Well—it happened. Neighbors complaining.

[John Locke]

All it takes is one neighbor to complain. It's a bummer. I'm nineteen; videography is a fun little hobby of mine. ........... The thought of having to slow down to please my neighbors is lame.

I know it's fun seeing your neighborhood from the air, but it will get boring after a while. If you really want to fly over your neighborhood, find a nearby park or commercial parking lot to launch from, then fly over to your neighborhood to record your video. And never hover over houses, that's a NO NO. That really makes a home owner suspicious, and pissed, especially if he has daughters. However, eventually neighborhood flying will get boring. Never fly from your property. DO NOT let your next door neighbors learn you have a drone. It's not good to have the reputation in the neighborhood, being known as "The Drone Kid", or "The Peeping Tom" . Don't tell anyone, if you haven't already. Keep it a secret, this will reward you in the long run, trust me on that.

I assume you have a car, so you are mobile to go anywhere to fly, correct? The real fun with drones is to search areas with Google Maps using 3D satellite view to plan flights in areas that are way more dramatic than your local neighborhood. Oceans, lakes, waterfalls, cliffs, race tracks, railways, landmarks, old abandoned buildings or barns, lumber mills, fall color, just fallen snow scenes in winter, animals, canyons, bridges, ships, mountain tops, etc. There are WAY MORE interesting subjects than a boring housing neighborhood. Open your mind and start planning your next adventure flight. Pretty soon you'll be driving 50 to 100 miles just to capture something interesting. The travel adds to the fun. You'll be driving along and spontaneously see something to fly, so you'll quickly pull off the road and launch the craft. Those spontaneous findings can be gold, and memorable.

 

[Nobbler]

The people who are your opponents are as such because they lack reasonableness and any speaking to them will backfire. Come with your good intentions all you want-- all you'll do is make yourself a more permanent fixation upon vindictive people's minds.

My advice: be invisible

 

[Tonkin Gulf]

Got my DJI Mavic Air S2 yesterday. Pretty stoked. Did my verification videos, got insurance, went up to 400ft the 2nd day, registered w/ FAA, familiarized myself with the rules—all is good.

I live in an HOA. When I take off, I switch to sport mode and get up as high as possible to reduce noise. It's still quite loud at 350-400 feet. I am noise-conscious with my drone; if I feel it's too loud, I increase altitude. As I was capturing great shots of my neighborhood, I overhear my neighbors talking about the drone. "Well they have a right to fly it (mocking tone), but it's annoying". He was talking to another neighbor across the street. They don't know it belongs to me.

And now, the SECOND DAY in the hobby, I feel if I have to take sporadic breaks between flying as to not impose new HOA regulations on drones. All it takes is one neighbor to complain. It's a bummer. I'm nineteen; videography is a fun little hobby of mine. I take my GoPro mountain biking and hunting then spoof them up in Premiere. Yesterday, I shot some clips in DLOG on the Air S2 and they came out beautiful after color-correcting. The thought of having to slow down to please my neighbors is lame.

I also live in a HOA. I started out by taking a "Tiny Planet" shot of the Club House. Framed it in a 8x8,... now it is sitting in the Club House. Home Owners are excited and are now coming up to me to take a "Tiny Planet" of their home.

 

[bill1950]

In my neighborhood we have neighbors that think nothing of mowing their lawns and weed wackers at 7 A.M. in the mornings on Saturday and Sundays. We have who we call motorcycle guy in the next house that has a Harley and feels even in the summer to warm up his bike for ten minutes. There is a new neighborhood that is in a state of having 30 houses under construction. All that being said I really try to respect my neighbors and will get to 400 feet in normal mode and try not to hover and to get into the few fields around our area and fly.
I have too offered to film neighbors homes for them and inspect after storms and it has been met in all instances with approval and gratitude. I have explained that I am a part 107 and what that means and I cant tell you how much advice on how to make some extra cash my neighbors have come up with. some have been actually lucrativ. All of the advice you have on this subject has been excellent.

On the 107, one of the neighbors said to go to the fire Dept and offer your services to video their training exercises, which led to our smaller local police to film their and to offered to be texted to come and film on emergencies and search needs. Good thing it is pushing me to pull the trigger on a 2S. good things can come from the neighbors if they are involved.

I found that if I offer my drone services to the neighbors they as a whole have been very tolerant to my practice and flying.

 

[cgmaxed]

I've lived in 2 HOA neighborhoods. They are not worth the trouble. The house I live in now, has no HOA. I'm as happy as a pig in mud. I actually can have pigs in mud, if I wanted. LOL. I'll never buy a house in an HOA again.

 

[KJack91986]

After taking the “TRUST” training/exam online, I admit I wasn’t aware of the additional “Community Based Organization (CBO)” guidelines I’m obligated to follow. I doubt your HOA has anything like this, but you might want to do some checking on your county. (I did and was surprised to learn that some actually exist). I do understand your frustration, but I’m also sure that you’ve already found bigger and better locations to get your blood flowing. As for your complainers…xxxx them and feed them fish heads. You’re life is WAY more exciting! FYI: here’s the link to CBO stuff:

Recreational Flyers & Modeler Community-Based Organizations

www.faa.gov

 

[Phantomrain.org]

Get the Silent Props as others have noted
Sign up to your Neighbor Hood Watch and let them know your available for search of lost pets .
Let everyone know that your drone will be used for Perimeter checks and search and rescue.

Get A wet suit so you can fly in the Rain and video tape any flooding in your area, once you have
done that , let everyone know that your posting the video on the Neighbor Hood watch.

You want the HOA to see you as a super hero , the more videos you post the better.
The Prop and Wet Suit will help you do that.

The more they see the drone as a tool the better.

Phatomrain.org
Gear to fly in the Rain and capture the Storm and keep people aware.

Occasionally I throw in a Sunset Photo for everyone . Its a big hit.

 

[ZergDrone]

Well if an HOA can’t make rules about a ham radio tower as that’s under FCC jurisdiction then wouldn't this fall under FAA?

 

[Rocketrob]

How does the saying go? Don't (Mod Removed Inappropriate Language )where you eat!

 

[Jack C]

I live in a highly populated residential area and would not fly over any houses or apartments as people are always suspect of videoing their homes over head. Why I do not know why. Nothing of real interest going on and rather boring. Back yards and swimming pools........yawn! Take your mountain bike and go out and get some real footage. I still use the Microsoft video editor and get some amazing results just using the amateur editor.

 

[JJPpilot]

Got my DJI Mavic Air S2 yesterday. Pretty stoked. Did my verification videos, got insurance, went up to 400ft the 2nd day, registered w/ FAA, familiarized myself with the rules—all is good.

I live in an HOA. When I take off, I switch to sport mode and get up as high as possible to reduce noise. It's still quite loud at 350-400 feet. I am noise-conscious with my drone; if I feel it's too loud, I increase altitude. As I was capturing great shots of my neighborhood, I overhear my neighbors talking about the drone. "Well they have a right to fly it (mocking tone), but it's annoying". He was talking to another neighbor across the street. They don't know it belongs to me.

And now, the SECOND DAY in the hobby, I feel if I have to take sporadic breaks between flying as to not impose new HOA regulations on drones. All it takes is one neighbor to complain. It's a bummer. I'm nineteen; videography is a fun little hobby of mine. I take my GoPro mountain biking and hunting then spoof them up in Premiere. Yesterday, I shot some clips in DLOG on the Air S2 and they came out beautiful after color-correcting. The thought of having to slow down to please my neighbors is lame.

Well, your neighbors are just going to have to live with it while you fly as long as your not violating your HOA rules. If it's just a noise nuisance, then they can go pound sand! Is it not annoying when your neighbors mow their lawns, blow their leaves, or use power tools, etc.? The Air 2s is quieter than a gas weed wacker! Probably 75% fewer decibels. They have selective annoyance triggers lol! Trust me, it's not the noise, it's the entire concept of drones flying around, and most people really think all drone pilots are up to no good. I am an FAA licensed drone pilot and I fly over residential homes on a daily basis for real estate photography. I have been run off of certain communities by the residents before only to return once I got specific permission to fly by the HOA's. They can't stop you from doing your job. However, as a hobbyist, you'll need to understand the rules as well as the class of airspace you intend to fly in every time you fly in a new area to ensure you are not violating airspace laws. But like I said, if it's a noise nuisance and they complain, next time they weed wack or mow their lawn, tell them to stop because it's annoying lol. Stand your ground!

 

[JJPpilot]

Well, your neighbors are just going to have to live with it while you fly as long as your not violating your HOA rules. If it's just a noise nuisance, then they can go pound sand! Is it not annoying when your neighbors mow their lawns, blow their leaves, or use power tools, etc.? The Air 2s is quieter than a gas weed wacker! Probably 75% fewer decibels. They have selective annoyance triggers lol! Trust me, it's not the noise, it's the entire concept of drones flying around, and most people really think all drone pilots are up to no good. I am an FAA licensed drone pilot and I fly over residential homes on a daily basis for real estate photography. I have been run off of certain communities by the residents before only to return once I got specific permission to fly by the HOA's. They can't stop you from doing your job. However, as a hobbyist, you'll need to understand the rules as well as the class of airspace you intend to fly in every time you fly in a new area to ensure you are not violating airspace laws. But like I said, if it's a noise nuisance and they complain, next time they weed wack or mow their lawn, tell them to stop because it's annoying lol. Stand your ground!

Just a quick follow-up note: I think the best way to start at a minimum is to use the FAA's B4UFLY app for android or apple. It will show you your current Latitude/longitude, airspace, restricted areas, temporary flight restrictions, etc. It will tell you if you are in a no-fly zone or if you need to be licensed to fly in certain areas such as near airports, helipads, hospitals, etc.

 

[JJPpilot]

Think of it this way, what would happen if something went wrong and it comes down and damages someone's car or solar cell or such like. Since you say you have insurance the cost of any damages might be covered but how would you feel?
You say you go mountain biking which is, I assume, in more remote areas that are probably more scenic and with less people about. If that is so ,take the drone with you and fly there.
Personally and putting aside any legal issues, the idea of flying over a built up area puts the wind up my sails because of the "what if ".

LOL... In a few short years, drones will be everywhere. Delivering for Amazon, Dominoes, etc. It shouldn't matter where you fly as long as you understand the laws, airspace class, make sure you are registered, etc. Do you drive a car in populated areas? "What if" your steering went out and you hit someone on the sidewalk or another car? Does that stop you from driving? Go ahead and live your life by what if! You can't ever leave your home... Your "sails" must be up all the time. If I were you, I would never fly. I would never drive a car. I would never go swimming. because "what if?" Leave it for those who always strive to move forward and aren't chained down by "what if's".

 

[Steveinusa]

Got my DJI Mavic Air S2 yesterday. Pretty stoked. Did my verification videos, got insurance, went up to 400ft the 2nd day, registered w/ FAA, familiarized myself with the rules—all is good.

I live in an HOA. When I take off, I switch to sport mode and get up as high as possible to reduce noise. It's still quite loud at 350-400 feet. I am noise-conscious with my drone; if I feel it's too loud, I increase altitude. As I was capturing great shots of my neighborhood, I overhear my neighbors talking about the drone. "Well they have a right to fly it (mocking tone), but it's annoying". He was talking to another neighbor across the street. They don't know it belongs to me.

And now, the SECOND DAY in the hobby, I feel if I have to take sporadic breaks between flying as to not impose new HOA regulations on drones. All it takes is one neighbor to complain. It's a bummer. I'm nineteen; videography is a fun little hobby of mine. I take my GoPro mountain biking and hunting then spoof them up in Premiere. Yesterday, I shot some clips in DLOG on the Air S2 and they came out beautiful after color-correcting. The thought of having to slow down to please my neighbors is lame.

You're right, I got my Air 2s Today and but haven't had the opportunity to fly it yet. But taking off from the back yard seems the BEST place to check it out for first time. Who doesn't want to see what your house and close neighborhood looks like from a couple of hundred feet at least once? Of course there's chances of it hitting something! There's chances in everything we do, every day. For me, I'll fly it from my yard where I can sit at my patio table, open the box read the docs and tinker. I say just be careful and have fun.

 

[ameripol]

We bought a 40 acre farm 20+ years ago. I fly prewar real planes & have 1 neighbor we can see that raised high $$ show horses. Everyone was standoffish & I worried about flying issues as sometimes I had to fly right over the horses on take off which they never even looked up. So I took good aeial pics of all the farms, framed & delivered them. It broke the ice & I've never had a single complaint.

can't help but be curious...what do you fly? I'm a photographer who has been lucky enough to fly in about everything that leaves the ground including a B-24, B-29, P-51 from the war years. I've also flown with a Stearman stunt team during an airshow. Choppers of all sizes, Goodyear blimp, balloons, gliders and all manner of private craft.

 

[MAvic_South_Oz]

But taking off from the back yard seems the BEST place to check it out for first time.

If you're an experienced drone pilot, yes perhaps.
You know how to fly and what you might expect.

If a new flyer, the best place for first flight is a large oval or park area, open flat space, good daylight, light to no wind.

At home, yes quite safe to start up, get all the updates done, check satellite / home lock all working, play with menus, even start up motors (props off) inside / outside to check out those start up / shutdown steps.

With 2 posts, I can't tell if this is your first drone or upgrade etc . . .
Without a doubt, for new flyers a YouTube search > "your drone model" first flight tips

Watching a couple of videos is probably going to save half first flight incidents.
Printing out the full manual for your model drone from the DJI site is also priority reading and occasional refresher.

Enjoy the Air2s, would be my pick if I was upgrading right now.

 

[gemniii]

Got my DJI Mavic Air S2 yesterday. Pretty stoked. Did my verification videos, got insurance, went up to 400ft the 2nd day, registered w/ FAA, familiarized myself with the rules—all is good.

I live in an HOA. When I take off, I switch to sport mode and get up as high as possible to reduce noise. It's still quite loud at 350-400 feet. I am noise-conscious with my drone; if I feel it's too loud, I increase altitude. As I was capturing great shots of my neighborhood, I overhear my neighbors talking about the drone. "Well they have a right to fly it (mocking tone), but it's annoying". He was talking to another neighbor across the street. They don't know it belongs to me.

And now, the SECOND DAY in the hobby, I feel if I have to take sporadic breaks between flying as to not impose new HOA regulations on drones. All it takes is one neighbor to complain. It's a bummer. I'm nineteen; videography is a fun little hobby of mine. I take my GoPro mountain biking and hunting then spoof them up in Premiere. Yesterday, I shot some clips in DLOG on the Air S2 and they came out beautiful after color-correcting. The thought of having to slow down to please my neighbors is lame.

First of all, welcome aboard.
I sure wish I could have had a drone at the age of 19!
But they were not available in 1970
I note you write you live in an HOA, do you own, rent, or live with others ? This will affect how the neighbors treat you.
Many good suggestions.
Definitely get quieter props if possible.
If the HOA has older buildings offer to do a close photography study of roofs and chimneys for free, this would be a valuable service. Don't analyze the pictures, just take picture or video.
And consider yourself lucky you can fly your drone. Half the time I live about 12 miles from the White House. Almost ALL of the Northern Virginia area is a no-fly zone. I left my mini with my BIL in Northeast Mississippi (where I live the other half of the time).

 

[gemniii]

You might think about getting yourself some Major Airscrew props to reduce the drone’s noise. They work well on my MA2 & also give you slightly more flying time per battery.

Is there a version for the Mavic Mini by another mfg?

 

[thispilothere]

Trust me, it's not the noise, it's the entire concept of drones flying around, and most people really think all drone pilots are up to no good.

I've never had a noise complaint but one neighbor said, "Guess I'll have to quit laying out topless!" I showed her how little detail you can get from a drone (MA2) 300+ feet up and she was fine. I've already had to educate a few local businesses and a police department about drone law and I'm no expert. People have no clue how little they control their "private" property.

 

[Classic flyer]

Got my DJI Mavic Air S2 yesterday. Pretty stoked. Did my verification videos, got insurance, went up to 400ft the 2nd day, registered w/ FAA, familiarized myself with the rules—all is good.

I live in an HOA. When I take off, I switch to sport mode and get up as high as possible to reduce noise. It's still quite loud at 350-400 feet. I am noise-conscious with my drone; if I feel it's too loud, I increase altitude. As I was capturing great shots of my neighborhood, I overhear my neighbors talking about the drone. "Well they have a right to fly it (mocking tone), but it's annoying". He was talking to another neighbor across the street. They don't know it belongs to me.

And now, the SECOND DAY in the hobby, I feel if I have to take sporadic breaks between flying as to not impose new HOA regulations on drones. All it takes is one neighbor to complain. It's a bummer. I'm nineteen; videography is a fun little hobby of mine. I take my GoPro mountain biking and hunting then spoof them up in Premiere. Yesterday, I shot some clips in DLOG on the Air S2 and they came out beautiful after color-correcting. The thought of having to slow down to please my neighbors is lame.

Sorry to say , but if you live in a HOA ruled community you're pretty much at THEIR mercy...jmo