Drones over private property

I've not had any drones over my property but have had several near my beach umbrella.

Laws lagging behind technology? Not a big deal? I think it's the same as a "peeping Tom" and I say don't tread on me.


Article from The New York Times
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/01/28/style/neighbors-drones-invade-privacy.html?_r=0

ZVUGKTUBM wrote:Drone use is exploding. They can be used for a multitude of good reasons, and also for nefarious reasons.

Rules need to be in place that protects property owners while not constraining drone use(s).

Agree.

ZVUGKTUBM wrote:Drone use is exploding. They can be used for a multitude of good reasons, and also for nefarious reasons.

Rules need to be in place that protects property owners while not constraining drone use(s).

How are such laws to be enforced?

There is case law where a property owner was prosecuted for shooting down a drone flying over his property. I haven't read the case so I don't know how he was charged. It may have been for discharging a firearm in a residential area.

In Florida, and I'm in most other states I'm sure, you own as far above your land as you can reasonably use. I have no idea if that includes how high you can shoot. I think that's one of the reasons attorneys love such words as "reasonable".

As for privacy, in my opinion, long gone. You might have seen the thread I posted about a web search engine that finds any web cam, video door bell and can view or listen just as does the NSA.

I voted no but I'm admittedly biased.   My husband is a radio controlled airplane enthusiast (builder and flyer) and, thanks to the dangerous and/or threatening acts of some drone fliers, he and the entire RC hobby community (don't know how many tens of thousands nationwide) now have to register with the FAA, pay a fee (small, but it's still a fee), receive a registration number and place that number in/on each and every plane they fly.  
The RC enthusiasts are ticked about what they consider an unwarranted government intrusion into an innocent recreational hobby.  For the most part they don't even consider their planes drones per se (only a few fly the quadricopters you typically see on the news in drone stories), but the FAA's definition of a drone is now any unmanned aircraft that weighs over 8 ounces (quoting the weight from memory, but that's pretty close). That's a heckuva lot of Christmas gifts for kids and grownups as well.
Hubby and his fellow fliers (members of the Northwest Florida Modelers, affiliated with the American Modelers Association) virtually always fly in designated open areas and won't overfly a residence except in the very rare instance when radio signal is lost or interfered with and the plane gets away from their control.  Again, this is very rare.
So it's all just a pain in the patoot, one more example of everybody else paying for the bad acts of a few.  
Sorry, shouldn't have gotten started.   The AMA is supposedly working to get things changed with the FAA, but personally I doubt they'll be successful.

My FIL is also a radio control enthusiast. They go to an old military landing strip to fly. I don't feel that the RC folks are causing any problem to anyone and they should continue to enjoy their hobby.

I also think there are reasonable folks with drones that use them for making some great videos. Some of the views of the beach are spectacular.

BUT...like the guy in the article who had one staring into his home? That needs to be addressed.

Totally agree...it's always the few that ruin it for the many.

I might not shoot one down but if it hovers close enough I can swat it with a broom like Granny Clampett!

I think this is much larger and more dangerous than we see right now. I always thought I would enjoy RC airplanes but I only ever flew those on lines built for racing and dog fights.

Miniaturization is reaching an incredible level. RC models, as I'm sure you know can now easily be equipped with jet engines. The engines start around $6,000.00. Not out of sight when you consider a fishing boat, motorcycle or other hobbies. I'm sure you're far more versed in the cost than me.

I've even seen models of airliners that, were it not for someone standing next to it, looks incredibly real and equipped with four jet engines. Loaded with fuel, how much could it carry for how far?

Here in Tallahassee we have had an RC airfield near an unused dump. They have now converted much of the area to soccer and baseball fields but the RC field was not moved.

I've also seen where someone equipped one of the drones with a weapon. With computers, the 4 prop models will follow you at a specific height and distance.

Things are changing so fast I can't imagine where they will be in just a few more years. Silent weapons which can aim by computer and fire through a window?