. But what would you say about the percent of drone pilots vs car drivers who violate the law? Which group has a greater percentage of people who violate the law? I do not know myself, I'm just asking.

Danger Lampost Posted at 2018-3-13 14:37
I'm sure you're right if you talk about total numbers of people. But what would you say about the percent of drone pilots vs car drivers who violate the law? Which group has a greater percentage of people who violate the law? I do not know myself, I'm just asking.

That can only be assessed by the number of convictions. To my knowledge, there has been 7 convictions related to drone incidents in the United Kingdom - EVER - and no fatalities. I'm sure there are more than 7 motoring convictions here in one hour! An average of 5,000 pedestrians are killed each year in the UK in motor related incidents and 59,000 injuries.

There are hundreds on YouTube in London and in other town/city centres. Idiots most of the time. Obviously there are verified flights but mostly people who just don't give a scoot. Yes, it will help ruin it for the most part but there are that many, it's impossible to catch them all. The authorities would be run off their feet with finding and prosecuting them.