I was sitting on my deck this evening eating dinner and a drone flew across the lake and hovered above my deck. It made my dog very nervous and I thought it an invasion of privacy. I don't believe it was anything nefarious but just some fool with an expensive toy. I live in a city so a shotgun was not an option. Anyone else ever experienced this?

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John. SWCA #1586

Get your own drone and engage in an old-fashioned dogfight.

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A gun has no brain.. use yours

Yes I have. I got my slingshot with 3/8 ball bearing shot. Missed the first two times and was amazed that it was still there. Third shot hit it but didn't knock it out of the air. But I know I damaged it because of a few small plastic pieces on the ground. Hasn't been back since.

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Life Is A Gift. Defend it!

Good idea.

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John. SWCA #1586

.... Interceptor drones. Or ground to drone missiles or just Drone ack ack will do the job.

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"He was kinda funny lookin'"

The airspace above my home and property are mine. Birds of all kinds are more than welcome to use it, especially the really tasty ones. Drones are just an aggravating nuisance and are legitimate targets as far as I'm concerned.

And it's more sport than flipping off NSA satellites.

Was it low enough for a garden hose?

John

Get one of those anti-drone net guns.

Think I recall a post about a signal jammer for drones.
Not sure if practical or even available but a short ranged
one for the consumer would be nice.
If one stayed within 100 ft. for more than a moment I would consider that invasive.

I would just hide in my underground bunker. Do the passive aggressive resistance.

I think my old Benjamin.22 pellet gun would be effective,works pretty good on those pecan stealing squirrels.

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Hue 68 noli me tangere

Unfortunately, drone owners come in the same categories as gun owners and dog owners . . . there are some that are responsible and there are some that make the rest look bad.

I'm a drone operator and I have a pretty sophisticated high dollar drone that I enjoy and I try to operate it responsibly. Of course I live out in the country and have lots of area to fly mine without bothering anyone else. But I've had to deal with a couple drone owners of the second category in recent months. The first was just before Easter when we took our new grandson to his first community Easter Egg Hunt. There were a couple hundred youngsters 5 years and under around the high school football field that was covered in eggs. When the whistle was blown the little ones would go fetch a basket full. As I stood there watching our little one a drone came out of the end zone and started buzzing over the kids, seemed obvious to me it was a photo drone taking pictures. Problem was, it was flying over these kids at about 10 feet, whizzing around the football field, then hovering over a group, then whizzing off again to another group. As a licensed drone operator I knew this violated several FAA guidelines plus it was downright dangerous. If that thing had "runaway" from the operator it could have easily injured or killed one of those toddlers if it had plowed into a group of them.

I started looking around for the operator and finally caught sight of him in the stands, so I jumped over the fence and bound up the bleachers to the operator with my badge in hand. I identified myself with the sheriff's office and asked him to immediately have the drone return to land. He was young man in his mid 20's who, turned out, was primarily filming his own child. He immediately complied with my request. How local law enforcement deals with wayward drone operators is still a little fuzzy so I was kind of making it up as I go in dealing with this guy. Once he got the drone landed and I ID'd him, I asked him for his FAA drone license. He didn't have one. I asked him if he knew about the restrictions regarding flying a drone over people. He did not. I asked him if he knew about the restrictions of flying a drone over an event. He did not. I asked how long he'd been flying a drone and he said about a week. I asked him if he'd ever had the drone runaway from him. He said only once but it went into auto mode and landed. I then put my badge back in my pocket and told him my grandson was down there in that crowd of kids and in no uncertain terms did I appreciate him flying that thing around any of those kids in such a reckless manner. After I got through chastising him a bit I told him to pack up the drone and take it to his vehicle. I gave him one of my business cards and told him I expected him to go on line to the FAA website and get his drone license within 48 hours and then email me a copy and if I did not hear from him within 48 hours he would be getting a visit from the prosecutors office.

He emailed me a copy of his new FAA drone license the next day and I've not seen hide nor hair of him since.

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- Change it back -

A power washer connected to the garden hose has quite an aerial reach.

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James Redfield
LM #497

Keep a 1,000,000 candle power rechargeable spotlight by you on the deck. Shine the light directly at the drone. The operator won't see anything but a bright light which should get the idiot to fly elsewhere.

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Virtue,Liberty & Independence

According to the FAA “regardless of the situation, shooting at any aircraft — including unmanned aircraft — poses a significant safety hazard. An unmanned aircraft hit by gunfire could crash, causing damage to persons or property on the ground, or it could collide with other objects in the air. ”
Shooting down a drone is a federal crime and cited 18 USC 32. That statute makes it a felony to damage or destroy an aircraft.

That said,it doesn't mention anything about putting a whipping on the operator.
Mark

And what does the FAA say about invasion of privacy? Unauthorized photography?

As one of the forum members warns: "Can open. Worms everywhere."

The only drone that I have seen outside the military, was the other day I saw a really large drone if it was indeed civilian. I commented on it on a previous post here. It was a block away in a residential area. It was flying low( 100 ft) over an arroyo that is known for illegal migrant traffic. Therefore I'm not entirely sure it was owned by a hobbyist. It had about a four foot wingspan and was white. I don't know how long it was in flight because after just a few minutes after I spotted it, it landed. It was probably flying much higher earlier. Haven't seen it since. I live only five miles from the Mexican border and we get a lot of illegal traffic. Sunday as the wife and I pulled out of our drive, an illegal passed by, humping a ruck. Broad daylight and he wasn't the least bit concerned. Head down and trucking.

I thought this thing about drones had already been hammered flatter 'n a penny left on the railroad tracks in another thread that's been running over two years now.

I reckon I was wrong. Not the first time. Won't be the last.

Y'all wake me up if anyone says anything new and original about this.

I thought I read that the Model Aircraft folks fought against the FAA ruling of registration and won in Federal Court that the FAA can not mandate registration.

Perhaps it is still being appealed or debated??

Appeals Court Strikes Down FAA Registry of Recreational Drones - NBC News

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Still Running Against the Wind

Maybe you could make some "loads" similar to a bolo.
like some 1/4" nuts tied together with fishing line?

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I fish, therefore I lie

With all due respect to you as an LEO do you typically 'make it up' as you go when you are unsure of specific laws regarding a 'situation'?

If he had asked you for the answers to to following questions:
and
Would you have had the answers or had to 'make them up' also?

AND - are 'threats' such as this SOP for your department?:
I have utmost regard for Law Enforcement personnel but reading your description about your response to this situation was a bit disturbing considering you said you were 'making it up' and therefore could not have properly fielded answers should he have asked.

While the debate rages on you can always web search for " Drone Fails ".

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Isaiah 41:10

Thank you for your utmost regard for law enforcement...didn't mean to disturb you.

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- Change it back -

Keep watching the skies.

So, if you manage somehow to knock one down in your own backyard, how does the operator of the drone know exactly where it is to come after it. Would he/she have the nerve to try to retrieve it after invading your privacy?

I've tried flying a small one and, unless I can keep it in sight, I can't control one.

Great opportunity to try out your skills at fly casting with some 100# line.

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So many S&W's, so few funds!!

I can track my drone via GPS from the controller, even if it's out of sight, up to the point that it looses signal. If it crashes or is shot down I know exactly where it is.

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- Change it back -

Do NOT fly around a Bass Tournament.

I had NOT thought of this.

Bekeart

In defense of Mr. Faulkner, he was correct in handing the situation as he did.

1. The low flying drone may have been a violation of the local Disturbing the Peace Laws or Ordinance.

2. Federal Aviation Regulation (FAR) 103.9 Hazardous Operations (A) No person may operate any Ultralight Vehicle in a manner that creates a hazard to other persons or property. was violated.

3. Federal Aviation Regulation (FAR 61.3 Para (I) (3) does give any Federal, State or Local Law enforcement officer the right to inspect a airman's certificate.

Further Federal Aviation Regulation (FAR) 107.12 requires a remote pilot certificate

In this case the "airman" did not possess the required certificate to operate a ULV as required by Federal Aviation Regulations, and the ULV was operated in a Hazardous manner.

It is not reasonable that a Peace Officer be able to quote all of the elements of a violation, only in general those Rules, Ordinances or Laws that may have been violated

Not all offenses require a immediate apprehension, when a warning either verbal or written will suffice to obtain compliance.


WuzzFuzz A PD and FAA Aviation Safety Inspector "Retired"

If it all happened a month later then there was no requirement to register.

The operator was indeed not supposed to be flying over people as a safety guideline but the FAA has no longer any jurisdiction over "model aircraft"

I also would be ticked off if my children where there, but as I read the post it seems all that could be done was to have the "operator"" stop flying over the kids, The end.

Can State, County or City LEO enforce Federal regulations.??

It seems local LEO should contact the FAA Hotline

Unmanned Aircraft Systems

Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) Frequently Asked Questions

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Still Running Against the Wind

This is a really good idea. However, you don't need 1Mcp. A 200lumen flashlight will work. Shine it on the copter and it will disrupt any camera. It should also alert the operator to the fact that he's being watched and that you don't like his actions.

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Freedom isn't free.

Hmmm...wonder what a laser pointer from dollar store would do to it...

Thank goodness for tactical firearms instructors to keep us all straight.

18 USC 32 applies to "aircraft in the special aircraft jurisdiction of the United States or any civil aircraft used, operated, or employed in interstate, overseas, or foreign air commerce" .

So unless it's a federal drone, or from one of the listed commercial categories, 18 USC 32 doesn't address it.

18 U.S. Code SS 32 - Destruction of aircraft or aircraft facilities | US Law | LII / Legal Information Institute

A real property's 'air rights' are a fact. The height of any given property air right is subject to several circumstances. In any City with an airport or airstrip recognized by the FAA certain Federal Rules apply as to just how high any property owner can build depending on a lot of factors....i.e.; how high is that property's rights? Your City's that have adopted formal Building Codes have built-in height limitation guidelines to 'air property rights'. County's have the same guidelines depending on the Building Codes they legally operate under.

As a College student in Reno, NV, I watched the Union Pacific Railroad turn a Gambling Casino into a chagrined mess. The Casino wanted to build a parking garage across the UP's tracks from their main hotel building. They went to the City of Reno and submitted plans for the garage with an overhead walkway between structures and over the UP tracks. The City granted the building permit without saying a word to the UP. When the UP found out about this proposed they said, "NO WAY, We own that air space. After much discussion and gnashing of teeth, the parking structure was built, but without the bridge across UP's tracks. It turned out that under prevailing Nevada realty law, UP in fact did have property rights to its air space.

I live under one of the established approach routes to Las Vegas's Airport. I have never seen a commercial airplane under about 2,000' agl here. I'm sure that my property rights ownership of my airspace is more than 100' but under 1,000'.

There are always exceptions; Special purpose exceptions are probably being negotiated somewhere right now. When I was working on my Commercial Pilot's License for Sea Planes, I was doing it on Lake Union in Seattle, WA. When the wind was from the North, the landing pattern's downwind leg was north to south aimed right at the top of the Seattle Space Needle. Of course we turned Base Leg about 1/4 of a mile before reaching the restaurant's observation deck. They built the Needle with a granted exception to FAA height limitations for "the good of civic developments" for the World's Fair.

I got tired of reading all the Federal Aviation's rules on just about everything several years ago. And, I have not read 'everything' about the Drone situation. But, I will bet several $$'s that a drone is NOT an aircraft under any FAA rule and regulation. Therefore, if I down a privately owned and operated drone that is less than maybe 100' above ground level and is hovering over my private property, I'm sure that the FAA is not going to come after me. The method I used might come into scrutiny by the City officials after a complaint by the owner operator. So, I have resolved to try my best to compromise all the years of training I have received in Firearm Martial Arts to only shoot to wound. When and if I have to shoot it is going to be with my trusty Wrist Rocket loaded with common marbles. I am hoping my aim is true enough to catch just one blade of a rotor and therefore make the drone flutter away and die someplace else. My City legally has established the property owner's right to shoot pigeons with pellet rifles as long as the pellet stays on the shooter's property. If I have to shoot a drone with my Wrist Rocket and marble ammunition, perhaps the City officials will extend that law to cover me? ...........

I have had only one 'drone incident' at this property; I was walking my dogs on my property one night about midnight. I heard a distinctive sound being made by multiple small propellers. I moved to my fence and watch a very large four engined drone with some sort of apparatus suspended under its belly come down the center of the arterial street at about 75 to 80' high. It flew north to south and turned at the next major intersection and continued at the same height over the center of the street. Because of the complexity and sophistication of the drone, I assume it was the City police or some licensee of theirs testing a surveillance drone. I wasn't overly bothered by this event. But, if they are going to do surveillance with this drone they need to quiet it down a little bit. Even my dogs were watching it go by and my Pit Bull/Mastiff indicated that she wanted a piece of it. ..... :-)

Steve give that another read.
Mark

If the drone pilot is violating a state law or similar local ordinance, state/local LE can probably take action with regard to that. Some idiot got 90 days IIRC in Seattle muni court for crashing his and injuring people below. A couple of years ago a landowner in a county north of here was charged for damaging some A-H's drone that was flying over his property. Jury refused to convict, maybe because the A-H was from ... you know it, Seattle.

If I was still in our criminal division, I would not be inclined to charge someone who took out a drone (maybe hit the "pilot" with a littering charge); I doubt my colleagues would charge it, and if at all given the chance would use our reckless endangerment statute (RCW 9A.36.050) or even assault 3 (9A.36.031(1)(d): "With criminal negligence, causes bodily harm to another person by means of a weapon or other instrument or thing likely to produce bodily harm". That felony would have life altering consequences.

As noted, there are folks who do stuff with drones that is not a problem. The others need to be hammered as hard as possible and made examples to the rest.

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NHI, 10-8.

Faulkner, as I have said before, you are a perfect example of a common sense Peace Officer, who can be tuff when needed but even more important able to teach a lesson and help someone straighten out and do the right thing. I salute you! All my very best, Joe.