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What’s up with all the drone haters???

One of my friends launched out at me with "If I see that over my place, I'll shoot it down!" ... She thought my Drone invaded her privacy (even though I'd never fly it over her home in a million years!). I asked her what she thought of about being videoed at every road intersection on the motorway, at every service station, as she walked along the high street, entered every shop, every supermarket, and had facial recognition scans in every underground station in London ... Strangely, she didn't seem to be worried about that.
Why would a friend shoot your drone out of the sky?
 
I love flying my drone and the incredible new creative perspectives it gives my photography, BUT, as an old life long mountain lover who treasures solitude and quiet, I'm firmly in support of having no drone zones such as the national parks. It would quite annoy me to be buzzed while enjoying a quiet sunrise on a remote peak where I expected peace and quiet to commune with nature.

So far I've avoided flying around many people up in the mountains, and try to ask those I encounter if my drone would bother them. I've been lucky to only meet people who were actually psyched to observe it and who wanted to know where I posted pics or vids so they could see them. If anyone says it would bother them I'd either wait for them to leave, or move to an area where they couldn't see or hear my drone.
 
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AS you may know of my location for most of my flying...NYC...when i am about to fly i try to eyeball or hand gesture people within range (i usually have a home base of a BB,Soccer..Track field)....a 200 x 300 yard area of mostly people jogging around the track..others practicing soccer moves etc.

Plenty of room for all on a week day...as i start up i try to make visual contact with everyone near me...i nod to them...as i point to the drone and gesture..OK WITH YOU ?

Never had a problem...i feel that people respond well and positively for the fact that you ASKED them...that i was respectful of their space and that i meant no harm...all with a gesture and eye contact

ALSO...i have the LAW on my side...to my surprise (found this out long ago) All NYC parks allow Drones to be flown

best for me to not have to tell them that if they confront me...That is why i,although i don't have to... I try to address everyone there in a welcoming friendly way ..asking with a gesture...OK i fly around you...i always get a friendly nod and often they come near to talk with me about flying...NO DOWNSIDE

Thanks All

Martin/NYC
 
People nowadays have been made so afraid of their privacy and who is spying on them where they’re coming from to spy on them paranoia is totally out of control.

They ARE being spied on as soon as they leave the house. How many places do you shop that have CCTV cameras, traffic cameras, ATMs, banks, etc. How many people have Ring doorbells or other cameras around their property. Once I leave my house I'm probably recorded dozens of times. If I want the layout of your property all I need do is load Google maps.

If they worried about spying my drone is the least of their problems. If I wanted to spy I wouldn't use my noisy drone with all its flashing lights. A dSLR with a telephoto lens would be a better choice.
 
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I love flying my drone and the incredible new creative perspectives it gives my photography, BUT, as an old life long mountain lover who treasures solitude and quiet, I'm firmly in support of having no drone zones such as the national parks. It would quite annoy me to be buzzed while enjoying a quiet sunrise on a remote peak where I expected peace and quiet to commune with nature.

So far I've avoided flying around many people up in the mountains, and try to ask those I encounter if my drone would bother them. I've been lucky to only meet people who were actually psyched to observe it and who wanted to know where I posted pics or vids so they could see them. If anyone says it would bother them I'd either wait for them to leave, or move to an area where they couldn't see or hear my drone.

Thanks for putting this out there.

I think by way of most of the other responses, many have not bothered to ask people why they are against them if they are at all and just assume all the push back is all privacy invasion and it is not. I sure as heck was annoyed by them when it was a complete free for all. Even though I use my Mavic for commercial purposes under a P107 Cert, I *still* use it with caution and consideration of others because out of any photographic tool I have used in my 30+ year career, this one is by far the most disruptive and potentially hazardous.

I am also very much encouraged by the notion that recreational users of drones will finally have to take a test as mandated by the FAA, this is long overdue and can't get here fast enough. I know I have benefitted greatly by every aspect of my Part 107 certification and review things like sectionals, airspace, METAR's and TAF's on a regular basis.
 
I am also very much encouraged by the notion that recreational users of drones will finally have to take a test as mandated by the FAA, this is long overdue and can't get here fast enough. I know I have benefitted greatly by every aspect of my Part 107 certification and review things like sectionals, airspace, METAR's and TAF's on a regular basis.

i understand the sentiment but we can't ignore history. i take no comfort in knowing that other drivers on the road have been forced to take a test to get a driver's license. true, because i understand the DL changes nothing and this government drone test will change nothing for the recreational pilot. i've been flying for months/years and i need to go back and pass a test to keep flying?

if anything it might inform pilots who just didn't know there were rules and now that they do, they might obey them. so yes i believe we will have a larger compliance but that doesn't necessarily translate into a better safety record.

my opinion is the actually drone safety record is quite stellar while the perceived drone safety record is quite deplorable. the careless and reckless flying is tremendous and the actual damage or injuries is miniscule. if the intent of the test is to get some of these rogue flyer under control and help the other drone pilots and their feelings, then yes, good job. (don't get me wrong, i understand it. if i sat there and witness someone flying over heads and blasting up to 600 feet with his back turned, i would be quite shocked myself).

if the intent of the test is to improve the safety record and cut down on the millions of dollars in property damage and the thousands and thousands of injuries and hospital visits and deaths caused by drones, that won't happen. "no those things aren't happening but what should we do, wait for them to happen then try to implement a test? the drone test will make sure we don't get there." ok, lol.

anyway, it is still my opinion that the drone test is just another method to stall and/or control the law-abiding recreational drone pilot. it will be used to issue citations, deny flights, confiscate equipment, and otherwise harass people who were never part of "the problem." flying drones was supposed to have a recreational component and a test (despite what congress says) interferes with that notion. what happens when that test one day becomes 10x harder and all drone flyers are ordered to re-cert on january 1st, 2021 or ground your plane? this is why you don't want a test in place from the get-go.
 
No doubt there are plenty of drone haters out there. What’s worse are the operators who don’t educate themselves, don’t consider rules and don’t consider safety are the ones making the hobby look bad. Don’t hate the drone, hate the ones ruining it for everyone else.
Spot-on sir, well said...be smart fly safe
 
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No doubt there are plenty of drone haters out there. What’s worse are the operators who don’t educate themselves, don’t consider rules and don’t consider safety are the ones making the hobby look bad. Don’t hate the drone, hate the ones ruining it for everyone else.

100% agree. At the risk of sounding like a broken record, @Decal Josh ' s sentiments cannot be repeated enough. I'm so sick of reading stupid content by those who simply don't have a clue as to how the real world works and why the airspace regulators do what they must do for the sake of everyone's safety.
 
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i understand the sentiment but we can't ignore history. i take no comfort in knowing that other drivers on the road have been forced to take a test to get a driver's license. true, because i understand the DL changes nothing and this government drone test will change nothing for the recreational pilot. i've been flying for months/years and i need to go back and pass a test to keep flying?

if anything it might inform pilots who just didn't know there were rules and now that they do, they might obey them. so yes i believe we will have a larger compliance but that doesn't necessarily translate into a better safety record.

my opinion is the actually drone safety record is quite stellar while the perceived drone safety record is quite deplorable. the careless and reckless flying is tremendous and the actual damage or injuries is miniscule. if the intent of the test is to get some of these rogue flyer under control and help the other drone pilots and their feelings, then yes, good job. (don't get me wrong, i understand it. if i sat there and witness someone flying over heads and blasting up to 600 feet with his back turned, i would be quite shocked myself).

if the intent of the test is to improve the safety record and cut down on the millions of dollars in property damage and the thousands and thousands of injuries and hospital visits and deaths caused by drones, that won't happen. "no those things aren't happening but what should we do, wait for them to happen then try to implement a test? the drone test will make sure we don't get there." ok, lol.

anyway, it is still my opinion that the drone test is just another method to stall and/or control the law-abiding recreational drone pilot. it will be used to issue citations, deny flights, confiscate equipment, and otherwise harass people who were never part of "the problem." flying drones was supposed to have a recreational component and a test (despite what congress says) interferes with that notion. what happens when that test one day becomes 10x harder and all drone flyers are ordered to re-cert on january 1st, 2021 or ground your plane? this is why you don't want a test in place from the get-go.

You don't care if drivers have passed a driving test? Do you care if they have been trained to drive, or do you think that driver training is pointless because even with training there are still vehicle accidents?
 
Once again i flew in my local NYC park...Packed with people of all shades/ages/Nationalities...90% of them playing soccer and the rest running or jogging around the track that takes up most of the area there...I was waiting,EXPECTING someone to break Balls...it did not happen ! A kid...7/8 years old on his bike approached me and was smiling broadly and asked me 10 questions in quick succession...he was Grinning and loving seeing me fly ..he asked another 10 questions..i tried my best to FLY and answer at the same time but brought it down to show him my EVO and to let him see it and touch it (i have an OLD Reliable Mavic pro but was flying the Evo)...I like to talk with people who enjoy what i am doing...i have found out recently that it is now ILLEGAL to fly in NYC parks...i had to wonderful pleasure of flying in the Adirondack mountains area of NY last week...HUGE never ending pristine forests and mountains and a huge cold + clear lake...i took many movies..nothing special..other than the Natural beauty which is so very special to ME living in wall to wall concrete world...What is the best way to post videos here ? each vid is 3 GB + in size...any suggestions ? THANKS ALL
 
Once again i flew in my local NYC park...Packed with people of all shades/ages/Nationalities...90% of them playing soccer and the rest running or jogging around the track that takes up most of the area there...I was waiting,EXPECTING someone to break Balls...it did not happen ! A kid...7/8 years old on his bike approached me and was smiling broadly and asked me 10 questions in quick succession...he was Grinning and loving seeing me fly ..he asked another 10 questions..i tried my best to FLY and answer at the same time but brought it down to show him my EVO and to let him see it and touch it (i have an OLD Reliable Mavic pro but was flying the Evo)...I like to talk with people who enjoy what i am doing...i have found out recently that it is now ILLEGAL to fly in NYC parks...i had to wonderful pleasure of flying in the Adirondack mountains area of NY last week...HUGE never ending pristine forests and mountains and a huge cold + clear lake...i took many movies..nothing special..other than the Natural beauty which is so very special to ME living in wall to wall concrete world...What is the best way to post videos here ? each vid is 3 GB + in size...any suggestions ? THANKS ALL
Post the vids to YouTube, copy the code generated by the site, then paste it into you post AS TEXT ( not as a link). A preview will appear in your post with the play button.
 
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I get a little frustrated by having very public places restrict drones. There is an area near me called Blowing Rocks where the beach has limestone formations. At high tide the waves sometimes hit with enough force to shoot water through holes and into the air, hence the name. I would love to fly offshore for video and still shots but the website specifically states, “Drones and photo/video shoots are not permitted in order to protect the privacy of visitors and their experience at our coastal preserve.”
I wonder just how much privacy is expected on a public beach?
 
I get a little frustrated by having very public places restrict drones. There is an area near me called Blowing Rocks where the beach has limestone formations. At high tide the waves sometimes hit with enough force to shoot water through holes and into the air, hence the name. I would love to fly offshore for video and still shots but the website specifically states, “Drones and photo/video shoots are not permitted in order to protect the privacy of visitors and their experience at our coastal preserve.”
I wonder just how much privacy is expected on a public beach?
Where are you located? Maybe put a location in your profile. Thx
 
Google Earth locates a Blowing Rocks Preserve with limestone formations in Florida. If that is the place then could this be another case of a local government overreaching its authority?
 
Where are you located? Maybe put a location in your profile. Thx

Limestone near the ocean? Probably in Florida. Like everyone knows, they can restrict the use of drones and cameras being carried onto their property and taking off and landing from there, but not the flyovers.

Edit: I wouldn't call it a overreach of government though, there are valid reasons for not allowing the use of drones in a lot of circumstances. Looking at Google about what Blowing Rocks is, as a Nature Conservancy reserve, there may be nesting bird issues for drones as well as a intention to make the reserve more of a wilderness experience for visitors.
 
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Google Earth locates a Blowing Rocks Preserve with limestone formations in Florida. If that is the place then could this be another case of a local government overreaching its authority?

Nature Conservancy is a private non-profit. They manage their reserves for preserving natural diversity and wildlife protection, and for their wilderness value. Public use is only allowed as a secondary objective if it does not conflict with the main purpose of the reserve.
 
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