Interesting interaction with police today

[Anthony Ivory]

This conversation is exactly what should happen when talking with the Law!! Thanks for posting this….for once something positive and useful!

AMEN , The more Professional and humble we are the more fun all us will have. When in doubt just ask.
I recommend that we all get to know our local law enforcement . Visit them they may need your expertise

 

[Player-Pe]

Kudos! Actually, I think it's good you had the conversation with the officer first before the neighbors called, instead of dealing them afterwards where the situation might have been heightened. That way, if a neighbor did call, the officer could easily respond that they have already confronted the drone pilot and all is well. Who knows? I think law enforcement who at least have some interest in drones have a better mindset of drones pilots and understand that we're just trying to get some good pics & vids, and not all are whacked-out, crazed flyers zipping wildly across the skies.

 

[Walleye Hunter]

Anything you do for anybody else regardless if it is volunteer or paid has to be under part 107 is my interpretation. I feel I am safe whatever the case.

Being Part 107 certified myself, it is irrelevant to me as well but just for the sake of knowledge, I would like to know. I have been looking for language that says that we cannot offer our services as a favor to our friends and I am not finding it. All I am finding is that Part 107 cert is required to fly for compensation. I would expect compensation to mean anything, a burger at the bar, a favor in kind, etc. If I am wrong, I would like to know.

This is all I have found so far...

"Recreational drone pilots should only fly their drones for recreational purposes. This means that they should not receive any compensation or reward for their flights.

This includes things like flying a drone at a friend's wedding to get paid for the footage, flying a drone at a concert to sell the footage, or taking pictures of a property to sell to the owner."

New Drone Laws In The USA In 2023 | All You Need To Know

 

[HoozierDroneDaddy]

He may likely have recruited you for a non paid volunteer position. If that’s the case, you should still feel honored to serve your community. If it’s a paid position of some kind, kudos to you and good luck - you should be just as proud to serve.

If you don't have any experience in S&R, you might check in on the Commercial Group on FB and ask for pointers. i.e. using maps and grids ensuring proper coverage, if necessary, procedures for authorizations/clearance for any controlled air space in your area, communications, etc. Good S&R is not just putting your drone up and looking around. Having a little knowledge BEFORE you start working with them may prevent some embarrassment or mistakes that wont bring you back for future work with them. You have your foot in the door, so be prepared.
Just a suggestion IMHO.

Commercial sUAS Remote Pilots | Facebook

This Facebook group will be a gathering place for all those who wish to fly/operate Small Unmanned Aircraft Systems for non-recreational purposes. Our philosophy includes the concept that, as a...

www.facebook.com

 

[SethB]

Being Part 107 certified myself, it is irrelevant to me as well but just for the sake of knowledge, I would like to know. I have been looking for language that says that we cannot offer our services as a favor to our friends and I am not finding it. All I am finding is that Part 107 cert is required to fly for compensation. I would expect compensation to mean anything, a burger at the bar, a favor in kind, etc. If I am wrong, I would like to know.

This is all I have found so far...

"Recreational drone pilots should only fly their drones for recreational purposes. This means that they should not receive any compensation or reward for their flights.

This includes things like flying a drone at a friend's wedding to get paid for the footage, flying a drone at a concert to sell the footage, or taking pictures of a property to sell to the owner."

New Drone Laws In The USA In 2023 | All You Need To Know

The FAA has made it pretty clear that it *isn’t* compensation that requires a current Pt. 107 Remote Pilot Certificate. Instead, they have a strict definition of what activities are allowed under the recreational exemption. Anything that isn’t purely recreational requires the Pt. 107 Remote Pilot Certificate. (Except education)

Go to the source for the real information!

Recreational Flyers & Community-Based Organizations | Federal Aviation Administration

Did your drone registration expire or does it expire soon? The DroneZone is the FAA's official website for registration. If you are having trouble logging into the DroneZone, you may need to reset your password (PDF).

www.faa.gov

 

[JeremyMls]

Excellent interaction! I wish the whole police would be the same.

 

[Walleye Hunter]

The FAA has made it pretty clear that it *isn’t* compensation that requires a current Pt. 107 Remote Pilot Certificate. Instead, they have a strict definition of what activities are allowed under the recreational exemption. Anything that isn’t purely recreational requires the Pt. 107 Remote Pilot Certificate. (Except education)

Go to the source for the real information!

Recreational Flyers & Community-Based Organizations | Federal Aviation Administration

Did your drone registration expire or does it expire soon? The DroneZone is the FAA's official website for registration. If you are having trouble logging into the DroneZone, you may need to reset your password (PDF).

www.faa.gov

Thanks, that's the kind of documentation I was looking for but I got mired in the muck trying to find it.

 

[timc_drone]

Good story with the police, thanks for sharing.

 

[SpitFire]

For weeks I've been trying to get access to a lake where I want make my first edited video. I'm calling it " Mansions on a Lake ". It's a beautiful, fairly large lake with many Multi million $$$ dollar mansions all around the lake. There are several parks around the lake but not quite close enough to get my footage. I got permission to fly from one Park, but lake is too far out. I finally found an orange orchard next to the lake around a bend in the road not visible by any houses, and plenty of space to stop on the side of the road. I've been nervous to stop there and send out the drone fearing someone will call police and report me. This morning I saw a sheriffs department vehicle parked five minutes from that orchard and figured I'd take a chance and have a conversation with him. I explained my situation and told him I wanted to take a video of the lake and wanted to park next to the orchard to fly out and asked him what his thoughts were on that. He asked me if I had a license, I said no, drone is under 250 grams and just needed a trust certificate , which I have. He then asked me if I fly above four hundred feet, and I said I always stay about 120 feet while flying. I told him I was just going to hand launch out my window, fly over the Lake for 10 minutes at a time and then leave. He then said. " YOUR GOOD ".
I then said, there are lot of wealthy homes around there and someone might call on me and then you guys are gonna show up - what happens then. He said yeah they probably will call and we will show up, but you won't have a problem as long as you're being respectful and not doing anything stupid. He then said he's been flying drones since he was 15 years old and has a mavic 3 and used to be on the drone team for the police department, they have three $10,000 drones and fly them every day.
So starts the video

Thank you for the very nice experience with the Police. Good example "How to do it".

 

[WanderLost]

For weeks I've been trying to get access to a lake where I want make my first edited video. I'm calling it " Mansions on a Lake ". It's a beautiful, fairly large lake with many Multi million $$$ dollar mansions all around the lake. There are several parks around the lake but not quite close enough to get my footage. I got permission to fly from one Park, but lake is too far out. I finally found an orange orchard next to the lake around a bend in the road not visible by any houses, and plenty of space to stop on the side of the road. I've been nervous to stop there and send out the drone fearing someone will call police and report me. This morning I saw a sheriffs department vehicle parked five minutes from that orchard and figured I'd take a chance and have a conversation with him. I explained my situation and told him I wanted to take a video of the lake and wanted to park next to the orchard to fly out and asked him what his thoughts were on that. He asked me if I had a license, I said no, drone is under 250 grams and just needed a trust certificate , which I have. He then asked me if I fly above four hundred feet, and I said I always stay about 120 feet while flying. I told him I was just going to hand launch out my window, fly over the Lake for 10 minutes at a time and then leave. He then said. " YOUR GOOD ".
I then said, there are lot of wealthy homes around there and someone might call on me and then you guys are gonna show up - what happens then. He said yeah they probably will call and we will show up, but you won't have a problem as long as you're being respectful and not doing anything stupid. He then said he's been flying drones since he was 15 years old and has a mavic 3 and used to be on the drone team for the police department, they have three $10,000 drones and fly them every day.
So starts the video

Fantastic! What are the chances you'd run into law enforcement who was also a drone pilot. His perception of your case may be unique compared to other officers - but it's great to meet someone who has a handle on what's reasonable and a reminder to - as it says in my Canadian Drone Pilot exam prep, "don't do anything stupid."

 

[Torque]

The FAA has made it pretty clear that it *isn’t* compensation that requires a current Pt. 107 Remote Pilot Certificate. Instead, they have a strict definition of what activities are allowed under the recreational exemption. Anything that isn’t purely recreational requires the Pt. 107 Remote Pilot Certificate. (Except education)

Go to the source for the real information!

Recreational Flyers & Community-Based Organizations | Federal Aviation Administration

Did your drone registration expire or does it expire soon? The DroneZone is the FAA's official website for registration. If you are having trouble logging into the DroneZone, you may need to reset your password (PDF).

www.faa.gov

Yes, it is the intent of the flight. If it is purely recreational, you are good. If you are providing a service for another, it falls under Part 107 whether there is compensation or not.

 

[Torque]

Since we're talking about government use of drones for police work and S&R, if any of you are in Washington State please reach out to your legislators about this bill. I'll just copy and paste Vic Moss's post from yesterday to one of our local Seattle FB groups:
"If you're in Washington State, reach out to your legislators and help them understand what this bill would do to First Responders and the school system.
The vast majority of SAR and other First Responder operations are successfully carried out by those using DJI and Autel enterprise drones.
There is literally nothing else on the market of comparable quality and price. If they outlaw the use of those drones, people will die.
Period.
Those drones are regularly used to save lives when other avenues of rescue just aren't practical.
And that vast majority schools use the DJI Tello to teach young kids about programming and drone use.
Tell your state legislator that they'll not only kill the interest of kids in aerospace, they'll likley end up killing some of their constituents if they ground current First Responder fleets."

Washington SB5755 | 2023-2024 | Regular Session

Summary (2023-02-22) Concerning unmanned aircraft or unmanned aircraft system use by state and local agencies. [First reading, referred to Law & Justice.]

legiscan.com

 

[Walleye Hunter]

I know a retired FAA fed and I discussed this issue with him. He just rolled his eyes and said, "Is this in Germany or something? Over there they'll call in on each other".

 

[mcbutler]

For weeks I've been trying to get access to a lake where I want make my first edited video. I'm calling it " Mansions on a Lake ". It's a beautiful, fairly large lake with many Multi million $$$ dollar mansions all around the lake. There are several parks around the lake but not quite close enough to get my footage. I got permission to fly from one Park, but lake is too far out. I finally found an orange orchard next to the lake around a bend in the road not visible by any houses, and plenty of space to stop on the side of the road. I've been nervous to stop there and send out the drone fearing someone will call police and report me. This morning I saw a sheriffs department vehicle parked five minutes from that orchard and figured I'd take a chance and have a conversation with him. I explained my situation and told him I wanted to take a video of the lake and wanted to park next to the orchard to fly out and asked him what his thoughts were on that. He asked me if I had a license, I said no, drone is under 250 grams and just needed a trust certificate , which I have. He then asked me if I fly above four hundred feet, and I said I always stay about 120 feet while flying. I told him I was just going to hand launch out my window, fly over the Lake for 10 minutes at a time and then leave. He then said. " YOUR GOOD ".
I then said, there are lot of wealthy homes around there and someone might call on me and then you guys are gonna show up - what happens then. He said yeah they probably will call and we will show up, but you won't have a problem as long as you're being respectful and not doing anything stupid. He then said he's been flying drones since he was 15 years old and has a mavic 3 and used to be on the drone team for the police department, they have three $10,000 drones and fly them every day.
So starts the video

Cops are NOT lawyers and have a rudimentaryknowledge of the law at best. DO NOT take legal advice from a police officer its not their remit to give it neither are they qualified to do so..

 

[fivestar51]

Good interaction. His advice is spot on, and that's exactly what we tell people too. Be respectful of people and dont do stupid things just because you can. I sincerely hope that more LEO's become 107 rated. Its a benefit to both the drone community and police community.

 

[fivestar51]

Cops are NOT lawyers and have a rudimentaryknowledge of the law at best. DO NOT take legal advice from a police officer its not their remit to give it neither are they qualified to do so..

As opposed to an attorney, who you're paying to give you the advice you want to hear?.....Only to have them spend your money, arguing their advice, in court.....which is usually open to interpretation?

Agreed....I'm not an attorney, and I won't give "legal advice." Just be careful of getting any advice, from any profession, especially when they can profit from you.

 

[minipro3]

Cops are NOT lawyers and have a rudimentaryknowledge of the law at best. DO NOT take legal advice from a police officer its not their remit to give it neither are they qualified to do so..

Yes, I understand that what he told me can be totally ignored by another cop but, it gives me some confidence to fly in that area. And if another cop comes and I share with him what one of his fellow comrades told me, it may put me on better terms with whoever shows up. Nothing is guaranteed ! If we are respectful and courteous with cops, things often go well.

 

[baddog]

For weeks I've been trying to get access to a lake where I want make my first edited video. I'm calling it " Mansions on a Lake ". It's a beautiful, fairly large lake with many Multi million $$$ dollar mansions all around the lake. There are several parks around the lake but not quite close enough to get my footage. I got permission to fly from one Park, but lake is too far out. I finally found an orange orchard next to the lake around a bend in the road not visible by any houses, and plenty of space to stop on the side of the road. I've been nervous to stop there and send out the drone fearing someone will call police and report me. This morning I saw a sheriffs department vehicle parked five minutes from that orchard and figured I'd take a chance and have a conversation with him. I explained my situation and told him I wanted to take a video of the lake and wanted to park next to the orchard to fly out and asked him what his thoughts were on that. He asked me if I had a license, I said no, drone is under 250 grams and just needed a trust certificate , which I have. He then asked me if I fly above four hundred feet, and I said I always stay about 120 feet while flying. I told him I was just going to hand launch out my window, fly over the Lake for 10 minutes at a time and then leave. He then said. " YOUR GOOD ".
I then said, there are lot of wealthy homes around there and someone might call on me and then you guys are gonna show up - what happens then. He said yeah they probably will call and we will show up, but you won't have a problem as long as you're being respectful and not doing anything stupid. He then said he's been flying drones since he was 15 years old and has a mavic 3 and used to be on the drone team for the police department, they have three $10,000 drones and fly them every day.
So starts the video

What was the purpose of your flight?

 

[Arkarian]

I hate those park rangers who think they own the park I pay taxes on that is there for my use. No rules but they still try to run you off.

 

[jaja6009]

You're lucky you found an officer with knowledge of the regs.
Our PD does have a handful of drone RPICs and they do know the regs. But the patrol officers that you are most liekly to encounter will most likely not know the regs. My area is urban and they are way too busy to keep up on the ever changing drone regs. A supervisor would most likely be needed to address drone issues unless you lucked out and got one of the RPIC officers.