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Whats the best way to handle negative encounters?

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"Law enforcement" = Federal law enforcement
"Law enforcement" ≠ State and local law enforcement


WOW! Man you have taken this to a whole new level of "arguing for the sake of arguing".

Law Enforcement is pretty much "all encompassing". If the law was meant to be "only Federal LE" it would state as such. That is not the case and the FAA is well know and documented to include local & state LE in their investigation processes. The FAA even has a specific group for the purpose of working with LE.

Come on man, let's stick to facts and quit muddying the waters just for the sport of it.
 
Your question is multi-layered.
My first question is - are you flying the drone legally? Are you just zooming around near people or close to buildings?
You're much more likely to attract negative attention in those cases and an appropriate response would be to apologize, land and move on. Although I've see a lot of droners get all up in it defending their right to do anything they want which just ruins it for the rest of us.
Looking professional really helps. I used to fly an Air 2S and a Mavic 3 but realized that I had to get too close to things so I moved up to a Matrice 30 which has a great optical zoom that keeps me far away from my subjects.
People do come up to me, mostly out of interest, but I'm usually doing something they can understand - surveying damage from recent storms, documenting flooding from recent biblical rains, mapping and photographing for a local conservation area and building progression in new subdivisions or real estate.
I have had some guys walk by and mutter under their breath about wishing they had a shotgun - I ignore them.
A measured response helps - like the way you dealt with the gentleman at the train station. But some people are irrational, and like my old boss used to say, "you can't save everybody."
If people are certain I'm doing something illegal, I invite them to see my qualifications, and/or permission to fly in certain areas and if that doesn't work, and I need to be there (to finish a mapping mission for example) I'd welcome them to call the police, or I would call if they get strident or bullying or dangerous.
We have to be aware that there's a lot of negative publicity from the occasional drone-fool and some people generalize all drone pilots as someone who must be doing something illegal no matter where they are flying.
De-escalation is important if a Karen has got in your face - but again, not all people can be reasoned with - act accordingly.
The odds of any of this happening in my area where I fly are 0.So I guess it depends on where you live and fly.
 
If people are certain I'm doing something illegal, I invite them to see my qualifications, and/or permission to fly in certain areas and if that doesn't work, and I need to be there (to finish a mapping mission for example) I'd welcome them to call the police, or I would call if they get strident or bullying or dangerous.
We have to be aware that there's a lot of negative publicity from the occasional drone-fool and some people generalize all drone pilots as someone who must be doing something illegal no matter where they are flying.
De-escalation is important if a Karen has got in your face - but again, not all people can be reasoned with - act accordingly.
Luckily I will be flying for fun so I can easily pick up and move. Tell them you’re just like the drone pilots giving then cool images of their NASCAR races.

I have about .75 acre of property in the middle of Phoenix that is all pretty much natural hilly desert and we are surrounded by more such desert between us and our neighbors. We have a very large open area on our property where my wife and I will learn to fly. I’m contemplating a proactive anti-drone resistance approach with my neighbors by letting them know I have a drone, license, registration, have a copy of laws to show them if they are interested. Let them know I will be flying my drone around my property and desert areas.
Thoughts, warnings, suggestions?
 
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Luckily I will be flying for fun so I can easily pick up and move. Tell them you’re just like the drone pilots giving then cool images of their NASCAR races.

I have about .75 acre of property in the middle of Phoenix that is all pretty much natural hilly desert and we are surrounded by more such desert between us and our neighbors. We have a very large open area on our property where my wife and I will learn to fly. I’m contemplating a proactive anti-drone resistance approach with my neighbors by letting them know I have a drone, license, registration, have a copy of laws to show them if they are interested. Let them know I will be flying my drone around my property and desert areas.
Thoughts, warnings, suggestions?
My neighbor sent me a text about my “toy” seeing into his yard and hoping it wasn’t going to be a regular occurrence. I politely responded that I was flying my drone to practice finding things in the desert (I’m a Civil Air Patrol emergency services member) and was not surveilling his house and have no intention of doing so. I told that when he sees me flying, be assured his privacy is intact. Radio silence. He seemed to be spoiling for a fight but would have looked like an *** for challenging me, given my mission of saving people’s bacon.
 
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Luckily I will be flying for fun so I can easily pick up and move. Tell them you’re just like the drone pilots giving then cool images of their NASCAR races.

I have about .75 acre of property in the middle of Phoenix that is all pretty much natural hilly desert and we are surrounded by more such desert between us and our neighbors. We have a very large open area on our property where my wife and I will learn to fly. I’m contemplating a proactive anti-drone resistance approach with my neighbors by letting them know I have a drone, license, registration, have a copy of laws to show them if they are interested. Let them know I will be flying my drone around my property and desert areas.
Thoughts, warnings, suggestions?
Yes - my neighbors know I have drones and I have flown inspections of their roofs after damaging windstorms or when they have interesting things going on in their yards like construction and they'd like me to take some photos from the air.
I've also let them fly the drones with me so that's really helped to cool any issues with my immediate neighbors. It's the strangers I might encounter in the field that can sometimes be psycho.
That said, when I take off from my property - I fly up at least 200-300' and transit quickly over the neighborhood so as not to disturb my neighbors.
 
so I have rto ask you say your near down town Phoenix ,So I would guess your less them 5 miles from Sky Harbor, so you would have to file for a wavier to fly there am I correct.
 
so I have rto ask you say your near down town Phoenix ,So I would guess your less them 5 miles from Sky Harbor, so you would have to file for a wavier to fly there am I correct.
I believe I said middle of Phoenix and actually a little towards north Phoenix. I am in uncontrolled air space per AirHub Portal and Air Control but there are restrictions on the preserves around us. It will be a good place to learn to fly.
 
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If I was repeatedly flying over someone's property without very good reason and it upset the owner i would stop if requested.

If I was flying in an open space where i was not being a nuisance and legally allowed to fly i would stand my ground.
 
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