Chased off my usual field

[raylo32]

Not Mavic related, but I got chased off the field where I have been flying for years. The county once upon a time closed and relocated the RC aircraft field and converted that property along with adjoining area to a kids' Soccerplex. It's a couple hundred acres, maybe 20 fields, golf driving range, some other facilities. I am a no impact flyer only going there on weekdays when the facility is generally inactive and I go to a remote corner in the middle of nowhere away from any and all activity.... which might be a team on one field or just mowing or grounds work. But the guy says they have a no drone "rule". Being stubborn like I am... and a county taxpayer... I am going to have to pursue this at least to understand if and what the legal basis is for restricting park usage to residents.

 

[Captain Lou]

Every time I go to my place ( a hiking trail preserve ) I’m worried that someone is gonna come and tell me I can’t fly there also ... paranoia is a part of hobby I guess [emoji41].. I wish there were dedicated places for droners to fly but there’s nothing like that here I don’t think...

 

[Thomas B]

Unless I misunderstand, they can’t control the air above the ground as that’s FAA territory. So they can exclude TO and landing, but not overfly. However other ordinances, such as nuisance noise, etc could be brought to bear on you.

 

[Paul2660]

Sorry to hear this, but it's kinda of the way things are going now. They can't stop you from flying over a spot, but can stop you from launching. Even if it's remote and has no real issues.

Hope you can meet with someone with a reasonable knowledge of reality and what a consumer drone is really capable of, and they will allow you to continue to fly.

I agree also on the issue of noise, but with a Mavic especially the MPP you really have to try to hear it once it's 200 or so feet up unless you start flying it hard where the props start to bite. The P4 is so much louder, I have quit flying it unless I am out in the National Forests. Just too much noise.

What is interesting to me is a standard lawn mower, or leaf blower both make a lot more noise, but no one complains about those.

Paul C

 

[Thomas B]

Sorry to hear this, but it's kinda of the way things are going now....
...What is interesting to me is a standard lawn mower, or leaf blower both make a lot more noise, but no one complains about those.
Paul C

Good point... not to mention the exhaust gasses and dust. I guess drones are just an easy target.

 

[brett8883]

Not Mavic related, but I got chased off the field where I have been flying for years. The county once upon a time closed and relocated the RC aircraft field and converted that property along with adjoining area to a kids' Soccerplex. It's a couple hundred acres, maybe 20 fields, golf driving range, some other facilities. I am a no impact flyer only going there on weekdays when the facility is generally inactive and I go to a remote corner in the middle of nowhere away from any and all activity.... which might be a team on one field or just mowing or grounds work. But the guy says they have a no drone "rule". Being stubborn like I am... and a county taxpayer... I am going to have to pursue this at least to understand if and what the legal basis is for restricting park usage to residents.

Yea I would look into it. If it’s public land then they’d likely need an ordinance to prevent you from flying there. People think they can just make up stuff all the time.

I’ve had random people come up to me and tell me I can’t fly somewhere for the most absurd reasons. I usually ask them to refer me to the documentation that says I can’t fly there so I can more thoroughly study the rule and then you get the blank stare from somebody who knows their bluff has been called and they always walk away

 

[Captain Lou]

I think the answer to this question is that we, as hobbyists, have to educate people about what we do ... I think most non/droners think that we’re recording videos of them in the privacy of there backyards or homes ... also that they’re not safe and might crash into their windshields (Farmers Insurance Commercial)... I’m not sure how to do it but until people gain some understanding of drones and their pilots were going to have a problem flying ...

 

[raylo32]

Their webpage lists a rule: No drone aerial video or photography. Clearly the intent is to not have yahoo soccer dads or kids with their drones overflying games and crowds. Wouldn't catch me within a mile of that place on the weekend with 5000 screaming rug rats.

I am going to keep doing what I have been doing... but probably in a different field farther from what looks like the HQ... unless/until they send the police and they show me what ordinance I am violating.

Here is a photo of a couple of the 20 or so empty fields as they typically are during the week.

 

[Bitrootvz]

try showing up and flying a kite. if that's OK then you might have a case. you could tie a string to your drone and tell them is is a mechanical kite.

 

[Cymruflyer]

Actually if you have a string attached to it and are holding it, then the drone laws do not apply, because it is now a tethered device and you have far more things you are allowed to do with a tethered device than with an unmanned aerial vehicle. There is a company offering the tether to get around certain laws for drones. You might look that up on the AOPA drone site.

 

[Nelson 1949]

Not Mavic related, but I got chased off the field where I have been flying for years. The county once upon a time closed and relocated the RC aircraft field and converted that property along with adjoining area to a kids' Soccerplex. It's a couple hundred acres, maybe 20 fields, golf driving range, some other facilities. I am a no impact flyer only going there on weekdays when the facility is generally inactive and I go to a remote corner in the middle of nowhere away from any and all activity.... which might be a team on one field or just mowing or grounds work. But the guy says they have a no drone "rule". Being stubborn like I am... and a county taxpayer... I am going to have to pursue this at least to understand if and what the legal basis is for restricting park usage to residents.

It is possible to get a "no Drone" rule rescinded. I go to a public park that is in Class G airspace a few miles from my home to ride a bike quite frequently. I took my P4 there to an open area one day and was informed by a park ranger that they had a "No drone" policy. Since my yearly park pass stated that I had to follow all posted rules, I asked where the "No Drone" rule was posted. There was nothing at all about drones posted on any sign in the park and I stated this to the Park Ranger. I was told that it must be on the web site. I went to the web site and nothing about drones was there either.

I then escalated the matter to the Chief Park Ranger and was told that he would have to speak with his boss (Park Supervisor) about the matter. I called his boss and had several conversations with him about the arbitrary rule and the lack of posting. I gave him my opinion that an unwritten rule was not enforceable and that no justification had been provided for the arbitrary "rule". I also indicated that I would go to the Park Commission if we could not resolve the matter.

I sent an email to the Park Supervisor asking if liability was a primary concern with drones and suggested several ways to avoid this problem and suggested the use of a large open area (500' x 1500') that was vacant and had no current use plans. I offered to help them resolve this issue and eventually received a request to review/suggest rules that allowed take off/landing in the park. I made my written comments to the draft and emailed them back. The rules were then to be presented to the Park Commission for formal approval.

After a couple of weeks had passed I received a phone call that I was now permitted to fly in the park in the area that I had suggested. No rules wrt drones have been posted anywhere as of this date, but I can now fly my drone without issue in the designated area.

With persistence and some logic it is possible to overcome the entrenched system with a common sense approach.

Nelson

 

[raylo32]

The thing is if drones are aircraft then I don't see how public parks can implement "anti-drone" rules. Yes, at the soccerplex you don't want to fly over gatherings of people like during games or practices but that is already covered by the FAA rules. The FAA rules govern aircraft, not parks and recreation departments.

 

[AMann]

Actually if you have a string attached to it and are holding it, then the drone laws do not apply, because it is now a tethered device and you have far more things you are allowed to do with a tethered device than with an unmanned aerial vehicle. There is a company offering the tether to get around certain laws for drones. You might look that up on the AOPA drone site.

Are you sure about teathered drones? Please show a reference to the FAA rules that exclude those. My understanding is they are still considered a drone, But I could be wrong.

Now a drone on a stick might be different, sort of like the standing fan in my family room!?

 

[brett8883]

Are you sure about teathered drones? Please show a reference to the FAA rules that exclude those. My understanding is they are still considered a drone, But I could be wrong.

Now a drone on a stick might be different, sort of like the standing fan in my family room!?

The FAA reauthorization of 2018 allows public bodies to fly a tethered drone less then 150 feet in most circumstances without a COA or any other type of authorization but this appears to only apply to government operators. I’m not a lawyer so I don’t really know what that means for civilians. When I first read it I thought the same thing as @raylo32 but reading it again I either missed that section or only found the section regarding government usage.

 

[Racin8de]

Gentlemen, All you have to do is use a little common sense and be respectful.... You have to understand that people unfamiliar with drones only hear bad things about them. If someone approaches you just be courteous even in the event you know you're a 100% right.. As hard as it is for some people to suck up their pride a little, believe me just be courteous and respectful can go a long way and save ya a ton of money.. Yes sir, No Sir.. Yes mamn, No ma'am!

 

[FatherXmas]

Now a drone on a stick might be different,

Would it be called Jose?

 

[Mr. Salty]

The thing is if drones are aircraft then I don't see how public parks can implement "anti-drone" rules. Yes, at the soccerplex you don't want to fly over gatherings of people like during games or practices but that is already covered by the FAA rules. The FAA rules govern aircraft, not parks and recreation departments.

This has been discussed to death. Parks departments can't control air space but they can control the use of their property. And that means they can prohibit you from taking off and landing from their property.

I can fly my drone over your property. That doesn't mean you have to allow me to stand in the middle of your front yard while I do it.

 

[Lets Fly]

Strings attached near four whirling blades, scary.

 

[AMann]

This has been discussed to death. Parks departments can't control air space but they can control the use of their property. And that means they can prohibit you from taking off and landing from their property.

I can fly my drone over your property. That doesn't mean you have to allow me to stand in the middle of your front yard while I do it.

You are right about the airspace rules, but remember there’s a couple members here that tried to use that argument in court to a judge to fight about a $100 fine and another got arrested. Both lost a lot of time and money trying to prove a point because the judge didn’t decide in their favor. Its just not worth it sometimes, even if you are right.

 

[Thomas B]

You are right about the airspace rules, but remember there’s a couple members here that tried to use that argument in court to a judge to fight about a $100 fine and another got arrested. Both lost a lot of time and money trying to prove a point because the judge didn’t decide in their favor. Its just not worth it sometimes, even if you are right.

True! Local judges enforce local/state laws on the books. It would take an appeal at best. I went through an issue with a horse that was heard in AZ district court x3, AZ Appeals court x2, and then in AZ Supreme Court... problem was that the actual tort was never considered... by that time I had over $75K in legal fees. So we let it die, as opposing counsel planned.
It will take, at best, a series of state by state class action type cases to overturn drone laws resulting from the local and state lawmakers who overstepped their authority... and they likely know it.