Any one seen a drone?
- Thread starter Steppenwolfe
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mikehaugen
Elite Member
Okay, you may not want to shoot one that looks like the bald eagle :laughing: as the penalty would probably be worse.
"Sorry your honor, I though it was a bald eagle!" Probably wouldn't fly in court. (No pun intended)
Egon
Epic Contributor
Some portions of the Canadian/US border have regular Drone Patrol.
Krapie
New member
Please shoot it down! The courts have yet to establish fines / jail time for shooting a drone, which is against the law, waiting on that first one.
Ever think of the positive things that drone may be doing? Maybe the target is a construction site where the data is used to monitor cut/fill of dirt to ensure the contractor moving the dirt is appropriately paid.
Or gathering imagery of a busy road to be used for a road improvement project all the while keeping survey crew members off the road and out of harms way. Some of you have a habit of swerving at surveyors and their equipment.
Or the search and rescue mission trying to find the child who is lost in the woods. Monitoring crews while they work on wildfires.
Like all airplanes, they do not turn on a dime so the flight over your place might not be what the mission is for, rather that is where they turnaround or flight path getting from launch area to the actual site. Accuracy, from traditional aircraft at 4,800 feet, an object larger than 6 inches is identifiable. From the minimum FAA altitude for a drone, 200 feet, items 1/2 inch are identifiable. One of the first flights we did was a federal government construction site. An Individual was at back of his truck getting something out of his cooler. Both Soda and beer cans were identified! Fortunately for him, the volume of rock was the purpose of the flight.
Ever think of the positive things that drone may be doing? Maybe the target is a construction site where the data is used to monitor cut/fill of dirt to ensure the contractor moving the dirt is appropriately paid.
Or gathering imagery of a busy road to be used for a road improvement project all the while keeping survey crew members off the road and out of harms way. Some of you have a habit of swerving at surveyors and their equipment.
Or the search and rescue mission trying to find the child who is lost in the woods. Monitoring crews while they work on wildfires.
Like all airplanes, they do not turn on a dime so the flight over your place might not be what the mission is for, rather that is where they turnaround or flight path getting from launch area to the actual site. Accuracy, from traditional aircraft at 4,800 feet, an object larger than 6 inches is identifiable. From the minimum FAA altitude for a drone, 200 feet, items 1/2 inch are identifiable. One of the first flights we did was a federal government construction site. An Individual was at back of his truck getting something out of his cooler. Both Soda and beer cans were identified! Fortunately for him, the volume of rock was the purpose of the flight.
Baby Grand
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See if you can get some of the crew at VMI to send their own drone over to "play".
I bet they'd jump at the chance to turn the VPI/VMI rivalry into a good ol' dogfight.
I bet they'd jump at the chance to turn the VPI/VMI rivalry into a good ol' dogfight.
buickanddeere
Super Member
I see all kinds of mindless drones in government offices and agencies. They trade their conscience and common sense for their personal security.
dave1949
Super Star Member
They do escape criminal penalties sometimes, I don't know how well they make out on the civil side of things.
I just think it's funny that some people are going to run out and shoot at something that's not theirs, and not in a space they have a legal claim or rights to. That's one of the problems with gun nuts, they think everything can be solved with a gun, and want to use their gun to claim imaginary rights. It's like the old saying, "If the only tool you have is a hammer, every problem looks like a nail." I can only assume they don't have many tools in their boxes.
It has never been considered a violation of privacy to observe someone's property or person from a public way or road. If we don't want people to see things, we put up fences, close drapes, whatever. Airspace is public, technology has reached an ability and price point to make it more accessible. A fence cannot be used to shield us from the sky above.
Ever notice how much more you can see when riding in a tall vehicle compared to a passenger car? If you have a 6' privacy fence, is it okay to shoot anything passing by that is over 6' tall?
Bottom line, we have always created our own privacy with fences, walls, plantings and distance. We can create our own privacy from above too but it will be expensive and we don't expect that we should have to do that, or bear the expense.
I had an odd experience with small private helicopter hovering just above the trees about 150' away from our house about five years ago. For whatever reason, this person was flying low along the road and stopping to look at things, violating all sorts of FAA rules in the process. Our house looks a bit unusual because it is a bermed passive solar design. I can understand the curiosity but not the idiocy that went with it.
I went outside and waved them off, followed by a call to the sheriff. Turns out mine was not the only call, they knew who it was and assured me they would be getting a good lecture. In that situation, the FAA could suspend the pilot's license so they had a lot to lose. I have never seen that helicopter around here since.
Now suppose I had run out and shot at it. Actually, I think I could have brought it down as close as it was and stationary. The story would have a much different ending--to accomplish what?
2LaneCruzer
Super Member
I would suggest that before you start shooting at drones or any aircraft for that matter, you check your bank balance, 401's and the accommodations at the local jail and nearest federal federal institution...not to mention the yellow pages under "lawyer referral".
I think the generalization about "gun nuts" is a bit over the top; it certainly doesn't fit any of the "gun nuts" that I know; in fact, all of the gun owners I know are extraordinarily responsible, not only with their firearms but in their personal lives.
I think the generalization about "gun nuts" is a bit over the top; it certainly doesn't fit any of the "gun nuts" that I know; in fact, all of the gun owners I know are extraordinarily responsible, not only with their firearms but in their personal lives.
EddieWalker
Epic Contributor
I've read where they have hunting season for Drones in CO, but I don't know if it's true or not. My thought is that even if it's not illegal to shoot one down, I'm sure they could sue you for the cost of replacing it or the damages caused and time paid to everyone involved. Neither are very appealing to me, and I bet nobody else wants to deal with it either. What does it cost to hire a lawyer to defend yourself?
Eddie
Eddie
dmccarty
Super Star Member
Drones and privacy are going to be interesting. The current law allows aircraft to fly over your house to view and/or photograph without limit. For the vast majority of people this is a who cares because who is going to spend the money it takes to fly over MY house to take photos of my back yard? Nobody but the government and they do that with aerial photography for tax purposes anyway.
Cheap, small private drones are going to be interesting since it allows neighbors to spy on neighbors.
If you shoot a drone the penalties are already on the books, Destruction/damage of property, maybe firearms violations depending on location, etc. You surely would not want to shoot a Federal drone.
Never seen a drone but we have plenty of Apaches, Black Hawks, and civilian copters flying of the the house at very low levels. A few years ago, well maybe more than a few, and Apache was flying down one of the local rivers at night and hit a power line and the crew did not survive. I have seen the National Guard copters out looking for, and finding, pot fields.
Later,
Dan
Cheap, small private drones are going to be interesting since it allows neighbors to spy on neighbors.
If you shoot a drone the penalties are already on the books, Destruction/damage of property, maybe firearms violations depending on location, etc. You surely would not want to shoot a Federal drone.
Never seen a drone but we have plenty of Apaches, Black Hawks, and civilian copters flying of the the house at very low levels. A few years ago, well maybe more than a few,
and Apache was flying down one of the local rivers at night and hit a power line and the crew did not survive. I have seen the National Guard copters out looking for, and finding, pot fields. Later,
Dan
