Be Prepared for Uninformed Police..

[erkme73]

For anyone interested.. here's the footage I was shooting when the DEP officer showed up... 24fps shutter speed 50 using a Polar Pro 16nd Polarizing filter

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Wow at 30sec that looks like you got really close to that cable! Did you see/anticipate that, or was that a delayed WHEW when you reviewed the video?

The filming and editing are perfect. But, I just don't get the attraction to 24P. Maybe as my eyes get used to the ever-increasing refresh rates on modern displays, 24 just seems too strobey.

 

[jpbluzharp]

Wow at 30sec that looks like you got really close to that cable! Did you see/anticipate that, or was that a delayed WHEW when you reviewed the video?

The filming and editing are perfect. But, I just don't get the attraction to 24P. Maybe as my eyes get used to the ever-increasing refresh rates on modern displays, 24 just seems too strobey.

I was very close to the drone and was very careful to fly just close enough to inspire reactions. I guess I succeeded! I'm still getting used to the 24fps look myself. It's cinematic, or so they tell me.. I'm still not as happy as I'd like to be with the focus of this camera either. Loving the way the Mavic handles.. these were all manually operated with freezing hands. Thanks for the compliments! And the heads up!

 

[Blucenturion]

I like your shots, especially the one where you go under the bridge backwards. I am trying to get enough courage to get those type of shots.

Very possibly was a forward motion, reversed in Post. Easy to do. As long as no other things in motion make it obvious it's being play backards.

 

[zebrock]

I agree with the OP. I was flying in the city of Irvine, which is notorious for their police being just jerks because they have to deal with rich snoots all the time, and a police car rolled up on me while my drone was about 100 feet in the air and about 300 feet away from me. He said, "I got called because you are flying a drone, but to be honest, I don't think its illegal to fly a drone in this area, do you?" I told him that I was pretty sure it was not illegal. He said give me a minute while I am guessing he was either googling or looking through his computer for drone laws, and I said sure, and I proceeded to bring my drone back to land it. I didn't want it hovering out there during this conversation. He goes, "Nope, I can't find any laws that say you can't." "I am going to tell the dispatchers to stop sending us out to these calls if there is nothing illegal happening." Overall he was super polite, friendly, and didn't even claim to know the laws or tell me that it was illegal. In return I was polite and friendly and at the end he said carry on.
So someone had called the police I am guessing because they don't know what a drone is and they just don't like it flying around. At the end of the day, I still get to fly.

That's pretty surprising for an Irvine cop lol. You were probably the highlight of his day. I live in the area too

 

[jpbluzharp]

Very possibly was a forward motion, reversed in Post. Easy to do. As long as no other things in motion make it obvious it's being play backards.

That was actually flown backwards.. that was the easier option in that position. I was located on the rear side of the drone which was only about six feet off the water. I knew there was plenty of room at the back to increase speed and altitude as soon as the bird became visible to me.. That said, I can't tell you that my heart wasn't in my throat while executing that maneuver. The Mavic's flight characteristics are bolstering my confidence but that's still an expensive rock to skim across a pond.

I wonder how many of us will have ulcers? I know we all have smiles stuck on our faces.

 

[andy966]

That's pretty surprising for an Irvine cop lol. You were probably the highlight of his day. I live in the area too

Agreed. It was easy to tell that he would get far in his career because of his demeanor and his ability to see that I was in no way a threat to him or to the community. Being able to read people and just being honest with them are pretty hard to come by these days as some officers have shown. But I know there are good ones out there.

 

[Kate]

Had a local EPA cop roll up on me this morning while shooting a bridge over the local reservoir. He asked me to shut down my drone and to give him my driver's license etc.. He said it was illegal to fly there.

Fortunately, I was prepared with a whole lot more than that. I informed him that I was flying in class G airspace and that I could show him on the VFR sectionals on my smart phone that there were no restrictions in that area. I acknowledged that he probably didn't know about any of that kind of stuff because drones are "so new" and that I understood his dilemma. He made some calls after checking my credentials then told me to carry on.

For us to continue flying effectively, safely, and keep our skies free.. I'd encourage everyone to always carry your UAS license. Make sure your registration number is displayed prominently on your drone. And lastly, save a picture on your smart phone or iPad of the VFR sectional depicting the area of your flight as proof of your right to fly in a particular area. If you're professional, polite, and charming... as I'm sure all Mavic Pilots are.. you'll be back shooting in no time at all, with perhaps a new ally in law enforcement.

Fly safe.. let's teach people how much fun they can have!

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Word to the wise, Police dont like smartasses m8

 

[CactusJackSlade]

Thanks. I could have sworn that i had to provide one of my drones' serial number when I first registered but i guess not. time to print some more stickers

You may have been in the commercial registration side if you were on the direct FAA website.... then you DO have to register each drone with serial number you use commercially

 

[JRH]

I agree with the OP. I was flying in the city of Irvine, which is notorious for their police being just jerks because they have to deal with rich snoots all the time, and a police car rolled up on me while my drone was about 100 feet in the air and about 300 feet away from me. He said, "I got called because you are flying a drone, but to be honest, I don't think its illegal to fly a drone in this area, do you?" I told him that I was pretty sure it was not illegal. He said give me a minute while I am guessing he was either googling or looking through his computer for drone laws, and I said sure, and I proceeded to bring my drone back to land it. I didn't want it hovering out there during this conversation. He goes, "Nope, I can't find any laws that say you can't." "I am going to tell the dispatchers to stop sending us out to these calls if there is nothing illegal happening." Overall he was super polite, friendly, and didn't even claim to know the laws or tell me that it was illegal. In return I was polite and friendly and at the end he said carry on.
So someone had called the police I am guessing because they don't know what a drone is and they just don't like it flying around. At the end of the day, I still get to fly.

This is a good response. We are all going to have enough difficulty flying with all of the bad decision making that is occurring with many drone operators in many areas. Bashing the police is not helpful in my opinion. They do not choose the calls they are sent to and by the nature of their work they initially must be quite careful until they have carefull assessed a situation. Give them a break, it is a tough job these days.

 

[Lapeer20m]

This is a good response. We are all going to have enough difficulty flying with all of the bad decision making that is occurring with many drone operators in many areas. Bashing the police is not helpful in my opinion. They do not choose the calls they are sent to and by the nature of their work they initially must be quite careful until they have carefull assessed a situation. Give them a break, it is a tough job these days.

Officers do have choices. They can arrive and assess the situation from a distance and decide if it appears there are any laws being broken. Anything beyond that, without reasonable suspicion, is just a fishing expedition.

I am not suggesting anyone be impolite, just that if someone in authority asks for your papers please, it's ok to say no. This is what makes America great.

 

[jpbluzharp]

Officers do have choices. They can arrive and assess the situation from a distance and decide if it appears there are any laws being broken. Anything beyond that, without reasonable suspicion, is just a fishing expedition.

I am not suggesting anyone be impolite, just that if someone in authority asks for your papers please, it's ok to say no. This is what makes America great.

I seem to recall a lengthy discussion during my FAA class that PICs must obey law enforcement.. might want to check that out.

 

[Jeffhvac]

Thanks. I could have sworn that i had to provide one of my drones' serial number when I first registered but i guess not. time to print some more stickers

Only if you are a part 107 SUAS certified airmen (pilot) and the drone your flying is for commercial purposes does it individually have to be registered...... go to the FAA site YOU registered and it will ask you hobby or commercial....!

 

[Jeffhvac]

Officers do have choices. They can arrive and assess the situation from a distance and decide if it appears there are any laws being broken. Anything beyond that, without reasonable suspicion, is just a fishing expedition.

I am not suggesting anyone be impolite, just that if someone in authority asks for your papers please, it's ok to say no. This is what makes America great.

I was always tought to respect law enforcement...... meaning polite and respectful behavior..... that the problem in todays society..... when we start jumping around and mouthing off is where any cop has no idea where your going and WILL act accordingly........ they are only doing their job....... not to say a few are over zealous and idiots........ giving them respect first goes along way.

 

[JRH]

Officers do have choices. They can arrive and assess the situation from a distance and decide if it appears there are any laws being broken. Anything beyond that, without reasonable suspicion, is just a fishing expedition.

I am not suggesting anyone be impolite, just that if someone in authority asks for your papers please, it's ok to say no. This is what makes America great.

There is a point to my comment and that is if we wish to continue to have the opportunities that we now have to fly, we should be thoughtful about how we respond to those who may have the opportunity to influence policy. I respect your opinion, and not all police officers respond in the same way, but with twenty-three years experience in LE, I will tell you that in this day and age extreme caution is the order of the day on any call no matter the issue.

 

[Dragonfly1]

Then invite them to look at your screen.. show them what the thing can do. It wouldn't hurt to have some cops on our side.. See if they want a cool shot of their car.. going fast.

Are you feelin' me? Might even help to keep a few spare donuts in the car.

Great advice. I did that with a state trooper here in NY and he ended up telling me he would likely buy one for his son. We ended up joking around about who it would REALLY be for ... his son, or HIM?

 

[raymo]

I agree with the OP. I was flying in the city of Irvine, which is notorious for their police being just jerks because they have to deal with rich snoots all the time, and a police car rolled up on me while my drone was about 100 feet in the air and about 300 feet away from me. He said, "I got called because you are flying a drone, but to be honest, I don't think its illegal to fly a drone in this area, do you?" I told him that I was pretty sure it was not illegal. He said give me a minute while I am guessing he was either googling or looking through his computer for drone laws, and I said sure, and I proceeded to bring my drone back to land it. I didn't want it hovering out there during this conversation. He goes, "Nope, I can't find any laws that say you can't." "I am going to tell the dispatchers to stop sending us out to these calls if there is nothing illegal happening." Overall he was super polite, friendly, and didn't even claim to know the laws or tell me that it was illegal. In return I was polite and friendly and at the end he said carry on.
So someone had called the police I am guessing because they don't know what a drone is and they just don't like it flying around. At the end of the day, I still get to fly.

People can do the strangest things. Drones will be targets, but they are not alone. I was once at a beautiful mountain resort, and had set up my camera on my cool panoramic scanner to shoot a 180 degree pan of the pool/barbeque area with gorgeous mountains in the background. Someone in the pool thought I was invading their privacy (for crying out loud, they were in a public pool) and called the resort staff, who came to my room to say not to do the photo. CAN'T TAKE A PHOTO!!!!!!!!!!!! REALLY!!!!!!! This is what we face in CANADA - CAN'TADA.

 

[lbc5707]

Check out what the FAA asks of local law enforcement here

https://www.faa.gov/uas/resources/law_enforcement/media/FAA_UAS-PO_LEA_Guidance.pdf

 

[dbsanders]

I was flying in the city of Irvine, which is notorious for their police being just jerks...

I live and fly in Irvine too. I haven't yet been hassled by police, although I'm sure people have called them. To be prepared for this, I emailed the Special Assistant to the Chief of Police, Dan Jung, and asked about drones in the city. I printed his response, and I carry it in a binder with my other drone docs so I can show anyone that questions me. Here was his response:

Mr. XXXXXXX:

Thank you for contacting me regarding flying hobbyist drones in the City of Irvine. In response to your question, the City of Irvine does not have an ordinance regulating the operation of drones. Please note, you are permitted to fly your drone in City parks, as long as you adhere to the regulations established by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). In addition to not flying over people and other federal flight rules, please be mindful of flying your drone within five miles of John Wayne Airport.

Fly safely and if you have any other questions, please feel free to contact me.

Dan Jung
Special Assistant to the Chief of Police
Irvine Police Departmen

 

[Static8]

Had a local EPA cop roll up on me this morning while shooting a bridge over the local reservoir. He asked me to shut down my drone and to give him my driver's license etc.. He said it was illegal to fly there.

Fortunately, I was prepared with a whole lot more than that. I informed him that I was flying in class G airspace and that I could show him on the VFR sectionals on my smart phone that there were no restrictions in that area. I acknowledged that he probably didn't know about any of that kind of stuff because drones are "so new" and that I understood his dilemma. He made some calls after checking my credentials then told me to carry on.

For us to continue flying effectively, safely, and keep our skies free.. I'd encourage everyone to always carry your UAS license. Make sure your registration number is displayed prominently on your drone. And lastly, save a picture on your smart phone or iPad of the VFR sectional depicting the area of your flight as proof of your right to fly in a particular area. If you're professional, polite, and charming... as I'm sure all Mavic Pilots are.. you'll be back shooting in no time at all, with perhaps a new ally in law enforcement.

Fly safe.. let's teach people how much fun they can have!

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Well I wish it would be that easy for us in Canada now with new law in place, hoping it won't be permanent coming this June. We basically can't fly anywhere , if this was same situation in Canada, because its a structure with passing vehicles , I would have to be 75 meters away from it and any animals , so as soon as a bird flies by , I broke the law, or car or...you see how ridiculous it sounds but its the law now in Canada and why I have a petition of almost 1500 Canadians signed up...Here it is again for you all to sign which will be awesome., more the merrier!! Marc Garneau: Immediate HALT of Transport Canada New Safety Rules for Recreational Drone use in Canada

 

[TacAir42]

You encountered a government "drone". The kind that should be fired. There are many just like him within the Dept of the Interior as well. In fact every agency has their own "police force" now it seems.