The similarities between the responsibilities of owning a drone and owning a gun are so similar it’s not even funny. The arguments are the same in both communities as well. Criminals are going to break the law regardless, laws should be there to keep us safe not trample our rights.
Yep! I was thinking the same thing while watching Russ' video. Let's hope lawmakers don't attempt to "pre-punish" law abiding citizens for a crime we aren't going to commit. That's why laws exist...to punish those who don't follow them.
precisely my thoughts, as I was watching the video -- taking actions against an inert object and enacting laws and prohibitions concerning ownership, use and possession thereof, due to how some people might choose to misuse that object. One of these days, someone is going to imagine a gruesome video involving a ripe watermelon and a baseball bat, and realize that baseball bats are quite readily available to people of almost any age or gender, without question. Without a background check. Without a second thought. The tool is not the problem. The toolsmith is not responsible for how his product might be misused by sociopaths and psychopaths. The problem is the sociopaths and psychopaths.
So true! I am dealing with those who want “firearm modernization” rules in Massachusetts. The lawmakers in this case are very underhanded. Of course this is Massachusetts, and there is no regard for constitutional freedoms.
That’s awesome! I’m Just curious if you are familiar with the TRUST test, and did you happen to take it? I’m not judging you either way. I’m just curious as to how many newcomers to the hobby are actually familiar with the TRUST test.
Being courteous is key. I was at the Oregon coast and someone asked me to stop flying. I said "sure, no problem." He starting talking about needing a permit and I disagreed but I still stopped flying to avoid an argument. I just had to wait for him to leave and I started flying again. No one else said a word. That's great news about your wife!
For the past two years I have been serving on the Drone Advisory Committee (DAC) for the Oregon Parks and Recreation Department (OPRD). The DAC is comprised of departmental reps, reps from various recreational groups (hikers, birders, equestrians, etc.) and I am the sole representative for "recreational drone pilots" (but, I have Part 107 certification). To my knowledge, this is the first state park recreational activity to be subject to a comprehensive rule-making process. It should be noted 100% of Oregon's coastline is in the public domain and OPRD has the jurisdiction/responsibility to "manage" this public resource. The DAC is poised to submit a set of draft rules to the Oregon Parks and Recreation Commission for review and consideration. OPRD understood from the beginning of the process that it had no jurisdiction over the airspace so the focus has been on launch/landing zones (LZ's) within OPRD properties. In addition to the rules, there will be detailed maps for each of the properties. Sample maps reveal the potential of a labyrinth of LZ's. I have proposed the Department has an obligation to provide adequate notice to drone pilots of these spaces and suggested, if adopted, the maps should be posted on line much like Aloft/Air Aware so that responsible drone pilots can properly attend to the spaghetti that the department has created. ... Waiting see to what happens. As of this writing, NO permit is actually required, but formally adopted regulations are not far away. as this is a current work-in-progress, OPRD staff may not know what the status is from moment to moment ... so please be respectful of the OPRD rangers. As for the various self-appoint "drone Karens," do your politest best to just move on ...
I'd of said, "I have a license to fly this drone and whatever I'm doing has nothing to do with you; don't worry about it."; That same douche bag is now empowered for him to demand drones be banned and completely miss the point; it had nothing to do with him at all.
Completely and utterly concur Russ 👍 I'm in Australia and recently joined an Australian fb group for mini drone flyers. Took all of 24hrs before I left, after commenting on a posted video that was clearly well beyond VLOS and over populated areas (not permiited under our national drone guidelines, not as restrictive as US, UK NZ... yet!) and its potential impact on our ability to continue with this hobby. The vitriol that ensued was disappointing and confidence lowering. I'm hopeful that by becoming a certified RPAS pilot and commercialising my hobby I might at least be able to continue what I love doing. All the very best to your wife, yourself and your family and for all you're doing for the drone community. Kaz, Sydney
Russ, You hit the nail on the head. Bad people will do bad things. No difference here than people trying to ban guns. Bad people will always find ways to do bad things. Hang in there and stay strong. Prayers for your family brother. Thanks for sharing.
Great video. I teach at my local high school, film being one of the things I teach...and I use a drone for part of that, even helping students get their Part 107 post-graduation. Going to use that influence from being a teacher to talk to my city's people. And much love to your family buddy.
Thank you for all you do for the Drone community you are a pivital part of keeping our hobby in the air!, Best wishes to your Wife with a speedy recovery.
Hello, I had my cancer prostate removed 8 years ago and doing fine and a contributor. I surely hope your partner in life gets through this situation Russ !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Thanks! Russ, my prayers are with you and your family. Thank you for hitting on this topic and as always great content Russ. Thank you so much. 51 drones rocks!!!!!
I agree irresponsibility is the biggest danger. Just saw a video of this woman flying a drone in NYC on the street while it tracked her. She was pushing people out of the way to avoid them walking into it clueless that she was breaking every drone rule. Totally irresponsible.
Usually voyeurism laws already on the books cover this kind of behavior. The drone scape contains a tangled web of issues and an equitable resolution for sorting them out seems to be a continuously moving target. Good luck to us all!
As much as I agree that this kind of behavior gives are hobby a bad name I don't think that people using these to infringe on peoples privacy is going to be enough for the government to put a complete ban on drones all together, I mean people commit this crime without the use of drones all the time and like he said the number of people that fly drones do not use them for this purpose. With what the world is doing with the weaponizing of drones is what worry's me. Even tho this is at the moment only being done in places that are at war it's inevitable at some point someone is going to use drones to kill or bomb on American soil, and that the government might just say "that's it nobody can fly drones in the US anymore". We have opened a pandoras box with this technology that cannot be closed now, I just watched a video where the Ukraine is training drone pilots on liftoff and using DJI headsets. These aren't million dollar drones that are being used here they are the freestyle FPV drones that you and I all fly in are backyards. I would love to think that are government is smart enough to distinguish the difference of a recreational pilot flying safely and for fun and a person that is using them to kill other people especially when it happens here in the states, I don't see cooler heads prevail in that situation and what the government decides to do is as history has told us is very impulsive and vindictive decisions that ignore the facts. What was once a recreational and fun hobby is now turned into to weapons of war and that's how it will be looked at in the future especially to people that don't understand the recreational side of it and as far as our governments are concerned and powers that be is not going to care if you were using this technology for fun but what the potential use of this technology is capable of.
Thank you Russ. I've had neighbors complain to me about my drone flying. I assured them that at 100-200 feet and moving fast the camera couldn't pick up much of anything, even if I wanted too. For some reason drones freak people out, so yes. Simply communicate your intentions and follow the rules.
It's always fun to tell my complainers, in the most innocent-tone possible, that 'I don't even have the Night-Mode or Tracking like the drones sold now.' The other funny part is having them know I can be up for an hour but that's only b/c I don't have the large batteries for almost double the time in the sky. "My drone doesn't even stream in 1080p like the new ones." lol 'You should get one' is the first & last thing I always say.
When I fly over neighborhoods, I make sure no person or personal information (ie house numbers) can be identified. This is most easily accomplished by flying high enough and not focused on any specific location.
Hello Russ. All I can say is that this stalker's end result is excellent. Yes, all it takes is one sick person to ruin the hobby for all of us. Thank you for the beautiful news update on your wife and family. You are always in our prayers, and we pray her next phase of treatment goes well. YAHOO, 51 Drone Hats!! I'll be watching for the order link. Take Care.
Hi Russ. I am 100% in agreement with, and supportive of, your drone sentiments. I experience identical things in my firearms hobbies. There are bad apples who also happen to not care about rules. We must be impeccable and undaunted ambassadors for all of our interests. Being fully educated is essential. Thanks!
To blame the drone is ridiculous. We don't want all smartphones banned just because someone films up some young lady's skirt on public transport do we? We don't want the internet banned because someone hacks a teenager's computer and uses the webcam to capture immodest images do we? Anyone who suggests that the actions of a tiny percentage of idiots should be justification for banning or over-regulating drones needs to be reminded of the above.
Thanks for addressing this topic. Your assessment of the potential negative impact of bad behavior in our community is right on the money. We've been seeing and fighting this kind of thinking for many years in other areas.
Thanks for your views on the drone community and also the update on your wife. So glad to hear things are going well! Will continue to pray for your family. Also have to finally snag one of those 51 drone hats.
Thanks for your suggestions, Russ. I agree with you 100%. While government regulations and bans can have a profound effect on our drone flying, it's the people who break the rules who will kill drone flying. I especially like your idea of being a good advocate for the hobby when local government starts to get involved. A couple of years ago, I was hired by a real estate agent to get some aerial shots of a high school (during summer break when no one was at the school) and other public places in a small town. Before flying, I asked some local policemen if it was okay for me to take off from the school parking lot, but they didn't know. They told me to go talk to a local police captain who was supposed to be educated about drones. I talked to him, and he said that I was unable to either take off from the high school parking lot or take aerial photos. I told him that it was okay for him to tell me where I could take off (even though the town had no official policy regarding drones), but he couldn't tell me where to fly. I tried to tell him that local officials just can't arbitrarily make flight rules for drones no more than they can make flight rules for airplanes. But he wouldn't listen. I knew I wouldn't win an argument with him. He was thinking about recent tragedies reported in the news about people attacking schools. I understood his point of view, but I could see that he needed more education. Russ, you're right that we need to know the rules and respectfully advocate for our hobby within local government if we're to keep on flying.
Good morning Russ. Just a quick thanks for the awesome content. Yours was the first channel I subscribed too when I got into drones. Still my favorite by far. Praying for your family and your wife and can't wait to hear that she kicked cancer's butt!!
I've been on many online groups for drone users, and I had to leave quite a few because they simply didn't care about following laws. Some openly laughed and mocked anyone who brought up laws and being legal. I know you think it's a "few bad apples", but there are more than you think. I disagree with the "courtesy" of not filming someone in public. If you do the "courteous" thing, what it will do more often than not, make them think they are legally correct and continue to be disrespectful to other drone pilots because they believe they're right. How I handle those situations is, once I am done I an open to show what I have filmed and I believe this works much better because it puts their mind at ease that these drones don't actually have these super cameras that can for hundreds of miles. I think that is what some of the unfounded fears are. They see movies about government drones being able to see everything from miles up, and they think that all drones are like that. Education and openes over courtesy works for me better.
Agree on the courteous part. How many bad apples are there? IDK. Don't really think comments in forums are representative. Curious what the estimated percentage of the totality of those that fly drones disregard rules in a material way would be. Got to think if there was a significant percentage of bad apples out of the millions of people who have purchased drones, it would be all over the news like a rash instead of relatively small number of incidents.
I am enraged also Russ! I don't have a 12 year old daughter but I do have a 10 year old Granddaughter. I am really disturbed, I would never even think of doing something like this because I am drawn to the beauty of nature, and that is where I fly. Thanks for posting this important story. So happy that your wife is doing well!
Hi Russ, thanks for your insight and bring this point to everyone. Some folks will grab whatever to make things difficult for the beautiful technology drones offer. My prayers are with you and your family!
Thank you for mentioning flying within the line of sight, it's really important, even though a lot of drone pilots really ignore it. I usually fly within the line of sight because I can see the aircraft at all times, not only because of manned aircraft but also wild life. Yeah, the drone has sensors to avoid crashing but what if a bird runs into your drone? You won't see that one coming. In the past year, I've come across birds that try to attack my drone or sometimes they just end up chasing it. It's definitely something you won't see if your drone is 3 miles out away from you and the only thing you can see what's in front of the camera at the moment. Birds come from any direction indeed, and they usually come from the one the camera is not facing at the moment. Your drone falls out of the sky, and you won't even know what caused it. I truly encourage everyone to fly within the line of sight, especially to protect wild life.
Great video Russ. Unfortunately a person can do 10 good things and 1 bad one and the bad one will be the one thing that will be said about you. I used to fly a drone recreationally and with all the new rules that the FCC is coming out with makes it very discouraging to purchase and fly a drone. It’s going to get worst not better.
Hoping for a speedy recovery once the chemo is completed. Now as far as the story goes, I think one way of mitigating the risk is definitely education provided to law enforcement, local politicians, etc. thru community events as well as other public activities to spread the word. I think all commercial pilots that are close to each other can band together and reach out to various municipalities and start from there 👍🏽
I can see long range FPV (beyond LOS) will probably die out unless you are fully 107 and have reasons that qualify such as following a rural power line -and work for the power company. Anyway, I mostly fly small
Thank you Russ for yet another excellent and educational video!!! Absolutely love your channel!!!! On the other subject, sooo glad your wife is doing better!!! We continue to pray for her complete healing and know that the Lord will be in control to you and your family!!!!
I began my life as a "remote" pilot flying fixed wing RC many many many years ago. About 5 years ago I decided I wanted to setup a "little" drone business on the side. I truly enjoyed flying my Yuneec H520. Alas...it's my fault I didn't give my "side" business room to live...so actually sold all of my drone equipment about 4 weeks ago. I'll probably maintain my Part 107 "just in case", and someday I hope to own a drone again. However what you discuss in this video is REAL. Here in Missouri it's becoming harder and harder to find a legal place to fly. Alas, common sense isn't all that common. Blessings on your family and your wife.
glad you wife is doing well. I know too many who have been through the same. some have done really well while others have been lost. tell to kick butt!!!
You spoke about courtesy; that’s key. I’m new to flying drones, just over a year. I remember how I felt when someone flew over my home, my PTSD was triggered. People don’t know what you see or are looking at. Be kind and talk to them and ask their questions. It goes a long way. Praying for your wife and family. 🙏🏽
Russ thank you so much for reporting on this. There are some horrible humans. I have a daughter, granddaughters, nieces. Mess with my family I’m not a nice person. I’m still learning to fly my drone. When I do I’m in open fields for others safety, lol well because I’m still learning and nervous. I agree we all need to be more than respectful towards others, because drone pilots are always under a microscope.
Thanks Russ for making this video. It truly sucks to hear, but it's not that far fetched from reality. One of the biggest myths out is that local law enforcement can't enforce or don't know drone laws. More and more agencies are adopting drone programs and know what you can and can't do. I can go on for days about this. Again, great video and keep up the great advocacy.
So much of drone flying just comes down to good ole courtesy, respect and common sense. I'm a long time professional photographer, just beginning to dabble in drones... It's EASY not to trigger people if you just do the right thing.
Russ, it's great to hear your wife is doing well. She is a trooper! My wife was, too. Contrary to popular belief, I think women are a lot tougher than us guys! I have 2 daughters, so I can relate to this video. We had a creepy neighbor when they were teenagers who was always watching them when they were outside. We eventually moved. Thanks for all your great content. Hang in there!
Thank you Russ, this is the first I heard of this and as an old great grandfather I'm as upset as you. The thing is, that's one, I have very little doubt there are others out there and as you said we MUST ALL BE diligent for this type of behavior. I will without a doubt keep your family in my prayers, I've been there, done that. God Bless Russ and keep the faith.
Totally agree with you Russ. Thanks for your support in the drone world. Unfortunately there will always be peeping Tom’s in the world with or with drones. Just with there eyes are a camera or phone, telescopes. The drone is not the problem in this case it’s the perv. But I do 100 percent agree it gives it a bad name in people’s eyes that are not in the hobby and see that most are having clean fun only with no intent of breaking laws. Keep up the good work. Prayers for your wife and family.
Fantastic video once again, Russ. My daughter just turned 14 this month, and if I found out that footage was taken of her, it would be a bad day. I have been sharing facts with new and uneducated drone pilots on my locat Facebook drone groups. This big one is the line of sight issue. We need to limit the bad actors to preserve the drone way of life. This is the way. 😉
Your so very right Russ. I have seen while watching a NFL game they have stopped the game due to a drone flying overhead. How stupid, they give good drone pilots a bad image.
Russ, a subscriber and a fan. Just ran across this on UAV Coach. As another potential major negative impact on droning, what do you know and think about this, it's potential for spreading, and the potential major impact? "Surveyors in North Carolina are worried about drone pilots encroaching on their work. So much so that they say any georeferenced image or output made using a drone and sold to a client-whether it’s a photo, a 2D map, or a 3D map-would be considered surveying without a license."
So grateful for the video topic its had to fight public perception when all the hear is the negative. Your five point as spot on and I plan to be that advocate in my community. Also prayers for you, your wife and family may God continue to bless you.
Agree with you 100% and this could happen so easily. A friend of mine baulked at the idea and asked how they could ban drones when there are millions of them. Well, quite easily. For example, if DJI were banned from selling drones, they could be forced to disable drones electronically on a country or even world wide basis. Just like drones that will not take off when near an airport. Sure, some tech wizards out there may be able to bypass any restrictions, but where could you fly it? As soon as someone spots it in the air, youre done. This is bad... 😢
Happy to hear of the 2 Month progress, you're still in my daily prayers until I hear she's cancer free. My good friend's wife just found out she has BC, threw them for a loop. He makes 3 people I know if in just a couple months, hadn't known anyone personally in the previous 5 years...
As a quick feedback, regulations here in Brazil are a total mess. One agency says you are not allowed to fly over 70m (!), while another says you are allowed to fly up to the usual 120m. Moreover, helicopters are not supposed to fly under 150m but around my place they are very often flying lower than that. And the reason I know this is because I live on the 9th floor and they are often level with my window! There are lots of skyrises around, but no helipad nearby, mind you. Conversely, I flew many times in Australia and regulations are very clear (albeit seemingly senseless at times, but still clear). That said, while I totally agree with you, sometimes this might be difficult in practice in some places, such as Brazil.
No, don't talk to me about "privacy" if you are ok with the government capturing all your communications, location, movements, etc. We also have something called curtains.
I just watched the latest video from Ken Heron, where he is flying a DJI Avata around and following people to see if they like or dislike drones. I hope the people that he followed who dislike drones don’t work for the government. It’s stunts like this that could be a problem for our hobby.
I too am hoping and praying for a speedy, uneventful recovery for your wife. I appreciated you sharing this incident. There was a commenter who compared owning a drone with owning a gun. Both can cause great harm. But the guy that filmed preadolescent girls in a state of partial dress, I have nothing but the deepest contempt for. I know telephoto lenses have been around for decades and can accomplish similar nefarious objectives. But the thought of a drone hovering outside her window infuriates me. I use drones for having an eye in the sky. I could have only dreamed of such things 30 years ago. Yes, I’m that old. “What would that rock formation look like from over there?” Now, I can find out. Soaring over cliffs, getting a panorama of an entire mountain range from a vantage point high up and far away. Now it’s all possible. I’m terrified that creeps like this one could ruin this magical technology for me. But why? The internet can be used to get advice about a recent diagnosis of a rare disease or to peruse child pornography. A good DSLR can record the majesty of the Milky Way on a starry night, or zoom in on someone in an apartment across the street undressing. It’s like any technology. It can be used for good or evil. I had only one bad experience in all my years of flying drones. It had been an overcast day, but at sunset magic happened. The sun burst through a tiny aperture in the clouds and illuminated everything in a spectacular golden glow. I had my Mavic Mini with me, and immediately launched it. I saw the most amazing light show I’ve seen in years. It wasn’t visible at ground level, but the drone captured it in HD glory. But then I heard a car approaching, and initially though nothing of it. But then a “lady” stormed out of the SUV and read me the riot act about how she absolutely doesn’t allow drones over her property. Fact is, I wasn’t over her property. Far from it. I pointed out the location of the drone just to prove it to her. But she was adamant. So I stalled for as long as the light lasted and then brought the drone back. I know I was within my rights to fly the drone where I did, but I did not want to start a war with this woman. So I said, yes ma’am. I respect your wishes, and have never flown there again. I was at 400 feet, and nowhere near her house. Even if I had been, no person could be identifiable. Anyway, I took one on the chin for the hobby. I love my eye in the sky, and would do anything to keep ignorant and fearful people from taking it away from me. That s why this story upset me so much. This pervert just confirmed all the paranoid anti-drone crowd’s worst fears. Keep up the good work, Russ.
It’s not a hobby for me, but actually a vital part of my job. I am investing way more time to stay safe and lawful, than I am beeing paid for…. I hear you, Russ!
First, apologies for giving you grief about sponsoring products. Your content has always been valued and genuine. Subscribing to stay informed. Running a drone services op in RI. Do a lot of freebies for local area to keep what we do positive. Keep up the great content. This latest video is a wake up call to all but unfortunately local legislators will get it wrong when uninformed. Best regards to you and your family. Kevin Friel Aquidneck Aerials, LLC
Hi Russ love your content of your videos, I'm so sorry to hear about your Wife I truly hope she recovers and the treatment works for her, I'm appalled by what some people will use drones for its absolutely disgusting. Anyway I'm Mark from Perth Western Australia, please keep your videos coming
A similar story is where an unhappy guy was using his drone to harass one of his neighbors by flying the drone over the neighbor and\or around the property line. I don't remember much about the feud, but it was an escalating process between the neighbors.
Is there a good remote I’d device I can use on both my drone and my planes. My friend just bought one but it needs power via plugging into the receiver for power. Is there one that uses battery so I won’t need to plug it in every time I switch it to another plane/drone?
Thanks Russ, always appreciate your passion and outspokenness for this hobby. Let's hope this guy gets everything that's coming to him and lawmakers concede they can't "pre-punish" us law abiding citizens for the actions of a criminal. Great to hear the good news about your wife's health, many prayers🙏
Very good video. I agree, the majority usually pay the price for the minority. I have been a drone pilot for 5 years, but I have been a photographer for much longer. I can also use a telephoto lens to record what I shouldn't. I don't want to be judged for what low lifes like that one does. I also have daughters and I share your feelings. When I am out flying, I try to be respectful, I check local drone regulation and I talk to people, ask for permission to fly over places, etc. I also am clearly identified as a photographer and I have my EASA badge (I live in Ireland) handy. My drone is clearly identified and I am always willing to tell people that I am a registered drone pilot and if they have conserns, I can discuss as soon as I land. So far, it has been great, but my point is, be respectful. Fly where you are allowed to, ask for permission or check if you are not sure you are allowed to. Don't just assume or use the DJI Fly app as a defense.
This is off topic but I wonder if you know the answer to this issue. How I can set the height on my Mini 4 Pro to 50 feet instead of the default minimum of 65 feet? Asked for LAANC permission and it said I could fly up to 50 feet then was unable to fly. The drone defaults to a minimum of 65 feet.
Many thanks for sharing Russ; the Drone hobby will no doubt continue to challenge authorities (around the World) with regards to compliance and legalities; regardless, thoughts are with you and your family and sincerely hope things improve; last but not least, lets see you out and about with some Drone reviews !!!!!; a DJI Inspire 2 retrospective (comparing to the Inspire 3!) would be great !!!!
This is a great video. The abuse of drones is inevitable in our society of idiots and creeps, and we really need to unite and promote the safe use of drones.
Praying for your wife, you, your family and your loved ones.
The similarities between the responsibilities of owning a drone and owning a gun are so similar it’s not even funny. The arguments are the same in both communities as well. Criminals are going to break the law regardless, laws should be there to keep us safe not trample our rights.
Yep! I was thinking the same thing while watching Russ' video. Let's hope lawmakers don't attempt to "pre-punish" law abiding citizens for a crime we aren't going to commit. That's why laws exist...to punish those who don't follow them.
precisely my thoughts, as I was watching the video -- taking actions against an inert object and enacting laws and prohibitions concerning ownership, use and possession thereof, due to how some people might choose to misuse that object.
One of these days, someone is going to imagine a gruesome video involving a ripe watermelon and a baseball bat, and realize that baseball bats are quite readily available to people of almost any age or gender, without question. Without a background check. Without a second thought.
The tool is not the problem. The toolsmith is not responsible for how his product might be misused by sociopaths and psychopaths. The problem is the sociopaths and psychopaths.
So true! I am dealing with those who want “firearm modernization” rules in Massachusetts. The lawmakers in this case are very underhanded. Of course this is Massachusetts, and there is no regard for constitutional freedoms.
The only difference is that guns have the 2nd amendment. It is scary how quickly the legislature can take away any of our rights if they want to.
You beat me to it. And you are right guns and drones same story!
I just got into this hobby, great stress relief to see the city and mountains from a birds eye.
That’s awesome!
I’m Just curious if you are familiar with the TRUST test, and did you happen to take it?
I’m not judging you either way. I’m just curious as to how many newcomers to the hobby are actually familiar with the TRUST test.
Being courteous is key. I was at the Oregon coast and someone asked me to stop flying. I said "sure, no problem." He starting talking about needing a permit and I disagreed but I still stopped flying to avoid an argument. I just had to wait for him to leave and I started flying again. No one else said a word.
That's great news about your wife!
For the past two years I have been serving on the Drone Advisory Committee (DAC) for the Oregon Parks and Recreation Department (OPRD). The DAC is comprised of departmental reps, reps from various recreational groups (hikers, birders, equestrians, etc.) and I am the sole representative for "recreational drone pilots" (but, I have Part 107 certification). To my knowledge, this is the first state park recreational activity to be subject to a comprehensive rule-making process. It should be noted 100% of Oregon's coastline is in the public domain and OPRD has the jurisdiction/responsibility to "manage" this public resource.
The DAC is poised to submit a set of draft rules to the Oregon Parks and Recreation Commission for review and consideration. OPRD understood from the beginning of the process that it had no jurisdiction over the airspace so the focus has been on launch/landing zones (LZ's) within OPRD properties. In addition to the rules, there will be detailed maps for each of the properties. Sample maps reveal the potential of a labyrinth of LZ's. I have proposed the Department has an obligation to provide adequate notice to drone pilots of these spaces and suggested, if adopted, the maps should be posted on line much like Aloft/Air Aware so that responsible drone pilots can properly attend to the spaghetti that the department has created. ... Waiting see to what happens.
As of this writing, NO permit is actually required, but formally adopted regulations are not far away. as this is a current work-in-progress, OPRD staff may not know what the status is from moment to moment ... so please be respectful of the OPRD rangers. As for the various self-appoint "drone Karens," do your politest best to just move on ...
i was flying my drone and some guy walked under the area i was flying then walked past me the said part 107 lol
Exactly, I've done the same
You were a potential RID Victim.
I'd of said, "I have a license to fly this drone and whatever I'm doing has nothing to do with you; don't worry about it."; That same douche bag is now empowered for him to demand drones be banned and completely miss the point; it had nothing to do with him at all.
Thanks for all you do. I hope this helps you and your family in a small way.
I truly appreciate you! Thank you so much! It really does help!
Completely and utterly concur Russ 👍 I'm in Australia and recently joined an Australian fb group for mini drone flyers. Took all of 24hrs before I left, after commenting on a posted video that was clearly well beyond VLOS and over populated areas (not permiited under our national drone guidelines, not as restrictive as US, UK NZ... yet!) and its potential impact on our ability to continue with this hobby.
The vitriol that ensued was disappointing and confidence lowering. I'm hopeful that by becoming a certified RPAS pilot and commercialising my hobby I might at least be able to continue what I love doing.
All the very best to your wife, yourself and your family and for all you're doing for the drone community.
Kaz, Sydney
Russ, You hit the nail on the head. Bad people will do bad things. No difference here than people trying to ban guns. Bad people will always find ways to do bad things. Hang in there and stay strong. Prayers for your family brother. Thanks for sharing.
I understand your feelings of rage about the little girl…… And Prayers for you and precious wife🌹🙏🏼
Great video. I teach at my local high school, film being one of the things I teach...and I use a drone for part of that, even helping students get their Part 107 post-graduation. Going to use that influence from being a teacher to talk to my city's people. And much love to your family buddy.
Thank you for all you do for the Drone community you are a pivital part of keeping our hobby in the air!, Best wishes to your Wife with a speedy recovery.
Hello, I had my cancer prostate removed 8 years ago and doing fine and a contributor. I surely hope your partner in life gets through this situation Russ
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Thanks! Russ, my prayers are with you and your family. Thank you for hitting on this topic and as always great content Russ. Thank you so much. 51 drones rocks!!!!!
You are so amazing! Thanks again! 🙏
I agree irresponsibility is the biggest danger. Just saw a video of this woman flying a drone in NYC on the street while it tracked her. She was pushing people out of the way to avoid them walking into it clueless that she was breaking every drone rule. Totally irresponsible.
Binoculars are almost synonymous with peeping toms but a very tiny fraction of Binocular owners use them for that purpose
Good point.
Thank you Russ for all your great content, I hope my contribution helps you & your wife and family along the way.
What a good advocate you are , and providing me tips for conversations with individual encounters.
Thanks for all you do. Yes, prayers for your wife!
Usually voyeurism laws already on the books cover this kind of behavior. The drone scape contains a tangled web of issues and an equitable resolution for sorting them out seems to be a continuously moving target. Good luck to us all!
As much as I agree that this kind of behavior gives are hobby a bad name I don't think that people using these to infringe on peoples privacy is going to be enough for the government to put a complete ban on drones all together, I mean people commit this crime without the use of drones all the time and like he said the number of people that fly drones do not use them for this purpose. With what the world is doing with the weaponizing of drones is what worry's me. Even tho this is at the moment only being done in places that are at war it's inevitable at some point someone is going to use drones to kill or bomb on American soil, and that the government might just say "that's it nobody can fly drones in the US anymore". We have opened a pandoras box with this technology that cannot be closed now, I just watched a video where the Ukraine is training drone pilots on liftoff and using DJI headsets. These aren't million dollar drones that are being used here they are the freestyle FPV drones that you and I all fly in are backyards. I would love to think that are government is smart enough to distinguish the difference of a recreational pilot flying safely and for fun and a person that is using them to kill other people especially when it happens here in the states, I don't see cooler heads prevail in that situation and what the government decides to do is as history has told us is very impulsive and vindictive decisions that ignore the facts. What was once a recreational and fun hobby is now turned into to weapons of war and that's how it will be looked at in the future especially to people that don't understand the recreational side of it and as far as our governments are concerned and powers that be is not going to care if you were using this technology for fun but what the potential use of this technology is capable of.
Thank you Russ. I've had neighbors complain to me about my drone flying. I assured them that at 100-200 feet and moving fast the camera couldn't pick up much of anything, even if I wanted too. For some reason drones freak people out, so yes. Simply communicate your intentions and follow the rules.
It's always fun to tell my complainers, in the most innocent-tone possible, that 'I don't even have the Night-Mode or Tracking like the drones sold now.' The other funny part is having them know I can be up for an hour but that's only b/c I don't have the large batteries for almost double the time in the sky. "My drone doesn't even stream in 1080p like the new ones." lol 'You should get one' is the first & last thing I always say.
Thank you for taking the time to make this video. Prayers to you, your beautiful wife and family and friends.
Great content as always Russ. Continued best wishes to your wife for battling through this and we are all praying for her and your family.
When I fly over neighborhoods, I make sure no person or personal information (ie house numbers) can be identified. This is most easily accomplished by flying high enough and not focused on any specific location.
Hello Russ. All I can say is that this stalker's end result is excellent. Yes, all it takes is one sick person to ruin the hobby for all of us.
Thank you for the beautiful news update on your wife and family. You are always in our prayers, and we pray her next phase of treatment goes well.
YAHOO, 51 Drone Hats!! I'll be watching for the order link. Take Care.
I was so glad to hear your wife was handling the treatments well.
Hi Russ. I am 100% in agreement with, and supportive of, your drone sentiments. I experience identical things in my firearms hobbies. There are bad apples who also happen to not care about rules. We must be impeccable and undaunted ambassadors for all of our interests. Being fully educated is essential. Thanks!
To blame the drone is ridiculous. We don't want all smartphones banned just because someone films up some young lady's skirt on public transport do we? We don't want the internet banned because someone hacks a teenager's computer and uses the webcam to capture immodest images do we?
Anyone who suggests that the actions of a tiny percentage of idiots should be justification for banning or over-regulating drones needs to be reminded of the above.
Great update on your wife. Continued prayers for you and your family.
Thanks Russ for putting out another great video. Prayers to your family.
Thanks, Russ. Appreciate it.
Happy Flying!
Thanks you Russ. Really important info for the drone community. Prayers and hope for your family.
Thanks for addressing this topic. Your assessment of the potential negative impact of bad behavior in our community is right on the money. We've been seeing and fighting this kind of thinking for many years in other areas.
Thanks for your views on the drone community and also the update on your wife. So glad to hear things are going well! Will continue to pray for your family.
Also have to finally snag one of those 51 drone hats.
Thanks for your suggestions, Russ. I agree with you 100%. While government regulations and bans can have a profound effect on our drone flying, it's the people who break the rules who will kill drone flying.
I especially like your idea of being a good advocate for the hobby when local government starts to get involved. A couple of years ago, I was hired by a real estate agent to get some aerial shots of a high school (during summer break when no one was at the school) and other public places in a small town. Before flying, I asked some local policemen if it was okay for me to take off from the school parking lot, but they didn't know. They told me to go talk to a local police captain who was supposed to be educated about drones. I talked to him, and he said that I was unable to either take off from the high school parking lot or take aerial photos. I told him that it was okay for him to tell me where I could take off (even though the town had no official policy regarding drones), but he couldn't tell me where to fly. I tried to tell him that local officials just can't arbitrarily make flight rules for drones no more than they can make flight rules for airplanes. But he wouldn't listen. I knew I wouldn't win an argument with him. He was thinking about recent tragedies reported in the news about people attacking schools. I understood his point of view, but I could see that he needed more education. Russ, you're right that we need to know the rules and respectfully advocate for our hobby within local government if we're to keep on flying.
Good morning Russ. Just a quick thanks for the awesome content. Yours was the first channel I subscribed too when I got into drones. Still my favorite by far. Praying for your family and your wife and can't wait to hear that she kicked cancer's butt!!
I've been on many online groups for drone users, and I had to leave quite a few because they simply didn't care about following laws. Some openly laughed and mocked anyone who brought up laws and being legal. I know you think it's a "few bad apples", but there are more than you think.
I disagree with the "courtesy" of not filming someone in public. If you do the "courteous" thing, what it will do more often than not, make them think they are legally correct and continue to be disrespectful to other drone pilots because they believe they're right.
How I handle those situations is, once I am done I an open to show what I have filmed and I believe this works much better because it puts their mind at ease that these drones don't actually have these super cameras that can for hundreds of miles. I think that is what some of the unfounded fears are. They see movies about government drones being able to see everything from miles up, and they think that all drones are like that. Education and openes over courtesy works for me better.
Agree on the courteous part. How many bad apples are there? IDK. Don't really think comments in forums are representative. Curious what the estimated percentage of the totality of those that fly drones disregard rules in a material way would be. Got to think if there was a significant percentage of bad apples out of the millions of people who have purchased drones, it would be all over the news like a rash instead of relatively small number of incidents.
I follow local LAWS when I fly, but I frequently ignore FAA RULES when I fly.
I am enraged also Russ! I don't have a 12 year old daughter but I do have a 10 year old Granddaughter. I am really disturbed, I would never even think of doing something like this because I am drawn to the beauty of nature, and that is where I fly. Thanks for posting this important story. So happy that your wife is doing well!
Glad to hear the good news about your wife and her treatments. Your wife and family are in my prayers. Thank you for your dedication to our hobby.
I live in Omaha, NE, about 10 minutes from Papillion and I remember seeing this story. It pissed me off so much.
Hi Russ, thanks for your insight and bring this point to everyone. Some folks will grab whatever to make things difficult for the beautiful technology drones offer. My prayers are with you and your family!
Thanks Russ. Always great content. Jeff/Annapolis
Appreciate it Jeff!
Thinking of you and your family!
🙏🏻
Thank you for mentioning flying within the line of sight, it's really important, even though a lot of drone pilots really ignore it. I usually fly within the line of sight because I can see the aircraft at all times, not only because of manned aircraft but also wild life. Yeah, the drone has sensors to avoid crashing but what if a bird runs into your drone? You won't see that one coming. In the past year, I've come across birds that try to attack my drone or sometimes they just end up chasing it. It's definitely something you won't see if your drone is 3 miles out away from you and the only thing you can see what's in front of the camera at the moment. Birds come from any direction indeed, and they usually come from the one the camera is not facing at the moment. Your drone falls out of the sky, and you won't even know what caused it.
I truly encourage everyone to fly within the line of sight, especially to protect wild life.
I don't trust drone GPS to not wig out momentarily, so it's always in line of sight. LOL
Great video Russ. Unfortunately a person can do 10 good things and 1 bad one and the bad one will be the one thing that will be said about you. I used to fly a drone recreationally and with all the new rules that the FCC is coming out with makes it very discouraging to purchase and fly a drone. It’s going to get worst not better.
Good one Russ! Thank you! ;-) T (Godspeed to the fam!)
Hoping for a speedy recovery once the chemo is completed. Now as far as the story goes, I think one way of mitigating the risk is definitely education provided to law enforcement, local politicians, etc. thru community events as well as other public activities to spread the word. I think all commercial pilots that are close to each other can band together and reach out to various municipalities and start from there 👍🏽
I can see long range FPV (beyond LOS) will probably die out unless you are fully 107 and have reasons that qualify such as following a rural power line -and work for the power company.
Anyway, I mostly fly small
Thank you Russ for yet another excellent and educational video!!! Absolutely love your channel!!!!
On the other subject, sooo glad your wife is doing better!!! We continue to pray for her complete healing and know that the Lord will be in control to you and your family!!!!
You couldn't have said it any better, fellow drone pilot, God Bless and may we continue to fly our drones! Drone Pilot in Ohio.
God Bless you and your family Russ.
I began my life as a "remote" pilot flying fixed wing RC many many many years ago. About 5 years ago I decided I wanted to setup a "little" drone business on the side. I truly enjoyed flying my Yuneec H520. Alas...it's my fault I didn't give my "side" business room to live...so actually sold all of my drone equipment about 4 weeks ago. I'll probably maintain my Part 107 "just in case", and someday I hope to own a drone again. However what you discuss in this video is REAL. Here in Missouri it's becoming harder and harder to find a legal place to fly. Alas, common sense isn't all that common. Blessings on your family and your wife.
glad you wife is doing well. I know too many who have been through the same. some have done really well while others have been lost. tell to kick butt!!!
You spoke about courtesy; that’s key. I’m new to flying drones, just over a year. I remember how I felt when someone flew over my home, my PTSD was triggered. People don’t know what you see or are looking at. Be kind and talk to them and ask their questions. It goes a long way. Praying for your wife and family. 🙏🏽
Russ thank you so much for reporting on this. There are some horrible humans. I have a daughter, granddaughters, nieces. Mess with my family I’m not a nice person. I’m still learning to fly my drone. When I do I’m in open fields for others safety, lol well because I’m still learning and nervous. I agree we all need to be more than respectful towards others, because drone pilots are always under a microscope.
Thanks!
🙏🏻
Thanks Russ for making this video. It truly sucks to hear, but it's not that far fetched from reality. One of the biggest myths out is that local law enforcement can't enforce or don't know drone laws. More and more agencies are adopting drone programs and know what you can and can't do. I can go on for days about this. Again, great video and keep up the great advocacy.
So much of drone flying just comes down to good ole courtesy, respect and common sense. I'm a long time professional photographer, just beginning to dabble in drones... It's EASY not to trigger people if you just do the right thing.
I live in Brasil - herre we still dont have this kind of problems. But i sent your video to many coleagues to prevent this on our country.
Russ, it's great to hear your wife is doing well. She is a trooper! My wife was, too. Contrary to popular belief, I think women are a lot tougher than us guys!
I have 2 daughters, so I can relate to this video. We had a creepy neighbor when they were teenagers who was always watching them when they were outside. We eventually moved.
Thanks for all your great content. Hang in there!
Russ: thanks for a typically outstanding video, and for update on cherished wife. Prayers during this frightening time. 🙏🏽
Thank you Russ, this is the first I heard of this and as an old great grandfather I'm as upset as you. The thing is, that's one, I have very little doubt there are others out there and as you said we MUST ALL BE diligent for this type of behavior. I will without a doubt keep your family in my prayers, I've been there, done that. God Bless Russ and keep the faith.
Excellent video! Our prayers are with you and your family.
Glad to hear you and your wife are doing well. 😎
Totally agree with you Russ. Thanks for your support in the drone world. Unfortunately there will always be peeping Tom’s in the world with or with drones. Just with there eyes are a camera or phone, telescopes. The drone is not the problem in this case it’s the perv. But I do 100 percent agree it gives it a bad name in people’s eyes that are not in the hobby and see that most are having clean fun only with no intent of breaking laws. Keep up the good work. Prayers for your wife and family.
Fantastic video once again, Russ. My daughter just turned 14 this month, and if I found out that footage was taken of her, it would be a bad day. I have been sharing facts with new and uneducated drone pilots on my locat Facebook drone groups. This big one is the line of sight issue. We need to limit the bad actors to preserve the drone way of life. This is the way. 😉
Your so very right Russ. I have seen while watching a NFL game they have stopped the game due to a drone flying overhead. How stupid, they give good drone pilots a bad image.
Russ, a subscriber and a fan. Just ran across this on UAV Coach. As another potential major negative impact on droning, what do you know and think about this, it's potential for spreading, and the potential major impact?
"Surveyors in North Carolina are worried about drone pilots encroaching on their work. So much so that they say any georeferenced image or output made using a drone and sold to a client-whether it’s a photo, a 2D map, or a 3D map-would be considered surveying without a license."
So grateful for the video topic its had to fight public perception when all the hear is the negative. Your five point as spot on and I plan to be that advocate in my community. Also prayers for you, your wife and family may God continue to bless you.
Agree with you 100% and this could happen so easily. A friend of mine baulked at the idea and asked how they could ban drones when there are millions of them. Well, quite easily. For example, if DJI were banned from selling drones, they could be forced to disable drones electronically on a country or even world wide basis. Just like drones that will not take off when near an airport. Sure, some tech wizards out there may be able to bypass any restrictions, but where could you fly it? As soon as someone spots it in the air, youre done.
This is bad... 😢
Thank you Russ and very well said.
Russ, Glad to hear your wife is doing well. I appreciate your videos. Always informative. Keep up the good work. Thanks
I'm on your side Russ, please keep us up to date on this issue. Great information keep it up.😉🖖
Happy to hear of the 2 Month progress, you're still in my daily prayers until I hear she's cancer free.
My good friend's wife just found out she has BC, threw them for a loop. He makes 3 people I know if in just a couple months, hadn't known anyone personally in the previous 5 years...
Well done Russ. Thank you for sharing news about your wife.
i remember stories like this when drones first came out, but it was more drones and high rise apartments.
As a quick feedback, regulations here in Brazil are a total mess. One agency says you are not allowed to fly over 70m (!), while another says you are allowed to fly up to the usual 120m. Moreover, helicopters are not supposed to fly under 150m but around my place they are very often flying lower than that. And the reason I know this is because I live on the 9th floor and they are often level with my window! There are lots of skyrises around, but no helipad nearby, mind you. Conversely, I flew many times in Australia and regulations are very clear (albeit seemingly senseless at times, but still clear). That said, while I totally agree with you, sometimes this might be difficult in practice in some places, such as Brazil.
I'm in for a hat! Thanks, Russ!
Great news on your wife and best wishes through this next phase.
Well done, Russ!
Fantastic message for all. My best to your wife. :)
No, don't talk to me about "privacy" if you are ok with the government capturing all your communications, location, movements, etc.
We also have something called curtains.
Well said sir and all the best to you and your wife ❤
I just watched the latest video from Ken Heron, where he is flying a DJI Avata around and following people to see if they like or dislike drones. I hope the people that he followed who dislike drones don’t work for the government. It’s stunts like this that could be a problem for our hobby.
I too am hoping and praying for a speedy, uneventful recovery for your wife. I appreciated you sharing this incident. There was a commenter who compared owning a drone with owning a gun. Both can cause great harm. But the guy that filmed preadolescent girls in a state of partial dress, I have nothing but the deepest contempt for. I know telephoto lenses have been around for decades and can accomplish similar nefarious objectives. But the thought of a drone hovering outside her window infuriates me. I use drones for having an eye in the sky. I could have only dreamed of such things 30 years ago. Yes, I’m that old. “What would that rock formation look like from over there?” Now, I can find out. Soaring over cliffs, getting a panorama of an entire mountain range from a vantage point high up and far away. Now it’s all possible. I’m terrified that creeps like this one could ruin this magical technology for me. But why? The internet can be used to get advice about a recent diagnosis of a rare disease or to peruse child pornography. A good DSLR can record the majesty of the Milky Way on a starry night, or zoom in on someone in an apartment across the street undressing. It’s like any technology. It can be used for good or evil. I had only one bad experience in all my years of flying drones. It had been an overcast day, but at sunset magic happened. The sun burst through a tiny aperture in the clouds and illuminated everything in a spectacular golden glow. I had my Mavic Mini with me, and immediately launched it. I saw the most amazing light show I’ve seen in years. It wasn’t visible at ground level, but the drone captured it in HD glory. But then I heard a car approaching, and initially though nothing of it. But then a “lady” stormed out of the SUV and read me the riot act about how she absolutely doesn’t allow drones over her property. Fact is, I wasn’t over her property. Far from it. I pointed out the location of the drone just to prove it to her. But she was adamant. So I stalled for as long as the light lasted and then brought the drone back. I know I was within my rights to fly the drone where I did, but I did not want to start a war with this woman. So I said, yes ma’am. I respect your wishes, and have never flown there again. I was at 400 feet, and nowhere near her house. Even if I had been, no person could be identifiable. Anyway, I took one on the chin for the hobby. I love my eye in the sky, and would do anything to keep ignorant and fearful people from taking it away from me. That s why this story upset me so much. This pervert just confirmed all the paranoid anti-drone crowd’s worst fears. Keep up the good work, Russ.
It’s not a hobby for me, but actually a vital part of my job.
I am investing way more time to stay safe and lawful, than I am beeing paid for….
I hear you, Russ!
Thank you Russ. I feel you 100% I've been with you since your 1st video, however this one made me comment. Keep up the charge brother!
Welcome to the comment section!
First, apologies for giving you grief about sponsoring products. Your content has always been valued and genuine. Subscribing to stay informed. Running a drone services op in RI. Do a lot of freebies for local area to keep what we do positive.
Keep up the great content. This latest video is a wake up call to all but unfortunately local legislators will get it wrong when uninformed.
Best regards to you and your family.
Kevin Friel
Aquidneck Aerials, LLC
Hi Russ love your content of your videos, I'm so sorry to hear about your Wife I truly hope she recovers and the treatment works for her, I'm appalled by what some people will use drones for its absolutely disgusting. Anyway I'm Mark from Perth Western Australia, please keep your videos coming
A similar story is where an unhappy guy was using his drone to harass one of his neighbors by flying the drone over the neighbor and\or around the property line. I don't remember much about the feud, but it was an escalating process between the neighbors.
Wow, in a country with rampant gun misuse this is the activity that is targeted. Hmm, priorities need a bit of realignment.
Gun misuse? Leaning toward banning guns takes freedom away just the same.
Thanks for very important notes.
Is there a good remote I’d device I can use on both my drone and my planes. My friend just bought one but it needs power via plugging into the receiver for power. Is there one that uses battery so I won’t need to plug it in every time I switch it to another plane/drone?
Well said. Best wishes.
Thanks Russ, always appreciate your passion and outspokenness for this hobby. Let's hope this guy gets everything that's coming to him and lawmakers concede they can't "pre-punish" us law abiding citizens for the actions of a criminal. Great to hear the good news about your wife's health, many prayers🙏
Thanks for the info, Russ! I’m glad your wife is doing better!
Very good video. I agree, the majority usually pay the price for the minority. I have been a drone pilot for 5 years, but I have been a photographer for much longer. I can also use a telephoto lens to record what I shouldn't. I don't want to be judged for what low lifes like that one does. I also have daughters and I share your feelings.
When I am out flying, I try to be respectful, I check local drone regulation and I talk to people, ask for permission to fly over places, etc. I also am clearly identified as a photographer and I have my EASA badge (I live in Ireland) handy. My drone is clearly identified and I am always willing to tell people that I am a registered drone pilot and if they have conserns, I can discuss as soon as I land. So far, it has been great, but my point is, be respectful. Fly where you are allowed to, ask for permission or check if you are not sure you are allowed to. Don't just assume or use the DJI Fly app as a defense.
This is off topic but I wonder if you know the answer to this issue. How I can set the height on my Mini 4 Pro to 50 feet instead of the default minimum of 65 feet? Asked for LAANC permission and it said I could fly up to 50 feet then was unable to fly. The drone defaults to a minimum of 65 feet.
Thanks for making this video
Many thanks for sharing Russ; the Drone hobby will no doubt continue to challenge authorities (around the World) with regards to compliance and legalities; regardless, thoughts are with you and your family and sincerely hope things improve; last but not least, lets see you out and about with some Drone reviews !!!!!; a DJI Inspire 2 retrospective (comparing to the Inspire 3!) would be great !!!!
This is a great video. The abuse of drones is inevitable in our society of idiots and creeps, and we really need to unite and promote the safe use of drones.
Thanks!
New to drone world passed test last week Dec. 2023. He must've been spying when people work. Cuz, as we all drones are loud beasts.