Got a call from the Police about my drone

[devgrp]

Hi guys I had a run in with cops the last summer. I was out flying in Charlotte NC in the city and a cop pulled up and asked if I was flying a drone. I said yes. I told him I was just getting some pics for the skyline and the panthers stadium. After I landed, another cop on a segway pulled up and the other cop asked him if he saw the drone on some tracker. Could'nt make out the name, but they took my name and phone number and took a pic of my serial number etc under the battery. They just told me to fly los and always keep the drone in my sight.

Now yesterday I had another run in with them. I was at my studio in the parking lot waiting for my client, so I decided to do a little flight. I flew about a mile away then came back and landed. About 5 minutes later I get a call from a detective asking why I'm flying so far away and how one of his officers had already talked to me about it. I was surprised because I didnt know how they are tracking my drone.

Then I started doing some research. Turns out the drone is sending all its telemetry data to an internet website database and cops are able to access this information. Never though about this and I never fly in airplane mode.

So I will start flying in airplane mode to avoid being tracked

 

[StantonZ]

Then I started doing some research. Turns out the drone is sending all its telemetry data to an internet website database and cops are able to access this information. Never though about this and I never fly in airplane mode.

I think you need to clarify this a bit...because the only "internet website database" I know of contains secured account info.

 

[Prismatic]

Mmm ... ?

 

[devgrp]

I think you need to clarify this a bit...because the only "internet website database" I know of contains secured account info.

FAA announces new system for remotely identifying and tracking drones

The new system will help enable large-scale commercial use of drones.

arstechnica.com

I dont think your personal information is being stored. Just the drone info and telemetry. Before I had thought they had something like a radar to detect the drones, but the more I think about it the more it makes sense. If you are not flying in airplane mode (which I never do), then the app can send all the telemetry data to wherever it needs to go

 

[Deleted member 103366]

If by chance they are using Aeroscope - DJI I think the transmitter is in the drone and CAN NOT be switched off.

 

[devgrp]

If by chance they are using Aeroscope - DJI I think the transmitter is in the drone and CAN NOT be switched off.

hmmm, that might be what they are using. If so flying in airplane mode, they would still be able to track me

 

[Deleted member 103366]

I think yes, they will still be able to track you. I will stand correction on that.
Via the App I tried to switch whatever it was on the drone off and it IMMEDIATELY switched itself back on.
"airplane mode" merely shuts down the phone's transmission.

 

[Tentoes]

Reading the DJI website the PhilliusFog linked, I'd say airplane mode won't help. It seems to detect the communication between the remote and drone. They must monitor the whole city.

Keep closer in. They're watching!

 

[devgrp]

I think yes.
Via the App I tried to switch whatever it was on the drone off and it IMMEDIATELY switched itself back on. I will stand correction on that.
"airplane mode" merely shuts down the phone's transmission.

Yeah I had first thought it was the remote id setting in the app, but I have that turned off. I remember reading an article that dji would turn this on by default for all new drones and no way to disable it

 

[devgrp]

Reading the DJI website the PhilliusFog linked, I'd say airplane mode won't help. It seems to detect the communication between the remote and drone. They must monitor the whole city.

Keep closer in. They're watching!

yeah thats exactly what is happening

 

[joeywestside]

I'm curious about jurisdiction here... Only the FAA has authority over airspace. Local governments can enforce whether or not a drone can take off or land within the geographic boundaries that they control. Outside of that I could understand not flying over prisons and power plants and crowds, but these guys are enforcing VLOS? Strange.... Maybe one of the Lawyer types can chime in.

In terms of detection, I think the Aeroscope sniffs the communication between your drone and your controller. While that doesn't have your actual name, it may have the SN of your drone, they likely had your name and number on record from your previous encounter.

Thanks for sharing with us!

 

[devgrp]

I'm curious about jurisdiction here... Only the FAA has authority over airspace. Local governments can enforce whether or not a drone can take off or land within the geographic boundaries that they control. Outside of that I could understand not flying over prisons and power plants and crowds, but these guys are enforcing VLOS? Strange.... Maybe one of the Lawyer types can chime in.

In terms of detection, I think the Aeroscope sniffs the communication between your drone and your controller. While that doesn't have your actual name, it may have the SN of your drone, they likely had your name and number on record from your previous encounter.

Thanks for sharing with us!

yeah I did give them my name, number and serial number on a previous encounter when I was flying around the panther's stadium. Detective said he would send my name over to the faa if it happens again

 

[k9kids]

How is flying a mile away VLOS? I can’t see my drone at that distance.???

 

[DanMan32]

I'm curious about jurisdiction here... Only the FAA has authority over airspace. Local governments can enforce whether or not a drone can take off or land within the geographic boundaries that they control. Outside of that I could understand not flying over prisons and power plants and crowds, but these guys are enforcing VLOS? Strange.... Maybe one of the Lawyer types can chime in.

In terms of detection, I think the Aeroscope sniffs the communication between your drone and your controller. While that doesn't have your actual name, it may have the SN of your drone, they likely had your name and number on record from your previous encounter.

Thanks for sharing with us!

FAA has empowered LE to do preliminary investigations. If there's an issue they then are to report it to FAA to take any official action.

If your 2nd trip was in the general area of the stadium, they may be patrolling with Aeroscope to protect the stadium.

Thats what RID is basically about, but universal for all drones, and not just what Aeroscope can read.

 

[devgrp]

FAA has empowered LE to do preliminary investigations. If there's an issue they then are to report it to FAA to take any official action.

If your 2nd trip was in the general area of the stadium, they may be patrolling with Aeroscope to protect the stadium.

Thats what RID is basically about, but universal for all drones, and not just what Aeroscope can read.

No the second flight was nowhere near the stadium that's why I was a little surprised. The only issue they had was that I was flying so far that I couldn't see it, but I think the aeroscope is what they are using

 

[DanMan32]

I was just suggesting why they might be using Aeroscope all the time.
Otherwise I would think they would have better, more important things to do.

 

[rxlawdude]

No the second flight was nowhere near the stadium that's why I was a little surprised. The only issue they had was that I was flying so far that I couldn't see it, but I think the aeroscope is what they are using

And how exactly are they to know whether you have spotters or excellent vision? This sounds like an overreach of the local cops, but if they report to FAA it indeed could spell trouble.

But this is analogous to local law enforcement reporting undocumented suspects to ICE. If a city has a policy to not cooperate for this issue, it would seem to be hard to justify reporting drones to FAA.

 

[elborak]

Turns out the drone is sending all its telemetry data to an internet website database and cops are able to access this information.

Ummm.... No.

 

[StantonZ]

If by chance they are using Aeroscope - DJI I think the transmitter is in the drone and CAN NOT be switched off.

Just to be clear: the same company that makes our drones also makes a device/platform that can be used to (unknowingly) track their operation? That's one way to 'sell arms to both sides'.

 

[Torstenlaw]

Just to be clear: the same company that makes our drones also makes a device/platform that can be used to (unknowingly) track their operation? That's one way to 'sell arms to both sides'.

Just like radar detectors and radar guns.