I recently had the joy of shooting video with a drone. I haven't purchased one yet, especially with all the continued commotion going on around them.
Take just yesterday, when a friend asked if I knew anyone with a drone who might have cause to be flying over her property and looking in her windows! She was freaking a bit and I don't blame her. Come on, folks, if you're gonna get a drone, be aware of the responsibility and consequences of ownership. This is NOT JUST A TOY!
As photographers and videographers (which is what you are drone people), it is important to be respectable and considerate of others around us.
Here's a tidbit of the endless amount of data one has to read before flying a drone without getting into any legal trouble:
The FAA law requires UAS (unmanned aerial systems), drones and radio controlled aircraft to be registered and properly marked before flight. Go online to go through this process, for recreational or professional purposes.
You are required to obtain a Flight ID Card, and depending on what you are using the drone for, you may even need an equivalent to a pilot license just to fly it! So be aware of the rules and regulations before you consider intruding on your neighbors, community and/or events.
Basically, you, the drone controller, are just like a pilot and need to know the rules of the air before you engage any aircraft, i.e., your drone.
And since we have our very own airport in Boonville, there are also strict regulations regarding how close you can fly near the airport. We don't want any planes crashing because it hit a drone – far worse than a bird!
NO SKEET SHOOTING - Under current federal law, it's illegal to shoot down a drone, even if it's hovering above your own property. Any air below 500 feet above your property is known as a “gray area” and no one can really say who “owns” it. So shooting down a drone for “trespassing” is a tough call. There are states and regions creating laws to control this, but even those are being contested. Besides, own the air?? Really?? Let's be reasonable and practice a little courtesy and consideration of others and ask permission from others before exploring the skies with your drones!
For further information: faa.gov/uas/getting_started/
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