Well it finally happened to me.

[LoudThunder]

Do you have a link for Rec pilots?

I am just a member and I've been active of about a year… I started out as a Rec Pilot and only in the last two months have I achieved 107 Status… But even as a beginner and as I've noticed other Rec Pilots, even the absolute Newbies, have posted in the General Forum, perhaps on a reference to "!07 Info" or "Recreational Info" would be needed in the title to get their attention…

Perhaps you might want to contact one of the Moderators and suggest a specific Sub-Forum to them…

BigAl07, clackey, clackey, dirkclod, dirkclod, DoomMeister, to name a few…

 

[SladeSteele07]

I was flying around a local popular lake to get some video/photos of the beautiful tree colors. A car pulled up and a woman came up to me and told me I can't fly here and take pictures of children. I looked around and said; "I'm taking photos of the trees. Are they up in the trees, because you and I are the only people around?" She said, "Well there could be some around somewhere". I thought she was joking since her remarks were so absurd, but she was serious. At the time I was 150' up over trees. I just brought it down, packed up while she was blabbering, and went to another spot.
Where do they get the idea that someone with a drone is taking photos of children; especially when no children or anyone else is around? To me, it seems like she has a problem thinking like that.

I often do the same; pack up and go somewhere else. But recently, I was so fed up with this that I called the police. When they showed up, the guy was yelling and threatening me and the cops got to witness that. This time, when they asked if I wanted to press charges (for assault, not battery), I said yes and they arrested him. My goal is to always be an ambassador for us but there are those times when, even with my best intentions, I feel the need to stand up for my right to fly where it is legal and acceptable.

 

[dronerdave]

Anyway it seems that the "protect the Children" has become the blunt instrument with which to attack anyone they don't agree with...

Yep and then they will pack the kids in the car and drive off.

I'll use a tactic I've seen here so much...what are the chances of your kids being injured in an auto accident as you haul them around in a vehicle compared to the chance a specific drone flight being Pedophilia motivated? I'd suggest driving your kid around in a car is way more of a threat than a (extremely rare) weirdo drone operator encounter.

 

[KennethH]

I was flying around a local popular lake to get some video/photos of the beautiful tree colors. A car pulled up and a woman came up to me and told me I can't fly here and take pictures of children. I looked around and said; "I'm taking photos of the trees. Are they up in the trees, because you and I are the only people around?" She said, "Well there could be some around somewhere". I thought she was joking since her remarks were so absurd, but she was serious. At the time I was 150' up over trees. I just brought it down, packed up while she was blabbering, and went to another spot.
Where do they get the idea that someone with a drone is taking photos of children; especially when no children or anyone else is around? To me, it seems like she has a problem thinking like that.

There is paranoia all around. Watch the news, and if a child is in the picture who isn't already dead in reality, their head is blurred out, even if they're looking away. It isn't about privacy, but because if anything EVER happens to that child, the news station will be to blame. The lawyers are waiting, even if the police aren't concerned.

 

[Skydreamer]

Anyway it seems that the "protect the Children" has become the blunt instrument with which to attack anyone they don't agree with...

i would say something like :” there is no children up there “ and that would be end of that conversations

 

[Lespaxvera]

I often do the same; pack up and go somewhere else. But recently, I was so fed up with this that I called the police. When they showed up, the guy was yelling and threatening me and the cops got to witness that. This time, when they asked if I wanted to press charges (for assault, not battery), I said yes and they arrested him. My goal is to always be an ambassador for us but there are those times when, even with my best intentions, I feel the need to stand up for my right to fly where it is legal and acceptable.

Good for you. I guess that will be the best way to deal with those idiots. Thank you.

 

[Sady]

Look the lady in the eye and say "Ma'am, i am flying a search and rescue mission for a missing child right now and you are interfering!" then fly on.... Happy Droning!!

That's a great way to reply. I would love to see his or hers face.

 

[BroomRider]

This is probably the only instance I've seen online where the law enforcement or even a bystander actually knows what they are talking about, like finding a unicorn in the wild.

View attachment 156508

Me being curious for the sake of those recreational pilots (like myself), with no interest or wish to involve “Imperial Entanglements” any more than absitively necessary…

Was there anything about your above-mentioned flight that could have been interpreted as anything requiring the Part 107 &/ LAANC approval?

Aside from my not knowing if that area needed the LAANC approval, the rest of it looks like it would have been able to have been accomplished under the purely recreational classification.

[re: “other operators… not 107… without LAANC approval…”]

Regardless, it's nice to see LEOs actually knowing the law.

 

[LoudThunder]

Aside from my not knowing if that area needed the LAANC approval

Since you do not know how to use LAANC, go onto YouTube and watch various videos on LAANC and then you'll know if you require approval or not...

 

[karlblessing]

Aside from my not knowing if that area needed the LAANC approval, the rest of it looks like it would have been able to have been accomplished under the purely recreational classification.

Even as a recreational flier, you MUST know if the airspace you're flying in is controlled or not. That's a bare minimum thing to know before you can fly and would be mentioned in the TRUST test and the FAA's getting started page for UAS. Also recreational flying is an 'exception' to 107. Everything is under 107 by default, but you can get an exception for recreational flight under specific conditions (knowing how to request LAANC authorization and knowing where it's needed is one of them).

PS: IF you haven't even passed the TRUST test, you're not allowed to be flying.

 

[MS Coast]

Since you do not know how to use LAANC, go onto YouTube and watch various videos on LAANC and then you'll know if you require approval or not...

Better by far is to rely on the FAA UAS Facility Maps. It's the official word on where LAANC approval is required.

ArcGIS Web Application

faa.maps.arcgis.com

 

[LoudThunder]

PS: IF you haven't even passed the TRUST test, you're not allowed to be flying.

This member received all this info when they joined last August...

New DJI Mini 3 Pro pilot from Milton, DE, USA.

Greetings & Hello!

mavicpilots.com

 

[BroomRider]

Even as a recreational flier, you MUST know if the airspace you're flying in is controlled or not. That's a bare minimum thing to know before you can fly and would be mentioned in the TRUST test and the FAA's getting started page for UAS. Also recreational flying is an 'exception' to 107. Everything is under 107 by default, but you can get an exception for recreational flight under specific conditions (knowing how to request LAANC authorization and knowing where it's needed is one of them).

PS: IF you haven't even passed the TRUST test, you're not allowed to be flying.

I do, I am & I have.

I wasn't questioning your status, I just didn't know, without going to the trouble of digging to locate the area & event you mentioned.

All this was in the context of what I posted earlier in query, with your mention that the LEO commented that he'd checked several other drone pilots who weren't flying under P.107.

I'm withholding the witty retort that I was about to make, in the interests of civility. o7

 

[Pilot Adam]

I was flying around a local popular lake to get some video/photos of the beautiful tree colors. A car pulled up and a woman came up to me and told me I can't fly here and take pictures of children. I looked around and said; "I'm taking photos of the trees. Are they up in the trees, because you and I are the only people around?" She said, "Well there could be some around somewhere". I thought she was joking since her remarks were so absurd, but she was serious. At the time I was 150' up over trees. I just brought it down, packed up while she was blabbering, and went to another spot.
Where do they get the idea that someone with a drone is taking photos of children; especially when no children or anyone else is around? To me, it seems like she has a problem thinking like that.

Unreal.

 

[T.O.M.]

I am glad the Netherlands have not (yet) reached the Karen&Darren density as the USA. There might be some Karens lurking in the bushes and shadows waiting to harrass a drone pilot but I haven't seen one in the wild yet.
So far I have had a handful of encounters with people that wanted to know what I was doing. All of them were only interested and wanted to know how high/far/fast the drone can fly and what I could see on my phone. Had some nice chats with some of them afterwards.
As mentioned earlier RID will probably result in different interactions...

 

[NightFlightAlright]

My exact response to this, while NOT breaking LOS to my aircraft : "Ma'am, I am an aerial photographer operating legally. If you're interested, I'd be happy to explain my work once I land safely, otherwise you're interfering with a pilot flying an aircraft and that's a federal crime. I will land and immediately call 911." Nothing else, no other opportunity to debate or deal. No responsibility to show her anything, she's not a cop.

If she remains respectful I'll also be nice. Any threats or further interference and I make good on my promise. Any attempt to touch me and I follow Texas' laws on the use of force.

This, only I wouldn’t say photographer—I’d say “licensed pilot flying under FAA part 107 regulations, and she is interfering with a lawful flight…”

If not a part 107, then still can say “remote pilot flying in accordance with federal law, and she is interfering with a lawful flight…”

Karens and self entitled cancel culture have gone too far….

 

[NightFlightAlright]

You may or may not have noticed that "protecting the children" from all manner of imaginary bogeymen is just the latest front in the culture war and a significant chunk of the population believe that there's an endless stream of child predators hiding in every bush and bathroom.

It is not illegal to take photographs of children, or anything from a public point of view or a public vantage point. In other words an area that is accessible by the public viewable by the public is fair game. (At least in the USA… other nations YMMV)

 

[dart106]

There is no legal expectation of privacy in a public place.

 

[FlushVision]

Fortunately I have had very few encounters with a Karen or Ken, in fact only one that I can remember in the Eight years I've been flying drones and that was in 2017 flying over half a Kilometer from anyone else on Ilkley Moor in Yorkshire. Yes, I've had some people engaging me but they've just been curious and vaguely interested people, kind of like 'how high can it go' and such like, but that one time I was approached by that Karen was different. That one time, though, I had a go-pro type of camera strapped around my head and pointed to it...they went off huffing and puffing never to be seen again.
My experience has been, on the whole, pretty positive then. It may be, though, that I'm pretty careful on choosing my take-off point, or tending to be discreet, though that may change now that I have a Mini 3 pro and have started to do some urban flights in the British Open A1 category.

 

[SmilingOgre]

I have no idea. Maybe I look harmless or maybe it's because most folks know Ogre's eat people. People either ignore me or show general interest in the drone. I've gotten many complements on my flying and or landing. One gentleman wanted to know if I saw any mushrooms. Wish I had would have. Would have loved to help him out. Having said all that, I don't fly over people and pick places where I can stay a good distance away from people. It's not that I don't like people, they're fine with mustard and horseradish but I really don't care for watching videos of strangers. Kinda like the thrill is gone.