Why was this drone operator arrested and fined?

[SteveMann]

Was that a good idea flying the drone over thousand of peoples in NY?

That would be an awfully huge drone to be over thousands of people. Mine is about the size of a dinner plate, so all I could do is drop on one, possibly two.

Again, please moderate your sensational descriptions. Leave that to the news organizations since they do it quite well. They don't need our hysterical validations.

 

[Deleted member 39682]

Drone Is Spotted Over Parade, Operator Issued Summons: Sources

I don't see any laws banning the use of drones in NY and he was not operating the drone in a no-fly zone.

Dear Forum Members,
I sometime fly in front of my house and always fly around 160 ft to be safe from obstacles. I like the course lock feature, I try to stay in the line of sight to see the Phantom run the course. Yesterday I had a police officer and a women at my front door. She accused me of invading her privacy because I was hovering over her house. The Officer with the women perused the neiborhood and found my house because of a section of cardboard with an H painted on it that I made, It was on my lawn. He advised me that the women was crying when he picked her up. He told me that I broke no laws and asked me if I knew of any City Rules or Ordinances about Drones. I advised him I called the city and they had none. I invited them in my house and showed them the video I just took.
At 160 ft people looked like ants and the cars looked like toys. I gave the women my name and phone number and asked for hers. She refused to give me any of her information. I told her I just wanted it so I could avoid flying over her area, she just pointed in a general direction in the sky. It's getting strange out there.
Weird Day.
Best Regards,
William E. Burrows Jr.

 

[Inno]

Hi guys, new to the forum, posting that is. Been flying rc since 1979. Currently an AMA member, and have been on and off since then.

The way i see it, if you get prior permission, permits, or what ever is required, plus prove financial responsiblity and accept that responsiblity in case something goes wrong you can fly where authorized. Public events... anywhere. But, asked those who do, what type of liability insurance is required and how much. Guarantee your homeowners or auto won't cover it.

Fact is, just be safe and Responsible.

 

[SteveMann]

What the FAA is trying to do is to go around federal law that restricts the FAA from promulgating any laws or rules regulating hobby aircraft by using the DOT as their agent instead. The AMA is not going to sit idly and let this happen and it will be ruled illegal in the future unless congress changes existing law.

This is not a new rule as the current rules do require registering *any* aircraft before flight. The FAA simply ignored model aircraft until now. I would not be the least surprised that someone will challenge the registration, but since the rules already exist that probably won't be the basis of the suit. More likely, someone may challenge the emergency nature of the FAA order. There have been probably more than a million hours of flight of small drones, yet there is not one verifiable report of a drone crash in the US that resulted in a serious injury as defined by the NTSB to someone not connected to the flight. Not one. (A Band-Aid is not a serious injury- See CFR 49 §830.2). It is a safety rate that all other segments of aviation would be jealous to have. But, I don't see any realistic challenge to registration.

 

[littlebob]

Bla Bla Bla

Steve is right,go ahead and talk your self right out of the hobby

 

[dirkclod]

Steve is right,go ahead and talk your self right out of the hobby

I'm not talking myself out of anything little .
And to You..Bla Bla Bla !

 

[Njguy]

Steve you are acting just like the guy who fly that drone on NY. Who say that a drone is that big!!!!! I said the guy was FLYING his drone over thousands of people... I doub that you can be soo retarded how to imply the drone was big as thousand people...
I

 

[snerd]

I just realized how we can prevent any new drone rules and laws............................. snuff out all Republicans and Fox viewers!!






Is there a middle ground to be had here? Some want nothing but more rules, some want total anarchy. Is there any outcome that would be a compromise, somewhere in the middle? Just curious to hear views on that thought.

 

[SteveMann]

Steve you are acting just like the guy who fly that drone on NY. Who say that a drone is that big!!!!! I said the guy was FLYING his drone over thousands of people... I doub that you can be soo retarded how to imply the drone was big as thousand people...
I

I am sorry that you don't understand sarcasm.
My point is that the news media and fear mongers will see a dinner-plate drone and scream headlines that a drone put the lives of thousands at risk. We don't need to add fuel to their hyperbole by agreeing with them. Don't think for a minute that people outside of the personal drone world don't see the forum posts because every one of them show up in a Google search.

We do the hobby NO PROFIT by screaming in our forums that 'he flew over someone - everyone is going to die. He is an [idiot, moron, select your own pejorative pronoun]." If the lazy news media thinks that the operator was stupid, and he sees agreement in the user forums, then it must be true.

 

[MrMcfly]

Dear Forum Members,
I sometime fly in front of my house and always fly around 160 ft to be safe from obstacles. I like the course lock feature, I try to stay in the line of sight to see the Phantom run the course. Yesterday I had a police officer and a women at my front door. She accused me of invading her privacy because I was hovering over her house. The Officer with the women perused the neiborhood and found my house because of a section of cardboard with an H painted on it that I made, It was on my lawn. He advised me that the women was crying when he picked her up. He told me that I broke no laws and asked me if I new of any City Rules or Ordinances about Drones. I advised him I called the city and they had none. I invited them in my house and showed them the video I just took.
At 160 ft people looked like ants and the cars looked like toys. I gave the women my name and phone number and asked for hers. She refused to give me any of her information. I told her I just wanted it so I could avoid flying over her area, she just pointed in a general direction in the sky. It's getting strange out there.
Weird Day.
Best Regards,
William E. Burrows Jr.

It sure is getting strange out there.... What I find most amusing is people with NO idea of what a quad copter's abilities are
draw their own uber-exaggerated conclusions as to what happened, and what the pilot's motives are...
Great way to handle it... De-bunk all their myths, and make 'em walk out feeling silly. Way to go.

 

[snerd]

Never underestimate the power of the media to lead people around by the nose. It's amazing to witness!

 

[steveeds]

We have to be in a high state of awareness with the media, they have all the experience,motives and agendas in place, we just read and believe because that's what normal people do.

There's a saying "**** doesn't just happen it's designed by idiots over many years", this is proving to become all to real in many areas these days.

These quads of ours are becoming a focus, it can't be helped and nothing can be avoided, so some of us hide away till the end. It works for now.

 

[buford]

Maybe it would be part of the waiver to participate in the parade?

edit: why make the assumption that they "will" get hit in the head?

Well, not that it matters, but the head is the highest point on the body, and I would think the guy was flying higher than most heads, so the first point of contact the drone would encounter is some ones head. But it was just an example of what could happen. I could have said back, or neck, or anything. The fact still remains that he was an idiot for flying over people in a parade, and I don't think you're gonna make a case for him with stupid arguments. He's a jerk who thinks he can do what ever he wants, the kind of jerk that ruins it for all of us.

 

[NEair]

Well, not that it matters, but the head is the highest point on the body, and I would think the guy was flying higher than most heads, so the first point of contact the drone would encounter is some ones head. But it was just an example of what could happen. I could have said back, or neck, or anything. The fact still remains that he was an idiot for flying over people in a parade, and I don't think you're gonna make a case for him with stupid arguments. He's a jerk who thinks he can do what ever he wants, the kind of jerk that ruins it for all of us.

It really doesn't matter.. The question was why assume someone was going to get hit at all, whether or not it specifies head doesn't matter to the point of the question. Also to be clear I was never trying to make a case for him nor was I advocating dangerous flying. The seeming hysterics that the general public have over drones gets fueled by the media and I'm sure the media was just waiting for a "security risk" during that parade. Whether or not the guy was a jerk or clueless it was a bad idea to fly over that parade and I agree with you that foolish acts can lead to problems for all of us.

 

[GoodnNuff]

That would be an awfully huge drone to be over thousands of people. Mine is about the size of a dinner plate, so all I could do is drop on one, possibly two.

Again, please moderate your sensational descriptions. Leave that to the news organizations since they do it quite well. They don't need our hysterical validations.

SMH....again.

 

[GoodnNuff]

Hi guys, new to the forum, posting that is. Been flying rc since 1979. Currently an AMA member, and have been on and off since then.

The way i see it, if you get prior permission, permits, or what ever is required, plus prove financial responsiblity and accept that responsiblity in case something goes wrong you can fly where authorized. Public events... anywhere. But, asked those who do, what type of liability insurance is required and how much. Guarantee your homeowners or auto won't cover it.

Fact is, just be safe and Responsible.

Couldn't agree with you more.
While some here opine that I only fly in my backyard, a few feet above the ground, an no further than my outstretched arm (or however he described it), I don't. I actually fly BLOS at times, and I have breached the 400 ft (gasp) ceiling more than once. I've flown over strangers, both on foot an in cars. I've circled an Osprey in the top of a pine, and flew with some Turkey Vultures once (OMG I was harassing wildlife!) Shhh, I even flown in some state parks where I legally could not.
But I have chosen NOT to fly in many places where I really really wanted to fly. I'm not a hot shot pilot, I know my limitations, and I know the differences and limitations between each brand of drone I own. I know if I fly on the far side of a structure, I will lose radio contact, I know how far out and back I can go on 60% of a battery, etc., etc. That is what I think "Flying Safe" is - knowing you and your drone's limitations, as well as your own skill level.
There are times when we should be allowed to fly over crowds, but should we open that up to every drone owner, regardless of their skill?
I have no problem with experienced and qualified pilots flying over a stadium or parade, but strongly feel that John Jones who just got his drone last week for his birthday, should not be allowed to fly over people or near tall buildings. I guess that makes me the "Drone Police."

We keep blaming the media for sensationalizing all the drone stories, but each time some of us try to talk about the drone pilots who are feeding the media, and their unsafe and "stupid" flying, we are labeled as "drone police" or they are defended with their "right to be stupid." Bottom line, we can't change the media and what they feed on and in turn feed to us, but we can change our own behavior.
Flame me.

 

[bluntnose]

We keep blaming the media for sensationalizing all the drone stories, but each time some of us try to talk about the drone pilots who are feeding the media, and their unsafe and "stupid" flying, we are labeled as "drone police" or they are defended with their "right to be stupid." Bottom line, we can't change the media and what they feed on and in turn feed to us, but we can change our own behavior.
Flame me.

Generally agree, except about we can't change the media. The right PR guys for a national association of drone pilots could do a lot to shape what the media puts out to the general (non-flying) public. It would cost us money, but spread out among a bunch of pilots it would be doable, and way cheaper than fighting the long arm of the law if we continue to wait for the manipulated media to put us in a bad light all the time.

On a slightly different note, every time I see some yayhoo do something stupid part of me says "hey, don't do that!" and another part of me says "Wow, way cool, I want to try that." There's a video clip on Youtube shows a guy in my town flying about 3 + miles away, over the tops of about a thousand houses full of people who probably wouldn't want this drone flying 50 feet over their roofs. He's doing it with one of the kits that modify antennas on the control box. Part of me says "Oh man, somebody get that guy to take down this video quick!" while another part says "Way cool, I want one of those!" Maybe just because some of us warn others about behaviour likely to get us all in trouble and maybe shut down our sport, we ought to pull in the bristles and realize we're among friends here. And we all want pretty much the same thing.

 

[GoodnNuff]

Generally agree, except about we can't change the media. The right PR guys for a national association of drone pilots could do a lot to shape what the media puts out to the general (non-flying) public. It would cost us money, but spread out among a bunch of pilots it would be doable, and way cheaper than fighting the long arm of the law if we continue to wait for the manipulated media to put us in a bad light all the time.

On a slightly different note, every time I see some yayhoo do something stupid part of me says "hey, don't do that!" and another part of me says "Wow, way cool, I want to try that." There's a video clip on Youtube shows a guy in my town flying about 3 + miles away, over the tops of about a thousand houses full of people who probably wouldn't want this drone flying 50 feet over their roofs. He's doing it with one of the kits that modify antennas on the control box. Part of me says "Oh man, somebody get that guy to take down this video quick!" while another part says "Way cool, I want one of those!" Maybe just because some of us warn others about behaviour likely to get us all in trouble and maybe shut down our sport, we ought to pull in the bristles and realize we're among friends here. And we all want pretty much the same thing.

I agree, we can change the media I guess, but it isn't easy, nor quick. The public will be used to drones in the airspace before we can affect how the media reports them, I believe.
And I know what you mean - I have these roman candles here I truly would love to strap onto one of my drones. If I ever do, I just won't post my video to YouTube. IMO, part of being safe is not encouraging other idiots to do stupid things. So some things I do are never spoken of outside of a small inner circle of like minded idiots who possess just enough common sense to keep our mouths shut...

 

[SteveMann]

We keep blaming the media for sensationalizing all the drone stories, but each time some of us try to talk about the drone pilots who are feeding the media, and their unsafe and "stupid" flying, we are labeled as "drone police" or they are defended with their "right to be stupid." Bottom line, we can't change the media and what they feed on and in turn feed to us, but we can change our own behavior.
Flame me.

And, just who gets to define "stupid"?
A tourist flies a personal drone over the parade and the press, NYC police and the drone police among us come unglued. And they agree with the sensational press. It's the fear mongering forum posters that need to rethink if substantiating the press hysteria is really what the hobby needs.

Drone flew over a crowd = the sky is falling, everyone is going to die! That's the behaviour that needs to be changed.

I am not defending flying stupid, but criticising those who are responding stupid.

 

[snerd]

And, just who gets to define "stupid"?
A tourist flies a personal drone over the parade and the press, NYC police and the drone police among us come unglued. And they agree with the sensational press. It's the fear mongering forum posters that need to rethink if substantiating the press hysteria is really what the hobby needs.

Drone flew over a crowd = the sky is falling, everyone is going to die! That's the behaviour that needs to be changed.

I am not defending flying stupid, but criticising those who are responding stupid.

It has nothing to do with "substantiating" the press. Common sense tells us it's stupid to fly over a crowd of people. Your stance on this is quite strange................ you say you don't "defend" flying over crowds, but if someone points out that it's dumb, you say you will criticize them. Kinda wish-washy if you ask me.