Has anyone encountered any problems with legalities in flying your drones, especially in light of the fact that flying drones falls into a legal gray area?
Legal flying
- Thread starter 1hdr4u
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Well, there's "two" legals here, the FAA and the local gendarmes. Here's the FAAs recommended guidelines (guidelines, not laws). So long as you are operating as a hobbyist for fun, you are good to go, follow the guidelines and you'll stay out of trouble.
As far as local cops, that's a toss up. Some will get huffy even when there is no local ordinance to enforce. Find out if your city or county has any regulations on drones and parks, etc. Stay away from people and highways. I'm a retired cop, if you are nice to them you may make a friend, most don't know anything about your aircraft, take the opportunity to educate them. If a civilian gets in your face with the "are you spying on me?" BS, best to shutdown and find another area to fly in.
If you want to make money with your drone then you must have a pilot license and file a 333 exemption (if you want to do it legally).
Fellows, any more tips?
As far as local cops, that's a toss up. Some will get huffy even when there is no local ordinance to enforce. Find out if your city or county has any regulations on drones and parks, etc. Stay away from people and highways. I'm a retired cop, if you are nice to them you may make a friend, most don't know anything about your aircraft, take the opportunity to educate them. If a civilian gets in your face with the "are you spying on me?" BS, best to shutdown and find another area to fly in.
If you want to make money with your drone then you must have a pilot license and file a 333 exemption (if you want to do it legally).
Fellows, any more tips?
Meta4
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How is flying a drone legally in a "grey area"?
If you are asking is an law enforcement agency has had an issue with drones then you've never done a Google or Youtube search on the matter.
If you are asking is an law enforcement agency has had an issue with drones then you've never done a Google or Youtube search on the matter.
Meta4
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It's difficult to comment because you give no specific details.
In most of the world it is completely legal to fly your drone but there may be rules about where or how you fly it - the same as driving a car.
I guess it's because I've heard that a lot of people don't like the idea of drones flying around because of what they've heard about them. I enjoy them as a hobby, but maybe someday I may want to fly one for commercial purposes.
I can put an iphone right in someone's face and they don't care... If it do the EXACT same recording with my quadcopter in my hand... not even turned on.... they will get angry. Very simple people getting angry.. watching MSNBC, FOX or CNN or something like that. I might get firebombed here... but I would have to almost go so far to say that the average person getting angry about a "drone" has a lower than average intelligence. I know I'm putting a mark on myself saying that.... but screw it. I'm angry at ignorant people.
The fact that "a lot of people don't like the idea of drones flying around" doesn't put drone legality in a "grey area". As observed by Meta4, flying a drone (or any other aircraft) is much like operating an automobile or boat. You are in a public, government regulated space (air, water, street) and you must follow the laws pertaining thereto. Know the law. The fact that some people think they own or can control the street in front of their home, or the river behind their home or the airspace over their home, notwithstanding.
I do understand the logic of asking permission before flying over private property. It may be the line of least resistance. It would be very civil and courteous, indeed. Would those who recommend this as a regular policy, however, always ask their neighbors for permission to drive the public street in front of their homes? Would they ask permission if they installed a dash-cam in their vehicle? Would they advocate asking homeowners on a lake before taking photos from a boat? Would it be more civil and courteous if pilots of all kinds of aircraft asked permission before flying over private property? Or, is it only drone operators who must be so civil and courteous? Air, water, streets are all public spaces.
