@rkluck , my current phantom has a range of 1.2 miles from the remote but I'm not in the group of users that would ever come close to flying that far out. At 400 feet up or out this thing is the size of an eraser on a pencil and the only way to verify orientation without fpv is by moving the drone to confirm that it reacts as intended.
@Big Shasta , I couldn't agree more. Two of factors that add to the problem are the easy access that anyone with a few bucks can buy a "drone" and they are all grouped into a single category whether it's $30 indoor micro quad copter, a hobbyist with dji quadcopter that costs anywhere between $500 and $15,000 or a multi million dollar military reaper.
@ Julian, I'm not aware of any laws that allow for confiscation of the drone.three recent news stories I'm thinking of are the one where two drones delayed fire fighting efforts in ncal (they only caught one operator and just had him stop flying), last week in scal a guy flying a $3,000 dji inspire was detained for interfering with a police helicopter (they had him stop flying, questioned him and then released him and gave his heli back) and finally last night a drone crashed into the stands at the u.s. Open in NY (as of last night the owner has not come forward to claim it but I'm not sure what if anything the authorities could do if he or she did come forward, it depends on the local/state law I place if any).
Here are two links to two news articles that broadly outline what the basic federal and some state/local drone laws are as well as the rationale behind them.
http://www.postandcourier.com/article/20150901/PC05/150909998/1498/can-you-shoot-down-your-neighbor-x2019-s-drone
http://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/news/2015/sep/02/poways-drone-ban-is-unique-in-country/
The federal laws have been in place for sometime but there are proposals to change them.
Its The state / local laws that I'm concerned with since they are seemingly constantly changing now and are not well known. For instance, no drone flights are allowed when the Pope visits Philidelphia or no drone flights in Poway, CA when there is a wild fire in the area/within city limits, but there may be an exception if the drone is not equipped with an onboard camera and the law is only good for 45 days however it is renewable for two years.
My point being, the statement "ignorance of the law is no excuse for its breach" couldn't be more true when it comes to current drone legislation. It's up to the drone operator to ensure that he or she complies with all applicable laws. Now it seems that the most prudent course of action is to do a little research before you power up and take off. I'm not deterred from flying because of laws yet because I feel that I am following them at least the ones I know of. It's the unknown rules that I'm afraid of. The operators that I'm most concerned with are those that don't care about the laws at all. These are the guys that make every drone operator look bad.
When it comes right down to it, you can't teach or enforce common sense. I don't fly near air ports and if I see any low flying planes or helis while I'm flying I land my quad copter. Most bystanders are curious and I answer as many questions as I can safely. If anyone complains about my flying in public I'd hear them out and if appropriate in my opinion I'll stop flying but if someone other than a Leo comes at making demands I'm my excerise my right to fly within the confines of the laws I'm aware of.
Interesting drone law examples:
1. Disneyland and Disney world are no fly zones and have been since 9/11.
2. Poway's drone law is to ensure the emergency response aircraft won't be hampered from flying.
3. Some state/local governments make exceptions for law enforcement drone and some do not or they specifically target law enforce the drones.
4. Here is a big one that I just read about in one of the referenced articles: if you try and bring down another persons drone with a gun, rock, etc. you are technically taking action against an"aircraft" under FAA regulations and are subject to a monetary fine and up to 20 years in prison just as if you took a shot at a private Cessna or commercial 747 in flight.
So that guy who cast fishing line into a drone flying near a pier could have gotten in a lot of trouble for doing so but who would enforce the law on this? The FAA with its limited resources? The local Leo?
Once again, I digress. I have been able to fly much lately. I had an opportunity to do so when I went boat camping a few weeks ago but as the host I was just too busy most of the time.
