what to do when someone calls to complain about you flying

Joined
Apr 26, 2014
Messages
2,535
Reaction score
665
Location
Raymore Missouri
If you are flying your quad, hex, octi of size with camera and the works and someone doesn't like it and calls the cops on you...immediately put it away and bring out a tiny palm sized quad and fly it for when they show up. I think that would be very funny.
 
Re: what to do when someone calls to complain about you flyi

I keep flying, as I'm not doing anything illegal. Usually, the cops show up only to realize they're wasting their time on another useless call.
 
Re: what to do when someone calls to complain about you flyi

If you have advanced notice of the cops in route, ya that'd be awesome.
 
Re: what to do when someone calls to complain about you flyi

Why are you so scared of people calling the cops on you? Flying a UAV is a perfectly legal activity. Just dont fly them in national parks or near large airports. Simple as pie.

Being cowardly about our hobby is not making us look good in the public eye. We need to fly our Phantoms with chest puffed out and fists held high. That's the only way things get done in America.
 
Re: what to do when someone calls to complain about you flyi

Not so, in Texas. I've had this discussion to no avail in another thread. UAS surveillance of private property is illegal in Texas, without permission of the property owner. So flying in any neighborhood, or near private commercial property, could indeed get you in trouble here.
 
Re: what to do when someone calls to complain about you flyi

AnselA said:
If you just fly, not taking pictures, is that surveillance?

No. Perfectly legal that way.
 
Re: what to do when someone calls to complain about you flyi

DBeard, please understand what is meant by "surveillance".
If you just simply fly over a house, that's ok.
It is when you fly around a single house several times looking for someone or something, being a peeping tom, that is when it becomes illegal.
You worry too much. Enjoy the hobby for what it is or quit.
 
  • Like
Reactions: GoodnNuff
Re: what to do when someone calls to complain about you flyi

Suwaneeguy said:
DBeard, please understand what is meant by "surveillance".
If you just simply fly over a house, that's ok.
It is when you fly around a single house several times looking for someone or something, being a peeping tom, that is when it becomes illegal.
You worry too much. Enjoy the hobby for what it is or quit.


Agreed. Criminals use ALL KINDS of technology.

Dictionary.com (emphasis added):
Surveillance- continuous observation of a place, person, group, or ongoing activity in order to gather information:
 
Re: what to do when someone calls to complain about you flyi

The definition of surveillance is irrelevant, have a read of the actual bill.
http://www.lrl.state.tx.us/scanned/83ccrs/hb0912.pdf

The term is image and is defined in the legislation itself.

I'm not advocating the law, I think it's overreaching and will eventually be struck down.
I do enjoy the hobby. Very much and will continue. Thanks for the suggestion. But I don't understand why people keep arguing as if the legislation does not apply to what they wish it didn't apply to.
 
Re: what to do when someone calls to complain about you flyi

N017RW said:
Dictionary.com (emphasis added):
Surveillance- continuous observation of a place, person, group, or ongoing activity in order to gather information:

Phantom can fly for 25 minutes (max), can it be used to continuous observation?
 
Re: what to do when someone calls to complain about you flyi

I tried it before I used to fly in on the neighborhood because i was trying my new analyser like this one http://www.thegreenbook.com/products/analysers/. the one for analyzing the moisture in the air.. then someone complain that it might be a spy surveillance because some unknown mechanism is attached to it.. but then again a long explaining will do.. still other people can't understand it.
 
Re: what to do when someone calls to complain about you flyi

DBeard said:
The definition of surveillance is irrelevant, have a read of the actual bill.
http://www.lrl.state.tx.us/scanned/83ccrs/hb0912.pdf

The term is image and is defined in the legislation itself.

I'm not advocating the law, I think it's overreaching and will eventually be struck down.
I do enjoy the hobby. Very much and will continue. Thanks for the suggestion. But I don't understand why people keep arguing as if the legislation does not apply to what they wish it didn't apply to.


It is only an offense in Texas if you are flying with the "intent to conduct surveillance of the individual or property captured in the image".

If you are simply flying and capturing video without a specific intent of surveillance you are legal. This all came about from the pig slaughterhouse blood in the river incident. Of course, just because you are capturing images without intent of surveillance doesn't mean you can't be sued anyway.
 
Re: what to do when someone calls to complain about you flyi

So how about dashcams? You're basically conducting surveillance of surrounding vehicles for proof of incidents.
 
Re: what to do when someone calls to complain about you flyi

CoppellDarryl said:
DBeard said:
The definition of surveillance is irrelevant, have a read of the actual bill.
http://www.lrl.state.tx.us/scanned/83ccrs/hb0912.pdf

The term is image and is defined in the legislation itself.

I'm not advocating the law, I think it's overreaching and will eventually be struck down.
I do enjoy the hobby. Very much and will continue. Thanks for the suggestion. But I don't understand why people keep arguing as if the legislation does not apply to what they wish it didn't apply to.


It is only an offense in Texas if you are flying with the "intent to conduct surveillance of the individual or property captured in the image".

If you are simply flying and capturing video without a specific intent of surveillance you are legal. This all came about from the pig slaughterhouse blood in the river incident. Of course, just because you are capturing images without intent of surveillance doesn't mean you can't be sued anyway.

So by CoppellDarryl introducing the language [I underlined] above... it seems the definition of surveillance, whatever it is, is relevant to after all.

To the layperson, it seems like 'surveillance' is the crux of the test to determine culpability.
 
  • Like
Reactions: GoodnNuff
Being cowardly about our hobby is not making us look good in the public eye. We need to fly our Phantoms with chest puffed out and fists held high. That's the only way things get done in America.

I tried this. When I puffed my chest out, the controller and tablet were a little harder to see. Then I raised my fists high. The controller, now loose from my grip, flopped 90 degrees down, against my chest.

This pressed the controller joysticks upward, sending my bird sailing away at an increasing altitude. Then I started to get faint from holding my chest puffed out.

I failed. Totally. I had to move my fists back to the controller to bring the bird back. I also had to un-puff my chest--I looked like Foghorn Leghorn--I say, I say, boy, I looked silly, son.

Since I was such a miserable fail at high-fisted puff-chested Phantom flight, I am considering hiring a superhero sidekick to handle hostile relations while I am flying. Maybe this guy?

The Phantom Sample 2011 color.jpg
 
Since I was such a miserable fail at high-fisted puff-chested Phantom flight, I am considering hiring a superhero sidekick to handle hostile relations while I am flying. Maybe this guy?

I have to say, I do like the way he adjusts the punishment to fit the crimes. For example, his treatment of crabby housewives claiming I was spying on them from 400 ft...

phantom punishing bad girl.jpg
 
Re: what to do when someone calls to complain about you flyi

If you have advanced notice of the cops in route, ya that'd be awesome.
Try learning about police scanners or radio frequency haha! you could jam the frequency also hahaha!! in fact you can prevent your neighbor calling the cops if you can jam their phones hahaha
 
I have been filming a very old abbey today and someone with a shot gun had a pop at my phantom, luckily they was a **** shot and missed.
 
I was proactive. Partnered with my apartment complex main office. Provided copies of all relevant regulations, which they put in my file. So far no negative experiences except kids being kids and trying to go thru my case while I'm flying or trying to run up to it while landing.

The maintenance guys love it and want me to scout out the lake for good fishing spots. They also asked if I'd be willing to help with roof inspections when the time comes, lol.
 
  • Like
Reactions: James Connerly

Members online

Forum statistics

Threads
143,066
Messages
1,467,355
Members
104,934
Latest member
jody.paugh@fullerandsons.