Suburban flight: Legal or not?

[Drone on]

I just saw a major corporation advertisement that plastered the TV screen with their large font message against a back drop of aerial footage over a densely populated neighborhood.
The footage was so generic that I doubt that they hired a drone videographer. Instead, I think they got the footage off of a stock footage broker and used it like moving wall paper.

Generally, I fly out by the local lake, and rarely fly over any neighborhood; especially not any so densely populated.
I realize the pilot could have applied and have been granted a waiver, but I doubt it.

Are we allowed to fly over neighborhoods?

I always considered houses to be buildings, and so I considered neighborhoods an illegal flight path

Am I mistaken?

I realize this isn't an exciting post, but if someone knows the CBO or FAA rules on this please reply.

 

[Recoveryone]

Flying over neighborhoods is not illegal, but privacy can be an issue. If your altitude is high enough not to brother anyone there shouldn't be any problem. flying in restricted airspace is more of an issue that what type of buildings you are flying over.

 

[AnzacJack]

Why is it you immediately doubt this has been done legally?
If it’s a major corporation, there is probably a high chance they would have obtained footage legally. That would be my immediate thought.
I’m not an expert on your laws, but if it’s in legal airspace, within line of sight and not within a regulated distance from buildings and the pilot was certified for commercial work, then it seems like it would be ok.

 

[Drone on]

Why is it you immediately doubt this has been done legally?
If it’s a major corporation, there is probably a high chance they would have obtained footage legally. That would be my immediate thought.
I’m not an expert on your laws, but if it’s in legal airspace, within line of sight and not within a regulated distance from buildings and the pilot was certified for commercial work, then it seems like it would be ok.

I'm sure they bought the footage legally. I don't know of a black market for drone footage
I was asking if flying over neighborhoods is legal

part of your reply was, "within a regulated distance from buildings"... Do the drone laws not consider housing to be buildings?

 

[Drone on]

Flying over neighborhoods is not illegal, but privacy can be an issue. If your altitude is high enough not to brother anyone there shouldn't be any problem. flying in restricted airspace is more of an issue that what type of buildings you are flying over.

thanks

 

[AnzacJack]

Yes I imagine houses would be buildings, so prob need to be a certain distance from them.

 

[Drone on]

Yes I imagine houses would be buildings, so prob need to be a certain distance from them.

Thanks
Can't be a height distance, so any other distance would not be flying over.

I'm not trying to argue, simply trying to understand what is legal, and what is not.

 

[AnzacJack]

It’s usually 30m from a building, so if 30m high it should be ok

 

[Simmo]

It’s usually 30m from a building, so if 30m high it should be ok

That has been removed from the rules. 30 mtrs applies to people, not buildings.

 

[AnzacJack]

Yep here in Australia. That’s why I didn’t mention it earlier as I knew someone would be quick to correct me.
Plus the 30m from people is a cylinder with not height and not a 30m dome .
Not an expert on rules everywhere but the 30m is just n example I used.

 

[BigAl07]

I'm sure they bought the footage legally. I don't know of a black market for drone footage
I was asking if flying over neighborhoods is legal

part of your reply was, "within a regulated distance from buildings"... Do the drone laws not consider housing to be buildings?

Keep in mind you're mixing FAA regs and Australian regs in this one thread. Don't get lost in the distances.

 

[Drone on]

That has been removed from the rules. 30 mtrs applies to people, not buildings.

Does this mean we can now fly over houses?

 

[sdold]

Does this mean we can now fly over houses?

Depends where you are. Where are you? You haven't entered your location in your info. In the US you have always been allowed to fly over houses.

 

[Drone on]

US...FAA

 

[dawgpilot]

US...FAA

As sdold said, there isn't any rule regarding flying over buildings in the US. You can review the current federal regulations (both hobbyist and commerical/Part 107) here: Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS)

 

[Drone on]

Thanks
Good to know. That changes things for me