Drone shot down...

[rydfree]

FAA says shooting at any aircraft, including UAVs, is a federal offense.

FAA says fly within line of sight and not above 400' but very few drone pilots seem to listen to them ,lol

 

[BluesDragon]

Smoking marijuana is also a federal offense... yet it's legalized in some states. Point being... just because the FAA sees it as a federal offence, doesn't mean your particular state officials will follow through.

 

[HyruleJedi86]

FAA says shooting at any aircraft, including UAVs, is a federal offense.

Agreed, this just needs to be enforced a few times and we'd likely have no problem.

 

[geigy]

Sorry about your drone! I hope the damage is not expensive, and you are back in the air soon. I had someone who said - in a conversational tone - that he would have shot my drone if he'd had his shotgun with him. People can get extremely angry at a drone that appears to be hovering over or close to their home.

Skeet shooting is typically done at 20 yards or so. Keep moving, and stay 200 feet up or more over populated areas and you will not cause any anger, and will not be shot down.

 

[jpbluzharp]

Federal crime to shoot at an aircraft... or interfere with a pilot... manned aircraft or UAS the same laws apply and for good reason.

Anybody worried about their privacy hasn't looked at Google Earth lately... and those images are blurry compared to what our government takes every day.

 

[baweber]

Brings up the subject of invasion of privacy. Really?
How much information has the Gov and indeed individuals able to get from the Internet, Face Book, Instagram,Google Earth etc.
I can find info on just about anyone who has Internet connection or any one who has ever done a transaction on line.
This sort of behaviour is probably more out of frustration against "Authority" than just an individual. It's easier to fight an individual than the Government.
Sign of the times where people feel enough is enough?

I am a RE broker in charge and just had an update course where they explained you can have a video camera in your house while it is being shown, to monitor the people if you want without telling them, but you can not have audio recording! So drones, which have no audio, would not be invading privacy as long as they are not trespassing - which at this point is more than 83 feet up.

 

[MavicCF]

I heard there is actually a new shot gun cartridge for drones. It shoots a large net up to (I think) a hundred yards! Going to have to practice my dodging.-CF

 

[geigy]

It shots a slug that separates into sections connected by Kevlar line. Not very effective, compared to conventional shot, even at close range.

 

[baweber]

I heard there is actually a new shot gun cartridge for drones. It shoots a large net up to (I think) a hundred yards! Going to have to practice my dodging.-CF

Batelle has already created a radio wave "gun" capable of disrupting communications between the drone and its controller. For Mavic - does it scramble the computer to the point that GPS is lost and also home point? Maybe.

 

[geigy]

View attachment 12143
Batelle has already created a radio wave "gun" capable of disrupting communications between the drone and its controller. For Mavic - does it scramble the computer to the point that GPS is lost and also home point? Maybe.

LOL - It seems to me that this is too fru fru. GPS is hard to jam because the antenna is directed upwards - if you flood it with power, you may affect the GPS signals of other equipment, including legitimate vehicles that are vaguely in your line of sight. Just shoot the sucker down already!

One more reason, though, to set your RTH altitude to 400 feet. Inverse square will reduce the jamming signal, and perhaps allow you to recover control. A set of parabolic antenna focussers would be very very handy in that situation. You may not want to hang around very long after your drone lands, and most def don't launch it from your own roof or porch - use your buddy's LOL.

But, yes, the point is it will be escalating back and forth, with some surprises for both sides. I predict that one big surprise for us, the drone aficionados, will be DJI's "drone license plate" feature. It's software only, and could already be in our drones without us knowing about it. That would allow anyone to determine the owner of a drone and send them a ticket for flying over a school, decide whether to capture it physically or by commandeering its command stream, or do whatever they see fit.

 

[Boog0822]

I just read someone got hit by a stray bullet at a St. Louis Cardinals baseball game the other day. So it does happen...

 

[Lelantos]

I am a RE broker in charge and just had an update course where they explained you can have a video camera in your house while it is being shown, to monitor the people if you want without telling them, but you can not have audio recording! So drones, which have no audio...

Different states have different laws in this regard.

 

[MavicCF]

I thought that in (most) cities in the US it was illegal to discharge a firearm within the city limits. Odd that they don't get in trouble for illegally shooting down a legal drone! -CF

 

[MavicCF]

View attachment 12143
Batelle has already created a radio wave "gun" capable of disrupting communications between the drone and its controller. For Mavic - does it scramble the computer to the point that GPS is lost and also home point? Maybe.

Yeah I saw that thing on YouTube! Looks cool as long as it is for law enforcement and not for everyone. It must somehow take over the signal being sent from the controller as you can control the drone by pointing it in different directions.

 

[baweber]

LOL - It seems to me that this is too fru fru. GPS is hard to jam because the antenna is directed upwards - if you flood it with power, you may affect the GPS signals of other equipment, including legitimate vehicles that are vaguely in your line of sight. Just shoot the sucker down already!

But, yes, the point is it will be am escalating back and forth, with some surprises for both sides. I predict that one big surprise for us, the drone aficionados, will be DJI's "drone license plate" feature. It's software only, and could already be in our drones without us knowing about it. That would allow anyone to determine the owner of a drone and send them a ticket for flying over a school, decide whether to capture it physically or by commandeering its command stream, or do whatever they see fit.

It would allow anyone with some sort of device to query the software from a distance I guess - yet another product for someone to create. Federal Government regulations already require a "license plate" on your drone the day you get it, if it weighs more than 0.55 pounds on take-off. The Registration database is not publicly searchable, but could be available to law enforcement. If you fly a Mavic without one, you are in violation of Federal Law!.

According the the FAA - "Failure to register an unmanned aircraft may result in regulatory and criminal penalties. The FAA may assess civil penalties up to $27,500. Criminal penalties include fines of up to $250,000 and/or imprisonment for up to three years." Not sure they have any enforcement at this point - but definitely not worth the risk. Ya, those aren't my real numbers - Photoshop.

 

[geigy]

Mine is in the battery compartment. I have no problem with someone finding out my identity if my drone is crashed somewhere, and I think it's the right way to go. Same as my car and I treat it with the same level of care that I do driving.

Decided not to make it externally visible to prevent others from using it illicitly, for example if I posted a youtube of my drone and forgot to blot out the #.

 

[Lapeer20m]

The FAA will prosecute not local authorities. They brought proceedings against police in the Dakotas when protesters were using drones which the police shot down...

Do you have a cite for this?

 

[geigy]

The FAA relies on local police because there are no FAA cops. The feds can step in if they feel like it, but would be the FBI, not the FAA doing it.

 

[Matchlock]

Here's an interesting pair of charts. These are from the courses I teach every month or so. While not always effective at these distances, the ammunition can certainly be dangerous.

Bud

How easy is it to shoot down a Mavic flying at an altitude of 300 feet? I did a quick google search and found a mention of the effective range of a shotgun with steel shot being about 50 yards, or 150 feet, which would seem to mean that a Mavic zooming by at 300 feet would be safe. Or are these drones that are being shot down flying at lower altitudes?

Another issue is detection. I don't think that the motors and props of my Mavic are easy to hear when it's way up at an altitude of 300 feet. Unless someone is actively scanning the sky, I think that a Mavic at that altitude would usually zip by overhead unnoticed.