Pile on and Tell Me Why I am Wrong

[Felix le Chat]

Long story longer.

I am still trying to get my stuff together. When my brighter tablet arrives, I look forward to getting more time in.

Meanwhile, there is a guy where I live. He has every form of social media that I know about; probably more. On them, he puts up some kind of impressive imagery:
His signature clip is his drone apparently flying up, up through a cloud bank (he calls it 'fog'), and panning around.
He has a clip essentially called a morning over our local dam. One that we used to be able to drive over until the TVA decided that was a Bad Idea and started enforcing some boundaries.
There's some footage of him apparently flying around one of our state parks (I'll save you the google, not lawful unless the Park Manager gives him permission).
He has footage of him flying over some schools, and flying around a school football game.

I had a couple of my friends poking me and telling me, man why aren't you doing that? So, it bugged me.

This week, I saw in our local facebook parks and rec group them fellating him over his coverage of the annual Christmas parade. His video apparently shows him operating above the parade route and where people are standing on the sidewalks.

(I know none of you are reading this far, so I'm just venting at this point).

I simply asked in the forum, how much trouble it was for him to get his waiver. He gave me a thumbs up... then blocked me. So I went and looked, he doesn't have any FAA waivers under the names I would expect. He doesn't have his dba name registered with the state, but he has had his 107 for about six months.

I am not going to snitch him out to the authorities, which is why I am not naming him here. Tell me why I am wrongly salty for him doing things I'd like to do, and he just does them. Not my business, right? (I ran across the Christmas stuff when my wife asked me why I wasn't doing things like that. That and a couple of friends mentioned seeing his drone at the parade).

Let's see if I've got a peg on this. You're pissed that this individual flouts the rules you choose to abide by and gets lauded for it.

That says more about the Facebook (etc) donkeys that post the 'likes' and 'thumbs-ups', which will only encourage further bone-headed decisions: painting him in his true colours: those of an approbation-seeking, selfish, egoistic twat.

As for the individuals who are asking why you don't get shots like that: do you think they'd be as keen to encourage if they were facing the distinct likelihood of a substantial fine?

You're not alone: I've thought about saying "...ah! screw it..." and then contravening various regulations myself... but with me it always comes down to the fact that I'd be knowingly adding to the burden carried by other drone fliers who continue to choose to act responsibly.

 

[AnzacJack]

point them to the idiots who post car surfing vids and ask why they dont do that.

 

[Cafguy]

Why can I not shake the idea that this would be a **** move though?

Its really not a **** move.
Don't concern yourself with the violator.
Your concern should be all the part 107 pilots out there trying to make a living, all the while facing new regulation after new regulation! You may feel guilty or you may feel like a "snitch" BUT I would rather be a snitch with a career than a "nice guy" with a collection of shelf queen Drones collecting dust, that I'm no longer allowed to fly thanks to pilots like this!
You can tell yourself your a snitch I myself think you would be helping to save an industry that is already looked upon with suspicion and in many cases...Contempt..

 

[Droning on and on...]

That says more about the Facebook (etc) donkeys that post the 'likes' and 'thumbs-ups', which will only encourage further bone-headed decisions: painting him in his true colours: those of an approbation-seeking, selfish, egoistic twat.

I think that's unfair to average Joe FB user.They don't know the rules, and are just praising imagery they think is cool.

I agree with them. Since I know the rules, however, I wouldn’t compliment him and give him encouragement. But that's because I know.

 

[Dronecation]

Why can I not shake the idea that this would be a **** move though?

Because it would be a **** move. Don't be a tattle Karen type. Think Karma!

 

[Dronecation]

We live in a society where our most successful members flagrantly break the rules.
You are pissed because someone is getting accolades for breaking the rules while you get sidelined for obeying them.

Allegedly breaking the rules. There isn't 100% proof this is the case.

 

[Cymruflyer]

Because it would be a **** move. Don't be a tattle Karen type. Think Karma!

BS... Karma may or may not happen. No one is a Karen, as you put it, because they want to keep others on the ground safe, as well as all of us from being stopped from flying in the future or face further restrictions, due to A$$HOLES flying like this.

There is absolutely no "Karenism" in reporting this guy, whatsoever. How could you even think this would be a Karen attitude?

 

[Cymruflyer]

Let me try and put it into perspective for you, High_Order1. Right now, you would like to, but will not report him. Great, feel that way and up to now, luckily nothing has happened to anyone on the ground, up to now. Therefore, you are an enabler to this guy. Your neighbor gets high on drugs and goes out driving his big truck. Up to now, he has not caused an accident, so you keep allowing that to happen, by not reporting him, right?

Let's suppose that next week you read in the newspaper about this guy flying over people at a Christmas event and his drone suffer a mechanical issue and the drone dropped out of the sky and hit a young child on the head, out enjoying the spectacle on the ground just before Christmas, and he was killed.

How are you going to feel about the fact that you had knowledge of this guy flying dangerously but chose to do nothing about it. Would you like to go to visit the family and say... Hi, I knew about this guy but I chose not to be someone who snitches, sorry about your loss just before Christmas, happy holidays.

Or, if you have children, would you like it if your child or spouse would be out in a crowd and been hit by a drone falling out of the sky? How would that make you feel? After next week, if this were to happen, it will be too late, and you will have to silently live with that guilt, that you may have been able to prevent the death of a child and the horror that brought to the family.

You need to act NOW and report this idiot flyer to the appropriate authorities and let them have a word with him. They can determine if he was flying legally or illegally. But he needs to be reported and done so immediately, BEFORE someone gets injured or killed.

See something - say something, don't wait, you are not a snitch, get that childish thought out of your head, we are not in 3rd grade anymore. You are keeping people safe, because you are informed and know the dangers.

Help to protect the innocents on the ground. Or sit back and say nothing and if this guy did injure or kill someone in the future, let that death seep deeper and deeper into your mind, for the rest of your life, as you think... "I could have, should have said something.

 

[Cafguy]

Allegedly breaking the rules. There isn't 100% proof this is the case.

True but If I am doing a job and there are questions about any action I took while flying, then I more than welcome the FAA to investigate me. at least when they are done, I will have a new contact at the FAA.
I fly legally, I research where I fly, and while I don't take pictures I have never considered flying over a crowd just to get a better "view".
If that Pilot was flying legally with all paperwork and waivers then he may be a little "miffed" about it at first, but the pleasure of proving some FAA rep wrong and sending them on their way may be a nice "silver lining" for the reported operator.
I know I would love for some FAA official to knock on my door and accuse me of deliberately breaking a regulation only for me to produce paperwork that clears me.

 

[Dronecation]

Let me try and put it into perspective for you, High_Order1. Right now, you would like to, but will not report him. Great, feel that way and up to now, luckily nothing has happened to anyone on the ground, up to now. Therefore, you are an enabler to this guy. Your neighbor gets high on drugs and goes out driving his big truck. Up to now, he has not caused an accident, so you keep allowing that to happen, by not reporting him, right?

Let's suppose that next week you read in the newspaper about this guy flying over people at a Christmas event and his drone suffer a mechanical issue and the drone dropped out of the sky and hit a young child on the head, out enjoying the spectacle on the ground just before Christmas, and he was killed.

How are you going to feel about the fact that you had knowledge of this guy flying dangerously but chose to do nothing about it. Would you like to go to visit the family and say... Hi, I knew about this guy but I chose not to be someone who snitches, sorry about your loss just before Christmas, happy holidays.

Or, if you have children, would you like it if your child or spouse would be out in a crowd and been hit by a drone falling out of the sky? How would that make you feel? After next week, if this were to happen, it will be too late, and you will have to silently live with that guilt, that you may have been able to prevent the death of a child and the horror that brought to the family.

You need to act NOW and report this idiot flyer to the appropriate authorities and let them have a word with him. They can determine if he was flying legally or illegally. But he needs to be reported and done so immediately, BEFORE someone gets injured or killed.

See something - say something, don't wait, you are not a snitch, get that childish thought out of your head, we are not in 3rd grade anymore. You are keeping people safe, because you are informed and know the dangers.

Help to protect the innocents on the ground. Or sit back and say nothing and if this guy did injure or kill someone in the future, let that death seep deeper and deeper into your mind, for the rest of your life, as you think... "I could have, should have said something.

Wee bit dramatic. Why do I get the feeling you would report every driver on the road going over the speed limit- geez.

 

[Dronecation]

I know I would love for some FAA official to knock on my door and accuse me of deliberately breaking a regulation only for me to produce paperwork that clears me.

Sorry, but that is odd. I think folks are over thinking this one. I see folks flying their drones illegally all the time. Most of them don't even know they are breaking regulations. It is not my position in life to report or tattle. Life is too short for all that...there are bigger things to worry about.

 

[Felix le Chat]

I think that's unfair to average Joe FB user.They don't know the rules, and are just praising imagery they think is cool.

I agree with them. Since I know the rules, however, I wouldn’t compliment him and give him encouragement. But that's because I know.

Unfair to the average Facebook user? Clearly you and I have different experiences of 'social media' platforms.

Referring to the Facebook "...parks & rec..." group who were.... erm... very enthusiastic about the parade footage - they will be the first to find a nice large bus to throw him under if there were to occur any official comeback.

As far as the 'Shop-Thy-Neighbour' mentality: that's never been something I've subscribed to. To me it always conjures up a mental picture of a little lad in his Pimpfe uniform shopping his parents.

 

[Moozer]

I recently saw someone posting video on Facebook of their drone flying over a major interstate highway in California. I sent them a message pointing out that this was very much against the rules. Instead of the nasty or snarky reply I was expecting, he replied and thanked me for letting him know, then removed the videos. If he hadn't responded positively, I would have felt no qualms about reporting him.

 

[Cafguy]

Sorry, but that is odd. I think folks are over thinking this one. I see folks flying their drones illegally all the time. Most of them don't even know they are breaking regulations. It is not my position in life to report or tattle. Life is too short for all that...there are bigger things to worry about.

We are trying to show the rest of the non-Drone public that we don't take pictures with weapons, We are also trying to tell the Public that despite their concerns we are actually a group of professionals doing a job, not just a bunch of Kids looking to have fun with our toys by harassing others, OR putting others in Danger.
If it makes you feel like a "tattle-tell" I don't know what to tell you except those words left my vocabulary in elementary school.
If you see someone skirting or violating the regulations and you don't report it, then I'm sure you have earned the respect of the violator, But to the rest of us.....You are part of the problem!........Sorry.
My 2 cents.

 

[Cymruflyer]

Wee bit dramatic. Why do I get the feeling you would report every driver on the road going over the speed limit- geez.

Why do you get that feeling??? Because you just don't understand the problem. In fact, I get the feeling that you are part of the problem. A car going a bit over the speed limit or even faster on open roads is one thing. An idiot doing 90MPH and weaving in and out of traffic is another, and that type needs to be reported to keep us all safe. From your post, it seems you don't think so.

 

[hank970]

I recently saw someone posting video on Facebook of their drone flying over a major interstate highway in California. I sent them a message pointing out that this was very much against the rules. Instead of the nasty or snarky reply I was expecting, he replied and thanked me for letting him know, then removed the videos. If he hadn't responded positively, I would have felt no qualms about reporting him.

Was he hovering or transiting? If the former, was he above the pavement or a wide median? Was there heavy traffic at the time of his flight or was the pavement largely devoid of moving vehicles?

 

[High_Order1]

I recently saw someone posting video on Facebook of their drone flying over a major interstate highway in California. I sent them a message pointing out that this was very much against the rules. Instead of the nasty or snarky reply I was expecting, he replied and thanked me for letting him know, then removed the videos. If he hadn't responded positively, I would have felt no qualms about reporting him.

This is what I was hoping for when I posted there. A couple of people have deleted their comments since, apparently.

I appreciate all the discussion, by the way, on all sides.

 

[mavic3usa]

I appreciate all the discussion, by the way, on all sides.

Me too.

 

[Dronecation]

We are trying to show the rest of the non-Drone public that we don't take pictures with weapons,
If it makes you feel like a "tattle-tell" I don't know what to tell you except those words left my vocabulary in elementary school.
.

We could also show the drone community that we don't RAT out [non elementary school term for ya] fellow drone members. Wearing big boy pants doesn't mean ratting out others. Educate instead of being punitive!
Besides, you don't have all the facts and are just promoting hysteria...

 

[Dronecation]

Why do you get that feeling??? Because you just don't understand the problem. In fact, I get the feeling that you are part of the problem. A car going a bit over the speed limit or even faster on open roads is one thing. An idiot doing 90MPH and weaving in and out of traffic is another, and that type needs to be reported to keep us all safe. From your post, it seems you don't think so.

I'm not going down a rabbit hole of hysterical nonsense. Sounds like you are projecting. I'm certain you do exactly the speed limit but are steaming mad everyone else is not...