Got a call from the Police about my drone

[unionglzr]

And what exactly is the law regarding flying?

Since you looked into buying a drone ...why not look into the rules of flying

 

[unionglzr]

Maybe some retarded called the police because of fears of you spying on them while -i don't know- playing nintendo in their basement... Then the police showed up to get that criminal, that threat to the country of free land. Etc....

And why would they be retarded as you say? Free land with laws to obey

 

[devgrp]

Since you looked into buying a drone ...why not look into the rules of flying

I already know the rules. I fly RC planes and I have a PPL. Having a drone is just for fun, when I'm bored at work I can fly it in the parking lot. I'm not one of those guys who flies over people or flies miles bvr. The day I flew I was below 400ft and about a mile out, not over any houses or people

 

[ghjcmo]

Amazingly we have such drive to enforce Law on people. Cities all across the USA are defunding police and in the City of San Diego has voted to delay law enforcement any vaccinations until lower tear levels.
and now they are stepping up the enforcement of drones? Pretty big waste of money and manpower.

hard to believe.

I was thinking that EXACT same thing as I read through this thread.

 

[Dawnvt]

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

Hi, I am fairly new as a drone pilot. Nevertheless, I understand we are to always have a continual visual line of sight of our UAS. Viewing on a screen of a cell phone may not qualify for a 1-mile trip away from our home point. (I fly with 4 strobes on my drone every time to make sure I can keep it in view)

 

[anotherlab]

I would this question answered

It's a rough and fuzzy number, based on the local visibility and terrain. On a clear day, over a flat area, 1 KM would probably towards the high end. Factor in trees, hills, buildings, etc; and that number drops considerably.

 

[Ryan-FL-MA2]

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'.

It worked for Donzi back in the 80's sell fast boats to the drug smugglers in South Florida, then sell even faster boats to the DEA, then... you get the picture.

 

[kamviclance]

Why not test your tracking theory out.
Turn on your drone and drive (fly... he... he) around the city with your friend in the passenger seat holding the drone securely out of the window. (make sure drone camera is on in case you need proof of what actually is happening.
Interesting to see what develops.
cheers

 

[Tim40]

It, Aeroscope, detects only these DJI ...

• Phantom series
• Inspire series
• Mavic series
• Spark series

 

[Ron Caballero CAP]

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

I just checked the MA2 manual and find no reference to airplane or airplane mode. Or do you mean ATTY Mode? Please tell me what that is. Thanks.

 

[unionglzr]

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Atti Mode is short for Attitude Mode, where the drone will maintain a specific altitude but not position. ... It also means that there is no auto-braking when you are flying, so the drone will continue moving in the direction you are flying until you push the stick in the opposite direction to brake.

I just checked the MA2 manual and find no reference to airplane or airplane mode. Or do you mean ATTY Mode? Please tell me what that is. Thanks.

 

[Brojon]

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

That's why you should decline to cooperate. They do not have jurisdiction and no right to take personal info and S/N's.
I had a Park Ranger try that with me once because I flew over the LBJ homestead after launching off state property.
They tried to claim they had the right to regulate flying over the property and I simply said you do not and show me if you insist you do. She told me to wait there while she ran plates and doing all sorts of idiotic things as I packed up to go. Tried to tell me I couldn't leave. I waved bye and that was it.
Cops can get real badge heavy.

 

[Leckhart]

Why don't we think that our drone are monitored at all times for all regulatory reasons and abide by the rules? Seems pretty easy to me!

 

[Leckhart]

I worked in the Netherlands for a few years and you learned that there are Speed Limits and you need to adhere/ abide by them or you WILL get a ticket. Follow the rules/laws and you have nothing to fear.!

 

[Repaid1]

I just checked the MA2 manual and find no reference to airplane or airplane mode. Or do you mean ATTY Mode? Please tell me what that is. Thanks.

Airplane mode is on your device proper, not a DJI thing. Most of them have a one button press to activate. There is a sub menu on what that one button will do...most when they say "Airplane mode" are using it to say full option, one button press to stop phones ability to transmit/receive a call, data services and cancel all bluetooth and wifi as well...basically tell phone to turn off all incoming and outgoing communications...as is normally required on commercial flights at times, thus why it is named that. You hit "Airplane mode" on your phone and can still play games, DJI App...ect and not get into trouble

 

[AgentMIB]

Funny guy, eh?!
After see many posts about pilots being accosted by the public, it finally happened to me! I live in a small, everyone knows everyone community so I was surprised. She even claimed to have been part of the law to ban drone flights! It is disturbing because everyone so far is either curious or doesn’t care.
I am always courteous and ask about kids and dogs getting upset and will leave if so asked, but she barked at me before I could ask. I offered my FAA registration and LAANC flight plan, but she talked over me saying the police would be on the way. I explained the governance was by FAA not police but she refused to believe it! I flew home and packed up not wanting further issues and waited for the cops who didn’t show up. It amazes me how negative and ignorant some people are, and I wonder where they get their information . Oh well......... tips up!

So you were confronted by a 'Karen'. Why would you give 'Karen' your information? You are only legally required to provide such information to a LEO or FAA upon request. Instead, you should've told 'Karen' you'd gladly await for a LEO to show up. So when LEO does show up, you can file a report on her interfering with the operation of an aircraft, which is a federal offense. You are the Pilot in Command (PIC) operating an aircraft (UAS) under FAA Part 107.

 

[_the_archer_]

Someone needs to develop an app, live a VPN, to counter this. I don't need police showing up to talk to me about a legal flight. Like someone above said, who is to say you didn't have a spotter?

 

[kloogee]

Someone needs to develop an app, live a VPN, to counter this. I don't need police showing up to talk to me about a legal flight. Like someone above said, who is to say you didn't have a spotter?

This has nothing to do with your internet connection, so a VPN is irrelevant. This is going to happen more and more in the future since Remote ID was formally introduced as law earlier this month and will be enforced starting in a couple of years.

Spotter still wouldn’t make flying BVLOS legal in the US unless you are 107 and have a waiver.

 

[mepilot]

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.

If this is true- then why all the hubbub about remoteID? seems to me that this wouldn't be an issue, because the data is already there...

 

[kloogee]

If this is true- then why all the hubbub about remoteID? seems to me that this wouldn't be an issue, because the data is already there...

Yeah, that’s not how it works. As others in this thread mentioned, it’s likely they have a DJI AeroScope device. Which is essentially DJI’s custom version of RemoteID before RemoteID was really a thing.