One For The Drone Pilots.

[OldBerkshireBoy]

Seems somebody was having a bad day.

 

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-11138853/Cirencester-man-71-arrested-threatening-drone-pilot-air-rifle.html

[Andrewcook]

I think Griff would love to be a. Drone Pilot as he went up on an Aeroplane and he enjoyed it but he has never done a Parachute jump?

[TheQ]

Certainly there's been times I'd have wanted to shoot down a drone.. we had one a couple of years ago fly down the back of our three houses (two neighbours and us).. it's just fields beyond.. so what were they filming and why?

[Vaughan]

I don't imagine you could bring down a drone with an air pistol but I fear we may see more of this sort of confrontation in future.

Especially in rural counties like Norfolk, where the local farmer with a 12 bore is well used to a high pheasant!

[BroadAmbition]

I don't imagine you could bring down a drone with an air pistol

Neither do I even if one did manage to hit the thing, maybe an air rifle but not a pistol but doubt a single air rifle lead pellet would do enough damage unless it hit something really vital

Especially in rural counties like Norfolk, where the local farmer with a 12 bore is well used to a high pheasant!

Now this is more like it!  even a light load 21g would certainly do it, and not just handled by those used to high pheasants, high fast clays are equally challenging, especially the midi's.  A fast drone I doubt are as fast as a clay, a slow or hovering drone would be an easy target

Griff 

[Meantime]

Whilst this is a light hearted discussion, or at least I hope it is, it's worth remembering for anyone tempted to actually shoot a drone down, that they risk being charged with endangering an aircraft, exactly the same charge as if they had taken a pot shot at a real plane, and they can face a prison sentence.

[stumpy]

Having read the article, the old buffer would be very lucky to do any damage with that piece. Although it looks like an automatic Colt pistol, it's a BB gun, charged by racking the slide to put a puff of air through a 2.5" barrel - effective range about 10 foot! Very disconcerting for armed plod however if one is pointed at you,I've been told.

[Vaughan]

2 hours ago, Meantime said:

it's worth remembering for anyone tempted to actually shoot a drone down, that they risk being charged with endangering an aircraft,

Yes, and if the drone is to be considered an "aircraft" it must also conform to all the applicable regulations.  Such as the over-flying of private property.

We all have the right to the privacy of our own homes.  Or at least, for Goodness' sake I hope we still do!  The overflying of private property (and private moorings) on a place of scenic beauty such as the Broads is something of great concern and I have expressed that concern more than once here.  Are you an over-flying aircraft, or are you a "Peeping Tom"??

Going back to the sporting analogy : if you shoot game in the air, which lands on your property, then you can keep it!

[BroadAmbition]

Correct but only in season. 

When is the drone season I wonder? 
 

Griff

[BroadAmbition]

Anyroadup, it’s all heresay as isn’t there a byelaw that states no firearms within half a mile of the rivers?

Griff

[Wussername]

Yes there is a byelaw.

But no good.

From Mr & Mrs Duck.

[NeilB]

The Byelaw states "no person shall use any firearm, air weapon or any bow, catapult or sling or any projectile weapon without the consent of the Authority."

You could keep a non FAC air rifle on board, but not actually use it against drones or anything else.

Wonder how high I could lob a rhond anchor...... 

[YnysMon]

1 hour ago, NeilB said:

Wonder how high I could lob a rhond anchor......

Could that be classed as a projectile weapon in the circumstances?

[Vaughan]

3 hours ago, BroadAmbition said:

Anyroadup, it’s all heresay as isn’t there a byelaw that states no firearms within half a mile of the rivers?

If so, that's a new one!

[Mouldy]

3 hours ago, Vaughan said:

Yes, and if the drone is to be considered an "aircraft" it must also conform to all the applicable regulations.  Such as the over-flying of private property.

We all have the right to the privacy of our own homes.  Or at least, for Goodness' sake I hope we still do!  The overflying of private property (and private moorings) on a place of scenic beauty such as the Broads is something of great concern and I have expressed that concern more than once here.  Are you an over-flying aircraft, or are you a "Peeping Tom"??

Going back to the sporting analogy : if you shoot game in the air, which lands on your property, then you can keep it!

Under UK law, you have a right to privacy in your home, however the airspace above your property (again under UK law) comes under the jurisdiction of the CAA.  Therefore, no homeowner owns the airspace over their property.  That said, no one should fly a UAV at an altitude so low as to affect your right to privacy.  There is no defined altitude under Drone Law that a drone pilot must adhere to - it is left to discretion.  Personally, if I overfly property with a drone that can legally overfly uninvolved people, I tend to maintain an altitude of about 150ft.  With most prosumer drones available, you can see details of property, but wouldn’t be able to identify people.

6 hours ago, Meantime said:

Whilst this is a light hearted discussion, or at least I hope it is, it's worth remembering for anyone tempted to actually shoot a drone down, that they risk being charged with endangering an aircraft, exactly the same charge as if they had taken a pot shot at a real plane, and they can face a prison sentence.

Correct, shooting down a drone (unmanned aerial vehicle) is considered the same as shooting down any manned aircraft.

All drone flights are covered by The Drone and Model Aircraft Code.

[floydraser]

Could have been avoided by banging on a few doors and explaining what was going on beforehand. It's something very old fashioned we used to call "consideration of others". 

Of course we are all paranoid about drones flying overhead, especially our homes; they have cameras and we never know which way they are pointing. It's our natural defence mechanism. Just having a licence doesn't change the way the homeowner feels about it. At no point did he actually threaten to shoot the drone pilot, or deliberately point the gun at him, he was just waving it about in his anger. 

To me it just shows we haven't got the rules about drones quite right yet.

[Hylander]

Living near an airfield , thankfully we do not have any of this problem.

[Ray]

17 minutes ago, floydraser said:

it just shows we haven't got the rules about drones quite right yet

Nor about guns perhaps.... if it looks like a gun then wielding it in public can have the same serious consequences as if it were an actual gun.

Not in this case obviously but even here the pilot would not have known straight away and must have been alarmed into a fresh pair of trousers!

[Mouldy]

30 minutes ago, floydraser said:

Could have been avoided by banging on a few doors and explaining what was going on beforehand. It's something very old fashioned we used to call "consideration of others". 

Of course we are all paranoid about drones flying overhead, especially our homes; they have cameras and we never know which way they are pointing. It's our natural defence mechanism. Just having a licence doesn't change the way the homeowner feels about it. At no point did he actually threaten to shoot the drone pilot, or deliberately point the gun at him, he was just waving it about in his anger. 

To me it just shows we haven't got the rules about drones quite right yet.

Have a look at this:

Is that an invasion of privacy?  How much detail can be seen?  Are there people who could be recognised in the photo?  Can any car registration numbers be identified?  Would it be practical to ‘bang on a few doors’ to explain what is happening?

There are lots of questions, but in reality, who’s privacy has been invaded?  Lots of organisations try to prohibit overflight, some are reasonable, some aren’t, but with the exception of sensitive sites, like airports, prisons etc and areas of protected nesting birds and military activity.  Most considerate drone pilots will take all of these into consideration, but like another discussion on here regarding running of boat engines, there are always differences of opinion.

Drone flight for me, is an extension of my main hobby - photography.  It gives me the opportunity to get images of familiar locations from a different viewpoint.

[Meantime]

4 hours ago, Vaughan said:

Yes, and if the drone is to be considered an "aircraft" it must also conform to all the applicable regulations.  Such as the over-flying of private property.

Not correct, there is a whole host of regulations on the CAA website that need to be complied with, but they can fly over private property with the correct registrations and regs being followed.

[Meantime]

50 minutes ago, Vaughan said:

If so, that's a new one!

It was in The Byelaws 1995, so not that new!

[Vaughan]

2 minutes ago, Ray said:

and must have been alarmed into a fresh pair of trousers!

And if that's all that happened to him he should be thankful.

I repeat that there are going to be a lot more of these confrontations, if people are going to fly their latest toy over other people's gardens.

A legal limit of 150ft?  

Why do people grow hedges around their gardens?  Because they want to spend an afternoon in the sun in peace and privacy in their own homes.

This is turning into a gross intrusion and I fear no good will come of it. 

[Meantime]

38 minutes ago, floydraser said:

Of course we are all paranoid about drones flying overhead, especially our homes; they have cameras and we never know which way they are pointing.

Generally speaking if a drone is over your property, and it is videoing or taking pictures, due to the angle etc, it is probably taking footage of your neighbour, not your property. I'd be more worried about the drone flying over your neighbour's property. 

[Vaughan]

50 minutes ago, Meantime said:

Generally speaking if a drone is over your property, and it is videoing or taking pictures, due to the angle etc, it is probably taking footage of your neighbour, not your property. I'd be more worried about the drone flying over your neighbour's property. 

I am so glad you think that's a joke.

I don't.

[OldBerkshireBoy]

1 hour ago, Hylander said:

Living near an airfield , thankfully we do not have any of this problem.

If you live in a house then be sure to turn off the landing light before going to sleep.