People complaints

[SmilingOgre]

I love your comments about Ann Arbort and the church ladies (pun intended) I went there for a year.

I remember you mentioning that. I was hoping you would get a kick out if that. I was taking the chance. Some might be "offended" lol. That's a whole other bag of worms.

 

[pinballwiz86]

I would ignore the neighbors. It’s not like they’re your friends.

 

[pdipasquale]

OK, I’m flying from the balcony of a top floor penthouse condo with a clear unobstructed view East, North and South for many miles to the horizon. I fly over towns, villages, rivers and beautiful scenery.

The problem is when returning to the balcony, even from a height, some residents see the quad flying outside and are very concerned that I’m looking into their apts (though I’m not). Several have complained to the condo Board who have asked me to appear. One just saw me carrying the quad and complained that I even have it.

I know w/1 million of these quads now in private use some new FAA regs will surely come out to limit our use further.

However, until then, how should I handle these complaints most effectively?

Its a condo association they are going to be hard to please. Have some things you can give them, such as, I don't fly pass .....this hour or I fly from here just to land. They are probably going to stop you. They make their own rules. Remember they don't own or regulate the airspace.

 

[dawgpilot]

Well technically you breaking the rules that govern drone flying in my country, not sure about yours.
Please investigate if you are within the set distance parameters to buildings and people and remember, you are an ambassador of our hobby/sport.

We don't have a similar rule mandating a set distance from buildings in the US. The only rule prohibits flying directly overhead persons or moving vehicles.

 

[Inspector Gadget]

Don't know. People will do that. I live in Ypsilanti, home of Eastern University. Majority of folks here are blue collar and there is a healthy helping of live and let live. Move down the road a bit and enter Ann Arbor U of M. Packed with church ladies (snl variety) and Don Quixotries. I don't fly there. They're hiding behind bushes just waiting to jump out and tell others how to live. One drone and the pitch forks and torches would come out. You may have to just find a new launch point to keep your sanity.

He He He !!!!!

 

[commsz344]

stop doing what you're doing would be the most effective.

I agree - If you had of asked if I thought it was ok to fly from a condo and do I think it has the potential to annoy/irritate the locals - It’s a categoric Yes every time - If you think it’s going to annoy it generally will. As drone pilots we have to try harder - like make more of an effort and motivate ourselves to get out - Not literally fly from home and annoy the neighbours- Besides we shouldn’t be flying near buildings anyway - good luck ?

 

[prestonrich]

If his condo is 400 ft high, he could fly up to 400 feet above it to avoid the obstacle.

Show them some footage you have taken, it will make it obvious that it’s almost impossible to spy into an apartment even if you really tried.

This bldg regularly spends mega $ on having the roof, sofetts, headers, porches, etc. inspected or surveyed as water damage or leaks are reported.

I took some thorough videos of the roof up close covering the entire area. You could easily all the past water stains and repairs. Took me 5 min. I think our Board would be VERY interested in using this drone approach to bldg. inspection (free by me) rather than scheduling an expensive inspection and survey. I’ll show the video to the Board chair and let you know the comments I get.

 

[icecoldgin]

In the aftermath of a volcanic eruption here in our area, the houses were covered in ashfall.

Residents are actually asking if anyone had a drone so that they can survey their rooftops to check for damages and assess the thickness of the ashfall.

Unfortunately at that time I did not have my Mini yet.

Hopefully this will not happen again but if it will, at least I am now ready for some public community service here.

 

[itallica]

ONLY if you're flying under Part 107 rules. There is no allowance for "Structures" on Hobby/Recreational rules. Hobby/Recreational rules are an absolute AGL of 400'.

Thank you for correcting me. I get tunnel vision sometimes.

 

[BigAl07]

Thank you for correcting me. I get tunnel vision sometimes.

I do the same thing my friend

 

[WimBonner]

Also remember the 400 ft AGL rule. I don't know how high your condo is.

Structures count as ground. That's why you can do visual inspections of tall structures without getting a special waiver.

The DJI doesn't really know ground level, just the height it took off from.. If your condo was 400 feet above ground level and there was nothing nearby, as soon as you left your condo, you'd be required to fly below your takeoff height to be FAA compliant.

 

[pbrenner]

If his condo is 400 ft high, he could fly up to 400 feet above it to avoid the obstacle.

Not if he’s not flying with Part 107.

 

[pbrenner]

OK, I’m flying from the balcony of a top floor penthouse condo with a clear unobstructed view East, North and South for many miles to the horizon. I fly over towns, villages, rivers and beautiful scenery.

The problem is when returning to the balcony, even from a height, some residents see the quad flying outside and are very concerned that I’m looking into their apts (though I’m not). Several have complained to the condo Board who have asked me to appear. One just saw me carrying the quad and complained that I even have it.

I know w/1 million of these quads now in private use some new FAA regs will surely come out to limit our use further.

However, until then, how should I handle these complaints most effectively?

Although you may be flying legally (FAA airspace) the condo association may have (or could implement) rules prohibiting take off, operation and landing of drones on their property.

 

[RussDrone]

There is no return for fighting “drone phobia”. My condo just passed a “no drone” rule. One woman thought I could be photographing her, my drone could damage her antique wood boat, and my drone made too much noise. She obviously didn’t understand that a drone’s wide angle lens and mild noise make is an unsuitable camera for photographing her; that my drone’s collision avoidance would prevent it from crashing into her boat; and that my drone’s decibal output was 1/3 the level of the noise made by her boat. It’s too bad. The only reasonable option is to fly somewhere else.

 

[DanMan32]

This bldg regularly spends mega $ on having the roof, sofetts, headers, porches, etc. inspected or surveyed as water damage or leaks are reported.

I took some thorough videos of the roof up close covering the entire area. You could easily all the past water stains and repairs. Took me 5 min. I think our Board would be VERY interested in using this drone approach to bldg. inspection (free by me) rather than scheduling an expensive inspection and survey. I’ll show the video to the Board chair and let you know the comments I get.

Careful there. One or two times you can get away that you happened to get pictures of trouble with the building while flying recreationally but that was not your main intent of the flight. If it becomes your intent of the flight, then you need part 107, especially if the condo association expresses interest. It doesn't matter if you get money for it.

 

[agiorgitis]

All these sound like first world country problems.
Sometimes the best solutions is to live in a small city where no one is bothering you from flying anywhere you want, no rules or administrations or boards or police.

 

[chazzm]

Also remember the 400 ft AGL rule. I don't know how high your condo is.

I really don’t think that matters because if the drones on say the 31st floor, it would be 400’ above the take off point, just as it would from a mountain top!

 

[Tufargon]

I really don’t think that matters because if the drones on say the 31st floor, it would be 400’ above the take off point, just as it would from a mountain top!

It's not take off point. It's AGL. I'm sure he flies outward too. If he flies out 401 feet from the building and he is beyond 400 ft AGL at that point it's a violation.

 

[BirdzEyeView2020]

Show the condo board the flight videos to prove that you can't see anything

Aside from the good advice @lannes spoke of, take some impressive aerial footage of the condo itself and offer it to the board as FREE advertisement to use as they may,
provided they give You credit! lol
There's a fine line between 'kissing butt' and 'Public Relations', tread carefully and our dignity can be saved lol!!

 

[BirdzEyeView2020]

Although you may be flying legally (FAA airspace) the condo association may have (or could implement) rules prohibiting take off, operation and landing of drones on their property.

Absolutely correct, Good Sir!