KY: Hillview man arrested for shooting down drone; cites right to privacy

[Dave70968]

They don't have an N number so it is not registered as an aircraft. It's a toy

I'd say that's about the long and the short of it, for now. I'd note that ultralights are formally called "Ultralight Vehicles" (my emphasis), not aircraft, by 14 CFR 103.

That said, I've read some of the proposed changes to address drones, and...well, the FAA (like all .gov agencies) tends not to regulate lightly. Expect definitional changes, soon.

 

[Wheel Gun]

I suspect that this case will be very important to Big Brother agencies. They will not want the precedent set that it's okay to shoot down drones--for any reason. Since a person on the ground cannot really tell whether it's a toy drone flown by one's pervy neighbor or a surveillance drone flown by a three-letter name agency, I suspect that shooting at any drone will be punished heavily. Let's see how hard this man is prosecuted. That will tell us how important drone use is to our leaders.

 

[donner]

I suspect that this case will be very important to Big Brother agencies. They will not want the precedent set that it's okay to shoot down drones--for any reason. Since a person on the ground cannot really tell whether it's a toy drone flown by one's pervy neighbor or a surveillance drone flown by a three-letter name agency, I suspect that shooting at any drone will be punished heavily. Let's see how hard this man is prosecuted. That will tell us how important drone use is to our leaders.

Or also any of the number of businesses that are starting to use them. I've heard of them being used for commercial photography (friend just photographed a hunting club property for a realtor), to power line inspection to crop inspection to any number of other uses.

 

[rlongnt]

If the do get classified as aircraft then they should also have to maintain the same safe altitude and distance minimums. Can't have it both ways.

 

[donner]

If the do get classified as aircraft then they should also have to maintain the same safe altitude and distance minimums. Can't have it both ways.

Why can't they classify them as aircraft and still have a different set of rules? Not all airplanes have the same abilities or rules i'm willing to bet.

 

[rlongnt]

Why can't they classify them as aircraft and still have a different set of rules? Not all airplanes have the same abilities or rules i'm willing to bet.

They can but they still can't fly over your pool in shotgun range:

FAR Sec. 91.119

Minimum safe altitudes: General.

Except when necessary for takeoff or landing, no person may operate an aircraft below the following altitudes:
(a) Anywhere. An altitude allowing, if a power unit fails, an emergency landing without undue hazard to persons or property on the surface.
(b) Over congested areas. Over any congested area of a city, town, or settlement, or over any open air assembly of persons, an altitude of 1,000 feet above the highest obstacle within a horizontal radius of 2,000 feet of the aircraft.
(c) Over other than congested areas. An altitude of 500 feet above the surface, except over open water or sparsely populated areas. In those cases, the aircraft may not be operated closer than 500 feet to any person, vessel, vehicle, or structure.
[ (d) Helicopters, powered parachutes, and weight-shift-control aircraft. If the operation is conducted without hazard to persons or property on the surface--
(1) A helicopter may be operated at less than the minimums prescribed in paragraph (b) or (c) of this section, provided each person operating the helicopter complies with any routes or altitudes specifically prescribed for helicopters by the FAA; and
(2) A powered parachute or weight-shift-control aircraft may be operated at less than the minimums prescribed in paragraph (c) of this section.]

 

[RugersGR8]

Saw a drone on TV the other day that had a 9mm attached to it that fired electronically.
Air to air shoot down?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SNPJMk2fgJU

 

[Dave70968]

They can but they still can't fly over your pool in shotgun range:

FAR Sec. 91.119

Minimum safe altitudes: General.

Except when necessary for takeoff or landing, no person may operate an aircraft below the following altitudes:
(a) Anywhere. An altitude allowing, if a power unit fails, an emergency landing without undue hazard to persons or property on the surface.
(b) Over congested areas. Over any congested area of a city, town, or settlement, or over any open air assembly of persons, an altitude of 1,000 feet above the highest obstacle within a horizontal radius of 2,000 feet of the aircraft.
(c) Over other than congested areas. An altitude of 500 feet above the surface, except over open water or sparsely populated areas. In those cases, the aircraft may not be operated closer than 500 feet to any person, vessel, vehicle, or structure.
[ (d) Helicopters, powered parachutes, and weight-shift-control aircraft. If the operation is conducted without hazard to persons or property on the surface--
(1) A helicopter may be operated at less than the minimums prescribed in paragraph (b) or (c) of this section, provided each person operating the helicopter complies with any routes or altitudes specifically prescribed for helicopters by the FAA; and
(2) A powered parachute or weight-shift-control aircraft may be operated at less than the minimums prescribed in paragraph (c) of this section.]

If they were classed as aircraft, they'd be closest to helicopters; as light as they are, they're unlikely to pose a hazard to persons or property under any conditions. I would expect that, if there's a new rule promulgated to define them as such, they be in the same category as powered parachutes and weight-shift-control: too light to worry about.

 

[tntrex]

Pervcopter

 

[Gideon]

If I build an observation tower in my backyard so I can observe all my neighbor's pool parties, can they shoot at me too?