I'm not Flying for a while due to Hostile Drone Press

What needs to happen for one of these yahoos who think they can shoot down a drone is for the feds to charge them instead of local law. According to 18 US Code 32 it is a federal crime to:

(a)Whoever willfully—
(1)
sets fire to, damages, destroys, disables, or wrecks any aircraft in the special aircraft jurisdiction of the United States or any civil aircraft used, operated, or employed in interstate, overseas, or foreign air commerce;

Get a good case with media attention and some of these fools will think twice!
 
NEair said:
What needs to happen for one of these yahoos who think they can shoot down a drone is for the feds to charge them instead of local law. According to 18 US Code 32 it is a federal crime to:

(a)Whoever willfully—
(1)
sets fire to, damages, destroys, disables, or wrecks any aircraft in the special aircraft jurisdiction of the United States or any civil aircraft used, operated, or employed in interstate, overseas, or foreign air commerce;

Get a good case with media attention and some of these fools will think twice!
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Wow... Would this law include my Hubsan X4? :/
 
Ok, I'm not a lawyer but I've read some articles on the topic (and I have stayed in a holiday inn). From what I have read, since the FAA has deemed UAVs to be aircraft, then yes it would include yours. I'm guessing though that over the next five years there will be several legal changes, including whether or not "hobby RC aircraft" are defined as "aircraft." I mean come on, do they really want to equate a 747 with a phantom under the same definition?
 
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NEair said:
Ok, I'm not a lawyer but I've read some articles on the topic (and I have stayed in a holiday inn). From what I have read, since the FAA has deemed UAVs to be aircraft, then yes it would include yours. I'm guessing though that over the next five years there will be several legal changes, including whether or not "hobby RC aircraft" are defined as "aircraft." I mean come on, do they really want to equate a 747 with a phantom under the same definition?
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We're entering a "brave new world" here.. lol
 
barefootbeachcombing said:
You can avoid this by not flying near where people are or near other people's houses.
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Thank you.

Besides, I bet flying around the neighborhood partially explains why people get the DJI Go app disconnect. Too many wifi signals in residential areas.
 
RadRich said:
Thank you.

Besides, I bet flying around the neighborhood partially explains why people get the DJI Go app disconnect. Too many wifi signals in residential areas.
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True but I fly around my neighborhood all the time at great distances (1 - 1.5 miles) with no issues. Make sure you have a very good LOI. That's important. Give yourself some good altitude and trying putting your phone/tablet into "Airplane Mode" to minimize any interference. That works for me.
 
NEair said:
Ok, I'm not a lawyer but I've read some articles on the topic (and I have stayed in a holiday inn). From what I have read, since the FAA has deemed UAVs to be aircraft, then yes it would include yours. I'm guessing though that over the next five years there will be several legal changes, including whether or not "hobby RC aircraft" are defined as "aircraft." I mean come on, do they really want to equate a 747 with a phantom under the same definition?
Click to expand...

So because I have an N Number for my Phantom, does it now qualify as an "official" FAA aircraft? (being sarcastic of course...) It's just my opinion, but I think what hurts us the most is that there are a lot of rules we "SHOULD" follow, but not much in the way of what we "HAVE" to follow. I know I'm probably walking into the "I don't want to be controlled by the Government" area, but don't you think things would be easier for us?? There seems to be so much fragmentation in regards to rules and regulations... I wish someone would just get off their butts and standardize all this crap so we can just fly!!!

Again, just my opinion...
 
kenjancef said:
So because I have an N Number for my Phantom, does it now qualify as an "official" FAA aircraft? (being sarcastic of course...) It's just my opinion, but I think what hurts us the most is that there are a lot of rules we "SHOULD" follow, but not much in the way of what we "HAVE" to follow. I know I'm probably walking into the "I don't want to be controlled by the Government" area, but don't you think things would be easier for us?? There seems to be so much fragmentation in regards to rules and regulations... I wish someone would just get off their butts and standardize all this crap so we can just fly!!!

Again, just my opinion...
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....just want the "right" people to get off their butts and standardize this so we're not flying in a 10' x 10' square.
 
kenjancef said:
So because I have an N Number for my Phantom, does it now qualify as an "official" FAA aircraft? (being sarcastic of course...) It's just my opinion, but I think what hurts us the most is that there are a lot of rules we "SHOULD" follow, but not much in the way of what we "HAVE" to follow. I know I'm probably walking into the "I don't want to be controlled by the Government" area, but don't you think things would be easier for us?? There seems to be so much fragmentation in regards to rules and regulations... I wish someone would just get off their butts and standardize all this crap so we can just fly!!!

Again, just my opinion...
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Really?! The government barely has time to pass budgets and other serious stuff (not that Phantoms in the sky and over parks aren't serious ;). Anyway, let's enjoy our drone time while we have it.
 
aka1ceman said:
....just want the "right" people to get off their butts and standardize this so we're not flying in a 10' x 10' square.
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Exactly... and so we don't have to read threads like this because the uninformed public is causing us not to fly. I want to just b**ch-slap the "uninformed" public about drones. I had told a friend the other day that I had one, she says "Don't people use them to spy n other people?" That's the FIRST thing she said.... Just about jumped out of my skin... I showed her a sunset pic I took a few weeks ago, and a video of my son in a field at 200 feet, and she changed her mind. Ugh.....
 
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Mario_SB said:
Really?! The government barely has time to pass budgets and other serious stuff (not that Phantoms in the sky and over parks aren't serious ;). Anyway, let's enjoy our drone time while we have it.
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I agree... As long as my 8 year old son and I have fun, and we spend that time together, this all just gets forgotten. And I'm not a government hater, but I do think most of them need a swift kick in the butt...
 
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NEair said:
I've been researching local laws around my area so I don't end up with some hassle for flying. So far, based on some of the posts on this thread, I'm pretty lucky. I can't find any local laws in my city that prohibits UAVs nor can I find any state laws (there was one proposed prohibiting law enforcement from using them but it didn't pass) that prohibit them. I've looked at the state parks web site and I don't see anything against them there either, but I'm sure it would still be better to ask first anyway.
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This is great. If you do come across any issues we would love if you would consider reporting them on Hivemapper so everybody in the community can benefit.

Here is an example of somebody who reported an issue regarding a local law in Huntington Beach, CA

Hivemapper | 3D map for drone fliers
 
I think the Government are wasting so much time targeting toy drones.
Here in the uk gun and knife crime are on the rise.
One women last week called the cops on me for flying in a open park.
(They told the women I was doing nothing wrong)
Guessing people believe anything they see on the media.
 
O, that's sounds terrible, I live in Quito, Ecuador, here having guns is basically ilegal, so of you actually fire one, jail time..

And flying the p3 here is amazing, there are very few p3 in the whole country, I even seen a p2 in a weeding and nothing more

So people seems to come to check it out, is new here, is really like the star of the neighborhood, even the police ask, what is that? Can you take a picture of us?

That kind of stuff.
 
I don't want to start another thread on this subject but this post is aimed at the case in Bullitt County KY where the person shot down the drone and the judge found him not guilty.

Part of the problem is how the police charged Merideth. They charged him with Wanton Endangerment and Criminal Mischief. There is a statute against firing a gun within city limits but they did not charge him with this. Merideth testified that he was protecting his family and property. While I think the judge's ruling was still in error and completely her opinion, I think the charges opened up that door a little. He should have been charged with discharging a gun within city limits. I'm not an attorney nor do I know the specific's of that law in the area but I think this would have then helped to remove the flight of the drone from the issue. I think it would have been more difficult for him to justify discharging a gun when there was no real threat. However, I think it's very possible that the judge could have ruled the same way as clearly she just does not like drone.

Even though the FAA has a strong case, I don't see them getting involved... rightfully so. I think any FAA involvement would end up hurting drone fliers. I think we are better off avoiding the whole "a drone is an aircraft" debate. I also don't think the county will appeal the case... which is a shame.
 
I think the judge had a personal agenda. As a strong 2nd amendment supporter myself, (someone who has CCW permits in states deemed impossible) unless the operator was chasing people down or something obviously threatening, the homeowner still had NO right to fire his firearm. Even in a stand your ground state, He has to prove that it WAS a threat to himself or his family. All he had to do is call authorities and file a report. The drone operator needs to appeal this unless there's something here in this case that they are not disclosing. This was for the judge nothing more than publicity.
 
RF Guy said:
OK, most of you don't live in the southern USA. You might not understand my reasoning. Ever since the "Drone Slayer" in Kentucky became a national hero for saving his daughters from a spying Phantom (at 275 ft)... everyone I've talked to is in favor of downing a drone if you see one near your house. This is a pan-political spectrum belief. People in the south have arsenals in their homes. A southern pacifist is someone with less than 5 guns. It's just now hunting season and all the "Bubbas, Dwaynes and Cliffords" have their guns in top order - and have plenty of ammo. Just imagine you spent 3 days out in a cold and wet deer blind and didn't get a buck. Then you see one of those dam spying drones over yonder. Get that thang! Yee-Haw! I'm waiting till season is over and the media hype against drones goes away.... before I risk $1200 in a small southern town's sky.
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Might be time to move to a more hospitable drone flying climate.:eek:
 
kenjancef said:
So because I have an N Number for my Phantom, does it now qualify as an "official" FAA aircraft? (being sarcastic of course...) It's just my opinion, but I think what hurts us the most is that there are a lot of rules we "SHOULD" follow, but not much in the way of what we "HAVE" to follow. I know I'm probably walking into the "I don't want to be controlled by the Government" area, but don't you think things would be easier for us?? There seems to be so much fragmentation in regards to rules and regulations... I wish someone would just get off their butts and standardize all this crap so we can just fly!!!

Again, just my opinion...
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Frankly, the less clarity, the better for us in the interim. I'll take "should's" over "have to's" every time! Standardizing "all this crap" is far more likely to lock us down from flying, than free us up to fly! :eek:
 

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