Small local DRONES anyone?

There's one hovering over the parking lot near the South Orange Fire Station. Or there was a few minutes ago. Not sure what they were doing, and if they recorded anything from their camera and what they intend to do with said footage.

Interesting coincidence, -there was a story a few weeks back about a fire crew directing one of their hoses at an apparently distracting drone.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iQ8QqEgynMw

mrincredible: The drone you saw is likely the one being used as part of the SO x South Orange event. One of SO's BOT members (didn't catch the name) appeared at the most recent TC meeting asking Maplewood's permission for the launching of a drone in Memorial Park during that festival. The TC refused to give permission without further study but concluded that the drone could, under current laws, be launched and flown without their permission. Seems like drones are indeed in our very near future.

https://maplewood.worldwebs.com/forums/discussion/id/117760-South-by-South-Orange-3-Day-Festival-of-Arts-Ideas-Music-and-Exploration-Coming-June-26-28-#comment-3019340 Scroll down to SOVCA Jun 12, 2015 at 01:49pm.

This drone was flying in front of the Fire Department last night about 8:20.

tomcat said:
What about privacy issues?

I know people who like to use their secluded hot tub au naturel. If a drone comes across the property line and hovers over me, am I allowed to shoot it down with a good old fashioned slingshot?

Slingshots are generally considered prohibited weapons and mere possession (without a lawful purpose) is a fourth degree felony in NJ. by the way, NJ statute describes serious criminal charges as "crimes (rather than felonies). AFAIK, slingshots cannot be licensed in NJ (unlike rifles and handguns). Perhaps a baseball bat or tennis racket would be less likely to end in legal wrangling in a drone trespass situation.

=========================================

2C:39-3. Prohibited weapons and devices 2C:39-3. Prohibited Weapons and Devices.

e.Certain weapons. Any person who knowingly has in his possession any gravity knife, switchblade knife, dagger, dirk, stiletto, billy, blackjack, metal knuckle, sandclub, slingshot [emphasis added], cestus or similar leather band studded with metal filings or razor blades imbedded in wood, ballistic knife, without any explainable lawful purpose, is guilty of a crime of the fourth degree (AKA fourth degree felony).

Coffeegretchen said:
This drone was flying in front of the Fire Department last night about 8:20.

Same one I saw. It was being controlled by someone at the gazebo. I saw them as I drove away.

Story about a drone shot down by neighbor. I think we can expect to hear more of same. Quite varied comments in the comment section.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/man-shoots-neighbors-drone_55bf8127e4b0d4f33a034e31?

i had a neighbor kid fly his drone over my roof so I could see if the gutters were clogged before hauling out the ladder!

steel said:
Story about a drone shot down by neighbor. I think we can expect to hear more of same. Quite varied comments in the comment section.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/man-shoots-neighbors-drone_55bf8127e4b0d4f33a034e31?

The owner of the drone has released the flight data info, which shows it was actually 270 feet up when the guy shot it, not 10 feet as the shooter reported.

http://www.wdrb.com/story/29670583/update-drone-owner-disputes-shooters-story-produces-video-he-claims-shows-flight-path

I've been waiting for the right time. Just ordered my drone. Not sure if I'm more afraid of the MOL folk who will come after me with pitchforks when I fly it...or my wife if she ever sees my credit card statement.

Potential use for drones would be in off shore/beach rescue. A drone can get a life jacket or preserver to a swimmer, faster than a rescue boat or lifeguard.

RealityForAll said:

tomcat said:
What about privacy issues?

I know people who like to use their secluded hot tub au naturel. If a drone comes across the property line and hovers over me, am I allowed to shoot it down with a good old fashioned slingshot?

Slingshots are generally considered prohibited weapons and mere possession (without a lawful purpose) is a fourth degree felony in NJ. by the way, NJ statute describes serious criminal charges as "crimes (rather than felonies). AFAIK, slingshots cannot be licensed in NJ (unlike rifles and handguns). Perhaps a baseball bat or tennis racket would be less likely to end in legal wrangling in a drone trespass situation.
=========================================
2C:39-3. Prohibited weapons and devices 2C:39-3. Prohibited Weapons and Devices.
e.Certain weapons. Any person who knowingly has in his possession any gravity knife, switchblade knife, dagger, dirk, stiletto, billy, blackjack, metal knuckle, sandclub, slingshot [emphasis added], cestus or similar leather band studded with metal filings or razor blades imbedded in wood, ballistic knife, without any explainable lawful purpose, is guilty of a crime of the fourth degree (AKA fourth degree felony).

"explainable lawful purpose" is vague enough that any any charge would be dismissed or overturned on appeal.

People who don't close curtains on some bedroom windows because there's no line of sight from the ground or some other house should think twice. So much for the romance of an open window on a nice starry night.

Within three days three planes at JFK had close encounters with a drone. At the mashable link you can listen to a commercial pilot reporting the sighting of a drone near the aircraft. Helicopters were sent to search for the drone and other pilots were cautioned about its presence in the area in the event, I imagine, that they'd have to take evasive action to avoid it.

http://mashable.com/2015/08/03/drone-incident-jfk/

http://www.cnn.com/2015/08/01/us/drone-airliner-jfk/index.html

http://www.cnn.com/2015/08/03/us/drone-airliner-jfk/

ace789nj said:
I've been waiting for the right time. Just ordered my drone. Not sure if I'm more afraid of the MOL folk who will come after me with pitchforks when I fly it...or my wife if she ever sees my credit card statement.

I'd fear the wife.

I think that the drone shooting story that I posted raises many questions about what is acceptable or not. Using a shotgun? -bad. However, what is the acceptable number of drone flyovers in a residential neighborhood? What is the "acceptable" height for them to fly at? How many times are folks just supposed to put up with it as a new invasive annoyance?

How are cops supposed to respond to complaints?

Sometimes after watching various cool videos taken from them it is easy to forget that they are also quite noisy (like a swarm of bees).

They do have many excellent uses, and likely misuses.

Sullenberger: Drone Aircraft A Grave Threat To Aviation Safety

http://washington.cbslocal.com/2015/08/03/sullenberger-drone-threat-to-safety/

steel said:
Story about a drone shot down by neighbor. I think we can expect to hear more of same. Quite varied comments in the comment section.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/man-shoots-neighbors-drone_55bf8127e4b0d4f33a034e31?

Too bad we don't live in a rural area where shooting down trespassing drones would not endanger our neighbors.

This drone stuff creeps me out.

I think personal drones should be illegal. Any other drones should be highly regulated.

You can have voyeurs or nosy kids going through your neighborhood peeking in windows. If someone climbed up to your bedroom window with a ladder and video camera you would normally notice them and get them arrested. Not so with drones that can easily fly away. We now have cameras that can fly to your windows, ladder not needed.

Tech savvy criminals can use drones to case houses, seeing what is of value or what looks to be expensive or looks empty.

If drones become widespread, you can throw whatever privacy you have in your house or apartment out the window because we know some will always abuse. Unless you hang heavy curtains that are always kept closed.

To BG9's point, -in a twisted way, I think it possibly a good thing (since no one was hurt) that there will likely be the occasional "Kentucky Drone Slayer" out there to destroy an intrusive gadget. -The result may be that without requiring the difficult to define or enforce regulations, -drone flyers may be a bit more reticent or respectful of flying such things virtually anywhere as though it were an absolute right without consequences.

The Kentucky guy may be presently be charged with a crime (and we'll see how that ends up) but meanwhile, the drone flyer has lost his expensive nuisance.

Personally I would prefer not to accept drones as an inevitable new pain-in-the-azz.

We do have the start of a drone club at CHS. As stated earlier in this thread the focus is on:

a) building and programming drones

b) using them for:

1. Environmental work up in the reservation -- getting aerial inventories of vegetation before and after major storms, perhaps using infra-red cameras to do large animal counts;

2. Aerial view of tops of CHS buildings for the maintenance department for checking in repair issues;

3. Aerial view of practices for marching band and various athletic teams -- football, soccer, lacrosse, field hockey. Gives coaches a better view of how the team executes plays/formations;

4. Artistic videos

All videos will be done within FAA guidelines. We have professional drone film-makers assisting the club.

And here's an example of what we will NOT be doing with our drones:

http://www.slate.com/blogs/the_slatest/2015/08/04/drugs_on_a_drone_attempted_contraband_delivery_at_mansfield_correctional.html

DottyParker said:
Within three days three planes at JFK had close encounters with a drone. At the mashable link you can listen to a commercial pilot reporting the sighting of a drone near the aircraft. Helicopters were sent to search for the drone and other pilots were cautioned about its presence in the area in the event, I imagine, that they'd have to take evasive action to avoid it.
http://mashable.com/2015/08/03/drone-incident-jfk/

http://www.cnn.com/2015/08/01/us/drone-airliner-jfk/index.html
http://www.cnn.com/2015/08/03/us/drone-airliner-jfk/

This freaks me out. If a flock of birds can take down a jetliner, what can a drone do?

If a drone was buzzing around my property I would probably try to take it down somehow. Throw a baseball, football, rock, stick, whatever.

+1

yahooyahoo said:
If a drone was buzzing around my property I would probably try to take it down somehow. Throw a baseball, football, rock, stick, whatever.

Power washers work wonders. A drone comes anywhere near my house andit's toast.

nj.com: Drone Spotted, by Crews from *Four* different flights, Near Newark Liberty

http://www.nj.com/essex/index.ssf/2015/08/drone_spotted_near_newark_airport_faa_says.html#incart_river

Shotgun shells for shooting down drones.Yes I realize that they are illegal in some states.

http://petapixel.com/2015/08/19/this-new-shotgun-shell-is-for-shooting-down-drones/

One of my uncles owned a 10-gauge goose gun. His record was four geese with one shot. I think this would produce good results on drones as well.

Man On Beach Takes Down Drone By Throwing T-Shirt At It, Ends Up In Jail

http://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/augustine-lehecka-california-drone-beach