Upset Neighbor

[Echopiece]

Well I had my first run in with trouble tonight. The Atlas V rocket launched tonight from Cape Canaveral, so I thought I would try and get some long exposure shots of the launch. I live roughly 90 miles from the coast. I flew the drone straight up from my driveway over my property and hovered around 350-360ft. Well I noticed a women standing on the other side of the road and she was taking pics with her cell phone. I thought she was capturing the launch too. She then yells out is that your drone? I said yes ma'm. She then asks does it take pictures. I replied yes. Well she started walking off and she yelled don't you be flying that over my yard, or I will shoot it down! I was thinking WHAT!? I kindly replied I'm not over your property ma'm and I then quickly landed the drone.

My wife and I went back inside and my wife was pretty upset. To me, that was a threat. The neighbor could have politely walked up to me and expressed her concern nicely and I would have honored her wishes. I don't really know what to do about this or where I stand? Anyone else have a similar encounter?

Oh by the way, the pictures from the P4 didn't turn out as well as I had planned. The rocket was so small in the distance you could barely see it. It was a good thought anyway.

 

[GCEagle]

Your neighbor sounds like a *****.

Avoid flying over her yard and if she dares take aim while it's still in your yard, call the cops and get her for as much as you legally can.

 

[Pharm]

Make sure your unscrubbed, ignorant neighbor is aware of two things:

1. It's a FEDERAL offense to fire at an aircraft (which your drone is),
2. There's NOTHING in her yard or house that you want a picture of.

 

[Echopiece]

Your neighbor sounds like a *****.

Avoid flying over her yard and if she dares take aim while it's still in your yard, call the cops and get her for as much as you legally can.

I've never even seen this woman before. I'm always cautious about flying over people's property. I have flown down the center of my road in the past so we are thinking maybe she must have heard it before? And I'm always at least 200' before I'm out of my neighborhood. What if she took a pop at it while I'm flying down the street? Do I just show the authorities my flight path in DJI Go?

 

[Death Wish 1]

Give her the benefit of the doubt. Talk to her, explain what you were doing how much you enjoy flying, be passionate. Tell her you would like to continue flying but are concerned about what she said; emphasize that you really want to respect her privacy and ask if there is some sort of compromise that can be struck. Ask her if she would like to see some pictures or video; that you would be happy to show her. We want to keep a positive view of the sport. If she is just a miserable old hag that complains about anything then at least you tried. There are many of them out there; they are just unhappy frustrated people trying to assert themselves. Best approach is to stroke their ego a bit, take the high road and, if that does not work, ignore and avoid. "Keep your friends close and your enemies closer"

 

[Echopiece]

Give her the benefit of the doubt. Talk to her, explain what you were doing how much you enjoy flying, be passionate. Tell her you would like to continue flying but are concerned about what she said; emphasize that you really want to respect her privacy and ask if there is some sort of compromise that can be struck. Ask her if she would like to see some pictures or video; that you would be happy to show her. We want to keep a positive view of the sport. If she is just a miserable old hag that complains about anything then at least you tried. There are many of them out there; they are just unhappy frustrated people trying to assert themselves. Best approach is to stroke their ego a bit, take the high road and, if that does not work, ignore and avoid. "Keep your friends close and your enemies closer"

Thanks for the reply. I totally agree! I will try and talk to her the next time I see her and explain to her my passion and tell her I really have no need or desire to spy on people.

 

[Death Wish 1]

My wife is predicting that it will eventually happen to me. We have a few neighbours like yours and, unfortunately, their houses are in my flight path. I try to stay high and out of sight...but it'll eventually happen.

 

[Brockrock]

It is a common human reaction to fear what we do not understand. That's coded deeply within us for some reason. Survival maybe. Probably a lizard brain thing. Anyway, she just has no idea. She's only read and heard the bad news about "drones"... I spoke with my neighbors and explained my system and some even flew it...and love it. They all understand and know I am not peeving, and they wave when I am out droning.

 

[ob1415]

Give her the benefit of the doubt. Talk to her, explain what you were doing how much you enjoy flying, be passionate. Tell her you would like to continue flying but are concerned about what she said; emphasize that you really want to respect her privacy and ask if there is some sort of compromise that can be struck. Ask her if she would like to see some pictures or video; that you would be happy to show her. We want to keep a positive view of the sport. If she is just a miserable old hag that complains about anything then at least you tried. There are many of them out there; they are just unhappy frustrated people trying to assert themselves. Best approach is to stroke their ego a bit, take the high road and, if that does not work, ignore and avoid. "Keep your friends close and your enemies closer"

This, from a guy whose handle is "Death Wish 1". You have the right idea, but IJS...LOL!

 

[MikeON]

When my neighbors saw my P3A, they loved it and had one of their own on order in less than an hour.

 

[Death Wish 1]

This, from a guy whose handle is "Death Wish 1". You have the right idea, but IJS...LOL!

LOL, Deathwish is my favourite brand of coffee. During the DJI start up, when I was prompted to provide a name for my AC I panicked. What does IJS mean?

 

[N017RW]

Tupically in urban speak:
I'm Just Sayin'

 

[WillZX14R]

You were below the 400ft mark. Also from what you'd described you weren't directly over her property so she doesn't have any proof. I wouldn't worry but to avoid the conflicts with the neighbor, I'd fly elsewhere.

 

[joet]

Florida law prohibits you from using your drone for "surveillance" - largely defined as taking images of someone from where they cannot legally be seen from ground level and where they have an expectation of privacy - or of their property with sufficient clarity to identify it. The remedy is civil, not criminal - meaning that if someone thinks that you are conducting said surveillance, they have to sue you for relief.

All this is to say that if you are not capturing images of your neighbor or her property, she has no legal recourse whatsoever, unless you are flying in a manner that violates another law (i.e. buzzing her house in a manner that constitutes harassment). She cannot control the airspace over her house, and any attempt she makes to disrupt the flight of your aircraft (or you while you are piloting it) APPEAR to be Federal offenses, since you are considered a pilot and your drone is considered an aircraft by the FAA. Note that this has NOT - to my knowledge - been tested in court - it merely appears to be so given verbiage used by the FAA to describe remotely piloted aircraft.

My recommendation is that you call your Sheriff's non-emergency number and say that you want to file a report of a threat to your aircraft operation. Explain this all in a statement, and perhaps request that the responding Deputy have a chat with the neighbor about the law (drone and threatening to destroy an aircraft). Ordinarily I would suggest a conversation with her yourself, but if she's gotten to this point, it might be best not to poke the bear.

I've never had someone approach me with more than mild concern, which I handled by being professional, friendly, honest, and open - and have yet to encounter anyone who left with any remaining concerns. That day may come, which is why I both educated myself on the law and am prepared to articulate it.

Statutes & Constitution :View Statutes : Online Sunshine

 

[Death Wish 1]

Tupically in urban speak:
I'm Just Sayin'

Thanks, it dawned on me while I was puttering around in the garage.

 

[tjshelton]

My wife is predicting that it will eventually happen to me. We have a few neighbours like yours and, unfortunately, their houses are in my flight path. I try to stay high and out of sight...but it'll eventually happen.

All of my neighbors are very supportive of me flying around my house and neighborhood and trust that I would never violate their privacy. That said, their property ends at the tips of grass in their lawn... The FAA owns (controls) the airspace. Still, it's better to keep good relationships with our neighbors.

Sent from my SM-T813 using PhantomPilots mobile app

 

[Echopiece]

Florida law prohibits you from using your drone for "surveillance" - largely defined as taking images of someone from where they cannot legally be seen from ground level and where they have an expectation of privacy - or of their property with sufficient clarity to identify it. The remedy is civil, not criminal - meaning that if someone thinks that you are conducting said surveillance, they have to sue you for relief.

All this is to say that if you are not capturing images of your neighbor or her property, she has no legal recourse whatsoever, unless you are flying in a manner that violates another law (i.e. buzzing her house in a manner that constitutes harassment). She cannot control the airspace over her house, and any attempt she makes to disrupt the flight of your aircraft (or you while you are piloting it) APPEAR to be Federal offenses, since you are considered a pilot and your drone is considered an aircraft by the FAA. Note that this has NOT - to my knowledge - been tested in court - it merely appears to be so given verbiage used by the FAA to describe remotely piloted aircraft.

My recommendation is that you call your Sheriff's non-emergency number and say that you want to file a report of a threat to your aircraft operation. Explain this all in a statement, and perhaps request that the responding Deputy have a chat with the neighbor about the law (drone and threatening to destroy an aircraft). Ordinarily I would suggest a conversation with her yourself, but if she's gotten to this point, it might be best not to poke the bear.

I've never had someone approach me with more than mild concern, which I handled by being professional, friendly, honest, and open - and have yet to encounter anyone who left with any remaining concerns. That day may come, which is why I both educated myself on the law and am prepared to articulate it.

Statutes & Constitution :View Statutes : Online Sunshine

Thank you for the detailed and informative response! I may just take your advice on contacting my local authority as this individual didn't strike me as the type to hash this out in a civil manner.

 

[Echopiece]

Here was the jpg picture I captured of the rocket. Kind of hard to see

 

[Echopiece]

So, I contacted my non-emergency center here in my city and a police officer called me back and he actually said I was doing nothing wrong and that it is actually best not to confront these people. He said in the state of Florida I cannot hover and "surveillance" someone's property or themselves, (which is kind of common sense) but otherwise there are no laws that state I cannot fly in my neighborhood. He was really cool, and said the next time I fly it and she confronts me, to just call 911 immediately and they will deal with her properly. I feel much better now.

 

[N017RW]

As a Florida resident I find many here who like to point out this law to me, in case I wasn't aware of it, tend to view the definition of surveillance as 'look' or 'see' where I tend to view it as 'stare' with intent.
Words' meanings change with context so it's important to review/research the legal meaning rather than a personal or casual meaning.