is a drone a aircraft or can you shoot it down??

[turbodronepilot]

"Are you guys for real?" (not addressing you personally turbo)
When I read something so incredibly ridiculous, I'm simply dumfounded by you guys!
Ever watch "Life Below Zero"? even THEY have Laws, (and fly in cops) so don't tell me there is NONE where you live.

If someone told me they are going to shoot my drone outta the sky, I would tell them in very clear words, so there is no miscommunication, that I will burn their effing house down to the GROUND if they do !!! (that will shut them the heck up !!!).

Do you guys live on another planet or something, (not just you turbo), I never heard of such craziness ??? Call the DA for Christ's sake and file a report!

Ya man. .
im as real as they come..
this person didn't say anything they just started shooting. .
If I made a threat like that they'd charge me for making a terrorist threat which is a felony.
I wish I would had recorded the conversation with the police officer but I didn't expect that kind of treatment. .
I hope the faa does something, but I doubt it..
the police for the most part leave me alone so I don't want to piss them off..
Unfortunately I can't take this in my own hands because I'd end up in jail..
so it's a no win cituation. .
I lost a phantom a month ago and narrowed it down the battery malfunctioning or it got shot down,but I don't have proff..
if the police are telling people they can shoot drones down that fly over their property someone need s to do something so nobody gets hurt...

 

[Carlsberg]

Ya man. .
im as real as they come..
this person didn't say anything they just started shooting.

I didn't know that mate, my bad.
I am constantly reading on these forums landowners shouting out that they will shoot I1 down.
(do they shoot at Cessna, helis, and other light aircraft)?

I would not fly there anymore, the cops are clearly worthless.
I WOULD contact the district attorney, (there are LAWS against shooting down flying aircraft).

I WOULD also see if you could possible sit down with the cops, bring your laptop, show them some footage, show them how the I1 has no zoom, is terribly noisy, and would make a terrible "spy device". It may be a long-shot, but if you could show them what you are about, they just might see it your way.

 

[turbodronepilot]

I didn't know that mate, my bad.
I am constantly reading on these forums landowners shouting out that they will shoot I1 down.
(do they shoot at Cessna, helis, and other light aircraft)?

I would not fly there anymore, the cops are clearly worthless.
I WOULD contact the district attorney, (there are LAWS against shooting down flying aircraft).

I WOULD also see if you could possible sit down with the cops, bring your laptop, show them some footage, show them how the I1 has no zoom, is terribly noisy, and would make a terrible "spy device". It may be a long-shot, but if you could show them what you are about, they just might see it your way.

That's the thing the police officer said the i1 wasn't an aircraft. .
when I told him I thought it was he got pissed and told me not to quote federal law...
I'll see what the faa says, if they call, and more than likely ill just let it go..
I don't have time in my life for stuff like this and they definitely won't listen to me ..

 

[damoncooper]

Apparently not a top priority for the faa..
Didn't get a call back..

Call just reporting a "gunman shooting at aircraft".


That'll get your call returned I'm sure.

 

[turbodronepilot]

Call just reporting a "gunman shooting at aircraft".

That'll get your call returned I'm sure.

First thing I said was " I have a question about drones" guess that wasn't the right thing to say cause I got sent to the no answer line..hahaha. ...then the voice mail. .

 

[turbodronepilot]

Call just reporting a "gunman shooting at aircraft".


That'll get your call returned I'm sure.

I'm sure I'd get charged for making a false statment and hauled off to jail..
believe me i tread easy when I'm dealing with the authorities and prefer to avoid them ..

 

[damoncooper]

I'm sure I'd get charged for making a false statment and hauled off to jail..
believe me i tread easy when I'm dealing with the authorities and prefer to avoid them ..

Oh, I thought you said your neighbor was shooting at your drone?

That's gunman ("gunwoman" isn't a real word), shooting at aircraft (your UAV).

Not sure what's "false" about that if your neighbor is shooting at aircraft...

 

[turbodronepilot]

Oh, I thought you said your neighbor was shooting at your drone?

That's gunman ("gunwoman" isn't a real word), shooting at aircraft (your UAV).

Not sure what's "false" about that if your neighbor is shooting at aircraft...

Ya man...
I feel it's an aircraft, but the police officer said it wasn't and not to quote federal law.
I dont think it would be a good idea to challenge what he said and call the faa and call it an aircraft. .
I'm not sure what the current definition is but I think he might be right.
But I don't think that gives someone the right to shoot it down..

 

[damoncooper]

Well it was the FAA who classified your UAV as an "aircraft" (hence the need for 333 exemptions). But sure. If your local lawman is a hostile, you may want to tread lightly.

Or call this guy:

 

[Outta Control]

Nice! damon!

 

[Carlsberg]

Ya man...
I feel it's an aircraft, but the police officer said it wasn't ...........

Hi turbo, can you please tell us what the officer said it was? (not a clay target right?)

OK, not a AC, so what did he call it and why is it ok to shoot at it?

 

[turbodronepilot]

Hi turbo, can you please tell us what the officer said it was? (not a clay target right?)

OK, not a AC, so what did he call it and why is it ok to shoot at it?

He didn't define it..he just said it wasn't an aircraft. .
he said if it was trespassing over their land they could shoot it..
I was floored when he said that...
he said they could come out and make sure that they're firing correctly. .
I wasn't going to argue with him and at that point I was telling him not to bother coming out..

 

[Wormwood]

Turbo, we own an FBO locally & our FSDO office is right next door. We have a good working relationship with the FAA, it means we tend to above & beyond on most regulations relating to our repair cert., 134 oper., etc. but hey that's a good thing, right?

If you want, PM me & I can get you a point of contact that will call you back. Using a weapon to bring down any aircraft by an individual is highly illegal & on a federal level it's aggressively prosecuted. The FAA doesn't want this as it could lead to individuals shooting at real aircraft.

And Aussie, from down under! Yes, people shooting at aircraft is a real problem in the U.S. It starts with the location of runway approaches & the quality of real estate under those glide slopes. Typically low income housing, after 20-30 jets landing at 10:00pm they'll get pissed off go outside & shoot the next one that flies over! On any given day we can drive along the sides of our hangars & pickup slugs that came down hit the hangar roof & rolled off.. It tears up our roofs & they all tend leak when it rains.

Wormwood

 

[turbodronepilot]

Turbo, we own an FBO locally & our FSDO office is right next door. We have a good working relationship with the FAA, it means we tend to above & beyond on most regulations relating to our repair cert., 134 oper., etc. but hey that's a good thing, right?

If you want, PM me & I can get you a point of contact that will call you back. Using a weapon to bring down any aircraft by an individual is highly illegal & on a federal level it's aggressively prosecuted. The FAA doesn't want this as it could lead to individuals shooting at real aircraft.

And Aussie, from down under! Yes, people shooting at aircraft is a real problem in the U.S. It starts with the location of runway approaches & the quality of real estate under those glide slopes. Typically low income housing, after 20-30 jets landing at 10:00pm they'll get pissed off go outside & shoot the next one that flies over! On any given day we can drive along the sides of our hangars & pickup slugs that came down hit the hangar roof & rolled off.. It tears up our roofs & they all tend leak when it rains.

Wormwood

Thank you Wormwood. .
Let's hope they call back tomorrow. .
if not I'll take you up on your offer. .
turb...

 

[Drone Mastery]

I am considering calling the faa and seeing what they say although I'm worried that the police officer might retaliate against me..
He obviously didn't care for me or my drone. .

 

[turbodronepilot]

Be easy if you got to bro and don't be pressed into pressing charges. Catch 22 situation. You probably in 1 of those... my type of neighborhoods. Try to be legal and they just drag you back in. You got to admit that ***** bust her gun. Probably protecting her farm.

Ya man ..
I doubt she's a farmer ..
definitely a catch 22 ..
I don't have time to do the court thing plus I know it won't do any good..
We will see what happens ..
thanks slim..
peace...

 

[Mopar Bob]

Was that sheriffs name Roscoe P Coltrane by any chance? Anyway, my 2 cents and its only my opinion: The FAA may not consider the drone an aircraft because it does not have an official registration number (the N number in the US). Even though, by definition, it is an aircraft. That said, I also do not believe property owners own the airspace above their property or in some states the land below their property after a certain depth. If anything, the neighbors complaint could be you were invading their privacy, but he would have to prove that. Also, if you fire a weapon of any sort in the air, it is causing an unsafe situation and the person doing that will normally be arrested. If Roscoe didn't agree, perhaps another cop with half a brain would. Last year in my state we had a situation where a drone pilot had the crap kicked out of him and his drone because he was flying over a beach and some women didn't like that. You may have seen it on the news. Anyway, they watched the film from the drone and arrested the women. Of course as a direct result, they banned flying drones in all CT state parks. So everyone lost. But laws are screwy and often times hard to understand. I wish we had a lobbying committee that could represent our best interests in these matters. I am a member of the AMA but they don't seem to be too proactive when it comes to the laws of flying drones.

 

[damoncooper]

Funny. The FAA considers it an aircraft when it suits them then.

 

[ajohnsonlaird]

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/07/19/faa-guns-drones_n_3624940.html

Short answer: The FAA makes it very clear that shooting at "drones" can endanger people on the ground -- and, as others have pointed out, that falls (pun intended) within the FAA's responsibility.

 

[damoncooper]

According to the FAA it is not an aircraft. It is this reason the defendant was initially acquitted in the very first federal case dealing with reckless operation.

Per the FAA:

AIRCRAFT.— The term aircraft means a device that is used or intended to be used for flight in the air.

UNMANNED AIRCRAFT.—The term ‘‘unmanned aircraft’’ means an aircraft that is operated without the possibility of direct human intervention from within or on the aircraft.

UNMANNED AIRCRAFT SYSTEM.—The term ‘‘unmanned aircraft system’’ means an unmanned aircraft and associated elements (including communication links and the components that control the unmanned aircraft) that are required for the pilot in command to operate safely and efficiently in the national airspace system