Neighbor shooting at my drone.

[theishkid]

I was flying my drone at my family lake house in Oklahoma. I was going up high and flying towards the lake. I flew over the neighbors property once at 116 meters and just kissed the edge of his property once at 75 meters when flying back according to the flight record gps. I was actually flying from the backyard and heard what I thought was a gun shot. It's the country so in the back of my mind I wondered if some guy was shooting at my drone but didn't get really nervous or anything. About 3 minutes later another shot rang out. At this point I started getting worried and panned the camera around. Then about 30 seconds later another shot rang out. At this point I was pretty sure even thought I couldn't see anything on the screen since it was so small that I knew what was going on. I came inside to look at the footage and saw the neighbor shooting into the air on the third shot. I'm not sure if he shot directly at the drone on the first and second shot or if he did the same thing with those as he did with the third shot. But either way all three shots happened when I was over my property.
We went over to ask him if he was shooting at my drone and through a lot of expletives he said I was on his property and this is the country and he'll shoot at anything he wants to out here.
We called the sheriff but they basically said there is nothing they can do since it's legal to shoot guns in your front yard out in the country... they say you're responsible for where that bullet goes... but it's not against the law to shoot out here. They also said that people have a right to their privacy. I told him that I'm pretty sure a guy standing in his front yard isn't necessarily entitled to privacy, otherwise how would news agencies film someone from the street. The sheriff said "well the news agencies get away with a lot of stuff." The sheriff went to talk to the neighbor but they basically admit they don't have any knowledge of drone laws and at what height a persons property ends. After the sheriff left the jerk of a neighbor was outside shooting more just to try proving a point that he can do whatever he wants.

I'm really looking to make this a learning experience for myself. My wife keeps telling me "I wonder if he would have done that if you went out and talked to him before you flew"... but I just keep thinking... it's not my responsibility to tell every single person within eyesight that I'm going to fly my drone.
What would you do? How would you handle this? The sheriff said we could call the DA on Monday so we plan on doing that. Another friend told me to report it to the FAA so I did that. I'd love to hear thoughts.

Thanks,
Brad

 

[bushie]

I know it wont be popular here but I so thankful we had a Prime Minister who bit the bullet (pun intended) and banned firearms in most cases. The news today from Pittsburgh is just another reason to be thankful and this post also emphasis that point. Nutters and guns don't mix and discharging a firearm like this nutter does should result in a long time behind bars in any civilised country.

 

[ac0j]

Next time, straight up till out of range of gunshots, then fly over.
They wont shoot at what they dont see or hear.

 

[AeroJ]

Next time, straight up till out of range of gunshots

How far up do you have to go to be out of range of a shotgun, just out of interest ?!

 

[Yungnomad]

I was flying in my neighbourhood in the UK a few weeks ago. I live in a village and I sometimes fly at high altitudes over residential property.

I recently had a neighbour come and find me when I was flying, she seemed a little stressed out and had some concerns about me filming her at home.

I just reassured her that if someone was filming you with a non-commercial drone you would probably know. They would have to hover at a low altitude for an extended period of time. I even offered her a little go with the drone at a safe altitude just so she could get a better understanding.

In my opinion, filming your neighbour with the drone to confirm his firearm use was the wrong thing to do. I would just go round to his house, apologise, and assure him that you will not fly directly over his property or film him from yours, this also gives you the moral high ground if police get involved again.

I know it’s frustrating but it sounds like a lack of drone education, some borderline paranoia and some Uncle Sam style American perspectives have caused this problem. Most of this can be solved by just being civil and explaining the nature of the device and your intentions, as well as making it clear to him that they don’t threaten his rights in freedom-land.

Just be the bigger man and sort it out, it’s the best thing for you and the whole drone community really.

 

[ac0j]

How far up do you have to go to be out of range of a shotgun, just out of interest ?!

The higher the better. the point is, its better to be out of hearing range, then they wont look for it and shoot at it. I also feel some editing of the story is at hand. as often is. Unless the neighbor and a companion just stand outside all the time with a shotgun, and leave 2 vehicles parked with the doors left open.

For the sake of your wanting to describe how far YOUR shotgun reaches, Lets say 400' ?

 

[Slim.slamma]

some Uncle Sam style American perspectives

That was funny

 

[AeroJ]

I've been shot at 3 times now, and I live in a country where nobody is meant to have guns ! But on 2 of 3 occasions they were warning shots, not aimed at the craft. Not that I knew that at the time, so landed pretty sharpish as soon as I heard the first shot in every case. It's certainly an effective deterrent !

The first time was when I inadvertently strayed over a golf course, and a groundsman took exception and did aim at the craft, but I was very high, and he missed. I got out of there pretty quick tho.

The second time I was flying over public land but there were allotments nearby, and someone was repeatedly firing in the farmland valley below - I couldn't ascertain if they were shooting at me or for other reasons.

The 3rd time was just recently when a friend asked me to aerial survey his house, but had forgotten to inform his neighbours that I would be doing that, so this caused a warning shot or 2 from some scrap yard owners who lived next door. I actually found and spoke to the guy that fired on that occasion, and the whole situation ended amicably once I had explained what I was there for, and it became clear to the guy that actually I wasn't over his land at any point !

Ah well, we can't say it's a dull hobby, can we ?

 

[Yungnomad]

I was flying in my neighbourhood in the UK a few weeks ago. I live in a village and I sometimes fly at high altitudes over residential property.

I recently had a neighbour come and find me when I was flying, she seemed a little stressed out and had some concerns about me filming her at home.

I just reassured her that if someone was filming you with a non-commercial drone you would probably know. They would have to hover at a low altitude for an extended period of time. I even offered her a little go with the drone at a safe altitude just so she could get a better understanding.

In my opinion, filming your neighbour with the drone to confirm his firearm use was the wrong thing to do. I would just go round to his house, apologise, and assure him that you will not fly directly over his property or film him from yours, this also gives you the moral high ground if police get involved again.

I know it’s frustrating but it sounds like a lack of drone education, some borderline paranoia and some Uncle Sam style American perspectives have caused this problem. Most of this can be solved by just being civil and explaining the nature of the device and your intentions, as well as making it clear to him that they don’t threaten his rights in freedom-land.

Just be the bigger man and sort it out, it’s the best thing for you and the whole drone community really.

God Dang plastic bird filming me! I should shoot it cuz the first ammendment and RIGHTS AND LIBERTY AND MURICA. ABORTION IS MURDER.





**** my cousin looks good today.


Too far?

 

[Slim.slamma]

God Dang plastic bird filming me! I should shoot it cuz the first ammendment and RIGHTS AND LIBERTY AND MURICA. ABORTION IS MURDER.





**** my cousin looks good today.


Too far?

Don’t do it like that’s my fellow countryman

It’d sad I know but don’t do it like that

 

[ac0j]

The meat of the issue is, neither is a good neighbor. The guy fires a few shots over the bow to show he does not like the drone flying around near him. No damage caused, just a poor way to send a message.
Then the neighbor who calls the police, and plans to go to the DA. To try and cause problems for the shooter.
One guy doesnt want drones flying around, the other doesn't want people shooting in the air where his drone is. Sounds like the drone guy plans to prove he can do what he wants, whether the neighbor likes it or not.
Glad I don't have neighbors like either one of them.

 

[dirkclod]

OK guys most of us have seen these threads before so we know where it's going. Just be forewarned now when it does it will be closed .
Just a heads up .

 

[JSKCKNIT]

Theishkid, the FAA has confirmed that shooting down (or at) a drone is a federal crime and cited 18 USC 32. I would state that in any correspondence with them. Good luck.

 

[Lopez0015]

Theishkid, the FAA has confirmed that shooting down (or at) a drone is a federal crime and cited 18 USC 32. I would state that in any correspondence with them. Good luck.

I wonder if this applies to flying on private property??

 

[JSKCKNIT]

I wonder if this applies to flying on private property??

Airspace isn't private property.

 

[Slim.slamma]

I try to do 83 feet to keep em honest

Airspace rights still unclear after drone lawsuit dismissed

 

[Lapeer20m]

Theishkid, the FAA has confirmed that shooting down (or at) a drone is a federal crime and cited 18 USC 32. I would state that in any correspondence with them. Good luck.

But this is almost never enforced for drones. It appears that the FAA just lets local government sort this out.

 

[Lapeer20m]

In the video, it didn’t appear to me that he was firing toward the drone.

It seemed like his way of impolitely informing you that he would rather you not fly over his property.

An argument can be made that there is no law restricting drone use over private property, but the argument isn’t very useful when your bird gets blasted out of the sky and the prosecutor doesn’t charge the shooter with a crime.

It’s likely not worth fighting as a civil suit.

So it’s probably best to just stay away from bad neighbors property...or at least fly fast and high.

 

[theishkid]

I highly doubt it would ever get to a civil suit... the reason we want to contact the DA is mainly because local law enforcement doesn't really have a clue when it comes to drones, FAA rules, airspace property, or gun laws for that matter.
We tried talking with the neighbor afterwards to tell him I was just getting footage of the lake but we we were informed by him that he'll do whatever the F____ he wants and he can shoot at anything he wants. That's not a reasonable person. That's not someone you deal with and just stay away from. He went outside yesterday three or four times shooting guns off his porch just to be childish after the police came.
You're not allowed to use a gun for intimidation in Oklahoma. Even with our Make My Day gun laws, if a person enters your house illegally you can shoot them, but if that person enters your house and leaves you can't go outside to shoot them. So he might have a case had he shot down my drone over his property, but just grazing his property at 150 ft and then him shooting at it or at least shooting to try to intimidate me while over my property is wrong.
We want law enforcement to tell him not to do it again... not to come out here and tell him he's completely within his rights to shoot at anything he wants and use his weapon to intimidate.

 

[Aaron24]

God bless America...