New York City Opens Up For Drones.
- Thread starter The Droning Company
- Start date
I guess we know where all the permits are going. Nice show. 
BetterBizWorks
Well-Known Member
It's nice that they want to curtail all of the small drone operators while they use drones themselves, and create shows with hundreds of them. In the meantime it's almost impossible to get a permit today.
In New York, no problem with stopping drones from flying but airplanes? Where's the FAA on this? Get the FAA to fine him $50,000 that should put an end to this right away.
Droning on and on...
Well-Known Member
I'm certainly not defending the guy, but I am a big fan of rule of law... Fine him for what? Stalking isn't in the FAA's jurisdiction, nor is it I assume addressed in the FARs.
Isn't there similar laws or rules for drones that can be applied to aircraft? So often we hear about drones being used to violate privacy, harass, noise, interfere, flying in a dangerous or careless manner? All the neighbors are complaining and if they report him, shouldn't the FAA pay him a visit or call him or send him a nasty letter like they would for a drone pilot? If I fly my FPV over the neighborhood and I fly over the houses, it would be matter of time before I am told that's too dangerous and told to stop it. Isn't 300 feet circling around neighborhood 5 times a day "dangerous?" Shouldn't the local police reach out to the FAA like they would do if they caught me flying a drone "illegally" which they already threaten to do?
Droning on and on...
Well-Known Member
Don't know, that's a lot of statute around 50 states to study, and I haven't, and have no reason to. The CA law w.r.t. this issue that I did review recently because of a different thread here was explicit in addressing drones.
Doesn't matter in any case. You made an assertion about the FAA taking some enforcement action against this guy for stalking. I'm not aware the FAA has any such authority. Since you made the claim I asked you.
While the assertion stands, the question remains unanswered.
No not for stalking. AFAIK stalking is not a federal crime. From what I understand about the story, the pilot got arrested for stalking after he was warned by state officials. You can stalk someone from a car, a plane, on foot, in a space ship, it's the same state crime so good the police grabbed him.
Instead I'm trying to find out why the FAA hasn't pulled out something like they would do to me if I buzzed my FPV around the neighborhood at 75 feet AGL over hundreds of homes and backyards three times a day for months. Yes the police would be called and they would do whatever they had to do (don't necessarily agree with that) but the FAA would reach out to a recreational pilot and get involved.
This guy is flying a manned aircraft and the FAA has 100% control over him and his flights. They can suspend his license (due to the arrest or allegations), they can open an investigation, they can medical check, they can question him, they can ground his plane, they have all kinds of legal power that could easily put an end to this especially with everyone in town complaining. I'm not a pilot so maybe pilots have legal protections and process protections that drone pilots don't have?
But instead, (hypothetically) FAA would rather exercise the FAA powers to confront a drone pilot having fun flying FPV in an empty field with nobody around for a mile just because he doesn't have a spotter and the FAA get zero reports but saw a YT video on it? You get my point? FAA do something about this guy, you can, it's a good case, it's legally right, it's morally right....about right now is a good time. Isn't this the exact type of case the FAA laws are meant to handle?
Droning on and on...
Well-Known Member
@mavic3usa, you said verbatim, "Get the FAA to fine him $50,000 that should put an end to this right away". This was in reference to a suspected stalking crime.
I asked what authority the FAA has to fine someone in this case. You refuse to substantiate your assertion. At this point it simply looks like you were blathering nonsense, so I'm moving on.
If there actually is any substance to your assertion that the FAA could intervene in this case, present it.
Speculative argument will be ignored, as I don't have time to waste on such trivialities.
I asked what authority the FAA has to fine someone in this case. You refuse to substantiate your assertion. At this point it simply looks like you were blathering nonsense, so I'm moving on.
If there actually is any substance to your assertion that the FAA could intervene in this case, present it.
Speculative argument will be ignored, as I don't have time to waste on such trivialities.
Wow, that was a pretty nasty reply.
Nothing bad to say about this pilot, huh? FAA doesn't need to get involved, right?
LoudThunder
Part 107 Licensed
It all comes down to Apples and Oranges… the rules and laws that govern Unmanned Aircraft are not the same rules and laws that govern Manned Aircraft… The link concerning the Michael Arnold who is accused of stalking Cassandra Willis by possible illegal and dangerously flying his airplane and other means seems to not be in the interest of flying drones and I would recommend the entire topic be erased from the web site…
I posted because I thought it had a New York nexus. The only link I see is the FAA and their ability to keep the airspace safe for manned and UAV alike. If only they would keep the airspace safe against criminals who fly manned aircraft as much as they try to keep the airspace safe from those pesky drones that are harassing and flying unsafe and dangerous, etc that we so often see posted here. I thought the community would appreciate that drones are not the only things in the air harassing people and wildlife. How often do we heard about the noise from a drone whether it's in a peaceful park or FPV and just one person complains? Do you realize what this aircraft sounds like to this poor woman dive-bombing her house? And the entire neighborhood is complaining? She probably has to crawl under her bed at 2am....but the FAA need to quiet down the drones, huh? FAA use your non-related-to-drone tools here and put this down.
LoudThunder
Part 107 Licensed
I honestly cannot say that I know what "this aircraft sounds like to this poor woman dive-bombing her house?"
If you have read any of my postings about Controlled Airspace, you would know that I live in the Class D Airspace of Langley Air Force Base and my home is a Zero Altitude Quadrant and under the Downwind Leg of the Air Field and they fly F-22 Raptors here…
I do have an FAA Authorization to fly at my home due to my Part 107 License, but I have to closely coordinate with Langley ATC to fly…
Langley AFB recently announced "1st FW soars past sortie goal" and they launched more than 250 sorties in three days… For the uninformed, one sortie, as a minimum requires at least one take off and at least one landing. They often practice numerous "touch and goes" and each time they flew the downwind leg…
So, I guess you'll have to tell me what this "Poor Woman" is going through…
Sure I'll tell you what I think it sounds like. I live near a small airport so it's only smaller planes. While it's not directly in the flight path of most planes that take off, on occasion they do come over this way. Most of the planes are ok, I don't think there are any jets but for sure multi-engine planes and helicopters. They can probably be as low as 200 feet (I live in LAANC 200 feet area). During the day, it's fine when you are watching TV or on the phone, not very often do I have to pause so I can hear. Planes don't usually fly directly overhead so usually they are a bit further away.
But every once in awhile, you get a really noisy plane and it's engines sound like they are at full throttle (as if they have an afterburner) and when they really get on it, it gets quite noisy for a bit. Again, ok during the day because you get used to it. It's an executive airport so this doesn't happen round teh clock every day. But at 3am there is no other noise but a plane and it's about as close as they can get to you, and that plane sounds like it is struggling and you've been asleep and everything was all quiet until you are awaken to a noise that only seems to be getting louder and louder and at night it sounds even louder than normal....I've been living here for years and maybe about 5 times did I think one of those planes was coming right for me, it was that loud. Once I dived under my bed I thought a crash was imminent until the sound abruptly shifted as it passed by; made me mad. Not sure if some of these guys are doing it on purpose or maybe it's just my hearing. Years of motorcycle wind noise and loud music and gunfire will destroy your hearing and mine is super sensitive at this point. I can only imagine if a pilot is targeting your home and while indoors, you cannot see what is going on outdoors. Did you not see her in tears? Not just the stalking/harassing but it's mostly the plane and the pilot knows that which is why he is doing it. It's real. Again, it could be me and my hearing and the neighborhood is super quiet normally so for time to time, it stands out and I can tell.
I would love if Air Force fighters flew over, that is a different sort of noise. Been around that all my life, doesn't bother me. Whenever I hear one, I come outside to see. Helicopters that you can hear starting from 5 minutes away....that bothers me. Would love to go to the city council and see what could be done...but these are my neighbors.
Here's an example video, I can only imagine if this is done purposely just like big rig trucks that hit their airbrakes or make loud engine noises on the adjacent road (we have ordinances prohibiting this).
Droning on and on...
Well-Known Member
No, nothing to say. This is a drone forum. My only interest in this story here was FAA involvement, which I would find curious. Turns out it was, as I said, blather ("long-winded talk with no real substance").
If the pilot was not violating the Federal Aviation Regulations, then no, the FAA has no business getting involved in this, any more than they do a flight where the pilot is carrying a passenger that has engaged in securities fraud. That's a job for the SEC.
Having the the attitude that just because you say it everyone else must address what you want them to will leave you very disappointed often.
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So you are the one who has suffered from a small plane dive bombing your home at 0300, not the woman who was being stalked? I'm a bit confused. Her complaint was the plane was circling her house as early as 0700.
I did a little digging on this one, this poor woman has been stalked by this guy since 2019 when he was a customer at her diner. He flies over her property and sends her photos of her house, yard, pool, etc. from the air. It was her house that he bombed with tomatoes. He has also sent nude texts of himself to her, among various modes of harassment. I suppose the only crime the FAA would have jurisdiction over was if he actually flew too low over her house.
I was just giving a reply to what it sounds like when a plane flies too low to your residence. Not many people get to hear that so understandable it's not common knowledge. Many people relate to living near a busy airport and commercial traffic being a constant source of annoying noises but my example regardless of the time of day or situation (pretty sure pilots around here don't intend to annoy) helps me understand more if anyone feels they are being intentionally harassed by a pilot in his aircraft, makes it even worse for them. Obviously this guy is doing alot of other bad things but it caught my interest that his [mis]use of an aircraft seems to be getting a pass.
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LE said that part of the problem was that authorities had difficulty determining whether Arnold was flying low enough for the conduct to constitute stalking. He has been banned from flying for several months, moved his plane to another airport to avoid detection, and flew over her house again. Those flights are part of the charges he was arrested for. The FBI and the FAA have been involved. The FAA helped identify his plane and the airport where it was stored.
He is not getting a free pass. He faces over a dozen criminal and civil charges. Again, unless he was flying over her house below 500 ft, the FAA has nothing to charge him with. The other branches of law enforcement are doing their jobs appropriately with their charges against him.
Mrprop365
Well-Known Member
Mrprop365
Well-Known Member
back to nyc.....
on my way to school on sunday and there was a massive quadcopter sitting on the helipad. turns out they were testing flying taxis. kinda cool so i thought id mention it
on my way to school on sunday and there was a massive quadcopter sitting on the helipad. turns out they were testing flying taxis. kinda cool so i thought id mention it
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