Flying in your own neighborhood

tck444 · Dec 23, 2019

I was practicing just outside my garage with controls and settings. Basically take off and landing, straight up and down about 50 feet. An unknown neighbor called the police. When the officer arrived I showed him my registration and invited him the house to watch the video.

A bit lucky for me that he was genuinely interested and started asking questions about how to get started in the hobby, pricing, etc. I told him next time I will just take it to the nearby park to respect the neighbors. Issue resolved without any problems.

cavenger · Dec 23, 2019

tck444 said:
I was practicing just outside my garage with controls and settings. Basically take off and landing, straight up and down about 50 feet. An unknown neighbor called the police. When the officer arrived I showed him my registration and invited him the house to watch the video.

A bit lucky for me that he was genuinely interested and started asking questions about how to get started in the hobby, pricing, etc. I told him next time a just take it to the nearby park to respect the neighbors. Issue resolved without any problems.

Ugh. I'm sorry that happened. Almost every time I launch my drone, I feel like I'm breaking the law. I'm really trying to understand what I'm allowed to do but the laws are pretty confusing.

buddb55 · Dec 23, 2019

Flew this last evening, right at sunset. Only a few people hear me at 60 feet.

Scottalmas · Dec 23, 2019

I practice quite a bit in my neighborhood. I would say there are as many indifferent neighbors as there are those that want to know more about the drone. I have only had one neighbor that was uncomfortable with the noise of the drone insofar as she has an autistic child and the sound seems to bother him. About a year and a half ago, I committed to stay away from flying anywhere near her home and she recently approached me when flying and thanked me.

Teddy warrick · Dec 23, 2019

MacCool said:
No real photographic merit, just tooling around the neighborhood
Looks to COLD for me go south young man go south......lol

Dale D · Dec 23, 2019

Jet skier said:
My neighbors don’t mind me flying at all probably because most of them are young Some have kids and I let the kids fly the spark once in a while and they love it

I live in a 15 home neighborhood. Very full of established trees. The only way I can fly here is from the end of my driveway and I can only go straight up, and then back down again, since I absolutely cannot maintain line of vision due to tree canopy. This photo was taken above my house.
None of my neighbors really give a rat's tail if I fly here or not as far as I know. We are all very friendly.

John235 · Dec 23, 2019

I am lucky to live in the mountains, in the middle of nowhere. The nearest structures to me are hunting cabins, the closest being about 2500 ft away. The only two glitches are that there is forested mountain land all around, so recovery from a flyaway or accident could be difficult, and the 5 mile line for a local dirt strip airfield falls between my house and barn. I am at about the highest point, so my rth is set to 200 ft and is rarely changed. I fly at least 150 ft. height.

Gilbertlopez1 · Dec 23, 2019

I Fly Up And Down My Street With My Whoops And HDO 2’s, About 120 Feet In Each Direction. Its A Slow Street Without Telephone Poles, A Huge Plus ! Once In Great While I’ll Hear One Of The Women Neighbors Grumble, But I Ignore Them. I Dont Go Near Anyone’s Home, Or Fly Near Walking People, Only Up And Down The Street. I Keep It To A Minimum, Wont Fly If Their Having Parties Or Gatherings. So If After All That, One Or Two Of Them STILL Wants To Grumble, They Can Have At It. I’m NOT Breaking Any Law. My Mavic Pro 2 Has Also Been Flown In My Neighborhood. I Will Go To At Least 125 Feet Up To Not Make Much Noise, Try To Stay Down The Middle Of The Streets, Very Nice View At Sunset Where I Live From Up High, I Wear My RE Goggles, Its Amazing...

Deleted member 109934 · Dec 23, 2019

cavenger said:
Do you fly in your own neighborhood and have you had your neighbor watch or ask about your drone?

I don't, to many nice houses, I respect people's privacy. A lot of houses in my area have high fences for a reason. Also, many people have very strong wi-fi networks MM wi-fi is no match for it. I will fly in my yard a few meters above so I do not peak on each side.

AMann · Dec 23, 2019

Nope, I lay low in the neighborhood and we have lots of BLM flying lands just a mile away.

Haggar · Dec 23, 2019

My neighbours come round to my place to see the latest creation! I have a good experience, but I also live in a wildernes in the Flow Country in the far north Scotland. Also known as heaven. We help each other out. I go looking for lost cows and sheep, and they repair my road when it needs it. I do passport pics when they need them, and they bring a wee gift at the end of their travels. 'tis a great life and the drone is part of it.

Most people dont mind at all with drones and stuff. Its more about the individual and the kind of guy that you are.

Capt KO · Dec 23, 2019

I also fly in my neighborhood with no problems. When we moved into this house 45 years ago we were the new kids on the block. Now I'm the old man on the block. Not been bothered at all. They may stop and take a look, wave, and go on their way. I'm close to the coast so I get a good view from up there. Enjoy

cavenger · Dec 23, 2019

AMann said:
Nope, I lay low in the neighborhood and we have lots of BLM flying lands just a mile away.

All of our BLMs around here are dense forest. I'd have to be flying to maintain VLOS...and after a while, trees aren't fun to look at. So far, I have the desire to fly in cities (which I basically can't do) or near water.

AMann · Dec 23, 2019

cavenger said:
All of our BLMs around here are dense forest. I'd have to be flying to maintain VLOS...and after a while, trees aren't fun to look at. So far, I have the desire to fly in cities (which I basically can't do) or near water.

Move out here to the desert! My neighbors are nice, but they like their space so flying near them is not preferable.

dwolfe002 · Dec 23, 2019

I have one neighbor that keeps asking about my drone. Him and his wife used to work for the police department. I usually fly at the parks around here but when I just want to check out a setting I fly in my neighborhood around a couple of vacant lots so as to not bother anybody. He stopped by a few weeks ago to see if I could use the drone to take a picture of his lot that he had marked off to build a house. He said he wanted to see if it was straight with the other houses and the road. Of course I was happy to and before I left he said he saw a drone flying about 200 ft. while he was standing outside taking a leak and was wondering if that was me. I told him I wasn't flying at that time but even if I was I couldn't have seen his stuff at 50 ft. much less at 200 ft. Then I told him the guy across the street with the zoom lens could probably get a good shot of him though. The thing that really gets me is that his wife wears one of those hearing devices that amplifies sound so that she can listen to the neighbors when they are outside talking! Some people only see things the way they want to see them.

johnbirt · Dec 23, 2019

Camino Ken said:
Ha Ha, most of my neighbors are around my age, i. e. old. At our age it is difficult to see or hear drones, much less complain.

" ...difficult to see ... at our age". I hope not!

MAvic_South_Oz · Dec 23, 2019

cavenger said:
I admittedly never knew how complicated this hobby was going to be...

5:33, interesting, basically no restrictions flying over people at all is proposed by FAA on the MM under 250g / 0.55lb weight (cat 1).

I really think that is a bad idea, unless full cages are used, but then it's over 250g.

Video from May '19, not sure if any more info has come out on this.

harle83 · Dec 23, 2019

Jet skier said:
My neighbors don’t mind me flying at all probably because most of them are young Some have kids and I let the kids fly the spark once in a while and they love it

I fly and also do a lot with RC Cars mainly Arrma pretty rugged and a little more than fast. I always attract kids and having 5 grandkids I’m used to it. So once I let one take a spin, I got chastised for it. Not a pervert or anything but it just made me more aware of things. Ultimately I still don’t care like i said I’m a grandparent at 57 to a 12 year old. So I just am a little more closed I think. Brave with that Spark, nobody touches the birds but me???????????????

ajaxflysquare · Dec 23, 2019

cavenger said:
Do you fly in your own neighborhood and have you had your neighbor watch or ask about your drone?

I live in rural Florida and I fly in my neighborhood on a regular basis. I am fortunate enough to live in unrestricted airspace. My neighbors are cool with it or simply don't care one way or another. I go up to about 390 ft and fly out to my destination. No one can really notice anything up that high anyways. I only do it occasionally now since i've "been their and done that".