anybody have a drone??

[Walt34]

If the City stops you because of the complainer.
Get a tripod and a large movie camera and set it up on the side of your court pointing towards where the lady does lessons.
It's legal for you to film yourself, and out in public she cannot expect privacy if she gets in the background.
(besides the camera doesn't even have to work).
When she complains, you can tell her, you had to because the drone is not allowed

I like that idea!

Reminds me of a guy who moved into a development that for some reason banned pickup trucks, commercial or personal. He owned a nicely kept two or three year old pickup truck and got the nastygram about it. So he sold that and bought the scungiest-looking Chevy Suburban (i.e., a station wagon) that he could find and parked that out front instead of in the garage.

 

[Ready]

I received a call from the local police department today regarding the drone complaint. The sergeant told me he had no issue with me using a drone to film my matches as long as I keep the controller in my hands at all times. Since I can’t play and hold the controller I will need to recruit another person to maintain control of the drone while I play…which he said was perfectly fine.

He did mention a second general complaint about the drone from someone who did not like being filmed while at the park. He said because it’s a public park people do not have the right to expect privacy. As long as I’m not flying the drone over people I’m not violating any ordinances.

 

[street]

I don't have one but I find them very intriguing. I have a few friends that have them and one uses his a lot nd sends me some beautiful pictures. The other guy started to have fun with his then stopped. He says, it just sitting and gathering dust.

I looked pretty hard at getting one. Like Walt said, weight has a lot to do with regulations that would applied to the novice.

 

[explanade]

Expecting privacy at a public park is ridiculous.

Otherwise, they'd have to ban all cameras, including all phones.

 

[Aerides]

Expecting privacy at a public park is ridiculous.

Otherwise, they'd have to ban all cameras, including all phones.

True, but expecting a recording device hovering near you at all times is also something most of us would avoid.

If you want to record just yourself, setup your phone on a tripod nearby. And yes do get consent from others around you, you are using public facilities so you don't get carte blanche to disrupt the environment for others. Drones make a lot of people uncomfortable, and have a negative reputation already.

If I see a drone, I figure "it" can see me.

I've been out running on empty streets in a commerce park near me, the parking lots were being used by drone operators, but they kept swooping them out over the streets nearly hitting me a couple of times.

I've seen a drone on my street that hovered inside my property line, and from my backyard, I'm pretty sure the camera clearly recorded the... symbol.. i made.

Everyone probably has some experiences like this by now.

 

[Ronstar]

People complain about getting photographed by drones, but I don't hear too many complaints about random cell phone shots, google street view, aerial photos from planes, security cameras, etc. Chances are that we are getting photographed a lot more than we think we are.

That said, I don't think it's right to photograph others on private property without their consent - regardless of the means. I only fly my drone over my property or public places were it is allowed.

 

[Walt34]

People complain about getting photographed by drones, but I don't hear too many complaints about random cell phone shots, google street view, aerial photos from planes, security cameras, etc. Chances are that we are getting photographed a lot more than we think we are.

That said, I don't think it's right to photograph others on private property without their consent - regardless of the means. I only fly my drone over my property or public places were it is allowed.

Anyone who has ever looked up their own house on Google maps has seen how detailed those satellite photos are, and those are just what they made public. I'm prone to believe that satellites can at least read license plates if not even greater detail. And given the proliferation of cameras everywhere I think any expectation of privacy outside your own home is an illusion.

Here's a "frame grab" from a video I made a few weeks ago from an airplane at an R/C flying site in WV from an altitude of maybe 250 feet. The motor is electric so above a hundred feet or so it's inaudible. The camera is a Runcam2 that can be found for about $90 or so. That's in rural area but it gives you an idea of what can be seen from a drone and even a cheap camera. That airplane can be had ready to fly out of the box for $230, so not a lot invested there.

And yes, those are Appalachian mountains in the background.

 

[explanade]

Yeah I'm generally looking to photograph from as high as possible.

120 meters is the altitude limit but a couple of weeks ago, I was at a lake which had a 30 meter limit so while I got good shots, it may look like it would have been taken fro a high-rise building, not necessarily a flying craft.

 

[Ronstar]

Anyone who has ever looked up their own house on Google maps has seen how detailed those satellite photos are, and those are just what they made public. I'm prone to believe that satellites can at least read license plates if not even greater detail. And given the proliferation of cameras everywhere I think any expectation of privacy outside your own home is an illusion.

Here's a "frame grab" from a video I made a few weeks ago from an airplane at an R/C flying site in WV from an altitude of maybe 250 feet. The motor is electric so above a hundred feet or so it's inaudible. The camera is a Runcam2 that can be found for about $90 or so. That's in rural area but it gives you an idea of what can be seen from a drone and even a cheap camera. That airplane can be had ready to fly out of the box for $230, so not a lot invested there.

And yes, those are Appalachian mountains in the background.

That's a clear shot - especially given the cost.

There is satellite imagery out there that is far clearer than what we see on google earth or google maps. But most of it isn't available to the public.

While satellite imagery covers a wider area, aerial photography from planes has higher resolution - at least from the photos that I've seen.

Back in my working days, we worked with aerial mapping companies doing aerial photography at 6" pixels. Now they have 3" pixel photography maybe even 1" - where each pixel in the image would be 1" x 1" on the ground. It was crazy what we could see with 6" pixel photography. I can't imagine what 1" would be.

IIRC, these planes have multiple cameras and GPS receivers going. Bottom of each wing and nose/tail under the fuselage. The GPS georeferences the photos and software accounts for any wing/ fuselage dips.

 

[Ready]

The FAA rules for drone operations are so generic that if you follow them literally you may never find a place that is legal to fly your drone.

You are not supposed to fly a drone “over people”. So if the drone is 300 feet in the air and there is a person anywhere below you are violating the law.

If you fly the drone directly over your house (as I’ve done to inspect my roof), but the camera captures your neighbor’s property, you are now flying over someone else’s property and violating the law.

Because the FAA has created such generic blanket rules for drone operations, there needs to be some common sense applied. Unfortunately, that leaves much subject to interpretation.

 

[skyking1]

Please be aware of what can happen. This was the most recent terrible outcome from irresponsible drone flying. I heard it first on NPR.
https://www.dpreview.com/news/3003624618/thousands-of-seabird-eggs-destroyed-by-two-careless-drone-pilots

As a pilot, I have encountered RC aircraft on short final approach, being flown off an abandoned drag strip. Why anyone would fly there when planes are obviously taking off and landing is beyond me.
I parked the plane and drove over and informed them of the hazard.

 

[Ready]

Please be aware of what can happen. This was the most recent terrible outcome from irresponsible drone flying. I heard it first on NPR.
https://www.dpreview.com/news/3003624618/thousands-of-seabird-eggs-destroyed-by-two-careless-drone-pilots

The fact that drones are prohibited from flying there is news to me. I had to dig deep into the Bolsa Chica website to find any reference to regulations or restrictions and I’ve never seen a sign there addressing drones.

I’m also skeptical that a conclusion was drawn so quickly that the crashing of a drone caused this event. But in any case, I see a clear need to provide better education and awareness of any sites where drones are restricted from flying. It never would have occurred to me that such a remote site with hardly anybody there would be a restricted site to fly a zone.

I’ve tried flying my drone in many locations where the drone gave me a warning or even prevented me from taking off if a fly restriction existed. I’ve flown over Bolsa Chica in the past and never received any warnings.

 

[skyking1]

Witnesses saw the drone crash and the subsequent mass abandonment of the nests. Then the predators rolled in and the destruction was complete.
"The California Department of Fish and Wildlife was able to successfully find and charge one of the guilty pilots."

 

[explanade]

There are certainly reckless drone pilots, accounts of fire fighting planes and helicopters having their operations interfered with by drones.

So these incidents are used to impose stricter laws.

But some of these restrictions are more to cater to commercial interests, like Amazon drone deliveries, so that recreational drone fliers become third-class citizens.

 

[captain3d]

Drone incidents are mostly trivial but there is an agenda to make them scary news to introduce restrictive laws for future commercial use of the air.

How many people have died due to drones?

Now think of all the other things that go on everyday.

 

[Kroeran]

If you are staying under 250 grams, (no reason to have anything other than a DJI mini 2), use apps that inform you of parameters, ( and DJI has built in stuff), do not launch near anyone or attract attention, never fly over anything that would be unsafe to crash into, it can be worthwhile.

My Florida drone buddy set up an attention grabbing operations table at the back of a church parking lot adjacent to a good flying field, ON A BUSY SUNDAY, and a church lady called the cops on him.

Someone else in the area had been flying too close to the airport, so they were very interested in him. It turned out ok, they just said don’t launch from private property without getting permission.

I have flown many times from that spot, but never on a Sunday, and I am obtuse about what I am up to. So, part of this is use common sense, fly safely, don’t attract attention, and don’t worry about the absolute tail end legality.

Launch location is key. Where you fly, as long as you stay silent and high, is not actually detectable, unless you post obvious violations non anonymously on YouTube.

 

[tmm99]

We got quotes for a new roof a few months ago and one company came out with a drone and flew it over our roof to show us the deteriorating condition. The guy said the drone cost him about $1,000. The video it took was incredibly sharp and clear.

 

[Kroeran]

We got quotes for a new roof a few months ago and one company came out with a drone and flew it over our roof to show us the deteriorating condition. The guy said the drone cost him about $1,000. The video it took was incredibly sharp and clear.

The Mini 2 is the only idiot proof sub 250 with more than wifi control and transmission to my knowledge, at least in the $500 plus or minus range. It came out last fall.

4000k camera quality. It is rated for 6 miles travel if memory serves.

Virtually all of the pros are invested in the old paradigm of >250 gram drones which are very complex to own and run commercially. Heavier more expensive drones will be more stable in high wind and have bigger lenses, which would affect quality for cinematic shots.

I guess even a sub 250 drone used commercially involves a lot of training, certification, registration and so on, but not for recreation.

In Canada, sub 250 is wide open except for a few common sense rules, you can even do commercial, without registration nor certification, presuming you are launching from a legal patch of ground, or a patch of ground no one cares about or is monitoring.

 

[explanade]

Main advantage of drones under 250 grams is that it's subject to fewer regulations, like registration and such.

But in many countries, the weight is moot below like 4 kgs because if it has a camera, it's subject to the same laws as consumer drones over 250 grams.

 

[captain3d]

Meanwhile you can build and fly a full size experimental plane with fewer restrictions

 

[skyking1]

To be clear i m a fan of anything that flies. I have little toy drones but i have not gone beyond that.

 

[Ready]

I don’t understand why the weight of the drone is a factor for people. I have the DJI Mini 2, which is under 249 grams. So I’m not required to register it with the FAA. But the registration only cost $5 for 3 years. So the fee is insignificant.

If I want to operate my drone for commercial purposes, which includes any use that generates revenue, I’m required to have a Part 107 license. The license is required whether I have the Mini 2 or a drone that weighs more than 249 grams.

So the only advantage I can see to a drone under 249 grams is a $5 registration fee. And perhaps a bit more anonymity if you are doing something you don’t want the FAA to see. Otherwise, the differences are insignificant.

 

[captain3d]

Don’t be surprised to find you 250g drone coming under attack with later regulations. The FAA registration it self was created at a time when the FAA had no business in the protected sub 400ft hobby flying space.

Registration has done nothing but give them authority to make this more restrictive.

Plenty on YouTube about this.

 

[steelyman]

I got a basic DJI Mini 2 this weekend. I’m still learning about it and haven’t yet flown but I will. It certainly is small and light!

My only complaint is that the supplied cable for connecting an iPhone to the remote controller required that I remove the phone from its protective case (I have an Otterbox).

 

[rpguy4]

Ran into a similar issue on my MotoG7 phone. The case I bought for it would not accommodate my headphone jack. Ended up having to alter the case slightly with a drill and some sand paper.