I was assaulted...

HarryT said:
No, it wouldn't be. Overflying a National Park is fine. You just can't take off or land in one. Taking off from outside it and flying into it is permitted.

Sorry... but incorrect.

"National Park Service Director Jonathan B. Jarvis today signed a policy memorandum that directs superintendents nationwide to prohibit launching, landing, or operating unmanned aircraft on lands and waters administered by the National Park Service"

http://home.nps.gov/news/release.htm?id=1601



The spirit of the policy is to keep drones from disturbing wildlife (and visitors)... this would not be possible if drones could still fly through the park just because the pilot happens to be standing outside it's boundaries.
 
Well, at least you didn't end up like this guy. :?

[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gDTpCDC6b2U[/youtube]

I honestly don't know what these people want. You tell them on and on that you're not filming them and give every explanation you can think of, yet they still insist on being aggressive in every way possible.

Seriously, this isn't the 2000's.. cameras are widely available nowadays and I wouldn't be surprised seeing someone flipping out at Costco because they saw themselves on the surveillance demo at the electronics section. Plus I'm pretty sure the GoPro or Vision cameras aren't even capable of up-close viewing since they're so wide.

I really don't know what to say... but I'm glad you kept your calm. ;)
 
Thank you everyone for the thoughtful replies. My husband and I have been constructing a long list of things to do when confronted by this kind of situation in the future. Most of our thoughts have been suggested here by you guys. They range from the serious to the humorous to the obnoxious. Lots of options! I'm just hoping I don't have to use any of them soon.

As a follow-up, right after I made my original post this morning I took my coffee on deck to enjoy the day. Through the quiet I heard "bzzzzzzzzzz...." What the...? Sure enough, it was another Phantom, being flown on the shore close to where I had been the evening before. I felt like I should go ashore and tell the guy to look out for the Crazy Lady. Fortunately he successfully completed his flight and left before she could appear and assault him. Funny: during this whole trip (3 weeks), this was the first time I've seen another drone.

I do wonder about how to stay up-to-date on state and local laws as we travel. I'm guessing it's only going to get worse as time goes on. Anyone have any good resources or tips?
 
ProfessorStein said:
HarryT said:
No, it wouldn't be. Overflying a National Park is fine. You just can't take off or land in one. Taking off from outside it and flying into it is permitted.

Sorry... but incorrect.

"National Park Service Director Jonathan B. Jarvis today signed a policy memorandum that directs superintendents nationwide to prohibit launching, landing, or operating unmanned aircraft on lands and waters administered by the National Park Service"

http://home.nps.gov/news/release.htm?id=1601



The spirit of the policy is to keep drones from disturbing wildlife (and visitors)... this would not be possible if drones could still fly through the park just because the pilot happens to be standing outside it's boundaries.

No professorStein that is incorrect, as stated in the article. They are banning from areas administered by them. If you are outside the NPS boundaries you can fly over. If the area this drone originated from was not part of the park service, than they can't do anything about it. there is an article to that affect on another post, if I find it I'll add it.
 
sbjr0203 said:
ProfessorStein said:
HarryT said:
No, it wouldn't be. Overflying a National Park is fine. You just can't take off or land in one. Taking off from outside it and flying into it is permitted.

Sorry... but incorrect.

"National Park Service Director Jonathan B. Jarvis today signed a policy memorandum that directs superintendents nationwide to prohibit launching, landing, or operating unmanned aircraft on lands and waters administered by the National Park Service"

http://home.nps.gov/news/release.htm?id=1601



The spirit of the policy is to keep drones from disturbing wildlife (and visitors)... this would not be possible if drones could still fly through the park just because the pilot happens to be standing outside it's boundaries.

No professorStein that is incorrect, as stated in the article. They are banning from areas administered by them. If you are outside the NPS boundaries you can fly over. If the area this drone originated from was not part of the park service, than they can't do anything about it. there is an article to that affect on another post, if I find it I'll add it.

Ok I found it. Quoted from NPS Drone Use Policy & attached (see last page)

Exhibit C
Unmanned Aircraft Interim Policy – Frequently Asked Questions

9. Does it matter where an unmanned aircraft is used for the required closures to apply? Yes. The NPS has the authority to regulate or prohibit the use of unmanned aircraft from or on lands and waters administered by the NPS. As a result, the compendium closures required by the Policy Memorandum only apply to launching, landing, or operating unmanned aircraft from or on lands and waters administered by the NPS within the boundaries of the park. The closures do not apply to launching, landing, or operating unmanned aircraft from or on non-federally (e.g., private or state) owned lands located within the exterior boundaries of the park. The closures do not apply to the flight of unmanned aircraft in the airspace above a park if the device is launched, landed, and operated from or on lands and waters that are not administered by the NPS.

http://www.nps.gov/policy/PolMemos/PM_14-05.htm
 
Yes, that's what I've read elsewhere. You're breaking the law if you take off or land in an NP, or if you enter the NP while operating the aircraft, but to fly into the NP from outside it is permitted - provided that you personally stay outside it.
 
UrAwFuL said:
Well, at least you didn't end up like this guy. :?

[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gDTpCDC6b2U[/youtube]

Geez, that guy has a heck of a lot more patience than me. I would have decked the woman the instant she laid a hand on me.
 
HarryT said:
ProfessorStein said:
EDIT: if you look at the park map, the park covers large portions of the island, especially on the eastern coast, but stops short around the parameter of all the harbors. I suppose someone could claim that your Phantom is flying OVER park land in order to shoot back onto the harbor... which... TECHNICALLY... would be against the rules...

No, it wouldn't be. Overflying a National Park is fine. You just can't take off or land in one. Taking off from outside it and flying into it is permitted.

I have spoken the head ranger at The Lava Beds National Monumént and I am pretty sure that if a quadcopter went into their airspace he would react the same as flying from the monument. The have filming permits they issue and you cannot avoid that rule for example. I see the rule that was posted above and even though it might say that you can overfly a park I know for a fact that he told me "There will be no unmanned aerial vehicles flying in our monument by order of the monument superintendant". Just because I have spoke with him on the phone do I feel it important to report.
 
HarryT said:
UrAwFuL said:
Well, at least you didn't end up like this guy. :?

[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gDTpCDC6b2U[/youtube]

Geez, that guy has a heck of a lot more patience than me. I would have decked the woman the instant she laid a hand on me.


just in case you havent read up on that piece of news (its kind of old), the lady was arrested and I believe she was put on probation.
In another interview, she still blamed the kid for everything that happened to her. If he didnt post this on youtube, this wouldnt have happend.

...right..and if he didnt video her doing this, he would most likely be in jail for being a pervert and probably "assaulting" her.

These are the type of people you cant fix. Just have a video camera out for proof.
 
I would suggest you flying your Phantom was just an excuse for this nutter to verbally assault you. Perhaps if you hadn't been flying it she would have gone off at someone else doing something she didn't approve of in her own disturbed mind very soon after. Forget about it and consider yourself lucky this is the first time - and probably the last. As many have said, you kept calm and walked away intact and within the law. You are a better person than me!

I have been doing video (non phantom) for about 8 years now and just last week on holiday had my first negative experience. My young daughter was having a braid put in her hair on the street and I had my camcorder out and pointing at her for approx 10 seconds, just getting a good framing of her face to record a 5 second clip. The lady doing the braid asked if I was going to film the whole thing and that she didn't like it. I explained I was going to film 5 seconds and that the only thing in shot was my daughters face. I told her I had no interest in her being in shot and put my camera away. She left it at that but the 4 or 5 people waiting gave me a knowing look that this lady was obviously overly sensitive and several walked away.
 
I keep a little Pentax camera with an 8x zoom in my Phantom case. If someone comes up to me and complains about privacy and all that BS I'll let them look at my tablet screen at an object 50 or 60 feet away, then grab the camera and zoom in on that same person or object so they can see the difference. The fact is if these people are really worried about privacy they should be accosting every photographer in the area and not the person flying the UAV.
 
ProfessorStein said:
Seems some parks/lands are more strict than others. The rangers at the Appalachian Trail, for instance, say specifically you can not fly OVER the lands.

Which goes to show just how ludicrous the blanket restriction on UAVs has gone. That's a 2,180 mile length of mostly uninhabited land where UAVs are restricted "just because."
 
You need one of these. No one bothers me & police strike up positive conversations.
 

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Dorsal said:
Has this happened to anyone else?

My husband and I are cruising on the coast of Maine, and I have enjoyed sending my Phantom up on several occasions to photograph the harbors and scenery. Each time. I have attracted curiosity and enthusiasm, and a fair amount of envy, from passerby who want to know all about my toy.

Yesterday, in Northeast Harbor on Mt. Desert Island, I was flying over the harbor on a beautiful evening. The normal crowd gathered, lots of questions, enthusiasm, normal stuff. Then, as I was bringing it down, with some folks looking over my shoulder trying to see the images live on my iPhone (that was fine, they were all happy and respectful), I became aware of some woman saying stuff like "I RESENT THAT. WHAT ARE YOU TAKING PICTURES OF? HOW DO I KNOW IF YOU'RE TAKING PICTURES OF ME? YOU CAN'T DO THAT." And on and on and on and on. Totally in my face.

I'm trying to get the Phantom down. The battery is getting low, the warning is squawking at me, there are people around and I'm trying to hover to hand-catch the thing (the nice folks backed off as I brought it down), and this woman is completely IN MY FACE. I try to say something like "I'm just taking pictures of the harbor." "It's really no different from anyone with a regular camera, or a cell phone camera, or a video camera." "I'm happy to show you the pictures." etc. She won't back off.

I finally get the copter down in my hands and turned off. She's still all over me, in my face. I get everything shut down and she still won't let up. I'm a pretty low key person and I always tend to diffuse situations if I can. I did my best: polite, friendly, open. I'm thankful my husband wasn't with me because he would not have kept his cool. He'd have ramped it up and probably called 9-1-1. Eventually I was able to back away from her, mumbling my same lines about "just taking pictures of a pretty evening" and "sorry if I offended you", and eventually I got separation, gathered my stuff and got back to my dinghy.

I should add that I try not to fly when there are a lot of people around, but there's always someone, especially in these coastal working harbors.

I was pretty shaken by this. I got no sleep last night as the scene replayed over and over in my head. I told my husband about it and he's on the warpath (figuratively speaking).

So what do you guys think? Anyone else had to deal with this anywhere?
 

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Some people seek out drama and discourse. It about them, not you. You can try to reason with them by telling them that you are taking wide-angle shots in public areas, but don't expect that anything you say will pacify someone who is bent on being offended.
 
I didnt have anything near that "aggressive" happen to me but i had a lady complain and say how "those things are scary and think of all the evil they can do". I just replied "I can do more evil with the internet than this thing. Evil is done by a person not a machine." The lady agreed and moved on. I generally dont fly out in public. People are just to nuts to be trusted anymore. I fly at places im invited to or on my own place 99% of the time.
 
I've had a couple idiots do this while using a DSLR in a public area. I explain that there is NO invasion of privacy in public and politely ask them to back off. If they continue they will get pepper sprayed and the cops can deal with them. These people are lunatics, you CANNOT reason with them.
 
Dorsal said:
Has this happened to anyone else?

There's TONs of paranoia out there. When you combine 'drones' with 'cameras', you've got double trouble.

A neighbour asked me to take an aerial photo of their lakefront cottage. It was nice picture so I posted it on the lake community's Facebook page. Most liked it, but some suggested I was stalker, creating a privacy violation and making them feel creepy.

Haters gonna hate.
 

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