Another day on the job. (Drone Ethics)

[6]

The power company guys are hiding out in my parking lot. They where inspecting the power lines with a drone.

One of my neighbors shot it down. I told them"welcome to the neighborhood."

The state police are on the way here. Power guys said it's a felony. They don't find it as amusing as i do.

I asked how high the drown needs to be before I can shoot it out the air? If it's hovering outside my window? at my door? Over my sunbathing wife? Following my kid?

It's a strange grey area I guess... But I find it pretty fucking funny. Also love drones.

Another day on the job.

[cjb762]

Yeah, the current US Code prohibits destruction of an aircraft, with a maximum punishment of 20 years in prison. Drones fall within the definition of "aircraft". That definition probably needs to be re-written - right now it is just "(1) Aircraft .— The term “aircraft” means a civil, military, or public contrivance invented, used, or designed to navigate, fly, or travel in the air". That seems a little too broad.

If I understand correctly, the law isn't grey - it doesn't matter where the drone is flying - it's a violation of the statute to shoot it down. Again, that seems too broad. I also like drones, but I don't think any punter who can work a joystick should be able to fly their drone anywhere they want, especially over people's private property.

That said - I think the power company guys had a legitimate reason, but you are totally right - it is pretty fucking funny!

[6]

Welp. Guess what. They found it. And guess what, the incident is on video. Funny thing about drones, really just little flying HD cameras....

The gentleman who shot it out of the sky acted as if he was the one with the complaint to file when the cops showed up.

Cops Listened to his gripe and all the reasons that he was allowed to shoot the drone as well as why the operators where violating his rights (he knows his rights) and should be dealt with... then they asked him to turn around and place his hands behind his back.

He is definitely in jail now on felony charges....

But they got the drone back.

IMG_20210908_150444_973.jpg IMG_20210908_150444_941.jpg IMG_20210908_150445_010.jpg Kinda wish they had NOT put him in the back of the cruiser and brought him to MY farm to finish dealing with the power company guys and wrap up the paperwork. Definitely looks like I was a part of him getting arrested (definitely wasn't, not a fan of the police... (But not in a antifa kinda way more in a circle A kinda way.)) and we have to live next to him...

I'll be parking the cars inside for a bit.

[6]

.

If I understand correctly, the law isn't grey - it doesn't matter where the drone is flying - it's a violation of the statute to shoot it down.

You are 100 percent accurate there sir.


And ya, pretty fucking funny still.

[sfdownhill]

What if a drone gets low enough to be snared in a net...or runs into fishing line strung between trees? Those are probably two different scenarios: one where a net is launched toward and brings down an aircraft, and the other where the aircraft flies into a stationary object. The NTSB must be pulling their hair out.

[6]

What if a drone gets low enough to be snared in a net...or runs into fishing line strung between trees? Those are probably two different scenarios: one where a net is launched toward and brings down an aircraft, and the other where the aircraft flies into a stationary object. The NTSB must be pulling their hair out.

I am not a lawyer nor do I pretend that even they know much about these grey areas.... But

I would imagine as long as you stay under the 400' or whatever height you need to keep away from for aircraft you can net or string in your yard all you want.

[6]

The gentleman is still not home. I would imagine they hit him with a pretty stiff bail.

[drvmax]

If he gets a good attorney (no such thing), or at least one that plays the game well, he can get the law rewritten by jury trial. A good compromise would be that commercial drone operators need to provide notice to land owners before operating over their air space. Private drones should be open season because people are dumb and harass their neighbors.

Looks like he got it with bird shot which means they were pretty low and could've been seen as a threat. The guy should've said he feared that someone was casing his place for a robbery or some such. Now, he's just a pissed off guy who hates drones.

Funny thing about the law is that it really doesn't matter what it says when you go to court. Anyone ever heard of that dude and the glove?

[6]

If he gets a good attorney (no such thing), or at least one that plays the game well, he can get the law rewritten by jury trial. A good compromise would be that commercial drone operators need to provide notice to land owners before operating over their air space. Private drones should be open season because people are dumb and harass their neighbors.

Looks like he got it with bird shot which means they were pretty low and could've been seen as a threat. The guy should've said he feared that someone was casing his place for a robbery or some such. Now, he's just a pissed off guy who hates drones.

Funny thing about the law is that it really doesn't matter what it says when you go to court. Anyone ever heard of that dude and the glove?

So the power company did call the whole neighborhood to let them know they would be out checking lines with drones. They coverd that base (thougt i guess it's easy enough to say someone else took the call and didn't tell you).

Im pretty sure that even if he fully belived someone was casing his house for a robbery he still cant shoot it. He should have called the police and reported it, they would have came within a few days (maybe) and done nothing when they did and that is how you legally deal with that situation i believe.

As for the commercial vs civilian use of drones, i am already pretty uncomfortable with the rights that large corporations are afforded that don't apply to the individual. Those fucks should be tethered to the same laws as i am.

Did i ever show you what i found out in the woods behind the farm? Pretty sure i did. Well, if you remember what was out there, i am 99% sure that the gentleman responsible for that was also the gentleman who took out the drone. . . . He is a nutcase, but not a man who half asses things.

May add another layer on it for ya.

And yes sir, a good lawyer solves most things. But a good lawyer is hard to find and EXPENSIVE. Also, the power company probaly also has VERY good lawyers and they DO NOT want the case to start moving in the direction of people not being afraid to take out their drones. I would imagine the lawyers from the power co and the DA are going to be working hand in hand on this one.

[cjb762]

Did i ever show you what i found out in the woods behind the farm? Pretty sure i did. Well, if you remember what was out there, i am 99% sure that the gentleman responsible for that was also the gentleman who took out the drone. . . . He is a nutcase, but not a man who half asses things.

Well damn it... now I want to know what you found in the woods!

[6]

Well damn it... now I want to know what you found in the woods!

Probably safe to say at this point because it's mostly gone now.. all that's left is remnants of some buckets and a pond.

but
In the woods, ON OUR PROPERTY someone dug a fucking pond!! They then diverted a stream to the pond. Set up irrigation channels out of the pond, that irrigation went to HUNDREDS of camouflage painted 5 gallon buckets.

The buckets had steel netting over the tops to protect from deer and where scattered in a way that it would not make any discernible pattern if seen from above. They where placed mostly in spots that where sunny but somewhat protected from above by some overhang and/or had other growth around it.

Probably used 2 to 3 acre of our 40 ish acre woods.

I'm guessing you can guess what that was for. It wasn't tomatoes.

It was very well done. I was impressed when I found it. I found it after harvest before replant and I just cleaned it up.

Especially smart to do it on property that you don't own that no one uses.. I only found it because we where carving in trails for recreation.

It wasn't hard to figure out who did it. We where warned not to go out there. The guy with the job before me never bothered to go to the state and actually view our property line... So he just listened and stayed away from OUR WOODS.

The gentleman who warned us is the same who took out the drone.

Not hard to put 2+2+2 and get to 6.

[bones]

The power company has easement rights for their lines and equipment.
My guess is their drone would fall under those easement rights and they had a perfectly legal right to fly their drone over his property.

[6]

The power company has easement rights for their lines and equipment.
My guess is their drone would fall under those easement rights and they had a perfectly legal right to fly their drone over his property.

Doesnt matter if they had an easement or not. You dont own the air above your property. That is public air. Anyone can fly there.

[bones]

Doesnt matter if they had an easement or not. You dont own the air above your property. That is public air. Anyone can fly there.

Only above a certain height.
You cannot fly your drone 5ft above your neighbor's property.

[drvmax]

Well, then he was probably worried that they were looking at his new setup. Didn't think about them actually filming him shooting it down.

Drones can be useful tools to inspect things that would be dangerous or hard to observe otherwise, but beyond that they have no real purpose in my opinion.

I will shoot down any drone near my house that I have no idea why it is there. If it's too high for me to hit, then I might leave it alone. At the least, I will try to figure out who the operator is.

There's more than one way to disable a drone. Since they operate on known control frequencies, a smart person could create a jammer that would be hard to detect.

I don't remember you showing me that setup. You may have told me about it though.

BTW, we are heading out for good Monday or Tuesday. Not sure when I'll be back in the area. Maybe we will have to come back when the house sells.