Are Drones the new Jetskis?

[Momac]

As for identifying the operator, that's the guy holding the controls

I would never have guessed

A drone flew over our house the other day then zoomed off over neighbours back gardens. The operator may have been, probably was, in one of those gardens but not visible.

 

[Baggywrinkle]

I would never have guessed

A drone flew over our house the other day then zoomed off over neighbours back gardens. The operator may have been, probably was, in one of those gardens but not visible.

Hmm... flying drones over residential areas is a bit anti-social IMO - especially without talking to your neighbours first - I can understand you getting annoyed. I try to avoid residential areas wherever possible - they don't make for good photos or videos anyway so it's pointless flying over them.

As with everything, it's the irresponsible users who give everyone a bad rep, but a drone does give you a different perspective on the world and makes your holiday pics a bit more interesting.

 

[mjcoon]

Hmm... flying drones over residential areas is a bit anti-social IMO - especially without talking to your neighbours first - I can understand you getting annoyed. I try to avoid residential areas wherever possible - they don't make for good photos or videos anyway so it's pointless flying over them.

I thought there were drone owners who offered to take footage of your property for money...

 

[Baggywrinkle]

To anyone thinking it might be fun or justified to try and bring down a drone - please don't mess with flying drones - they can cause quite serious injuries if they get out of control and crash into people or vehicles ....

In this case the pilot hit a tree, but similar results can be created by a disgruntled neighbour with an air-rifle ...

Toddler is left blind in one eye after drone propeller sliced his eyeball in half

• Oscar Webb has been left with life-changing injuries by the accident
• Gadget was being flown by family friend who is an experienced drone flyer
• The drone clipped a tree in the garden and span wildly out of control
• Oscar will need further surgery before a prosthetic eye can be fitted

Toddler, 18 months, left blind in one eye by drone propeller

 

[jordanbasset]

I think the problem is that some drone operators let the majority down. I remember we were anchored in Assos (on Cephalonia) when we noticed a boat with a group of middle aged men operating a drone. It was very clear they were using it to ogle/spy on a couple of girls, (not more than teenagers really), who were wearing bikinis and generally just having fun in the water and on a yacht. Made myself and my wife feel very uncomfortable.
The other issue is that even when they were not doing that was the noise, you go to an anchorage for some peace and quiet and you have an annoying buzzing type noise

 

[lustyd]

What is the law if a cheap toy drone "accidentally "crashes into one being a pest.

If it's a toy then by definition it won't injure someone. Anything with a camera needs a license and qualification regardless of weight. I've never seen something without a camera that had the range or materials to cause harm, excluding mental harm to very sensitive Internet trolls

 

[dancrane]

To anyone thinking it might be fun or justified to try and bring down a drone - please don't mess with flying drones - they can cause quite serious injuries if they get out of control and crash into people or vehicles

This is not a tale of injuries caused by a drone that was intentionally downed. You're associating that kid's injuries with people who'd like to see misused drones knocked out of the sky, even though that case was plainly the pilot's fault.

Or, were you saying drones should be kept away from people? We agree.

 

[JumbleDuck]

I think what we are learning here is that people who behave antisocially with their toys[1] deeply dislike being told this and get outraged at the suggestion of direct action against them. It's a sort of social Dunning-Kruger effect (the most anti-social don't accept social responses) and in this respect, yes, drones and jet skis have a lot in common.

[1] actually it's a highly sophisticated inter-locking brick system

 

[Baggywrinkle]

This is not a tale of injuries caused by a drone that was intentionally downed. You're associating that kid's injuries with people who'd like to see misused drones knocked out of the sky, even though that case was plainly the pilot's fault.

Or, are you saying drones should be kept away from people? We agree.

The point is that a damaged, out-of-control drone can cause serious injury - whether the incident is caused by pilot error (flying it into a tree) or third party interference is immaterial - once the drone is no longer fully controllable the outcome is random - it might drop out of the sky and harm no-one, or it might fly into people before it is grounded (like the toddler who lost an eye) - Why would anyone deliberately cause a piece of flying machinery to randomly crash where there is risk to people and property?

If you intentionally damage a drone in flight, then you are responsible for the consequences - and rightly so. If you're lucky it's just an angry drone pilot chasing you for criminal damage, if you're unlucky, it's the authorities chasing you for something far worse.

You can’t shoot down a drone, even if it is flying over your house or land, not even if you are really unhappy with it being there.

There are a number of reasons for this. If you fire a gun at a drone, even over your property, there is a chance that you might miss and hit something or someone that you didn’t intend to. If you hit your target, there is a chance that the drone might just drop from the sky and hit something or someone that you didn’t intend it to. Both of these possibilities carry particularly disastrous consequences and somewhat pale beside the legal fact that you could be charged with endangering an aircraft (the same as if you shot at an aeroplane) and face a prison sentence.

Shooting Down a Drone Flying Over My UK Property Is It Legal?

 

[dancrane]

Ah, I was thinking you just couldn't find a tabloid headline about a shot-down drone that had actually hurt someone.

Although it's hard to believe...they make up nonsense about everything else.

 

[dancrane]

Dunning-Kruger effect: (the anti-social don't accept social responses) and in this respect, drones and jet skis have a lot in common.

 

[lustyd]

people who behave antisocially with their toys

Indeed, it's not really different to the person drying out their spinnaker at the marina with excessive noise and rope and metal flapping about on the pontoon! Unfortunately there are too many people in the world, so we all either have to do nothing and sit quitely watching TV, or adopy a live and let live attitude and accept that sometimes we'll be disturbed for 20-30 minutes by someone else. Suggesting reduction of the number of people is traditionally frowned upon, so no other real options sadly. You can't even find somewhere quiet, as others will spot it and follow you.

 

[JumbleDuck]

If you're lucky it's just an angry drone pilot chasing you for criminal damage

If it was criminal damage it would be the police chasing you. If the drone "pilot" has to do ii themselves it's a civil matter.

 

[JumbleDuck]

... so we all either have to do nothing and sit quitely watching TV, or adopy a live and let live attitude and accept that sometimes we'll be disturbed for 20-30 minutes by someone else.

Indeed, though when someone admits that he regularly gets complaints about his hobby one does wonder whether he is pushing other people's tolerance to an unreasonable degree.

Anyway, shooting drones down seems a very difficult way of doing it. Time for someone to sell cheap drone-killer drones ...

 

[dancrane]

No point starting an arms race, just limit the right of use to professional purposes requiring such laborious, thorough and costly training that the amateur would have to be a loony to pay for it...and if he was a loony, he wouldn't be allowed one.

Failing that, I bet one could make a barrage-screen with helium party-balloons and dental floss.

 

[Baggywrinkle]

If it was criminal damage it would be the police chasing you. If the drone "pilot" has to do ii themselves it's a civil matter.

Quite, the drone pilot would inform the police and they would ultimately decide if it merited prosecution - but the pilot would need to report the crime to initiate the process.

Indeed, though when someone admits that he regularly gets complaints about his hobby one does wonder whether he is pushing other people's tolerance to an unreasonable degree.

Anyway, shooting drones down seems a very difficult way of doing it. Time for someone to sell cheap drone-killer drones ...

I do get complaints, as do most drone pilots who use their drones in public - but I get far more interested people wanting to know about the drone and what it can do. Problems are usually resolved without any issues and mostly fall into 3 categories ...

1. People who think the drone has some super zoom camera on it and is spying on them - showing them the type of photography you are doing and the live drone footage usually calms these people down.
2. People who don't like the noise - explaining what you are doing, why you are flying, and telling them you`ll be finished in about 10 mins usually works.
3. People who think the drone is dangerous and might crash into them - explaining how it works and a quick demo of how it self-stabilises and doesn't drift usually passifies this group.

... and finally there are the people who really don't give a shit and think they can prevent others from doing anything they disapprove of, regardless of the legality - this group are best politely ignored/avoided as there is no reasoning with them.

If people are unhappy with seeing or hearing a drone in the air, then they should politely talk to the pilot - most responsible pilots will compromise and battery life means it won't be up there for long anyway.

 

[dancrane]

A drone flew over our house the other day then zoomed off over neighbours back gardens. The operator may have been in one of those gardens but not visible.

...we noticed a boat with a group of middle aged men operating a drone to ogle/spy on a couple of girls. The other issue was the noise, you go to an anchorage for some peace and quiet and you have an annoying buzzing type noise.

...people who really don't give a shit...

Delicately put. Hopefully you regard drone-rule-breakers as offenders, more than the people they offend?
.

 

[Baggywrinkle]

Delicately put. Hopefully you regard drone-rule-breakers as offenders, more than the people they offend?
.

Drone rule-breakers are indeed offenders, and that includes deliberate invasion of privacy, flying irresponsibly - too high, too low, too fast for the conditions - I'm a drone pilot and would have a word with any other drone pilot who was behaving irresponsibly.

... but just flying a drone in a public place, following the rules and where there are no flight restrictions in place is no reason to destroy someone else's property, endanger other members of the public, or verbally/physically abuse the pilot.

 

[sgr143]

Randall Munroe tells you how:
How Serena Williams Destroyed A Drone With A Tennis Ball

 

[Caraway]

If it's a toy then by definition it won't injure someone. Anything with a camera needs a license and qualification regardless of weight. I've never seen something without a camera that had the range or materials to cause harm, excluding mental harm to very sensitive Internet trolls

You do talk some absolute drivel.