Drones have the potential to force restrictions on public place photography

One of the scariest drone application videos I saw recently was using one to launch a tasar at a person. It was done under controlled circumstances with observers and a volunteer to get zapped but it was damned scary watching the way the drone circled the victim before firing the tasar. In the future of law enforcement drones will feature heavily I suspect. 🙁
 
Dear x-ray,

I was buzzed by a drone on the local State Gamelands a couple of weeks ago on a Sunday. I am not a hunter and Sunday hunting is not legal in PA so that makes it a nice day to walk in the woods to see what you can see, and photograph. Unless of course you get buzzed by a drone.

I realize that my experience doesn't represent a preponderance of evidence against drones but I simply think that some times some things need to be left alone regardless of what technology says is capable.

I know that may not necessarily be a popular view but I'll make no apologies for it.

Regards,

Tim Murphy
 
I'm just curious as to how many encounters. Personally other than the one I own I've only seen one in flight and it was being used to film a rowing competition.

At the moment I'm using my drone to photograph abandon industrial sites where one can not get access. It allows for perspectives I couldnt get any other way.
 
I have a different take on this. No matter the tool whether a camera I hand or a drone some people will abuse it. In my mind if you shoot child pornography that's using the camera in a wrong way. Shooting family photos , landscapes or about anything else is ok. I use my drone to shoot abandoned industrial sites and I certainly don't see this as improper use. You can use a drone to look in windows just as you can use a telephoto lens at a distance to look in windows. You can use a hammer to drive a nail or in the wrong hands it can cause harm. It comes down to the individual using the tool.

Do you ban hammers because a few abuse it or cameras because a few abuse their use?

The drone that I own has a GPS data base in it. It warns the pilot about violating federal restrictions and will not allow flight into restricted areas and above 400'. Of course if you're bent on ignoring the law you can switch off the gps guidance. You have to want to violate the law and take measures to do so.
 
Drones certainly bring on irrational emotion. Tim (not saying you are irrational) how close was this drone? They don't have much range or flight time. They are banned altogether on national forest land.

My local elk chase me in my own yard, and I just get out of the way. I would be more pissed if a drone was doing it, I admit. My neighbor was playing with his in the street, and my first urge was to lecture him. Then I came to my senses.

I think these drones trigger some fundamental territoriality in humans. They are like big mosquitos and need to be slapped 🙂
 
Peter Wijninga said:
I equal 'drones' with 'jet skis' both contraptions of great fun to the owner and of great inconvenience to all others. Ban them.
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Frankly, I couldn't agree more. As a sailboat owner/lake sailor, I can't tell you how many times I've had drunks on jet skis (and/or PWCs) come too close to my boat either trying to jump the wake or cut across the bow. Should one of those morons fall off while crossing my bow, they're gonna get keel-hauled, the length of the keel. One doesn't just 'stop' a sailboat under full sail.

Like drones, there's nothing inherently wrong with the gizmo... it's just that they're somehow just too attractive to many irresponsible users who have too much money and too little common sense.

photomoof said:
Interesting, I post a rather serious drone, and yet the fear is little plastic toy drones, from Best Buy and Radio Shack for the most part? People are funny.
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I think there are different rules for the kind of drone you posted... the rules for those are international rules, and if you can shoot it down, you get to keep it... unless it shoots you first. Fun and games all the way around.
 
uhoh7 said:
Drones certainly bring on irrational emotion. Tim (not saying you are irrational) how close was this drone? They don't have much range or flight time. They are banned altogether on national forest land.

My local elk chase me in my own yard, and I just get out of the way. I would be more pissed if a drone was doing it, I admit. My neighbor was playing with his in the street, and my first urge was to lecture him. Then I came to my senses.

I think these drones trigger some fundamental territoriality in humans. They are like big mosquitos and need to be slapped 🙂
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Dear uhoh,

It flew over my head at about the treeline while I was walking along a road that is gated and not intended for vehicular traffic. It was maybe 40 to 50 feet over my head at the time.

I know I might have sounded a little irrational but I am a firm believer that the land available for recreational use should be used as quietly and discreetly as possible. I don't like jet skis, or ATV's or any of that stuff. I prefer to be in the woods or along a lake or a stream and be as quiet as I can be. I do own an outboard boat but I rarely use the gasoline engine as I greatly prefer the stealth offered by the electric trolling motor.

I also know I'm weird and I don't expect most people to share my POV.

I actually live just off of the State Gamelands where I was buzzed. I was walking in the woods in hopes of coming across one of the bears that had been raiding my birdfeeders. I have them on a trail cam but I want a better image than the 2mpeg B&W shots the trail cam provides. The drone kind of ruined that for me.

Regards,

Tim Murphy
 
uhoh7 said:
Anyone stupid enough to shoot at a drone should go to jail. Where will the bullet fall?

Unlike the drone, it is sure to crash somewhere, and far more likely to cause serious injury if it hits somebody.
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Hey city boy ever heard of bird shot? I have a neighbor who lives behind me who shoot's his 9mm all the time. It don't bother us at all & the police can't do squat about it no way.
 
I agree that jet skis are annoying but I just stay away from where they are. I even more dislike loud motorcycles and cars. Seems like Harley riders have to be the loudest thing on the road. They're in competition with the rednecks driving noisy smoking Junkers. While we're at it I really dislike barking dogs and screaming kids.

Perhaps the solution is to ban motorcycles, rednecks, barking dogs and especially screaming kids which are all too common in my area. If we can't ban them then why not shoot them because they annoy me. Let's also throw in street photographers that annoy their victims.

I don't know where you are but its my understanding drones are banned in national parks but not national forests. I could be wrong about the forests but last reading of the regulations only named parks.

I'm afraid all of us that pay our taxes are entitled to use public lands any way we like as long as we comply with the regulations. You might find it helpful to read the regulations. In no way am I defending inappropriate use of drones.
 
photomoof said:
Really?
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Yea really. You live in New York where guns are illegal. Your comments don't count for nothing. If some idiot flies a drone on my property & it's lower than my trees it will come down.

Fellow shot one down in Kentucky with a 12 guage & a judge dismissed the case. Another fellow in New Jersey shot down a drone & got arrested. Go figure.
 
Keith said:
One of the scariest drone application videos I saw recently was using one to launch a tasar at a person. It was done under controlled circumstances with observers and a volunteer to get zapped but it was damned scary watching the way the drone circled the victim before firing the tasar. In the future of law enforcement drones will feature heavily I suspect. 🙁
Click to expand...

Why the frowning face about that prospect? Is that not potentially a very good application for drones? Much better that a drone gets shot at or assaulted than law enforcement officers I would have thought.
 
gb hill said:
Yea really. You live in New York where guns are illegal. Your comments don't count for nothing. If some idiot flies a drone on my property & it's lower than my trees it will come down.

Fellow shot one down in Kentucky with a 12 guage & a judge dismissed the case. Another fellow in New Jersey shot down a drone & got arrested. Go figure.
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Have you had an encounter with a drone?if you have let us know the details. There's a lot of emotion here and I'm curious where it comes from.
 
photomoof said:
Interesting, I post a rather serious drone, and yet the fear is little plastic toy drones, from Best Buy and Radio Shack for the most part? People are funny.
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Really, it's not fear but harassment. In all seriousness if any of my neighborhood kids get a drone for Christmas I won't bother them. I'll probably go out to check it out. I just like stirring the pot because many of you guy's seem to hate guns. 😀
 
x-ray said:
Have you had an encounter with a drone?if you have let us know the details. There's a lot of emotion here and I'm curious where it comes from.
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I've seen a few flying them at the park but all the pilot's I have seen are responsible. Not far from here in Winston Salem NC is an RC Park. Many fly them there.
 
johnny scarecrow said:
Why the frowning face about that prospect? Is that not potentially a very good application for drones? Much better that a drone gets shot at or assaulted than law enforcement officers I would have thought.
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I see a lot of excellent uses like this. I had a client that made robots for military and police. They're equipped with 12 gauge shotguns an other at wdapons. I'd much rather see a robot go into a dangerous situation than a person.

I recent read where drones were used in Arizone to look for flood victims. More area can be covered in a short time without endangering lives and at a much cheaper cost.

Looking at what Anazon is thinking of doing I don't think this is likely. Drones won't fly in rain, snow and sleet. Winds are a big issue as well and trees, power lines and obstacles are a serious issue. In any case ow would a drone deliver to your front porch. Seems a bit dangerous to me. Drones are subject to the same issues as regular aircraft. If it's instrument conditions for an aircraft it's IFR conditions for a drone. Prop icing or wind will equally affect both conventional aircraft and drones.

Just imagine the size of a drone capable of delivering a 50 pound parcel. I just do t see this happening.
 
gb hill said:
Really, it's not fear but harassment. In all seriousness if any of my neighborhood kids get a drone for Christmas I won't bother them. I'll probably go out to check it out. I just like stirring the pot because many of you guy's seem to hate guns. 😀
Click to expand...

I've shot guns since I was 5 years old when my dad would take me to the range and let me pull the trigger on his 30-06 on a bench. That's probably why I cant hear well in my right ear but Ive enjoyed sport shooting in competition much of my adult life. I'm also a drone owner and aircraft pilot for over 20 years. I know the regulations and RESPECT others and seriously dislike those that abuse their privledge.

I just read the suggested regulations on drones. They're nothing more than a means of registration and putting your registration number on your drone. I believe it was suggested that your Info be written in the battery compartment. Pretty land if you ask me. I don't think most owners will bother to register their aircraft. Who's going to check anyway.

I think the gps database is the best solution plus a transponder chip in the aircraft. If you don't know about transponders most aircraft have a radio that you can set a code into that identifies your aircraft on ATC radar. A transponder chip could be programmed to send out a unique identifier number every time the ATC radar sweeps and pings the transponder. Altitude and directional data can easy be embedded in the ID info. This information also can and is used for anti collision systems in aircraft. When you buy your drone the commercial seller like B&H would send that unique identifier number to the FAA registry along with your name and information. This information would have to be updated annually otherwise your drone would be deactivated. You would re activate it with a code provided when you do your annual re registration. It's fairly simple but it still wonk keep some people from doing the wrong thing.
 
johnny scarecrow said:
Why the frowning face about that prospect? Is that not potentially a very good application for drones? Much better that a drone gets shot at or assaulted than law enforcement officers I would have thought.
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Well pardon me for showing my distaste at the human interface being constantly replaced by machines.
 
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