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Anyone notice a difference?

Mrmund

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Anyone else notice a difference in the way people react to you and your aircraft when you're flying?
I was flying this weekend at two different locations.
At one a guy rode his bike past, stopped to wait for his friends and noticed me. As his friends arrived he pointed up and said "that guy's got a multi-rotor... you know a drone" They seemed to think it was kind of cool, then rode on.
Later on I was flying a lighthouse that was right next to a public walkway along the river. People noticed my drone, pointed, some even waved. No one complained or seemed bothered in the least.
I've only been flying for a couple of years but since I started I've noticed a difference in people's reactions. It's like they're getting used to UAS and it's not such a big deal now that they see them all over in media and maybe even know someone who's got one?
I guess people used to be afraid of motorcars too.

Wonderful time to be alive
 
No the late 70's and 80's where .o_O
Kidding aside folks here aren't bothered by them. Might be because 90% know me or know of me and another that is big in our city that use's them in SARS and it is published about in a positive way.
I get a thumbs up from all the locals when they see me pulled over as they know what I am doing.
Guess it's just where you are and the temperament of the people there.
Is nice to live in a small town in the country .
 
No bad experiences here, but I tend to fly in rural areas, do my homework as to any flight restrictions where I'm going to be, especially when overseas, and obey them. If possible, I'll also double check with local officials if it's OK to fly if I'm in a national park, built up area, or similar, and there's a possibility of more specific restrictions - generally this gets a very positive reaction, even if the answer is that I can't fly.

In terms of members of the public on the various occassions that's happened, it's mostly curiousity rather than hostility. I always try and engage with them if I can, language barrier permitting, but getting the shot and drone home safe comes first though! Generally that involves showing them the screen, sample shots, discussing capabilities and stability, and on occassion even letting them take the stick for a while. Similar with photographic landlubbers, although they're more likely to go away wondering if their budget will stretch to a drone and/or how to explain their pending purchase to a significant other. :p

Really, I think the best approach is to open about what you are doing and above all else demonstrate that you are being responsible about it, and if challenged, be prepared to pack up if that's the best way to de-escalate the situation. IMHO, all this exercising of "rights", illicit flights for some Instagram/YouTube notoriety, and circumvention of geofencing around legal no-fly zones isn't doing any of us any favours in the long run. There are still huge tracts of beautiful landscapes to fly around in, even in densely populated areas like Europe; we should all be making the most of them, not doing stupid stunts that are only going to get ever larger chunks of it turned into NFZs.
 
I have only had one complaint, flying in the lake district when a couple walked past saying (loud enough for me hear ) it shouldn't be allowed we came for peace and quiet and he is spoiling it.

I did apologise but felt like telling them I am not a tourist I live here.

Most of the time people are interested and want to chat while I am concentrating on flying, I usually land and show them what I was taking pictures of.

Wish I had bought the T-shirt I one spotted, it read Yes its a drone, Yes it was expensive, No you can’t fly it.
 
I’ve had good experiences with bystanders taking interest.
On the other hand, I’ve experienced foreign visitors to the US do incredibly stupid things to ruin it for the rest of us.
 
I honestly think it’s because drones are no longer being negatively pounded on by the news media everyday. Without all the negative hype people are just seeing them for what they are and react accordingly.
However that’s just my opinion based on my experiences over the last 3 years.
 
No I haven't noticed a difference because in general I've found most people who speak to me when flying the drone are just curious about it and want to know more. I've come across the occasional person who has been very unpleasant but that's it.

What I think is the case as it is most of the time is that the media amplifies vocal minorities to make them appear much more significant than they actually are.
 
I was flying a beach in Florida about 7am two months ago. I had to land because the crowd of 4 was asking way to many (positive) questions. One of the females was a realtor and she was trying to hire me to video some properties. I just ended up returning to home way before I was done. All in all it was a great experience.
 
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Usually positive, but one weekend while flying high in a commuter lot, this one car that was suspiciously circling the lot very slowly suddenly sped off when I brought it down to about 50 ft. Figured he saw it and his imagination took off.
 
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So far, two people thought it was cool. I made sure to mention to both I was following the rules. Still, it makes me nervous. I’m always gonna be learning, so I’m waiting for someone that knows more to squash me. But, I hope it does not. Ha ha ha
 
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Paulf10 hit it on the head! Opinions turned a few years ago when Amazon came public with their intentions to make deliveries via drones, then Walmart. Like the devil spawned internet; people warm up to it (once) they can see the practicality in a thing . . .
 
The only complaint I encountered was about a year ago I was at a buddies house and three of us were flying our drones. He is on a one acre lot with about a hundred acres of woods behind him. We had been flying for a while when an elderly man drove up and came to talk to us. I’m almost 60 and this gentleman had to be 80. He very kindly asked us not to fly over his property as his son was tending to his garden and the drones made him nervous. He was polite enough and we actually showed him our flight path and that we hadn’t flown the drones past line of site and that his son probably heard my Inspire 2 in the air. It was a friendly conversation and we promised not to fly over his property. The biggest issue was he was so friendly that he kept talking and would not leave! Killing some of our flying time!

My only question was why would his son who had to be middle aged be nervous about a drone over his garden? Hmmmm don’t know what he was growing?
 
I only received one "complaint" over a year ago when I flew my P3A. They came over when I was pretty much done. The problem was that the P3 bothered their dogs, even 100' high. It could be the P3 emits a high pitch. That might be a harmonic from the props or the bottom ultrasonic sensor.
 
Been flying a year and mostly get curious onlookers and the ones that approach me are wowed by the drone camera view.I explain a bit like a little kid about 4 mile range,RTH,GPS etc.Once in Florida a woman in her late 60's or so walked by with a man and said"I hate those FN things,I don't even know what they are"(???)As she drove by I offered to show her the screen and she gave me the finger.?
 

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