Love the new drone but my neighbor doesn’t...

[neggy]

Are you flying VLOS?

 

[ScubaBob]

I'd politely confront your neighbor, tell them what you were doing, apologize if "they felt threatened," explain your intent (and future intent) when you fly and then avoid flying over their property in the future.

I rarely fly in front of my place but when I do I make myself visible and made my neighbors aware of what I was doing. I've had one issue about 2 years ago and quickly squelched the individual.

I agree with this. I have found it best to confront people (nicely and as a friend) and explain what you are doing, that you are not taking photos, etc. and see if you can rest his concerns. It is always better to be nice first as you get more bees with honey than vinegar. Plus, it also gives you an opportunity to note that you talked with your neighbor so that if he takes some aggressive action such as shooting at your drone you have a record that you have already talked with him.

 

[theDRONEranger]

BDOG and a handful of others seem to have a great grasp on how to amicably approach and discuss the matter. I do like the ideas referring to showing the flight path and photos/video of the flight. Perhaps if you have one of your house from same altitude as well to show.

What does your flight data say about altitude on approach/overflight/departure from said property. This may be potential fodder for your side of the argument. One thing I would not do is to advise him/her it is possible to have FAA declare immediate airspace overhead as NFZ, as more neighbors may do the same.

Perhaps offer, by providing a copy (on their micro SD), to video several neighbors in the area that they may send a video greeting to friends and family. This may go a long way to help relieve tensions in the area and show that UAVs do have community based purposes as well. 107 not required as all activity is private non commercial. It is easy to edit out the drone sound and insert your/their own.

In other words, become more active on the use of your drone in the neighborhood by also involving neighbors, their kids, pets, hobbies, pass time activities. You know, good PR stuff that promotes responsible drone piloting all the while having fun (and secretly acclaimating the neighborhood to your activity).

Do NOT make an enemy of your neighbor. Show them kindness, consideration, and respect always.

 

[EyeFlightDrone]

Your neighbor does not own the airspace above his house. However, you don't want to be the center of a mob attack. Use your discretion and try not to bother your neighbor since that relationship is more important than who is right or wrong, even though you are right.

 

[Jake37]

Are you flying VLOS?

VLOS has nothing to do with what the neighbor is accusing the pilot of doing. The pilot could have been in VLOS or Not, the neighbor does not own or control the airspace, especially at 309 Feet up. If the Pilot in this post is telling the truth about his flight, then I believe the neighbor is lying or seen some other drone!

Is the Pilot sure that they were referring to his drone, there could have been another drone in the area as well!!!

FaceBook a wonderful place to stir up garbage 24/7, everyone that is on FaceBook really believes everything written there is the truth, some morons think FaceBook is a way of life and it should be followed to the very end lol

Also, for your own safety if you are following the law/rules, you should always Record while flying.

 

[neggy]

VLOS has nothing to do with what the neighbor is accusing the pilot of doing.
.

He said he was flying to go peek at a body of water.

The reason I ask is to make sure he is 100% legal in case something should transpire from this.

Before I start going after people for any reason, I make sure I am on firm footing and there is no way for anyone to accuse me of anything.

If I am not flying VLOS, even as a hobbyist, and the situation escalates, I am going to be in the wrong no matter what I was doing.

Once your name gets known and put on social media, so long as you were 100% as pure as the driven snow ( I was operating my sUAV legally, I followed all FAA rules and regulations and you defamed me on social media, impugning my character, and I am seeking legal relief) you have carte blanche to go after the paranoid ahole and shut him up but good.

I worked for a Government agency, someone filed a complaint against me that was unfounded. It is amazing how the threat of filing a Defamation of Character lawsuit and putting a lien on all their property and assets pending trial gets people to shut their mouths when it is sent to them on the letterhead of a well known law firm.

THAT is why I was asking.

 

[HapK]

Get used to it. I went through the exact same thing when I first started flying my MP over my neighborhood. I have had it close to a year.
People started posting that I was peeping in their windows. I wasn't. I did my best to explain that I wasn't interested in looking at heir fat ***
anyway. At first it pissed me off because I knew I wasn't flying like that at all. I tried to explain that on the neighborhood website. Then some of them threatened to shoot
my drone down with a rifle. I stayed patient and obeyed the laws and some of my neighbors that know me started posting in my behalf.
I am a little more selective when I fly from my home but I still do it.
Just be careful and enjoy yourself. You'll never please everyone and I think it is their problem, not yours.

 

[cyeung]

My neighbors have not minded my flying around the neighborhood. At least 24 hours before the flight, I post a notice to my neighborhood's Facebook page that basically lets them know I would like to fly in the neighborhood at a certain time. I then invite any questions or "requests" (e.g. bird's eye view of a public road). After the flight, I post a few pics and video.

So far, the neighbors comment with, "Thanks for letting us know!" or "Have fun!"

 

[Jake37]

He said he was flying to go peek at a body of water.

The reason I ask is to make sure he is 100% legal in case something should transpire from this.

Before I start going after people for any reason, I make sure I am on firm footing and there is no way for anyone to accuse me of anything.

If I am not flying VLOS, even as a hobbyist, and the situation escalates, I am going to be in the wrong no matter what I was doing.

Once your name gets known and put on social media, so long as you were 100% as pure as the driven snow ( I was operating my sUAV legally, I followed all FAA rules and regulations and you defamed me on social media, impugning my character, and I am seeking legal relief) you have carte blanche to go after the paranoid ahole and shut him up but good.

I worked for a Government agency, someone filed a complaint against me that was unfounded. It is amazing how the threat of filing a Defamation of Character lawsuit and putting a lien on all their property and assets pending trial gets people to shut their mouths when it is sent to them on the letterhead of a well known law firm.

THAT is why I was asking.

Neggy- Sorry,
I was not implying anything toward you or your post, you are correct %100. I was just making sure that the event the neighbor accused him of was in fact the problem and it could happen in VLOS or NOT. Its a matter of accusations that may not be true and hurts everyone, as you have already experienced.

Again sorry and thank you for your input.

William

 

[RaWine]

MP has enough range that if you think you're going to upset someone nearby, make it appear to launch and fly away from them. After you're up and far enough away send it where you like.

 

[Dougcjohn]

You’re not the first, this is pretty common. I have the police come to my house over this a couple times a year. If you’re not breaking any laws you have nothing to worry about. Have them prove you are invading their privacy.. and ask the police for evidence that it’s your drone and freely offer up your flight logs if there is any concerns.

Agree, The police are welcome to stop whether your drone or anyones; you, nor Police don't need to prove it's yours when no law broken. I've had them stop a few times and just let me know a neighbor had called them; they normally tell the caller if they aren't below roof height they technically aren't breaking any law and not trespassing. Generally, roof top level or highest personally owned object (tree) on property is viewed as personal property. Although, being aware is great too, I appreciate when the police stop by to let me know there was a complaint. I'll normally attempt to avoid any ill-feelings and make an attempt not to Fly over low but I'm not overly concerned if flying over at 300' AGL.

I often test fly or experiment in my yard everything from a Mavic up to the large M600Pro Hex and S1000 Octal. I welcome the kids, and have Tello & Spark for them try flying. This too helps with neighbor acceptance, even if not their kids when others drive by an see it's all friendly it helps with the social environment. The Supreme Court ruled years back there is "no reasonable expectation of privacy" in your backyard or property, and can be applied to aerial view. Aerial view is very different from invasion, spying or peeping tom, etc.

Several communities have attempted to pass local ordinances on "NFZ" and have often been challenged & overruled; requiring the FAA to establish NFZ, not a community or local law enforcement. Most law enforcement acknowledges the FAA as sole authority on airspace and at most will "request" you observe your social neighborhood but at the same time will normally inform the complaint there is no law being broken... as long as you observe & avoid laws governing various peeping tom or trespassing regs.

I often see a new drone Owner stand on their rear deck and fly up the property line between back yards at below or above roof level. That isn't respecting the neighborhood, and encouraging complaints and frustrations. I normally attempt to fly the center of the streets, and avoid any back yard pass overs (Unless performing a realty project).

I wouldn't be overly concerned with unreasonable neighbors; you'll have those walking a dog, mowing your lawn different, working on your car, etc. As long as you're clearly not in their personal airspace and not hovering for long periods... that tends to agitate easily. I'm always receptive to wave, chat or discuss... and I'll offer to help them get into drones too if they wanted or take an aerial of their property: 360 Pano or Landscape scene. Actually, I've found the complainers are either the totally irrational type or the type that have a concealed passion of interest. I've got 1 in my neighborhood that drives by and shares his own flavor of "Bird", I just nod, smile & wave!

 

[rolling56]

I had a neighbor yell at me one weekend day i was flying at 200' AGL above the street with only parked cars below. Told me not to fly over his house. As i said i was flying above the streets and not homes. I just waved at him like i was saying hello. That was the last time i fly in my neighborhood on a weekend. I'm retired so now i only fly on weekdays while this person works. Never seen him since.

 

[RobH2]

Yes, like has been said, hope that he shoots it down. It is a Federal offense. I have a friend who was flying a farm. A man came out and shot the drone down with a shotgun. The camera clearly captured the shooter and the whole event. The shooter is now in court and may go to jail as he unloaded a shotgun into the sky within 1 mile of an elementary school and shot an FAA aircraft down. Coincidentally, the shooter's brother had hired the pilot to film the farm but neglected to tell his brother, not expecting that response.

 

[Jolly Dodger]

My neighbors have not minded my flying around the neighborhood. At least 24 hours before the flight, I post a notice to my neighborhood's Facebook page that basically lets them know I would like to fly in the neighborhood at a certain time. I then invite any questions or "requests" (e.g. bird's eye view of a public road). After the flight, I post a few pics and video.

So far, the neighbors comment with, "Thanks for letting us know!" or "Have fun!"

That’s such a great idea !

 

[davew]

Has anyone ever talked to a lawyer about the applicability of United States v. Causby? In this case a farmer brought a suit against the government over low-flying military planes' taking off and landing from a nearby airport. The planes, he said, forced him out of the chicken business -- and he wanted compensation. The Court gave it to him -- and said that a property owner owns “at least as much of the space above the ground as he can occupy or use in connection with the land.” This went to the Supreme Court and was set as law. In this case they were at 500 ft, so the reading is the law says you have some "property rights" to at least 500 feet. Details of this case are available on the Internet.

 

[STKNRUD]

Has anyone ever talked to a lawyer about the applicability of United States v. Causby? In this case a farmer brought a suit against the government over low-flying military planes' taking off and landing from a nearby airport. The planes, he said, forced him out of the chicken business -- and he wanted compensation. The Court gave it to him -- and said that a property owner owns “at least as much of the space above the ground as he can occupy or use in connection with the land.” This went to the Supreme Court and was set as law. In this case they were at 500 ft, so the reading is the law says you have some "property rights" to at least 500 feet. Details of this case are available on the Internet.

Years ago my Army unit flew a CH-47 over his girfriend’s rural home. Pilot didn’t notice that there was a turkey farm a 1/4 mile away that he flew over. Killed 120 turkeys that ran to one end of their enclosure and suffocated. Army bought the turkeys and the pilot got the “Turkey of the Year Award”. Yeh, I know it’s not particularly relevant.

 

[LAZRTX]

Best practice is not to Socialize with crazy neighbors. I fly my MPP around my neighborhood all the time and there is absolutely no way they know it's up there unless I tell them. Why go looking for crazy, when it will come looking for you.

 

[Cheech Wizard]

I find it ironic that the accuser didn't whip out their cell phone and get a picture, sounds like the offending drone was hovering for awhile, They probably posted a picture of what was for breakfast last Sunday, but didn't think to get a pic of the drone offending their "Private Parts"...ha.

 

[Trees138]

When I fly from my neighborhood...

(which isn't often because it is within 5 miles of a local airport and notification is not worth it when I am an AMA member with a local strip.)

...i start recording from the ground, even if my goal is stills, I take off from my backyard, facing the driveway, ascend to at least 200 feet then depart over my house, and down the clearest path to a safe place, be it across yards or the street... whatever is clear.

That way no one can say I am creeping. I am only facing my own home until I am at a reasonable altitude, then I move about.

My first reaction would be to talk to the neighbor directly, privately, and respectfully. I have not had to go beyond that in other run-ins... which included a neighbor taking and vandalizing packages off my porch. One calm conversation can go a long way.

 

[Elton Hammonds]

Are you sure that they were referring to your Mavic? It's hard to imagine how anyone would regard a drone at 300 ft AGL as being close to any part of their house. It's barely visible at that height. Unless it's a really tall house, of course.

Light does travel further at night and she sounds like the hysterical type anyway.

I would just avoid speaking with her because she sounds a little crazy anyway and could accuse you of anything and then retaliate for what's in her head since she might be insane.