My 1st flight after the Gatwick scenario

[Porky]

This was the 1st time I’ve flown since the Gatwick scenario, all went well as normal, people normally leave me alone which is great but today I’ve never had so many remarks regarding Gatwick I was starting to get very paranoid about it then I thought I’d just go along with it. So a bit of banter and jokes from me eased the pressure a bit. This just goes to show how it has affected the general pubic regarding our hobby. I had a lady come up to my wife and ask if she could see what the drone see’s, again this does happen every now and then but again I got another remark about that airport. I hope this will blow over, time will tell.

 

[calmar81]

This was the 1st time I’ve flown since the Gatwick scenario, all went well as normal, people normally leave me alone which is great but today I’ve never had so many remarks regarding Gatwick I was starting to get very paranoid about it then I thought I’d just go along with it. So a bit of banter and jokes from me eased the pressure a bit. This just goes to show how it has affected the general pubic regarding our hobby. I had a lady come up to my wife and I to ask if she could see what the drone see, again this does happen every now and then but again I got another remark about that airport. I hope this will blow over, time will tell.

I also had such a situation a month ago, but the people, going with their dogs, were only joking about what the drone sees, if it could spy in their bedrooms etc.

But I think Gatwick and other incidents generate more awareness in the public... but I don’t know if it is good or bad.

Maybe more people know, our drones are there and it will get more and more normal? Just like around 1900 or so, when the first cars were driving, had crashes, bad drivers etc.

 

[Porky]

I also had such a situation a month ago, but the people, going with their dogs, were only joking about what the drone sees, if it could spy in their bedrooms etc.

But I think Gatwick and other incidents generate more awareness in the public... but I don’t know if it is good or bad.

Maybe more people know, our drones are there and it will get more and more normal? Just like around 1900 or so, when the first cars were driving, had crashes, bad drivers etc.

Yeah I know where your coming from but it seemed like people were making a be-line for me just to get there point across. Going back to the same location at the weekend, I’ll see what happens then

 

[JDawg]

PostGat, 2018 AG... Fortunately humans seem to have short attention spans. Something stupid will hit the news soon and this will be forgotten. And you can always try "look a squirrel!".

 

[calmar81]

Yeah I know where your coming from but it seemed like people were making a be-line for me just to get there point across. Going back to the same location at the weekend, I’ll see what happens then

Do you think the proximity from your place to Gatwick Intl (just googled, it’s only about 60 miles?) is a cause for the people to be a bit pushier than usual?

 

[Porky]

Do you think the proximity from your place to Gatwick Intl (just googled, it’s only about 60 miles?) is a cause for the people to be a bit pushier than usual?

Could possibly be but I’ve never had negative comments like this before. If you look again Southend London airport is closer to me, one comment was “I suppose your next stop is Southend airport” just laughed it off

 

[old man mavic]

Could possibly be but I’ve never had negative comments like this before. If you look again Southend London airport is closer to me, one comment was “I suppose your next stop is Southend airport” just laughed it off

i also flew today and several people made the comment it wasnt you at gatwick was it i replied no my batteries dont last long enough to get that far there was no animosity just good humored banter

 

[Porky]

i also flew today and several people made the comment it wasnt you at gatwick was it i replied no my batteries dont last long enough to get that far there was no animosity just good humored banter

Nice one dad, I had one person like that regarding Gatwick but told them I was on my way to Southend airport now to cause havoc there yep it worked, we both had a good laugh about it, only one person though

 

[calmar81]

Could possibly be but I’ve never had negative comments like this before. If you look again Southend London airport is closer to me, one comment was “I suppose your next stop is Southend airport” just laughed it off

Before I got my Mavic Air in May, I asked our neighbors around our house, if I could fly over their property (you have to do that in Germany) from time to time. They were all very kind and interested... and of course they all wanted photos of their new houses because it is a new building settlement.

After some buzzing around in the air, weeks or even months later (flights not so often) a neighbor approached me with words like „I do not really know if I think that's okay ... is the drone filming all the time? what does the drone see?“ And that, although I had previously received the permission.

I was able to defuse the situation quickly by explaining how the system works, what legal requirements exist etc. I think that it could be due to lack of knowledge, or even the noise of the MA ... or the daily form of an individual, why she approached me while flying.

But in a situation, when you spot a drone and cannot talk to its operator... or even don’t know where it’s controlled from at all, you all of a sudden remember all the news about drones, airports, planes, near-misses etc.

And that’s where it all starts building up... and getting complicated.

So maybe a possibility to contact the operator at any time would be a way to clear up before it leads to problems.

 

[Mavrickpro]

I wonder how many complaints google gets. They have satellite images I bet people aren’t just aware

 

[Tazbone]

I fly where there are no people.

 

[Porky]

I fly where there are no people.

So do I. I normally take off on the edge of a recreational field then fly over the river we have here but yesterday there were loads of dog walkers which I couldn’t avoid, well not when they seem to make a beeline for me

My thoughts for today, buy myself a hi vis vest and have a nice message on the back “It wasn’t me at Gatwick” that should make people smile

Amazon here I come

 

[calmar81]

So do I. I normally take off on the edge of a recreational field then fly over the river we have here but yesterday there were loads of dog walkers which I couldn’t avoid, well not when they seem to make a beeline for me

My thoughts for today, buy myself a hi vis vest and have a nice message on the back “It wasn’t me at Gatwick” that should make people smile

Amazon here I come

Haha... very good idea. I bet there will be shirts in those fun-apparel-stores

@Tazbone – Of course, normally you try to avoid people at all when going to fly but this isn‘t always possible.

 

[Jaycee]

I've been out several times recently, including one time when the Gatwick planes were still grounded. I've had nothing but good-natured comments and have been bantering with people when they were up for that. Today I had a longer spell out at the flying field in Richmond Park, and all the people who stopped wanted to know what I thought about the Gatwick mess. One woman said her husband has a drone but she had never looked at it...and asked me if I could show her what mine does/how the camera works, as she felt it was too late to ask him! All good.

My opening line to everyone who asks about Gatwick has been 'The laws don't need changing. These people/this person broke the law and would do that anyway. Some people drink and drive/text and drive. That's dangerous and therre are laws against it and most people obey them. There's no point making the responsible people (99%?) suffer because of a few idiots.'

 

[calmar81]

I've been out several times recently, including one time when the Gatwick planes were still grounded. I've had nothing but good-natured comments and have been bantering with people when they were up for that. Today I had a longer spell out at the flying field in Richmond Park, and all the people who stopped wanted to know what I thought about the Gatwick mess. One woman said her husband has a drone but she had never looked at it...and asked me if I could show her what mine does/how the camera works, as she felt it was too late to ask him! All good.

My opening line to everyone who asks about Gatwick has been 'The laws don't need changing. These people/this person broke the law and would do that anyway. Some people drink and drive/text and drive. That's dangerous and therre are laws against it and most people obey them. There's no point making the responsible people (99%?) suffer because of a few idiots.'

Very good point!!

 

[gjmphoto]

I also had such a situation a month ago, but the people, going with their dogs, were only joking about what the drone sees, if it could spy in their bedrooms etc. [...]

I get the question about spying on people's bedrooms a lot...and I usually respond with something along the lines of, "The thought never crossed my mind...do you want to borrow the drone?"

I mean, the people who think like that must be THINKING like that! Who's got the problem here?

 

[calmar81]

I get the question about spying on people's bedrooms a lot...and I usually respond with something along the lines of, "The thought never crossed my mind...do you want to borrow the drone?"

I mean, the people who think like that must be THINKING like that! Whose got the problem here?

Yes, I also had questions like this in my neighborhood.

One neighbor actually asked me to fly near his window to see, what there is to be seen from the outside.

 

[Peter Hughes]

I flew today at a local field. As usual there was plenty of genuine interest but absolutely no animosity and the subject of Gatwick/airports wasn’t even mentioned.
I think this bodes well for us.

 

[gjmphoto]

Yes, I also had questions like this in my neighborhood.

One neighbor actually asked me to fly near his window to see, what there is to be seen from the outside.

You should have responded, "No worries, I can only see up to the couch in the den!"

 

[Asgard]

I fly where there are no people.

I find it best to do most things where there are no people