Identifying clothing

[GadgetGuy]

I agree with that 100%. The drone doesn't put me at any more risk than an expensive camera, phone, or walking a French Bulldog - it is my age bracket that seems to be viewed as vulnerable.

Unfortunately, it's the flying of the drone that antagonizes people, which is far different than merely carrying any other expensive piece of equipment, or walking an expensive pet. Age does also make one an easy target for hostility, unless they know you are packing!

 

[Torque]

unless they know you are packing!

So to protect you and your drone, you open carry?
How long have you felt the need to show your weapon when you show your drone?
I assume since you show the public that you are armed, you've never had a Karen moment?
Been physically threatened over your drone?
What specific experiences have YOU had that has made you this fearful?

 

[MS Coast]

Unfortunately, it's the flying of the drone that antagonizes people, which is far different than merely carrying any other expensive piece of equipment, or walking an expensive pet. Age does also make one an easy target for hostility, unless they know you are packing!

And yet no one can point to any violent attacks on drone pilots while flying.

 

[MS Coast]

1) When you're paying attention to your drone and your data collection, you become a VERY soft target.

And yet there are no reports of drone pilots being assaulted while flying.

 

[MS Coast]

Unfortunately, it's the flying of the drone that antagonizes people, which is far different than merely carrying any other expensive piece of equipment, or walking an expensive pet. Age does also make one an easy target for hostility, unless they know you are packing!

35,000+ people will die in vehicle accidents this year. There's a valid concern.

How many situations have we seen where a drone pilot needed to use or display a weapon while flying?

The idea of a lethal weapon being a necessary part of our drone flying kit is based on emotion, conjecture, and fear and is unsupported by actual events.

 

[MS Coast]

Have you not been keeping up with the hostility towards drone flyers from paranoid Karens and those who perceive every drone flyer to be spying upon them and invading their privacy, and potentially carrying lethal weapons? When I first started flying 7 years ago, a neighbor openly threatened to shoot down my drone! The paranoia and hostility has only escalated among the public over the last 7 years, with the recent war in Ukraine clearly demonstrating the lethality of off the shelf drones as killing machines. Have you not noticed that the number of daily posts on our drone forums have substantially declined in the last two years, as RID has been implemented? Flying a drone with RID now makes the location of every drone pilot a public target for confrontation by anyone, for any purpose. Anyone who believes otherwise is naive. It only takes one unfavorable confrontation to end badly. Most long time hobbyists are deciding it is not worth the risk, and is taking all the fun out of flying, and are hanging up their spurs, and selling off their equipment!

Anyone who believes otherwise is naive.

That's a lot of doom and gloom and the-sky-is-falling thinking. No, I've not seen a migration away from flying drones. I'm seeing more and more people flying them. I've seen no tangible effects of RID implementation.

Have you not been keeping up with the hostility towards drone flyers from paranoid Karens and those who perceive every drone flyer to be spying upon them and invading their privacy, and potentially carrying lethal weapons?

I'm still amazed that there are people who genuinely that fear a female stranger might yell at them and feel the need to carry lethal defense weapons. As for the public thinking that drone pilots carry lethal weapons, there are several posts on this forum advertising the fact that they do indeed carry firearms. But, I've never encountered or heard of anyone who thinks that drone pilots are typically armed.

 

[Torque]

Have you not been keeping up with the hostility towards drone flyers from paranoid Karens and those who perceive every drone flyer to be spying upon them and invading their privacy, and potentially carrying lethal weapons?

Well, only on this group do I encounter it on a daily, and only on this group does fear seem to permeate almost every thread. The culture is being set here to be fearful for your life when you fly.
I do not encounter this on my other drone groups. Karen encounters are mentioned, laughed off and forgotten for the most part.
Flying drones for a decade in the Seattle area and I can count the negative encounters on one hand.
If I was a new pilot on this forum I'd feel like I need to either sell my drone or only fly when fully armed.

 

[Torque]

And yet no one can point to any violent attacks on drone pilots while flying.

I just did some googling.
"Parking lot Karens"
"PTA Karens"
"City council Karens"
"Cruise ship Karens"
"Beach Karens"
"Restaurant Karens"
"Grocery Store Karens"
Etc...


Drone Karens are in the minority it seems.
The world is a scary and dangerous place if you base your reality on YouTube.

 

[GadgetGuy]

So to protect you and your drone, you open carry?
How long have you felt the need to show your weapon when you show your drone?
I assume since you show the public that you are armed, you've never had a Karen moment?
Been physically threatened over your drone?
What specific experiences have YOU had that has made you this fearful?

You completely misunderstood my post. A known armed 65 year old is simply less likely to be confronted than an unarmed one, because the ability to use the weapon is age independent. That's all! The weapon is an equalizer.

I have already given my experience where a neighbor threatened to shoot my drone out of the sky 7 years ago merely because he didn’t like drones. Karens are now everywhere, and shooting panoramas while hovering creates fear and paranoia. Illegal grow operations abound in rural areas and they will shoot both you and your drone to protect their crops!

 

[hedbonker]

I wear a vest with the FAA message on it and a hard-hat with a gopro head mount that I put my OSMO action camera on. Since 2015 I have had 1 incident where someone said they were upset that I flew over their house. I asked them how they felt about google satellite imaging of their house and that seemed to shut them up and they went away. Other than that, just folks that ask questions about it.

 

[GadgetGuy]

If I was a new pilot on this forum I'd feel like I need to either sell my drone or only fly when fully armed.

That pretty much accurately sums up the current sentiment regarding RID among experienced flyers who fully understand the current situation, and the new risk to all drone pilots!

 

[MA2 317]

photo credit

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[GadgetGuy]

I just did some googling.
"Parking lot Karens"
"PTA Karens"
"City council Karens"
"Cruise ship Karens"
"Beach Karens"
"Restaurant Karens"
"Grocery Store Karens"
Etc...


Drone Karens are in the minority it seems.
The world is a scary and dangerous place if you base your reality on YouTube.

Just wait until RID enforcement fully takes effect in March next year, and is mandatory for virtually everyone, which is why you can no longer buy any drone from DJI without RID, even if the FAA considers it exempt from RID. Arm the Karens and the public with the exact location of every drone pilot while flying and then see how much fun it is to fly in locations where you used to be unnoticed!

 

[GadgetGuy]

The idea of a lethal weapon being a necessary part of our drone flying kit is based on emotion, conjecture, and fear and is unsupported by actual events.

Depends entirely upon where you fly! Try flying in the backcountry and they'll find you before you find them!

 

[GadgetGuy]

There are several posts on this forum advertising the fact that they do indeed carry firearms. But, I've never encountered or heard of anyone who thinks that drone pilots are typically armed.

Hence the need for CCW, because people assume drone pilots are not armed and are easy prey.

 

[Torque]

You completely misunderstood my post. A known armed 65 year old is simply less likely to be confronted than an unarmed one, because the ability to use the weapon is age independent. That's all! The weapon is an equalizer.

I'll ask again.
Do you open carry while flying your drone?

 

[GadgetGuy]

I'll ask again.
Do you open carry while flying your drone?

Do you not understand what CCW is?

 

[Torque]

Depends entirely upon where you fly! Try flying in the backcountry and they'll find you before you find them!

50% of my flying is in rural Washington. Meth heaven.

 

[Torque]

Do you not understand what CCW is?

LOL, Yes, I am very aware of of CCW is.
So you don't openly carry eh?

A known armed 65 year old is simply less likely to be confronted than an unarmed one, because the ability to use the weapon is age independent. That's all! The weapon is an equalizer.

You imply that the equalizer is being armed. How does Karen know you are armed if you weapon is concealed?

Do you have a Hi-Vis vest that says "Don't mess with me, I'm armed!" or are you just "feeling" equalized because you know you have a fire arm on you? How does your concealed weapon prevent you from being confronted?

 

[MS Coast]

Hence the need for CCW, because people assume drone pilots are not armed and are easy prey.

And yet there is no epidemic of attacks on drone pilots.