Is Destroying Someone’s Drone Illegal?

[gnirtS]

If your drone is in danger of being hit by a rock, you're too low.
Laws aside, flying very low, over private property with people and workers around just seems like a provocation and needless.
Why fly in a way to draw deliberate attention to yourself or p*** people off?

 

[The Rolling Drones]

If your drone is in danger of being hit by a rock, you're too low.

I see this thought repeated often in this thread and it is simply not true. In addition, in this case the OP had no reason to expect hostility toward his flight, maybe getting permission and explaining what he was doing may have been a good idea, but that is another discussion. To make the blanket statement that by flying at an altitude low enough to be in range of some moron throwing rocks that the PIC should expect to have his drone pelted with rocks by said moron or that the moron is justified in his actions is just wrong.
The original question was “Is destroying someone’s drone illegal”, so the answer is yes. If he is flying low enough to be in range of rock throwing idiots the answer is still yes, it is illegal to destroy someone else’s drone.

 

[gnirtS]

If the drone operator is acting like an xxxxxx flying it in an annoying way and close to people or people who are working then yes they might react. Its illegal but its still a provocation.
Amongst other things it just shows the immaturity of a lot of drone users. Just because you CAN be annoying with one doesn't mean you should be.
People might be able to throw a rock 100ft or so at most. If you're flying a drone that close to uninvolved people then yes, you're being annoying unnecessarily and yes, legal or otherwise, they'll sometimes react.
(In most countries being that close to people would be illegal anyway).

 

[The Rolling Drones]

No one is implying it is ok to be a jerk while flying a drone, we all agree we need to use discretion and common sense in any flight. My simple point was to try to direct the thread back to the original question that is the title of the thread “Is it legal to destroy someone else’s drone”. If someone does “react” by throwing rocks or otherwise attempting to destroy the drone their reaction is illegal. Drone pilots do need to be responsible and respectful, just as we should in the rest of our lives, but if a drone happens to enter an area that annoys someone, the drone is not fair game for target practice.

Addressing the separate topic that flying that close to people is illegal, that would not be true in the USA, here it Is ABOVE people that is prohibited, the OP stated he was not above any people or train, but again that is another discussion. If he was flying illegally a call to the authorities would be in order, not attempting to take the law into their own hands by destroying the drone.

 

[gnirtS]

You dont have to be flying illegally to be annoying with the drone. Sometimes simply common sense and courtesy should apply.
Sadly, those are things a lot of drone users seem to lack.

 

[The Rolling Drones]

Totally agree. In fact I avoid flying near people whenever possible. I do think as Drone pilots that we have a duty to be respectful of others and also to stand up for our own rights. Everyone has different comfort levels as far as drones go, different definitions of what is annoying. If for example, some fool thinks it’s ok to throw rocks at my drone during a neighbor’s roof inspection because he is a paranoid nut job or is annoyed by the sight of a drone he is going to have legal problems.
If you do any real estate jobs or home inspections you are going to be within range of a hypothetical rock thrower quite often, in addition to flying your drone and controlling your camera you have to be watching out for wires, branches etc and making sure people are not entering into your flight area below the drone, the last thing you need to be doing is worrying about getting rocks thrown at you. This is not just a concern for the drone owners property, but a public safety issue.

 

[dwolfe002]

You dont have to be flying illegally to be annoying with the drone. Sometimes simply common sense and courtesy should apply.
Sadly, those are things a lot of drone users seem to lack.

In fact you don't have to be flying a drone to be annoying but I don't see them being stoned because they are. Common sense and courtesy seem to be things a lot of people seem to lack but I do think most things would work better with a little of both from either side.

 

[51 Drones]

As promised:.

I'm tired of everyone thinking we are perverts or criminals.

 

[MadMaqx]

As promised:.

I'm tired of everyone thinking we are perverts or criminals.

Almost commented in your utube but thought it was best not to knowing you follow mp.

 

[Cyber3xpert]

That landowner doesn’t own the air over his property. The FAA does.

The FAA only regulates the air. It doesn't own it. It is an unspoken rule that each land-owner has his own airspace - 500 ft above his property and in the exact shape of the property. If anyone is in that space, they are trespassing in your airspace. And if you have an airstrip of your own, you have a warning zone in a certain radius around the strip.

 

[Cyber3xpert]

And realistically, what can they do? There are soooooooo many people who do this all the time! (Not saying you guys do it, not that I would know anyway)

I mean, I get people not wanting some person flying a camera above their property, but if it's a one-time thing, then it's probably some kid flying his drone where he's not supposed to. But if it persists, you could at least report it, right?

 

[sdold]

It is an unspoken rule that each land-owner has his own airspace - 500 ft above his property and in the exact shape of the property. If anyone is in that space, they are trespassing in your airspace.

Never heard of this, where did you get this information?

But if it persists, you could at least report it, right?

Report it to who?

 

[Thomas B]

The FAA only regulates the air. It doesn't own it. It is an unspoken rule that each land-owner has his own airspace - 500 ft above his property and in the exact shape of the property. If anyone is in that space, they are trespassing in your airspace. And if you have an airstrip of your own, you have a warning zone in a certain radius around the strip.

Well... then if the FAA says I can fly over it, that’s the governing law. Never heard of the “unspoken rule” you mention. Individuals do not own or have legal control of the airspace above the ground anywhere in the US. Just ask the FAA or Congress.

 

[WithTheBirds]

The FAA only regulates the air. It doesn't own it. It is an unspoken rule that each land-owner has his own airspace - 500 ft above his property and in the exact shape of the property. If anyone is in that space, they are trespassing in your airspace. And if you have an airstrip of your own, you have a warning zone in a certain radius around the strip.

Where did you read this nonsense?

You might hold a reasonable expectation of privacy and that your enjoyment of the property won’t be compromised.

You don’t own the airspace.

 

[BigAl07]

The FAA only regulates the air. It doesn't own it. It is an unspoken rule that each land-owner has his own airspace - 500 ft above his property and in the exact shape of the property. If anyone is in that space, they are trespassing in your airspace. And if you have an airstrip of your own, you have a warning zone in a certain radius around the strip.

Unspoken rule? In 2019 you expect to use that term in a LEGAL discussion?

Sorry bud but that "unspoken rule" carries no weight what-so-ever.

There was a ruling many decades ago about a conflict between a farm owner (Causby) and the US Govt. The rulings are two-fold but the key point for "this conversation" would be the 2nd portion of the ruling:

"The Court also recognized that a claim of property ownership indefinitely upward "has no place in the modern world." "

 

[GadgetGuy]

Seems like if they could see and throw a rock at your drone that maybe you're too close? Not saying they have a right to toss a rock at your aircraft but...

Another advantage of the Mavic 2 Zoom! You will be twice as far away, while getting the same shot!