Feeling Like A Criminal when flying...

[BillyDrone]

Sometimes when I fly my drone I feel like a criminal even thou i'm doing nothing wrong.....
I have my remote and tablet and at times I look up at the sky and people walking by have no idea what i'm doing....I feel i look suspicious to them....
I guess thats just one of the anxieties about flying a drone.

 

[Phantomrain.org]

Try flying from inside the Car , you will find there is much less anxiety and your flights will be much more focused.

I went thru a period a couple years ago , where just carrying a back pack or a black case made me very self conscious as we were on high alert for terrorist. I feel you .

The Car helped a lot and really became my go to when at all possible

Phantomarain.org
Gear to fly your Mavic Air 2 /S in the Rain and Land on the water.

 

[BillyDrone]

Try flying from inside the Car , you will find there is much less anxiety and your flights will be much more focused.

I went thru a period a couple years ago , where just carrying a back pack or a black case made me very self conscious as we were on high alert for terrorist. I feel you .

The Car helped a lot and really became my go to when at all possible

Phantomarain.org
Gear to fly your Mavic Air 2 /S in the Rain and Land on the water.

Good idea....I like going where i know too many people wont be.....

 

[ATW]

I can honestly say that I have not once felt guilty about flying my drone. Maybe you are traumatized by something else, and transferred that insecurity to other areas of your life.

 

[Droniac]

I can honestly say that I have not once felt guilty about flying my drone. Maybe you are traumatized by something else, and transferred that insecurity to other areas of your life.

I think it’s more from the stigma they have always carried. Now people recognize what they are more so as something invasive to them or a war machine. I think many people are polarized toward classical thinking of things they know nothing about. And this is the vibe that it can produce for some. I can dig that. I sometimes wear an FAA sweatshirt so that people can ... assume something less threatening. Sad statement for us regular (really great lol) people who simply enjoy a healthy hobby, profession etc. So I’m not certain it’s guilt. Although the jury is out on this one. (I must admit walking with my black case has gotten me some odd looks). Godspeed

 

[BillyDrone]

I can honestly say that I have not once felt guilty about flying my drone. Maybe you are traumatized by something else, and transferred that insecurity to other areas of your life.

That could be...I'm a vet....I only feel that way when i'm flying around people who have no idea what i'm doing....
I live three blocks away from where George Floyd died and i think everyones much more paranoid about each other and what their doing these days unless you live in a cave or in the mountains somewhere.
I see you live in Canada....
Living in Canada is a much better place than USA....
I remember when I used to go to Canada when there was no passport needed,,,all you had to do is tell them where you were going and how long your stay would be...
I wish the USA would become more like Canada....Keep the trash out.

 

[BillyDrone]

.........On a happier note...I love to fly

 

[ATW]

When people see me out flying my drone, they want to watch, ask questions about it, but not in a paranoid way, but a happy and curious one. It doesn't make sense to me for people to get nervous about a drone. A car yes, they lose control and kill or maim all too often.

 

[Jet skier]

That could be...I'm a vet....I only feel that way when i'm flying around people who have no idea what i'm doing....
I live three blocks away from where George Floyd died and i think everyones much more paranoid about each other and what their doing these days unless you live in a cave or in the mountains somewhere.
I see you live in Canada....
Living in Canada is a much better place than USA....
I remember when I used to go to Canada when there was no passport needed,,,all you had to do is tell them where you were going and how long your stay would be...
I wish the USA would become more like Canada....Keep the trash out.

We’re practically neighbors I live about 2 miles from George Floyd intersection it’s funny I’ve flown camera drones for about two years now and have yet to see anybody in the city fly a camera drone. I’ve only seen a couple FPV guys

 

[Maviac]

I can honestly say that I have not once felt guilty about flying my drone. Maybe you are traumatized by something else, and transferred that insecurity to other areas of your life.

I’m the same. The one time I was nervous was the first time flying at a park shortly after I got my first drone, and only then because there are a lot of park officials and police officers around. Some guy came up to me and started chatting. He had a Mavic and said he’d talked to park officials and they didn’t mind a all when he flew there. Maybe I’ve just gotten lucky but I’ve never once had a negative interactions (well, with people that is. Some birds around here can be real jerks).

 

[ckoerner]

I wish the USA would become more like Canada....Keep the trash out.

I don’t feel like this is an appropriate thing to say in general, much less on these forums. Are the people making you feel self-conscious immigrants or something?

 

[JimWest]

It might help to wear a bright orange or lime green safety vest, like people wear on construction sites. It draws attention to you and says: "I'm here doing something legitimate." I saw a drone flying over my neighborhood yesterday and thought, someone has a new toy. But up the street I saw the operator. He was wearing a vest and a hard hat, and had orange safety cones placed all around his car. I didn't talk to him because he was flying, but his gear suggested he was a professional instead of a hobbyist.

 

[BLBrinker]

That could be...I'm a vet....I only feel that way when i'm flying around people who have no idea what i'm doing....
I live three blocks away from where George Floyd died and i think everyones much more paranoid about each other and what their doing these days unless you live in a cave or in the mountains somewhere.
I see you live in Canada....
Living in Canada is a much better place than USA....
I remember when I used to go to Canada when there was no passport needed,,,all you had to do is tell them where you were going and how long your stay would be...
I wish the USA would become more like Canada....Keep the trash out.

To what trash do you refer?

 

[Peterson]

I have and use a bright green vest that says "FAA Licensed Drone Pilot". Got it from Amazon and it cuts down 90% of the "what you doing" questions. But there is always that one guy that has to ask. You see him on TV commercials a lot, Captain Obvious.

 

[cgmaxed]

Try flying from inside the Car , you will find there is much less anxiety and your flights will be much more focused.

I went thru a period a couple years ago , where just carrying a back pack or a black case made me very self conscious as we were on high alert for terrorist. I feel you .

The Car helped a lot and really became my go to when at all possible

Phantomarain.org
Gear to fly your Mavic Air 2 /S in the Rain and Land on the water.

Are you using an antenna with extended wiring to place on the roof of your car? I can't get a signal if i sit in my car.

 

[hiflyer201]

I think the more you fly the easier it becomes to be discreet but you really can't do that if you have a huge hard case and a large tablet and a jacket that says look at me. I always hand catch and that in itself makes it easier to just wander off and keep to yourself.

 

[cgmaxed]

I have and use a bright green vest that says "FAA Licensed Drone Pilot". Got it from Amazon and it cuts down 90% of the "what you doing" questions. But there is always that one guy that has to ask. You see him on TV commercials a lot, Captain Obvious.

I never seem to have a problem. Most people know what i'm doin when they see the remote. Most of the time, they see the drone too. I fly around (not over) people mostly when I am flying around beaches. It's a common place to see drones, so I guess many beach goers are getting used to seeing drones. When I don't want to be bothered, I find a spot to fly where there are no people, Or a shady place under a tree. Makes me less visible. Also, I noticed, If I stand in a place that has too many people, and fly my drone away from them, they still get nervous. Sometimes they call the beach patrol. So I don't stand near to many people. I take off at the water's edge and fly straight out over the water, staying away from people, but someone sometimes someone gets paranoid and I'm asked to leave by beach patrol. They can always say you are "disturbing the peace". So I just leave and fly another day.

 

[cgmaxed]

I think the more you fly the easier it becomes to be discreet but you really can't do that if you have a huge hard case and a large tablet and a jacket that says look at me. I always hand catch and that in itself makes it easier to just wander off and keep to yourself.

eah, I did something like that once. Had a tablet and tripod with an amplifyer. It looked like I was conducting serious oerations or something. The police were called within 15 minutes to find out what I was doing. I frightened some of the condo tenants nearby. I left. Didn't want too get a ticket for disturbing the peace.

 

[Redvers]

Sometimes when I fly my drone I feel like a criminal even thou i'm doing nothing wrong.....
I have my remote and tablet and at times I look up at the sky and people walking by have no idea what i'm doing....I feel i look suspicious to them....
I guess thats just one of the anxieties about flying a drone.

And the best way to obscure sunlight and glare on your device is to bury your head under a cloth. However, I’ve never tried it - for obvious reasons!

 

[Robrink]

Sometimes when I fly my drone I feel like a criminal even thou i'm doing nothing wrong.....
I have my remote and tablet and at times I look up at the sky and people walking by have no idea what i'm doing....I feel i look suspicious to them....
I guess thats just one of the anxieties about flying a drone.

Our drone group in NJ flies very early morning missions. We usually meet at 6:30AM or whenever the sunrise is happening. You will be amazed how empty most areas are between 6 and 8am. Wherever you go you will have most of the place to yourself. Maybe a few early people who are out for a walk. We are in a group so safety is not usually an issue. Solo by yourself might be a concern that early. We just like the fact that no one is around that time of day.