Rogue drone films FBI Raid on Epstein home in Virgin Islands

[dawgpilot]

It’s all good- the FAA owns all the airspace above the tallest blade of grass on the lawn so no issues with this flight op.

Shows the ridiculousness of that often presented argument.

There are several fools born every second unfortunately.

Regardless of the airspace, I'm sure there are plenty of other serious laws that the authorities could use to come down on this guy. "Obstruction of law enforcement" being most likely. (especially since the pilot was flying that close to an active law enforcement operation)

 

[superstarpup]

you mean like every other aspect of life in america? honestly there is never going to be anything that is federal only or state only; states have rights and sovereignty and to some extent, they'll try to exert some type of control over all but the highest levels of controlling the airspace. imo, the federal government control ends at regulating safety, communication, and interstate transportation and that's it. it's an overreach when you start getting into all the rules and regulations and laws and fees and fines none of which are authorized by the constitution.

I’m glad you aren’t in charge. And so is this website’s server. I can’t imagine how many more “can i fly in this county or town?” threads there would be.

 

[Citizen Flier]

I try to avoid being alarmist but to me this seems like the kind of thing that could help put another nail in the coffin for recreational drone users.

 

[GFields]

Like anything else, in the wrong hands, it can be abused! I use the Mavic 2 Zoom for roof inspections. Does a great job!

 

[dirkclod]

Like anything else, in the wrong hands, it can be abused!

Thats what I should have posted and sure the Zoom is a great piece that shot
through the glass just riled me up . Really havn't tried looking in any with my 2
and might be just as clear in the right light and close enough .

 

[kensteele]

I try to avoid being alarmist but to me this seems like the kind of thing that could help put another nail in the coffin for recreational drone users.

why is that, did you read somewhere that the drone pilot wasn't a commercial pilot? do we know the pilot was a hobby flyer and once again, casting a bad shadow across all recreational drone flyers worldwide?

no offense but it doesn't matter if 99% of all flights obey the rules, the drone flyer is going to get the same treatment. you just don't know it yet.

 

[silverdragon]

m2p flyers will tell you those images are grainy and not very clear so it's better to hasselblad over a useless 2x zoom.

I don't know but I think the zoom won this round....

 

[julius13]

Anyway you look at this, it's horrible. Just plain stupid to mess with the FBI. The video is sad at best. The flying is juvenile as well. So what was your point in posting this. Was it to piss off the majority of us here who follow the rules and common courtesy?

 

[GFields]

m2p flyers will tell you those images are grainy and not very clear so it's better to hasselblad over a useless 2x zoom.

Not sure where you get your information but the Mavic 2 Zoom is NOT useless. If camera settings are correct, the Mavic 2 Zoom will produce amazing images. And, if the camera settings are not set correctly, I don't care which drone you're flying you will not get good images. "Grainy" or "noise" usually results in higher ISO settings. Furthermore, every drone I have has its place in my business. I have made money using them all.

 

[johnmeyer]

I am amazed that the FBI let it go on for so long. If you go to the guy's website, you'll find he has posted 52 videos in the last month, and has no other videos. All the videos are of this Virgin Island compound. You can clearly see the drone's shadow in some of these other videos, so someone who knows drone models will be able to tell what it is.

This is clearly illegal, but since the FBI and NYPD let it continue for 52 flights, over a period of almost five weeks, perhaps they have some sort of interest in letting the video get out.

It would not have been hard to stop it, and defeat the drone because they have all sorts of drone "mitigation" equipment (I am not talking guns, but instead various other techniques for neutralizing a drone).

 

[WithTheBirds]

Regardless of the airspace, I'm sure there are plenty of other serious laws that the authorities could use to come down on this guy. "Obstruction of law enforcement" being most likely. (especially since the pilot was flying that close to an active law enforcement operation)

Obviously! My apologies if you missed my sarcasm- that was my point.

 

[kensteele]

Anyway you look at this, it's horrible. Just plain stupid to mess with the FBI. The video is sad at best. The flying is juvenile as well. So what was your point in posting this. Was it to piss off the majority of us here who follow the rules and common courtesy?

following the rules and common courtesy? that's rich consider who the fbi was raiding.

 

[kensteele]

This is clearly illegal, .....

im sorry i'm not as familiar on all the laws as most. this was illegal? what country was this and what laws were broken; let us know please?

 

[GadgetGuy]

I am amazed that the FBI let it go on for so long. If you go to the guy's website, you'll find he has posted 52 videos in the last month, and has no other videos. All the videos are of this Virgin Island compound. You can clearly see the drone's shadow in some of these other videos, so someone who knows drone models will be able to tell what it is.

It's clearly the Mavic 2 Zoom from the drone shadows in other videos and the 2x zooming. Control distance could have been as little as 1/4 of a mile from the edge of Great St. James Island across St. James Cut. Far side of Little St. James Island is still less than a mile. However, pilot could still have been anywhere on Great St. James Island, and still been well within the 5 mile control range of the M2Z over water. Virgin Islands are likely more of a wild west for drones, despite being in U.S. territory.

 

[Roc Rat]

That video just dramatically enhances the argument against drones and how they are invading people's privacy. It will only increase the demand for more government restrictions on drones. It served no valid reason to tape the cops doing their job ...just a busy body hi-tech drone operator trying to impress us with video gossip.

 

[Endeavor]

I dunno, guys. The camera moves were a bit jerky and not terribly cinematic. Exposure could have been better and while it did tell a story, the subject matter was kind of iffy for me.

I have a zoom and after filming with the MA the zoom is hard to control and very jerky. I have the gain set to 50 and tweaked the heck out ot the controls to try to smooth it out. Need more practice.
I will agree that doing video of these things is not going to help the drone community as it's just a matter of time before more restrictions arrive. On a recent trip to the west coast I struggled to get any footage as I was constantly in a NFZ area whenever I saw something worth capture.

 

[Hayabusa]

Sort if I didn’t catch it in the thread but how far away do you think he was?
Seems like they caught on to him this the reason for the boxes/packing pads to cover window.
The zoom option is great but obviously wasn’t on some long distance stealth spy mission.

 

[STKNRUD]

Given the near limitless power of the FBI to snatch it and confiscate it on the bases of “interfering” with Federal agents, etc., my guess that it was being flown by someone that had a “right” to be there...grounds’ keeper maybe or a journalist from a boat.

 

[johnmeyer]

That video just dramatically enhances the argument against drones and how they are invading people's privacy. It will only increase the demand for more government restrictions on drones. It served no valid reason to tape the cops doing their job ...just a busy body hi-tech drone operator trying to impress us with video gossip.

Drones are not invading people's privacy; the person flying the drone was invading their privacy. "Peeping Tom" laws already cover taking photos from a distance, and as soon as he navigated the drone to look through windows and doors, he violated those laws.

FYI, here is one section from a typical Peeping Tom law:

Unless covered by another provision of law providing greater punishment, any person who, while in possession of any device which may be used to create a photographic image, shall secretly peep into any room shall be guilty of a Class A1 misdemeanor. ​

I don't see how this person's violation of the law should be used as an argument to limit sale or use of drones any more than we should consider banning cameras and long lenses if he had used a super-telephoto to capture the same images.

 

[BD0G]

Let me tell you if I knew that I was flying a drone over and near an active FBI investigation I would be flying pretty jerky as well. The adrenaline dump that would be produced would undoubtedly find its way to my extremities
(fingers / hands). Plus when Zoomed in any small movement is an amplified movement within the video. I imagine the pilot was just focused on getting some footage and not creating a cinematic masterpiece. LOL Spielberg was not flying the drone with a camera crew 10 deep for this one peeps.