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  • Private "airspace"

    From Bernie Cosell@21:1/5 to All on Tue Jul 4 10:10:21 2023
    If I see a drone flying over my property, under what circumstances can I
    shoot it down? I think I generally have the right to keep whomever I
    please off of my property... yes I know that means I can't shoot them [the "trespassers will be shot" signs notwithstanding :o)] but does that idea
    extend to the airspace above my property? The trouble with a drone it
    seems to me that shooting it down, harsh as that is, is the only recourse
    I can see to its invasion of privacy.
    /Bernie\
    --
    Bernie Cosell Fantasy Farm Fibers
    bernie@fantasyfarm.com Pearisburg, VA
    --> Too many people, too few sheep <--

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  • From John Levine@21:1/5 to All on Tue Jul 4 12:03:16 2023
    According to Bernie Cosell <bernie@fantasyfarm.com>:
    If I see a drone flying over my property, under what circumstances can I >shoot it down?

    I don't think the answer has changed since you asked the same question
    last week.

    --
    Regards,
    John Levine, johnl@taugh.com, Primary Perpetrator of "The Internet for Dummies",
    Please consider the environment before reading this e-mail. https://jl.ly

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  • From Rick@21:1/5 to Bernie Cosell on Tue Jul 4 12:04:09 2023
    "Bernie Cosell" wrote in message news:3pi8ai5kas9svjqh96l18pqm1qbf7mdc4u@4ax.com...

    If I see a drone flying over my property, under what circumstances can I >shoot it down? I think I generally have the right to keep whomever I
    please off of my property... yes I know that means I can't shoot them [the >"trespassers will be shot" signs notwithstanding :o)] but does that idea >extend to the airspace above my property? The trouble with a drone it
    seems to me that shooting it down, harsh as that is, is the only recourse
    I can see to its invasion of privacy.
    /Bernie\

    Well suppose it weren't an unmanned drone but some kind of manned device
    like a small helicopter with a person on board. Clearly you shouldn't be allowed to shoot it down unless you have reasonable suspicion that it is a threat to human life. In this case it would also represent an invasion of privacy, but I think your only reasonable recourse would be to call the
    police or possibly file a lawsuit against the owner or operator. In the
    case of the unmanned drone, shooting it down would raise other issues such
    as bullets running astray or debris from the falling drone possibly injuring
    a person or property, I think again your only real recourse is calling law enforcement or filing some kind of suit.

    --

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  • From Roy@21:1/5 to Bernie Cosell on Tue Jul 4 12:41:15 2023
    On 7/4/2023 10:10 AM, Bernie Cosell wrote:
    If I see a drone flying over my property, under what circumstances can I shoot it down? I think I generally have the right to keep whomever I
    please off of my property... yes I know that means I can't shoot them [the "trespassers will be shot" signs notwithstanding :o)] but does that idea extend to the airspace above my property? The trouble with a drone it
    seems to me that shooting it down, harsh as that is, is the only recourse
    I can see to its invasion of privacy.
    /Bernie\

    The answer is "it is complicated" and best left to the police.

    A drone flies nearby but it is a real estate agent filming your
    neighbor's house which is going to offered for sale.

    A drone goes by that is being used to take air pollution measurements.

    A drone is being flown by the electric company which is surveying the
    state of the power line in the alley behind your place.

    Your homeowner insurance company or the county is checking the estimates
    on your property value.

    A drone slowly files over your neighborhood. Unbeknownst to you, it is
    the police conducting a search for a missing child. As we already
    discussed, they are conducting a warrantless search. As a result, they immediately raid your property figuring you hid the body.

    Of course if the drone is hovering outside and peeping through your
    window, you have a much better case.

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  • From John Levine@21:1/5 to All on Tue Jul 4 19:50:30 2023
    According to Roy <montanawolf@outlook.com>:
    On 7/4/2023 10:10 AM, Bernie Cosell wrote:
    If I see a drone flying over my property, under what circumstances can I
    shoot it down? I think I generally have the right to keep whomever I
    please off of my property... yes I know that means I can't shoot them [the >> "trespassers will be shot" signs notwithstanding :o)] but does that idea
    extend to the airspace above my property? The trouble with a drone it
    seems to me that shooting it down, harsh as that is, is the only recourse >> I can see to its invasion of privacy.
    /Bernie\

    The answer is "it is complicated" and best left to the police.

    As we said when we discussed this a week ago, shooting down drones is
    not easy, and falling debris or bullets could hit someone or
    something. You would also probably be liable for damage to the drone.

    This is a civil matter and your remedies are civil: sue the person
    who's annoying you with the drone for an injunction to stop or for
    damages.

    People operating drones are required to keep them in sight so if you
    can see the drone, you should be able to see who's running it.



    --
    Regards,
    John Levine, johnl@taugh.com, Primary Perpetrator of "The Internet for Dummies",
    Please consider the environment before reading this e-mail. https://jl.ly

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  • From Barry Gold@21:1/5 to John Levine on Tue Jul 4 22:37:14 2023
    On 7/4/2023 7:50 PM, John Levine wrote:
    People operating drones are required to keep them in sight so if you
    can see the drone, you should be able to see who's running it.

    Yes. And if they don't keep it in sight...?

    In the 1980s my parents had a house with an enclosed backyard -- lots of
    trees and high wall providing privacy from nearby properties.

    My sister would sometimes sunbathe naked, but she noticed that the
    number of airplanes going by overhead would increase dramatically within
    about 20 minutes. This was presumably people flying within the law
    (requiring a minimum altitude of 800 ft. above ground level). But you
    can see a lot from 800 ft. with a good pair of binoculars.

    Note: most "general aviation" craft have only one person on board, the
    pilot, although the standard design usually has two seats and some have
    four. I don't think it's wise for the pilot to be looking somewhere
    other than the surrounding airspace, but there is no guarantee that
    pilots have good sense. I also note an old saying that applies to both
    pilots and motorcyclists: there are old xxxs and there are bold xxxs,
    but there are no old, bold...

    --
    I do so have a memory. It's backed up on DVD... somewhere...

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