Very cool! Essentially, it's a helicopter drone large enough to carry a person. I have a DJI racing drone that has a top speed of 90 MPH. That kind of performance also means it makes a lot of noise. A drone this size must be awfully noisy.
My son is a commercial real estate broker. He utilzes a drone to take videos of his properties that are for sale.
He had to take classes, obtain a Remote Pilot Certificate from the FAA and be certified before he was able to fly his drone. And he has to file a flight plan every time he uses it. Airspace is strictly controlled and some areas are restricted. Flying is limited to 400 feet.
Failure to follow this law may result in civil penalties of up to $32,666 per incident. The FAA may also impose criminal sanctions, which include a fine of up to $250,000 and/or a prison sentence of up to three years upon conviction.
While there is no federal law stopping one from flying a drone over a residential neighborhood or other private property, that area of the law is controlled by each state and even local governments that allow a drone operator to be sued for (1) trespassing (2) invasion of privacy and (3) creating a nuisance by any resident for flying over their property without their permission . The drone also can be confiscated and the operator fined.
FYI . . . If you get pissed off about a drone flying over your yard while your wife is sunbathing don't decide to shoot it out of the sky. It's a federal crime to do so, garnering the same penalties as if you brought down a 747.
@kocour - I have a FAA license as well. Where I live, it is one of the few areas where the airspace is unrestricted. This is unique in So Cal as almost ALL of the airspace has various levels of restriction. I utilize a FAA app on my phone that tells me what airspace is open or restricted. California has no laws preventing flying over private property.
While I will admit to altitude burst up to 1500 feet, I usually keep my altitude below 400 feet. In my googles headset, which relays telemetry to me including other private or commercial aircraft in the area is an extremely useful feature. When aircraft is in the area, for an added measure of safety, I'll descend to 200 feet to ensure that I don't come in contact with them.
For the gun totin' people out there, good luck with shooting down my drone. The top speed is 90 MPH and at 400 feet you can hear it but it's very hard to see.
@kocour - I have a FAA license as well. Where I live, it is one of the few areas where the airspace is unrestricted. This is unique in So Cal as almost ALL of the airspace has various levels of restriction. I utilize a FAA app on my phone that tells me what airspace is open or restricted. California has no laws preventing flying over private property.
While I will admit to altitude burst up to 1500 feet, I usually keep my altitude below 400 feet. In my googles headset, which relays telemetry to me including other private or commercial aircraft in the area is an extremely useful feature. When aircraft is in the area, for an added measure of safety, I'll descend to 200 feet to ensure that I don't come in contact with them.
For the gun totin' people out there, good luck with shooting down my drone. The top speed is 90 MPH and at 400 feet you can hear it but it's very hard to see.
Who would have thought that operating a drone would require a license. And who would have even imagined that there would be a need for such a thing as a googles headset that relay's telemetry and an app that outlines restricted and unrestricted airspace? Drones are definitely not a child's toy.
Surprising that there are no laws governing a fly over of a private residence in Calif. I would think things could get pretty dicey under the trespassing statute, especially if audio and video are recorded.
@kocour - Obviously, my drone can record video. However, it does not have audio capability. Unless the child is Richie Rich, you're right that it DEFINITELY is not a child's toy!
it`s a very impressive neighborhood Marty
