can people ban drones?

[Koz]

There may be a few things you can do here. The first is to invite the apartment manager outside so you can give a demonstration. Show them exactly what the camera sees, how close you need to be to something or a person to see details, and the fact that the camera does not zoom. Be sure to point out how noisy it is when it's near the ground and that there is no way you can sneak up on everybody.

Then pull out your cell phone and show how much you can zoom in on a neighbor's window. Next, pull out a "real" camera (digital, SLR) and show how much you can zoom in on windows and people in the parking lot. Point out that compared to a noisy drone with no zoom there's no invasion of privacy like someone with a camera sitting in their apartment looking through a window or out on their balcony.

Last, offer to give them some free aerial photos or video of the complex. The next time the apartment complex has a picnic or outdoor function offer to bring the drone and take a group photo for the newsletter.

Some people will always be afraid of this technology. But it's almost impossible to reason with anyone on this subject unless you take the time to show them what it's all about.

 

[BigAl07]

Here's a pretty good video link that everyone should have handy

 

[hamptodm]

This, filed under dumbest statement (edit: demand) made on this forum.

yea i wasn't sure if he was calling drone flying a profession or saying that he was also an EMT, regardless a rude comment

 

[hamptodm]

Someone complained last week that they went to join an AMA sanctioned flying club but were asked to fly a circle and a figure 8 (common moves to prove you can follow a flight pattern, control your aircraft, and hopefully stay out of the way of other pilots), but he was unable to do either. He commented that the Phantoms were "linear flyers" and not meant to fly a circle or figure 8. A few other pilots chimed in with their agreement.
It still leaves me speechless that there are pilots that not only can't maneuver a simple circle pattern, but think that our drones can't fly such a pattern.
IMO such pilots are potentially dangerous. We all need to know how to control and maneuver our drones under any and all circumstances. I can't think of a better or safer place to hone these skills than at an AMA sanctioned flying field.

Yea I've only had it a few days and a smooth circle and figure 8 is definetly doable.

 

[hamptodm]

Pretty sure you didn't read your lease when you moved it... 99% don't. But I guarantee you that in your lease, it states that they can serve you a 30 day notice to vacate without cause. My wife's a district property manager for several apartment complexes.. she knows a dozen legal ways to evict you easily.... and quickly. She laughed when I read the OP's post ... "I'd have him gone... just like that" *snaps finger.

You live in an apartment community... just play nice.

yea i wasn't aware. I am no lawyer, just seemed pretty scummy and not legal for someone to do such a thing.

 

[hamptodm]

There may be a few things you can do here. The first is to invite the apartment manager outside so you can give a demonstration. Show them exactly what the camera sees, how close you need to be to something or a person to see details, and the fact that the camera does not zoom. Be sure to point out how noisy it is when it's near the ground and that there is no way you can sneak up on everybody.

Then pull out your cell phone and show how much you can zoom in on a neighbor's window. Next, pull out a "real" camera (digital, SLR) and show how much you can zoom in on windows and people in the parking lot. Point out that compared to a noisy drone with no zoom there's no invasion of privacy like someone with a camera sitting in their apartment looking through a window or out on their balcony.

Last, offer to give them some free aerial photos or video of the complex. The next time the apartment complex has a picnic or outdoor function offer to bring the drone and take a group photo for the newsletter.

Some people will always be afraid of this technology. But it's almost impossible to reason with anyone on this subject unless you take the time to show them what it's all about.

best advice I've seen thus far. thank you very much

 

[Stile2112]

yea i wasn't aware. I am no lawyer, just seemed pretty scummy and not legal for someone to do such a thing.

As i said, you live in an apartment community. The greater good outweighs those who would upset the balance. You don't live on public property.. you pay rent to live on someone else's private property and as such, you abide by their rules.

Just do the right thing and don't fly around your apartments.

 

[Simonb3526]

Nothing in my lease to say I can't dance in the lift in a pair of pink speedos with a swastika painted on my chest. But I don't do it. Shared living means shared thinking. Get a house with a garden and job done. Be the hated on in the block and your spend your time Being the pervi drone guy. How many times will it be interesting flying from your flat? Get out there. Explore and share.

 

[bschaub]

Folks are afraid of unknown and this fear is reinforced by the media. I have invited folks to a demonstration. This worked well. Once you get a few informed friends life will be easier. I fly away from people. Much more compelling video. BTW, the other day a seagull brought my P3pro down. Glad I was not around people.

 

[cdusher]

They may well be able to tell you not to fly "from" their property" as due national parks, but as far as I'm aware "over" the property is a different matter.
I simply would not do it.

 

[zibj1]

Apartments are privately owned. They can create any reasonable rules. They have to adress complain from others. And they can tell you not to fly on their property.

 

[crash34]

We have camera's all over the place in cars,work,shopping,and on the streets. I have not had any problems with anyone yet. I hope I never do. People need to realize 99% of us that fly drones do not want to see what they are doing or fly over thier property and invade thier privacy.

 

[4kskyguy]

pretty simple solution "don't fly there" go someplace else. Also did you ever think to show the video to them to show your not putting face in it. Mostly if you show the video of what you filming they will relax. I film near a mobile home park that is in Vegas. And boy are people paranoid but curious - I let them come over and see I'm filming the lights of Vegas on my monitor and they get a real kick out of it. NOT THIER HOMES !
But there is a videos on youtube about people/cops making up rules and how this guys life became miserable with his drone every time he flew it- he challenged them and I'm sure he doesn't flew at home often. I agree with the above you can be a butt head or diplomatic and say hey "you've heard all the hype now let me show you I'm not cartman" and show what your videos are. unless you are taping people.

 

[Albert D]

I live right next to a park which I fly from. It does get boring, flying from the same place over and over again. I have gotten some looks taking off and landing, but typically I quickly head to about 150' as soon as I get off the ground (too many trees and obstructions) and you can't really hear it that much after that. If I want to look at something, I fly to it then drop down, then back up and move on. Maybe you can "agree" with your complex that you will just use one remote corner for take-off but then leave the area. (They won't hear those 400' fly-overs.)

 

[dgd3]

The nonflying public has a great many attitudes among them. On my third flight a 91-year-old lady came over and started talking to me about it and I let her fly. I made a friend. However after flying my drone 20 or 30 times from a park over several weeks two of the kids that were part of the gang that watch me complained to their mom and she came over and said they were afraid that they were being spied on. Which is kind of nuts because they're part of the group of kids would like to come over and watch me fly whenever I launched. Anyway that's kids. I filmed my buddies motorcycle rally and there was only one person asked me not to put him on my YouTube channel. He's a local guy and after viewing what he did on the tape I can understand his reason for not putting his contribution online haha. Several neighbors in my residential area where I often fly from enthusiastically ask when I'm going to fly again if I'm not up for a while. People's reactions very a lot and we're still in the early days of personal drones, perhaps a little bit like the early days of personal computers. It's important that we have fun with our hobby/sport, that we are very mindful and respectful of others, and when we do find those among us being naughty we need to have that corrected as quickly as possible.

 

[Mike Mauk]

what do you guys think of making flyers and putting them in people's mail boxes or posting them with my email to provide proof of videos I have taken, maybe even offering services if I am around?

that is the best idea you have come up with yet. or take some pictures of the apt complex and post it on their bulletin board and say how high you were flying when you took the pictures to let them see that you could not see a bare tit if there was one... just saying unless your camera is alot better than mine on my P3A..
I think people just think the wrong things about drones maybe take the manager out when you fly and let him see the FPV maybe even let him have the controller for a bit..

 

[Jimmykjimmy]

I have often been asked not to shoot video or take pictures in certain locations. I have worked as a photographer and video shooter since the 70's.

I always back off and try to reason with authorities, often you can disarm a complaint just by being polite and friendly and explaining what you are doing and how the MR works.

The last 5 years I have added MRs to my selection of tools/toys and I have been asked both by police officers and private citizens not to use the MR in places and I always comply even if they don't have a legal standing, and maybe they do, you just did not know.

We have to be diplomatic with this hobby or we will loose our rights to fly in more locations. Some people are very paranoid about privacy and you can't change that. You can only make it worse by arguing with them.

Couldn't agree more!

 

[Jimmykjimmy]

The sad fact of the matter is, most people will take the view that's fed them through the media. Like it or not, that's the way it is. Go to the country. Go to the park. Go anywhere else. Just don't fly over or near the apartment complex. Yes, it sucks. Deal with it.

This hobby will sort itself out when people that buy drones get tired of flying over their homes etc. Your right, go to a park, field whatever, flying over the home may be fun the first tine...but not forever..I have never done it and never will!

 

[RobBarron]

The simple fact is people do not know what drone photos or video footage look like. I make a point of showing people as much as I can. I also show them that my drone camera has no way of zooming in and exactly what a person looks like from just 50 feet (unrecognizable to anyone except their mother!) and that is usually enough for them to accept that their fears are groundless.

Be reasonable, work with rather than against and we can show them we are not weird or spies or perverts or anything else. I've even offered a complainant a photo of his home and despite saying no at first eventually said yes and was delighted with it. Being belligerent about 'rights' doesn't help our cause no matter whether we are in the right or not - and we usually are. Doing something just because you can doesn't mean you should.

 

[GoodnNuff]

I agree, probably 90% of the time you can't see in anyone's windows. A few weeks ago I would have argued that you can't see inside a home 100% of the time.
But someone I know showed me a video taken with either his P3P or a Solo (so GoPro camera). He was flying parallel to a beach with the camera facing the beach. At one point you can clearly see 3 people sitting at a table drinking coffee through the windows of their beach house. Faces are not recognizable on the YouTube feed, but otherwise they were quite clear. One gentleman spots the drone, picks up his coffee, walks out on the deck and watches the drone for a bit (the drone was about 200 feet from the house, maybe 100ft above the water). He then goes back in the house, picks up a magazine from the coffee table, walks back to the dining table and rejoins the other two. I was amazed we could see this with such clarity. I think the angle of the sun must have been just right, as this was the middle of the day when he filmed this.

EDIT: I corrected the statement that faces were recognizable, they were not recognizable.