Discharging a firearm within some cites can get you in trouble...

Indeed, in many if not most cities. But! Looks like he lives in an area like mine, where many neighbors may even have their own shooting ranges. :D

@Capulator if you haven't grabbed the latest Easy Reader you might want to give it a read.

Here is one of the issues concerning drones that will become more prevalent..



Criminals in Shropshire have reportedly started using unmanned drones fitted with heat-seeking cameras to steal from and extort illegal cannabis farms.


Apparently taking a leaf out of the book of the police themselves, violent robbers said that the growers make perfect targets because the victims will not report incidents to the authorities.

According to a local newspaper, there has been a huge surge in the number of hidden cannabis farms across Halesowen, Cradley Heath and Oldbury, towns on the outskirts of rural Shropshire some seven miles from central Birmingham.

They require hydroponic lights for the marijuana plants to grow – and the huge amounts of excess heat given off make them easily spottable for a would-be criminal in the know.

One such man, an unnamed 33-year-old, told the Halesowen News that after finding a property with a cannabis farm he and his crew either burgle or “tax” the victim.

“They are fair game,” he said. “It is not like I'm using my drone to see if people have nice televisions. I am just after drugs to steal and sell, if you break the law then you enter me and my drone's world.

“Half the time we don’t even need to use violence to get the crop. Growing cannabis has gone mainstream and the people growing it are not gangsters, especially in places like Halesowen, Cradley Heath and Oldbury.”

The man added that he had started out with the practice in the more built-up area of Handsworth where “you never know who you are messing with”, but came out to leafier suburbs because its “safer and easier to fly”.

Tom Watson, the local MP for West Bromwich East and the chairman of the all-party parliamentary group on drones, told the newspaper that the story shows “the proliferation of drone technology which can be used for both good and bad”.

He said: “It is no surprise enterprising criminals would want to get the upper hand in the criminal underworld by using drones. As a society we will be dealing with the impact of drones on our laws and regulations for years to come.

“And it is time the Government started listening about privacy concerns about the misuse of drones.”

In 2012 the Association of Chief Police Officers reported that 21 cannabis farms were found every day by police in Britain, and that the number of farms had doubled since 2008.

It said the UK is at “significant risk” from criminal gangs who cultivate cannabis on a commercial scale, and that there was also growing evidence of the “taxing” and stealing of crops as well as the use of “debt bondage” to control cultivators.

Here is some information I found on how loosely regulated personal drones are in both the US and the UK.
Since the Patriot Act you can pretty much kiss your privacy goodbye.

’ve all seen impressive drone footage, whether that’s testing reusable rockets in the desert or a timeless birds-eye view of New York City, but if you’ve ever considered taking the plunge and forking out for one yourself, there are one or two things you should probably know first.

So, we’ve put together a little guide to the dos and don’ts to point you in the right direction with a little input from the relevant authorities in the US and UK.

Depending on where you are in the world, there are obviously different rules – just today, Spain published its own set of temporary regulations governing drone use. Don’t consider this legal advice, consider it a jump-off point for your own research; a little background info and some good old-fashioned common sense that probably could be applied wherever you are.





US
In the US, non-commercial drone use is still a mostly unregulated affair, although we wouldn’t necessarily expect it to stay that way indefinitely. Official regulations refer to all unmanned aerial drones as UAS (unmanned aerial systems) and don’t differentiate for personal drones. All guidance relating to ‘model aircraft’ use is exactly that – guidance, rather than ‘regulation’.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is in charge of overseeing airspace in the US and the guidance for non-commercial users. With the increasing realization for the potential of drones, it’s already looking closely at how – and when – they should be permitted for use by businesses (or individuals for commercial activity) in the US. All model aircraft use for business or commercial use in the US is already subject to FAA regulation.

However, if you’re hoping that Amazon’s delivery drones are just around the corner, you’ll be disapointed. The FAA ruled recently that drone use for business purposes will remain banned for the immediate future, but that hobbyist use is still OK for now, providing you follow a few rules.

Specifically, the drone must be kept in your line of sight and clearly observable from your position on the ground, along with a few less-specifically defined pieces of guidance which are more applicable to model aircraft:

“Users are advised to avoid noise sensitive areas such as parks, schools, hospitals, and churches. Hobbyists are advised not to fly in the vicinity of spectators until they are confident that the model aircraft has been flight tested and proven airworthy.

Model aircraft should be flown below 400 feet above the surface to avoid other aircraft in flight. The FAA expects that hobbyists will operate these recreational model aircraft within visual line-of-sight.”

Obviously, there are a few differences between model aircraft and personal drones – the addition of a camera, in many cases, being just one – so make sure you look into any other applicable laws in your own State regarding the operation of drones or capturing of personal images.

It’s worth keeping in mind here that the classing of drones as business use still applies even if you’re using one over private land at less than 400 feet – even if that activity isn’t directly making you money. For example, a realtor using a drone to take aerial shots of a property is still in breach of the rulesand cannot be operated under section 336 of Public Law 112-95 which covers hobbyists.

Two drones do in fact already have certification for commercial use – the ScanEagle and Aeroenvironment’s Puma drone – but are only cleared for use in the Arctic. Neither of them are particularly like the sort of consumer drones available to purchase today anyway.

There also seems to be a general understanding that the FAA isn’t responsible for airspace under 400 feet, but this is incorrect, it says. According to the organization, it has broad provisions that cover from the ground up.

“Consistent with its authority, the FAA presently has regulations that apply to the operation of all aircraft, whether manned or unmanned, and irrespective of the altitude at which the aircraft is operating,” it states.

The FAA was planning to look at the use of drones for commercial purposes again and potentially put something more concrete in writing next year, but according to a recent review of the FAA’s progress, it’s falling massively behind its target delivery dates for any regulation covering UAS.

Again, we wouldn’t be surprised to ultimately see some provisions that cover personal drone use too.

Update: The section above has been edited to clarify that model aircraft in the US are currently subject to FAA ‘guidance’ rather than FAA regulations.

UK
Personal use of drones, usually referred to as UAV’s in the UK, is governed by the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) Air Navigation Regulations, and in very basic terms the most pertinent rules for drone enthusiasts are:

• It must be kept within line of sight at all times by the pilot – this is usually considered to be 500 metres horizontally and 400 feet vertically. You’re also not allowed to work around the line of sight rule by having spotters or relying on someone not in control of the drone relaying messages about its position. Operation beyond the distances stated need special approval from the CAA.
• The pilot must not recklessly or negligently cause or permit an aircraft to endanger any person or property.
• Drones must not be flown within 150 metres of any congested area, within 150 metres of an outdoor assembly of more than 1,000 people, or within 50 metres of any individual except during take-off and landing. You’re also not allowed to fly drones within 50 metres of any other vehicle, structure or property that’s not under your control.
• Unmanned aircraft with a camera attached or built-in are classified as an unmanned surveillance aircraft, and are also subject to stricter rules regarding the operation. For example, if there’s a camera on-board, you’re not allowed to fly the drone within 30 metres of any inidividual, rather than 50 metres.

Additionally, it’s worth bearing in mind that if you’re flying it and collect identifiable images of individuals, you’ll have to conform with the Data Protection Act (DPA) or seek the appropriate exemptions – in most cases non-commercial use is permitted, but you can’t then later use any of the images or footage you captured for gain.

Again, if you want to use your personal drone within these minimum distances of people, you’ll need an exemption or waiver from the CAA.

Common sense
In general, it’s best to keep away from people, but a little common sense can go a long way, Simon Rice, Technology Group Manager at the Information Commissioners Office (ICO), told TNW.

“A drone in itself is not processing any personal data until you strap a video camera to it… It’s only really when you start strapping on sensors, whether that’s cameras, thermal imaging, or whatever it might be, then the privacy implications start to arise. When you’ve got a camera involved it’s not a million miles away from where we are with CCTV… Obviously it’s a slightly larger problem because they’re mobile.”

[It's] a little bit of common sense. There are two different extremes, like flying it in a field or in the park or flying it in your back garden in the center of London. There are obviously clear differences within that. In the park, are you flying it in the park, or are you flying it next to the kids playground – there are more sensitive areas where these kind of things go on.

Rice added that from the ICO’s perspective, it would also look at the purpose of the flight and how well informed people were as to that purpose.

“The more you can do to be open and up front with people and inform them, the easier it is to avoid potential difficulties..Think about how you can put those notices in place to tell people it’s not a police surveillance drone or any other drone.”

If you are in any doubt as to whether you live near or could potentially stray into restricted airspace – a heroically bad idea at all times – you can check out an interactive map before you set out. US or UK, it doesn’t really matter, flying one near an airport is pretty likely to land you in trouble, as your common sense should probably tell you.

There’s also another whole set of guidelines if you want to use drones or model aircraft flown in first-person view, which can be found summarized here.

What happens if I don’t follow the guidelines?
Well, for one thing, it means you just sat there and read all those words for nothing. For another, it means you could land yourself in hot water legally.

We’ve already seen how realtors in the US could potentially get into trouble for drone use related to commercial activity, but don’t go thinking that you’re safe from prosecution in the UK. A photographer has already been cautioned for using a drone to collect aerial images of a fire that had broken out because he later sold them to media outlets.

It’s not just commercial infringement to be wary of though. In April, the UK issued its first conviction related to recreational use of a drone to a man that nearly crashed one into a bridge after allegedly flying it too close to a nuclear facility.

You can see the footage from the fateful flight, including the moment the drone narrowly misses a bridge. That cost him £3,500 in legal costs and an £800 fine.





On the other hand, some cases in the US brought by the FAA against individuals operating drones have been thrown out of court, so there’s clearly more clarity required around the subject on both sides.

So, err, what can I do with a drone?
Well, pretty much anything you want, providing it’s within the confines already laid out.

So that could mean making insanely good surfing videos – you’ll need some friends that are good at surfing for that one though – or simply getting an aerial take on a family gathering.

In other spheres, like the art world, the possibilities for drones are already being explored. For example, the Barbican Centre in London is holding an event called LOOP>>60Hz: Transmissions From The Drone Orchestra,which will use algorithmically-driven drones choreographed to music for an indoor display.





For personal usage, it’s important to keep in mind that even if you’re flying within regulations, you’ll want to make sure you respect people’s reasonable expectation of privacy as well as any other laws you could be breaking. Innocently keeping tabs on that neighbour you like with a drone is very much a no-no for reasons (legal and otherwise) beyond CAA or FAA regulations.

In the fullness of time, we’ll likely see smarter drones, capable of interacting and ‘talking’ with each other automatically and these will likely bring with them a new set of regulations, which could ultimately help the hobbyist – it’s really hard to know what is allowed, if what isn’t allowed isn’t clearly defined.

Somewhat marred by the association with military drones right now, the common perception of ‘personal drones’ as a term will continue to become further removed from its military roots – it’s easy to forget the internet grew out of DARPA research, but it’s no longer specifically associated with the military. With more guidelines for safe and legal usage, consumer adoption will continue to grow, and by extension, drones could increasingly become more useful and transformative for our lives.

As for commercial adoption, that’s a whole different set of hurdles to overcome…

http://www.thenextweb.com/gadgets/2014/07/04/use-personal-drones-legally-beginners-guide/

LittleDabbie said:

I wanna drone thats able to pick up my weed for me so i really don't have to leave the house for that either...

A Delivery drone would be pretty dope Pun intended ;)

Click to expand...

Now that sir ain't a bad idea

Basically law makers need to get on this fast... you CANNOT have some 17 yr old high school kid flying drones around the neighborhood. Or even worse someone with a motive, good or bad. The FAA or whichever lawmakers handle these sort of things need to make some clear guidelines. A license, designated airspace, restricted airspace, zones, times... all that stuff. If you think about it NOT regulating these is a threat to national security in the U.S.A. terrorists could easily get their hands on something like this and fly it over a stadium. In fact if I'm not mistaken a man was arrested just recently in the U.S for flying a drone into a professional sports stadium.

Capulator said:

I live in a suburb and some neighbor from a couple streets over decided he was going to take his new drone for a test flight over my house. This thing sounded like a lawn mower, and was just hovering about my pad.

I gave it the finger, then I found the owner. I was not polite when I told him that if I see that fucking thing above my house again I will shoot it down without hesitation. He asked me where I live, and I told him he will find out when his drone gets blown out of the sky.

Click to expand...

Hell yeah Cap. I'd do the same thing. With no repercussions I can discharge firearms in my hood part of why I live where I do.

Capulator said:

I live in a suburb and some neighbor from a couple streets over decided he was going to take his new drone for a test flight over my house. This thing sounded like a lawn mower, and was just hovering about my pad.

I gave it the finger, then I found the owner. I was not polite when I told him that if I see that fucking thing above my house again I will shoot it down without hesitation. He asked me where I live, and I told him he will find out when his drone gets blown out of the sky.

Click to expand...

Did Hammerhead fly it over again? Lol JK

DC105 said:

Did Hammerhead fly it over again? Lol JK

Click to expand...

The GG4 s1 copter, it'll get cha.

I just read a story, in SFGate I believe, where a guy was using a drone to film a property and some cat started shooting at it, and then at him! Dude shooting is getting some days from the judge. Whoops.

I live in a place where gun shots are the norm. I myself would shoot that shit down. Just my opinion. That shit would get you killed here.

lollipopman said:

Now that sir ain't a bad idea

Click to expand...

There was actually a special on technology a few weeks back. Cant remember the channel I saw it on and Amazon is actually developing prototypes and strategies to some day in the future to use drones as a delivery mechanism for their online orders. Shit before long all you'll have to do is call Dominos and your hot pizza will delivered to your front door. ...........Here come the Jetsons LOL Now I am dating myself......:eek:

Drones are already GPS programmable,just have to punch in the coordinates!For example if you fly your GPS equipped drone out of range of your controller or it loses signal it will automatically fly back and land at the spot it took off from.

burn4me said:

I live in a place where gun shots are the norm. I myself would shoot that shit down. Just my opinion. That shit would get you killed here.

Click to expand...

Same here, we've got many neighbors who have their own home shooting ranges. And same here, I think.

Oh Oh @Capulator you better get out your automatic. Check this video out. Wonder if the dog elroy will be the delivery mascot.? @LittleDabbie D your stash will be there in 10 mins. o_O

http://www.amazon.com/b?node=8037720011

DARPA Is Building A Drone That Can Tell What Color Shirt You’re Wearing From 17,500 Feet

Get ready for an insane leap forward in unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) technology, courtesy of the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency.

For the past few years, DARPA has been working on a system called ARGUS-IR, or Autonomous Real-Team Ground Ubiquitous Surveillance – Infrared, which can take video over an area that is so super high resolution — 1.8 gigapixels — it would take a fleet of 100 Predator drones to produce the same images.

....... " Current infrared systems either have a narrow field of view, slow frame rates or are low resolution. DARPA’s Autonomous Real-Time Ground Ubiquitous Surveillance – Infrared (ARGUS-IR) program will break this paradigm by producing a wide-field-of-view IR imaging system with frame rates and resolution that are compatible with the tracking of dismounted personnel at night. ARGUS-IR will provide at least 130 independently steerable video streams to enable real-time tracking of individual targets throughout the field of view. The ARGUS-IR system will also provide continuous updates of the entire field of view for enhanced situational awareness. " ..........



http://www.wearethemighty.com/darpa-argus-drone-2014-12

Use of an RF Jammer WILL get you thrown in Federal Prison. Even possessing one without the proper permits is a felony offence. Unfortunately, that is the nature of the world we live in now, drones are here to stay. We all just have to continue doing what we've been doing and staying under the radar by appearing to behave as law abiding citizens and keeping our mouths shut.

tobh said:

Use of an RF Jammer WILL get you thrown in Federal Prison. Even possessing one without the proper permits is a felony offence. Unfortunately, that is the nature of the world we live in now, drones are here to stay. We all just have to continue doing what we've been doing and staying under the radar by appearing to behave as law abiding citizens and keeping our mouths shut.

Click to expand...

LOL,growing weeds illegal too.I ohnestly doubt there would be much more than a slap on the hand,they let child molesters and meth dealers out everyday due to overcrowding and there gonna throw someone in federal prison for nerding out?MAYBE if you used it against a drone owned by a govt entity and IF they were able to catch you with it in your possesion and in the act of using it otherwise prove it,pretty hard to do.Im willing to bet you do alot of illegal things every day,big difference between letter of the law and intent of the law.

I'd get me a 2.4GHz jammer. Turn it on only when the drone is in range, otherwise there will be no cell and WiFi network in jammers range. Make drone dissappear and you're good. Someone commes loking for it is looking for trouble ;)