Seriously? This is illegal?

[Bad Santa]

So, I'm thinking of taking a small, entertainment only, video of the gutter on my house. You know, just for fun. I want to see if the mini is capable of looking down a downspout. Just for entertainment, mind you.
It would be entertaining to see the geometry of the gutter to see what physics might be involved with water pouring over the side. Doesn't that sound like fun?

 

[mavic3usa]

Doesn't sound entertaining to me but if you are referring to the FAA regulations for drone flight, simply doing as you mentioned is not a commercial activity requiring a part 107 license, IMO.

Not trying to be funny but I think the standard goes by the intent of what the common ordinary flyer could be experiencing, not each individual drone pilot specifically. IOW, what is fun for you may not be fun to someone else....but it could be and so it could be recreational!

 

[msinger]

Totally illegal. The authorities will probably be pulling up in their squad cars even before you have time to land.

 

[Cafguy]

I'm thinking of taking a small, entertainment only, video of the gutter on my house. You know, just for fun. I want to see if the mini is capable of looking down a downspout. Just for entertainment, mind you.

If that is your intent Then you are good to go who knows you may review your video and see something that needs repair you are still solid..
IF your intent was to fly your Drone in order to inspect your gutters and downspouts for repairs well...you need a part 107 to do that. Its that simple really. to clarify If you video your gutters with the intent to take said video to a contractor for a quote THEN you are doing part 107 work.

 

[Bad Santa]

Totally illegal. The authorities will probably be pulling up in their squad cars even before you have time to land.

I'm sure that's how it will go.

 

[Bad Santa]

If that is your intent Then you are good to go who knows you may review your video and see something that needs repair you are still solid..
IF your intent was to fly your Drone in order to inspect your gutters and downspouts for repairs well...you need a part 107 to do that. Its that simple really. to clarify If you video your gutters with the intent to take said video to a contractor for a quote THEN you are doing part 107 work.

Yeah, exactly. My gutters are fine. I don't need to check on my gutters. I don't need to look to see why they aren't draining. I'm definitely NOT doing a video for contractor bids. If I were going to be looking to see what repairs I was going to do, I'd just get a ladder and do them.
And I'm not even thinking of how to attack some sort of grappling device to remove an obstacle to the drain hole. (It's not even an option, even if I were thinking about it)

 

[hank970]

Santa, if that's your idea of fun and entertainment, then you need to get out more often. Go to a movie, maybe, or a concert. Or go fishing. If your real intent, however, is to push the boundaries between what's legal and illegal, there may be some risks involved. I haven't been a member of MavicPilots for very long, but I've already seen some posts on this site from folks who not only like to tease the tiger but also seem eager to share news of their exploits in hopes of getting a reaction from other members. Though you might think your multiple references to "fun" and "entertainment" are cute, they lack subtlety. Look around. There are a lot of subjects more appealing and interesting than gutters and downspouts.

 

[Bad Santa]

Santa, if that's your idea of fun and entertainment, then you need to get out more often. Go to a movie, maybe, or a concert. Or go fishing. If your real intent, however, is to push the boundaries between what's legal and illegal, there may be some risks involved. I haven't been a member of MavicPilots for very long, but I've already seen some posts on this site from folks who not only like to tease the tiger but also seem eager to share news of their exploits in hopes of getting a reaction from other members. Though you might think your multiple references to "fun" and "entertainment" are cute, they lack subtlety. Look around. There are a lot of subjects more appealing and interesting than gutters and downspouts.

Well now, I've gone to movies, I've gone to concerts. I've done more with my life than (from the subset I've known) most people.
Sometimes I do, in fact, like to start conversations just for fun.
Sometimes people take things too literally.
Now, adding to the list, I've teased the tiger. I've been bit. I've been free and I've been in jail. I've been single, and I've been married.
But I've never flown a drone up to look at (not inspect) gutters before. That would be a first.
I do share my exploits. Some people think that living on the edge is crossing the line. I'm not one of those. I try to stay on the safe side of the line. That's why there's a line. getting close is still not crossing it.

The thread is rhetorical.

And, FWIW, I'll be taking my Part 107 test soon enough. I'm not an idiot, I just play one on TV.

 

[Max Headroom]

Surely if you use the drone on your own property then you call in a person because you need work doing it cannot be illegal.

 

[Meta4]

IF your intent was to fly your Drone in order to inspect your gutters and downspouts for repairs well...you need a part 107 to do that. Its that simple really. to clarify If you video your gutters with the intent to take said video to a contractor for a quote THEN you are doing part 107 work.

If someone wants to get flying practice by using a drone to look in their gutters, no-one including the FAA cares about it.
This silly hypothetical question can always be counted on to bring out even sillier radical, fundamentalist drone philosophers who will go to ridiculous lengths to define what is recreational and what is legal.

It never fails.
Just mention looking at your roof while flying and they come out every time like frogs in the rain.