It was a beautiful, if cold, morning and I was off on a mapping expedition with Mark Johnson. We each brought along a Phantom and an Inspire (both DJI products) so we could fly a little later in the day. It took us a while to drive to the spot, and we ended up on a long winding road, seemingly in the middle of nowhere. The mist had settled, and our location was above it. I was enamored with the view and decided to launch Amelia for some aerial shots prior to starting to help Mark. All was well, and I was incredibly happy with the aerials when suddenly I heard a gunshot! My mind considered, for a moment that it was a hunting expedition, but in reality my blood ran several degrees colder! I had read of several situations where drones have been shot out of the sky, but never dreamed this would happen to me. No, it was not happening to me, was it? My hands started shaking and I was finding it hard to control Amelia! Bring her home Abbe bring her back RIGHT NOW! BANG, another shot was fired, no doubt in my mind now. Luckily this shot also missed! My hands are visibly wobbling at this point and I have to navigate through telephone wires and trees. I bring her down as I hear yet another shot. Thank goodness she, and I (although a little less so) are in one piece. A gentleman approaches with a shotgun with the breach open, and appears visibly angry and shaken all at the same time. I immediately apologize, as it seems the safest course of action, but he is clearly feeling violated. I must emphasize here that I never once felt in danger, as he was extremely careful with his gun. However, I was acutely aware at this point that I had in fact flown over his property, and I had the feeling that he simply felt threatened by Amelia. My jelly like body went through the adrenalin induced automated action of putting my precious Amelia carefully away in her box. She has had so many adventures; I love my inanimate object with her pink stripes and her brave attitude!
The gentleman was aggrieved and, after disappearing for a short time to lock up his gun, he returned and called the police. He clearly indicated that he felt there was a ‘crime scene’ and that I needed to stay where I was until the police arrived. I was concerned at how shaken he appeared, more than I would suspect given the circumstances. Mark arrived to help, and talked gently and kindly to the landowner, stressing that I should not have flown over his property, and I delivered a series of heartfelt apologies! Still visibly distressed, he asked Mark to stay at a distance and repeated that we were dealing with a crime scene. I offered to show him the images to reassure him that I was not spying on him, or his family, but he was still too agitated at this point and simply wanted the police to deal with the situation.
I have to confess to feeling dreadfully nervous at this point. While I am operating Amelia well within the guidelines set forth by the FAA for model aviation, I can’t help but wonder with all of the misinformation being reported in the news if the local law enforcement agency has any real idea what’s ok and what’s not ok. Trying to reassure someone that you are not a spy, simply a photographer wanting to capture the beautiful mist, is not as easy as you would presume when one party is feeling aggrieved. The officer duly arrived on a beautiful motorbike and an extremely civil conversation ensued. It was reassuring to be talking with a police officer who is cognizant of the uses of a drone in photography, and who is also aware that although I should obviously have asked to fly over said gentleman’s property, I was not in fact invading his personal space or breaking any laws. I should add that it was not immediately obvious that I was flying over private property, and I could not see a house from my location. Of course in retrospect, if there is a gate one should presume a private property is behind the gate. I guess the mist and the beautiful surroundings held me captive! The officer spoke succinctly to all involved, and admonished each of us for our various roles in the incident. I absolutely was in agreement that I should have asked permission, and would certainly have done so if I had seen a house. He was also made aware that I was not breaking any rules. We ended up having a long discussion, I showed everyone the images I had taken and offered to make a panorama for the gentleman’s family. He welcomed me onto his property if I wished to fly some more.
It turns out that the landowner is war hero, and has served for his country many times in Afghanistan. He is published in articles for his acts of kindness, but is having a hard time re-establishing himself back in this country. For him, the drone buzzing set of a series of memories most likely too painful for many of us to imagine. He was gardening with his children, when he became aware of Amelia. I truly cannot blame him for his actions; he could not see me and had no idea what was happening.
The outcome of this situation could have gone so very many ways. I would hate to see draconian reactions to simple misunderstandings, or ignorance. If I had been hot headed who knows how things would have ended up. I met an extraordinary individual, who has done more than I could ever imagine in the line of duty, and I hope very much there will be no further action in this matter. I write this post to encourage everyone to take the calm route, and use this as a learning opportunity. I think everyone has strong feelings and emotions run hot and deep, taking a step back and evaluating each situation will make for smoother sailing for all of us. Of course the tenure of this missive would more than likely have been different if he had in fact hit my precious Amelia!
This topic is dear to my heart as I work with Scott Strimple who is an expert on small-unmanned aerial systems. Our aim is to educate and encourage safe flying. I am learning that I also have a lot to learn!
Lessons:
Be aware of where you are flying at all times. If there is any chance you are over private property, even if you are not obliged to, do the landowner the courtesy of informing them. If there is any contention, make the right decision, and fly elsewhere!
No matter if you are flying for fun and recreation or for other reasons, it’s incumbent upon all sUA pilots to be familiar with the latest rule developments and best operating practices. Look for a blog post soon where Scott will detail the new FAA directive to law enforcement agencies and what it means to you. Clear directions should make life easier for our community, as long as we are all aware of where we can fly safely. Links below will provide the sUA pilot with some guidance to avoiding restricted flight areas.
https://www.mapbox.com/drone/no-fly/
http://dronelife.com/2014/07/19/state-drone-laws/
Be civil, try always to educate and remember we are all human beings with fears and beliefs that often are different, but that understanding should prevail, we are ambassadors in the drone flying world and this is key to the future success of this wonderful endeavor.
