Loitering Drones

[SC Maintenance]

The talk of drones and AI makes me think of Skynet. I have thought this for quite awhile now. I'm not a conspiracy theorist or crackpot, but at what point does the public become concerned? Apparently the unidentified UAV's in the news awhile back created some concern. At what point does perceived malicious intent to surveil or do harm to those on the ground allow for defense? Keep in mind I wouldn't try to bring one down due to Federal and State laws alone.

The question becomes one of "from public view".

You can stand on the public sidewalk and view or take pictures of whatever you can see - because you have a practical reason to be on the sidewalk and no one should have an expectation of privacy.

Similarly the police don't need a warrant or any reason at all to enter my curtilage and look around. However they do need one to enter a fence.

So does the public have the right to fly a drone 100 feet above my house and take photo's? Do the police without a warrant also? What is the expectation of privacy when looking down from the sky - is that public view?

Similarly - bending and blocking light is technically possible - its a wave. If commercial tech became available that I could block all light entering or exiting my property so no one could see in, would I be allowed to do so?

The laws don't keep up with the tech. My common law brain says the public has no right to fly a drone 100 feet above my house and look down, because there is no practical benefit to society to do so, hence my privacy takes president. If I was sitting in the jury box I would say the drone (and its pilot) deserve all the buckshot it catches - assuming it was fired in a safe manner.

 

[thastinger]

True but I'm talking about the very small ones sold to consumers- basically toys

Need to educate yourself. Most have FAA registered tail numbers. The original Mavic Pro drones are heavy enough to require registration with the FAA, they have tail numbers just like a much larger passenger jet would have and it is a felony to shoot at them. Then the FAA came out with some rules that specified a weight limit so there are some recent newer versions that are under that limit that don't require registration.
I can guarantee you that they will 100% know who shot it down though as anything that will fly more than 300ft away records the entire flight onto the controller that is operating it.

 

[SC Maintenance]

Need to educate yourself. Most have FAA registered tail numbers. The original Mavic Pro drones are heavy enough to require registration with the FAA, they have tail numbers just like a much larger passenger jet would have and it is a felony to shoot at them. Then the FAA came out with some rules that specified a weight limit so there are some recent newer versions that are under that limit that don't require registration.
I can guarantee you that they will 100% know who shot it down though as anything that will fly more than 300ft away records the entire flight onto the controller that is operating it.

I am clearly nitpicking, but the only way such a federal law could exist is under the interstate commerce clause, and hence would need to only involve airplanes that at least conceivably have the ability to travel between states. I don't think these little drones would apply.

There is also minimum altitudes required for aircraft except in controlled airspace around airports, which I believe is much higher than these drones can fly.

I in no way want to be the one to pay to litigate such claims however

State or local laws could certainly apply in whatever manner the locality wished to write them.

 

[Zee09]

Need to educate yourself. Most have FAA registered tail numbers. The original Mavic Pro drones are heavy enough to require registration with the FAA, they have tail numbers just like a much larger passenger jet would have and it is a felony to shoot at them. Then the FAA came out with some rules that specified a weight limit so there are some recent newer versions that are under that limit that don't require registration.
I can guarantee you that they will 100% know who shot it down though as anything that will fly more than 300ft away records the entire flight onto the controller that is operating it.

I think you need to read the op and educate yourself. The question was posed to the readers and did not involve me. Geez

 

[PF52]

Then the FAA came out with some rules that specified a weight limit so there are some recent newer versions that are under that limit that don't require registration.

250 grams.

 

[thastinger]

I think you need to read the op and educate yourself. The question was posed to the readers and did not involve me. Geez

It doesn't matter how much "average" (assume that was supposed to be acreage) you have. https://www.faa.gov/newsroom/what-know-about-drones

The "advice" you are giving is dangerous, size doesn't matter here.

 

[Elkins45]

My daughter and HS friends were getting harassed at beach by one a few years back. One of boys took care of it into the ocean and angry owner confronted group. Nothing came of it.

I suspect that's because the owner knew any attempt to involve the legal system would snare him too. If you're flying it close enough to people they can jump up and grab it then you've lost the presumption you were flying it in an innocent manner.

 

[Zee09]

It doesn't matter how much "average" (assume that was supposed to be acreage) you have. https://www.faa.gov/newsroom/what-know-about-drones

The "advice" you are giving is dangerous, size doesn't matter here.

I gave absolutely no advice

 

[Owen Lucas]

The high-tech peeping tom never came forward to get their fairly elaborate drone back.

Drones weighing more than 0.55 pounds (250 grams) must be registered with the FAA. This applies to both recreational and commercial drone operators. Drones weighing less than 0.55 pounds and flown strictly for recreational purposes are generally exempt from registration.

Maybe it could be possible to track the drone owner, or the seller possibly based on a registration number?

 

[02SE]

Drones weighing more than 0.55 pounds (250 grams) must be registered with the FAA. This applies to both recreational and commercial drone operators. Drones weighing less than 0.55 pounds and flown strictly for recreational purposes are generally exempt from registration.

Maybe it could be possible to track the drone owner, or the seller possibly based on a registration number?

This was years ago. I believe preceding that requirement. I don't think anything ever came of it. At least my sister and BIL as of about a year after it happened, had no further knowledge of it. The guy who shot it down got a nice GoPro out of it anyway.

 

[BHopkins]

It doesn't matter how much "average" (assume that was supposed to be acreage) you have. https://www.faa.gov/newsroom/what-know-about-drones

The "advice" you are giving is dangerous, size doesn't matter here.

I didn't see anywhere where the OP gave advice. He asked what others would do in a hypothetical situation. Nothing more. Please don't make more out of this than it is.

 

[crashz]

I think I'd call the cops, even if they couldn't respond in time or with anything other than advice. The fact is that I'm pretty ignorant of the law for every possible scenario, including drone usage. And that's where things get dangerous, because I think most people don't realize that they don't know everything.

I live in an area that people shoot guns for recreation. Most of us have enough property to shoot, some with dedicated backstops. But I also live on a commercial airline approach to the local airport. So shooting into the sky is just plain stupid. So, no I'm not shooting a drone down with a gun, air rifle or even laser pointer. Would my neighbors? Probably. The one I have in mind has a cannon. He'd probably use that.

I might throw a brick however...

 

[andrew_j]

I suspect that's because the owner knew any attempt to involve the legal system would snare him too. If you're flying it close enough to people they can jump up and grab it then you've lost the presumption you were flying it in an innocent manner.

I believe it was a ball, lots of D1 college athletes in her HS class.

 

[PandaBear]

Doesn't happen in my area because they likely will hit some powerline or trees, but if that's around my house regularly I would get a pellet gun or high pressure water gun to knock it down and then call the police. A firearm can cause injury but I think water gun and pellet may be enough to knock a drone off the air.

 

[SC Maintenance]

Doesn't happen in my area because they likely will hit some powerline or trees, but if that's around my house regularly I would get a pellet gun or high pressure water gun to knock it down and then call the police. A firearm can cause injury but I think water gun and pellet may be enough to knock a drone off the air.

Someone needs to market water balloons with a timed charge! Like exploding anti-aircraft shells.

 

[Skippy722]

So if a drone was hovering close to your daughters / wife's window............. Calling the cops is useless. They don't have drone zap guns. Every scenario different. But there needs to be a ruling of when I can shoot it down.

I mean… making a drone zapping gun wouldn’t be hard. But then the FCC is going to be MAD mad at you.

Also microwave capacitors will kill you, but that’s a different lesson…

As I live in the country with a bit of acreage but also with other houses around, I would not be shooting at it. But if it’s looking in my windows it’s getting a Deauthorization command sent to it or a brick.

 

[Owen Lucas]

Drone on drone is the only way to do this borderline legally "without intent" I'd say.

Besides using microwave or laser weapons, another probable defense against a Russian-style bomber attack on a US base would be kamikaze drones. These could be activated by audio and visual detection systems, working together with a local radar to intercept threats.