Harassed while flying drones

[BirthdaymarkII]

Maybe this is just a rant, but I am just getting so tired of people harassing me when flying. I always fly according to FAA rules; I am a recreational pilot and always fly in the proper areas and notify airports/heliports properly, never fly above 400', always fly during day and etc. But I have had two different occasions where I was harassed, at the same place! (San Diego, CA! I've heard this place was supposed to be drone friendly!):

1.) I was flying when this man came up and said I was breaking rules because I was flying somewhere I shouldn't be (I checked map, everything was clear, etc). He then proceeded to get in my face and demand I show him my license. Mind you I'm quite a bit smaller than he was and he was beginning to scare me, so I literally showed him my FAA registration and he kept telling me how I was ruining drone flying for everyone else (I literally have done nothing wrong). It was awful, and really ruined the amazing shots I have. I literally look back at these beautiful videos and etc. and feel a pit in my stomach.

2.) I was flying at the same place the other day, within visual and everything, and a man came up to me and said I was "disturbing the birds nesting." I was nowhere near the birds and am ALWAYS careful not to disturb ANYONE as best I can while flying (I was out early in the morning to avoid being around people since last time it was so scary). I told him kindly, "Sir, I am not disturbing the birds." and then he said, "Yeah, sure." And rolled his eyes at me, walked away. Why do people feel they can be so rude like this?

Does anyone else have experience like this, and any recommendations of what to do? I was not breaking any law, and I had all the rights to be there that everyone else did. It's just really unfair, I think.

 

[Starz]

Can’t please everyone. You could try, but you may be spinning your wheels along with your props. I just tell the few that I have had the privilege to bump heads with to call 911. I don’t think that battle will ever go away completely. I do go out of my way to find places that I don’t think will create a conflict.

 

[BirthdaymarkII]

Can’t please everyone. You could try, but you may be spinning your wheels along with your props. I just tell the few that I have had the privilege to bump heads with to call 911. I don’t think that battle will ever go away completely. I do go out of my way to find places that I don’t think will create a conflict.

Yeah, that's a good point. I appreciate the advice! I'll try to find somewhere else to fly.

 

[Mossiback]

I fly most days on my way home from work when it is not raining and have never been approached in a negative manor. I fly on some ex-school grounds (soccer field, baseball diamond, etc) and if deserted I fly low and if someone shows up I go high. On these cold days most don't know I am there since I fly from inside my car.

Hang in there and keep flying in a safe manor. Who knows? You may not be approached again for a year and I may have someone in my face today.

 

[BirthdaymarkII]

I fly most days on my way home from work when it is not raining and have never been approached in a negative manor. I fly on some ex-school grounds (soccer field, baseball diamond, etc) and if deserted I fly low and if someone shows up I go high. On these cold days most don't know I am there since I fly from inside my car.

Hang in there and keep flying in a safe manor. Who knows? You may not be approached again for a year and I may have someone in my face today.

Thanks. I hope you're right and nobody approaches me for a while, and I also hope you don't have anyone in your face today either! It sounds like some really cool places to fly, I'll have to look around and see if there's anything like that around!

 

[AMann]

My opinion about actually harassing wildlife is pretty obvious in some other posts, but those were true examples of it happening. It is the start of nesting season for many birds like raptors right now, and maybe or maybe not the guy new of a nest nearby. I would have asked him if he knew of this because you wouldnt want to disturb any nesters. He probably would have said no, but it’s just in case or something like that... anyways, as you said, you checked all the maps, were in the clear, etc. Perhaps if you are near trees and bushes, you can simply check and take a look around for potential nest sites or other animal habitat and simply stay clear of them if you think theres any possible issues there. I dread the day when this happens to me, but as many have pointed out here, always be an ambassador for us while flying!

 

[Bigbird48]

I have people trespass on my property and tell me to get out of here with that drone. They have thrown rocks at it, in my yard.I have 4.6 acres and a little over 600 feet of river frontage when its flowing which it does this time of year. People are always walking thru my yard on the river just to look at the water and I fly out to the river to check it out and get some footage and people get pissed at me. Go Figure

 

[BirthdaymarkII]

My opinion about actually harassing wildlife is pretty obvious in some other posts, but those were true examples of it happening. It is the start of nesting season for many birds like raptors right now, and maybe or maybe not the guy new of a nest nearby. I would have asked him if he knew of this because you wouldnt want to disturb any nesters. He probably would have said no, but it’s just in case or something like that... anyways, as you said, you checked all the maps, were in the clear, etc. Perhaps if you are near trees and bushes, you can simply check and take a look around for potential nest sites or other animal habitat and simply stay clear of them if you think theres any possible issues there. I dread the day when this happens to me, but as many have pointed out here, always be an ambassador for us while flying!

I totally agree, and I always want to be a good ambassador! I had checked around for birds nests and didn't see any, and I was nowhere near the birds that I could see. I appreciated the guy's concern for wildlife (caring about wildlife is awesome!) but he assumed a lot about me and responded so curtly it really got me down...

 

[BirthdaymarkII]

I have people trespass on my property and tell me to get out of here with that drone. They have thrown rocks at it, in my yard.I have 4.6 acres and a little over 600 feet of river frontage when its flowing which it does this time of year. People are always walking thru my yard on the river just to look at the water and I fly out to the river to check it out and get some footage and people get pissed at me. Go Figure

Oh man, that's awful! People are crazy to think it's OK to trespass but that it's not OK to fly a drone on your own property....

 

[Lopez0015]

time ago a neighbor who lives a block , I was trying low noise propellers in my yard he came and said in a bad way that if my drone had a camera he would accuse me of harassment. (I've never had problems with neighbors next door or cross streat). since that day never again flown here, only i do it to keep the peace .. but i always think why I have to be the one who ducks my head and turns me around ? when I'm not doing anything wrong just following the rules. this guy lives a block away

 

[BirthdaymarkII]

time ago a neighbor who lives a block , I was trying low noise propellers in my yard he came and said in a bad way that if my drone had a camera he would accuse me of harassment. (I've never had problems with neighbors next door or cross streat). since that day never again flown here, only i do it to keep the peace .. but i always think why I have to be the one who ducks my head and turns me around ? when I'm not doing anything wrong just following the rules. this guy lives a block away

Man, sorry to hear about your neighbor, what an awful experience! Especially if it's your yard, I feel like he shouldn't complain about it. And I definitely relate with what you said in the last part. I don't fly at the place where I got harassed anymore, even though I didn't break any rules. It just takes the fun out of it all when people are so aggressive toward drones and drone pilots etc

 

[AMann]

I have people trespass on my property and tell me to get out of here with that drone. They have thrown rocks at it, in my yard.I have 4.6 acres and a little over 600 feet of river frontage when its flowing which it does this time of year. People are always walking thru my yard on the river just to look at the water and I fly out to the river to check it out and get some footage and people get pissed at me. Go Figure

That’s bad. Put some of these postings out on the property, it may work unless they can’t read

 

[Mossiback]

That’s bad. Put some of these postings out on the property, it may work unless they can’t read

I love it! We used to place "DANGER! HIGH VOLTAGE!" stickers on our electrical gear even though it was only 12 volts.

 

[FatherXmas]

That’s bad. Put some of these postings out on the property, it may work unless they can’t read
View attachment 64229
View attachment 64230

Those are awesome!

 

[AMann]

Those are awesome!

Yeah, the UXO signs work pretty well, but I was monitoring once with a UXO team and a couple metal scrappers walked right into the active area looking for brass. Pretty dumb, hence my “unless they can’t read” comment. Don’t know what to do to keep people like that out, besides let them go in... sometimes you just have to be polite and other times its best to step back and let the cops take over. Just be safe out there!

 

[Bigbird48]

Very cool I'll make one change
THIS AREA PATROLLED BY BOMB DROPPING DRONES

 

[Lopez0015]

How I get this but don’t see it here

 

[Elude]

How I get this but don’t see it here

Maybe they deleted the post.

 

[crlmjohnson]

Maybe this is just a rant, but I am just getting so tired of people harassing me when flying. I always fly according to FAA rules; I am a recreational pilot and always fly in the proper areas and notify airports/heliports properly, never fly above 400', always fly during day and etc. But I have had two different occasions where I was harassed, at the same place! (San Diego, CA! I've heard this place was supposed to be drone friendly!):

1.) I was flying when this man came up and said I was breaking rules because I was flying somewhere I shouldn't be (I checked map, everything was clear, etc). He then proceeded to get in my face and demand I show him my license. Mind you I'm quite a bit smaller than he was and he was beginning to scare me, so I literally showed him my FAA registration and he kept telling me how I was ruining drone flying for everyone else (I literally have done nothing wrong). It was awful, and really ruined the amazing shots I have. I literally look back at these beautiful videos and etc. and feel a pit in my stomach.

2.) I was flying at the same place the other day, within visual and everything, and a man came up to me and said I was "disturbing the birds nesting." I was nowhere near the birds and am ALWAYS careful not to disturb ANYONE as best I can while flying (I was out early in the morning to avoid being around people since last time it was so scary). I told him kindly, "Sir, I am not disturbing the birds." and then he said, "Yeah, sure." And rolled his eyes at me, walked away. Why do people feel they can be so rude like this?

Does anyone else have experience like this, and any recommendations of what to do? I was not breaking any law, and I had all the rights to be there that everyone else did. It's just really unfair, I think.

so far, I have had very good experiences. I try very hard not to fly around people, even if I am in the right, to fly in the location that I want to. if someone is there, then I go somewhere else.

if people are present then I ask them if they have any issues with me flying my drone. they have said no, and usually hang around and watch me fly, take pictures, some have ask me to video them and their kids. (i delete the pictures after they left, because they did not want the pictures.) I always ask if there are people present, even if I am legal to fly in the area. I do have my Part 107 license.

 

[crlmjohnson]

I fly most days on my way home from work when it is not raining and have never been approached in a negative manor. I fly on some ex-school grounds (soccer field, baseball diamond, etc) and if deserted I fly low and if someone shows up I go high. On these cold days most don't know I am there since I fly from inside my car.

Hang in there and keep flying in a safe manor. Who knows? You may not be approached again for a year and I may have someone in my face today.

I agree.