Getting the public on your side

[LenSavage]

I ALWAYS wear my vest when flying. I am a full-time professional and the public has a right to know who is flying and why.
After landing, I have had many conversations with bystanders and the point I always make is that they should think of my drone as a really long selfie stick or very tall tripod.
It is simply an additional way to position my camera to get good video and stills.
I tell them about the film and TV projects and the range of commercial jobs I've done and so far and to the individual, they have walked away with my business card and a smile.
When they understand what you're doing and why, they have no right or reason to be negative about your intent or actions - unless you are actually 'up-to-no-good'.
Some of it may be jealousy and there are some individuals who's first gut reaction is negative to anything new.
The truth is; there will always be people with ..... a 'less than 3-digit IQ'.
The day will probably come when I encounter a jerk who lacks the assets to grasp the reality of what I do but after a couple of years - so far, so good.

 

[old man mavic]

that has been my experiance when i wear my vest it shows people that you are not hiding what you are doing, and most people are curious to see how small the Mavic actually is and how quiet it is in flight compared to what they thought a drone was.

 

[swings16]

THANK YOU ... A YOUNG,Old Man and Len

I will be getting the vest today in the mail (gOd) willing

i started to sour on the idea when many members thought it wasn't a good idea for one reason or another but now i am all in

I will use it...and Len i too like very much when people ask me about flying

it gives me pleasure to answer their questions...they get informed and we are not the big bad wolf

i recently had a kid with his family in a local park that was about 6...he was transfixed by the whole thing going on

after i brought it down i approached his Dad (who was watching me fly also) and the father asked me if his son could look at my drone...he was wide eyed and amazed..a huge smile

i got a convert..one at a time

i try to stay away from people when i fly but in NYC that is a tough thing to do

Tomorrow morning my family and i will be in The Adirondack mountains..a Place called..PARADOX LAKE...i am preparing ALL needed

My Evo...My Mavic pro...charging up...clearing Camera cards for space

I HOPE there are young people there (i am bringing my kids and THEIR kids)...i am sharing my flights with my older grand kids...i am sure they are looking forward to getting a chance to fly while there..i will be more than happy to give them a HEAVILY SUPERVISED chance..far away from anyone and may turn them onto this wonderful hobby

all good stuff...thanks gents !

 

[rottielover]

I hope I’m not to late.

This might be a little to long winded for a post so if you are interested in the details of my story please let me know and I will contact you via email so that I can send you copies of the emails involved.

I live outside St Louis MO area and in my county the parks department banned drones 2 years ago except for about a 100’x140’ area of one park where you have to get a special use permit ($), pay an additional fee ($), and then pay a daily use tag ($$) if you want to fly “in a park”. Keep in mind the county I live in has literally over 1,000 acres of parks spread across the entire county.

I decided to contact my councilman and the parks department director about this. In my very polite email I pointed out a few details, like the policy states it will be reviewed annually (has never been updated since being posted therefore not reviewed), and that the policy and county ordinance are not in compliance with the FAA documents I linked them.

I was ignored for 6 business days, I emailed again stating that they haven’t even acknowledged my email, and in a day I got a short reply stating my email was forwarded to the Legal Team for review and they would respond “very shortly”. It’s been a few more days and no word.

My take is that they are working very very hard to try and justify this B.S. of theirs.

I think this would make a very good addition to your story highlighting that it’s not just a public perception fueled by the mainstream media, but potentially corrupt politicians trying to use that bad reputation to line their pockets with additional revenue. County parks are paid for with taxpayer money and are open to residents to use. Unless you are a drone owner, then you better break out the checkbook. They also state you cannot take pictures from a drone for any use. Yet any other forms of photography, including things like wedding and pro photo shoots are not prohibited or “taxed”.

Let me know if interested and I’ll email you the emails and details.

 

[Thomas B]

I’m in Arizona, but here’s what happened here. The state passed a preemptive law saying only the state could make rules for drone flight/use. The National Forests, National Parks, etc do have their own rules pre-empting those of HOAs, cities, etc. The point is that some effort to get your state to pass a similar law would be a big plus. Here is SB 1449, now law in AZ:

https://azleg.gov/legtext/52leg/2r/bills/sb1449p.pdf

Here’s a simplified reading of it:

Drone Laws in Arizona (2024) - UAV Coach

A list of drone regulations and links for people flying drones in Arizona.

uavcoach.com

Maybe attack this on 2 fronts.

 

[RPASJones]

Another Topic to add. I would reference BBC's latest documentary on the dangers of drones. Huge let down for anyone who flies IMO.

 

[rottielover]

I got a very long “no and go away” email back from the county today.

 

[otisbrazwell]

I have been attacked by 3 people 2 in rhode island 1 in Vermont when flying..2 were females near my house months apart because they saw the bird landing (both were NOT penthouse material ). I was looking for deer out back not near there homes. the 1 in Vermont was a young guy and came in the yard while the mavic was landing he had no shirt on and was going to destroy it . he game close to leaving in the rescue. for me I fly hidden and bring the bird in low from opposite direction now. there are exceptions like yesterday when I flew along the coast while sitting in the truck people did see it land with no incident. last thing I would do is wear a flogreen vest. camo is best.

 

[Wingwalker]

If anyone would like to see a copy of my article, you can read it here.

Hope you like it and feel free to share.

David.

 

[peterwo2e]

Hi all, I'm a freelance journalist and drone hobbyist (been flying for around 2 years now). I'm writing an article on the difficulties hobbyists face when out flying, with particular regard to the public's perception of drone users - along with how drones can benefit others as well as bring lots of enjoyment to the pilot. By writing this piece, I'm hoping to try and change the way in which we can be viewed and turn the sport into a more positive light. I would love to hear about your experiences with the public's perceptions regarding the hobby both good and bad. If you are a novice user or a seasoned pro then I'd love to hear from you. Post your comments here or if you wish to chat in private then you can email me at [email protected]

Many thanks in advance.

David.

1st amendment is your right to take pictures in public. There IS NO EXPECTATION of privacy in public. if your neighbors or cop want privacy THEY have to create it, not you. people in general should no longer be scared of cameras. we are surrounded by cameras every day. if your neighbor leaves the curtain open and you see his fat wife naked (is just an example) that is his problem not yours. he wants privacy close the curtains. there is lots of ignorant people out here that still don't know the law. especially cops! is ironic. also you could take pictures of public structures this includes the inside of any public funded building were the public is allowed to go. rules and laws might apply with a flying camera. maybe somebody has other opinions or better knowledge when it comes to mounting a camera on a flying platform.