Dealing with Confrontations
- Thread starter cyeung
- Start date
Newton Ware
Active Member
Stephen from FDS is spot on. Great guy and a fantastic company by the way. Got to visit and meet them all last week.
I’ve managed service techs a number of years and had to teach conflict resolution.
First rule, be polite and calm.
Let them talk and vent. Don’t disagree or challenge them. You won’t win this argument.
When they calm a bit and run out of steam, you can try and educate them. If they respond favorably, great. If not, pack and leave. No need to end up on a YouTube video where only their side is presented.
Also a good practice is to make sure you have a solid RTH site established. That way you can get the AC back on auto while you hold their attention if necessary.
I’ve only had one issue where a guy came up and told me this rather unpleasant person, not the term he used, was calling him, (he was operating a business next the parking lot I was flying from). The unpleasant person owned an old industrial site I had flown over on my way to somewhere else. Said he was threatening to call the cops to me. I asked if I was on the guys property, he said no. I assured him I was a licensed pilot and certain I was operating legally. That I would be glad to talk with the police if that became necessary. Finished my flight, avoiding the other guys property, and packed up and left when I got done.
Never heard another word about it. No one else showed up.
But it can get ugly quick if you let it. Don’t let it.
I’ve managed service techs a number of years and had to teach conflict resolution.
First rule, be polite and calm.
Let them talk and vent. Don’t disagree or challenge them. You won’t win this argument.
When they calm a bit and run out of steam, you can try and educate them. If they respond favorably, great. If not, pack and leave. No need to end up on a YouTube video where only their side is presented.
Also a good practice is to make sure you have a solid RTH site established. That way you can get the AC back on auto while you hold their attention if necessary.
I’ve only had one issue where a guy came up and told me this rather unpleasant person, not the term he used, was calling him, (he was operating a business next the parking lot I was flying from). The unpleasant person owned an old industrial site I had flown over on my way to somewhere else. Said he was threatening to call the cops to me. I asked if I was on the guys property, he said no. I assured him I was a licensed pilot and certain I was operating legally. That I would be glad to talk with the police if that became necessary. Finished my flight, avoiding the other guys property, and packed up and left when I got done.
Never heard another word about it. No one else showed up.
But it can get ugly quick if you let it. Don’t let it.
R.Perry
Well-Known Member
You bring up some good points, however if I'm flying I will not engage someone in a discussion, they either wait until I land or talk to themselves.
Even on the job site that I fly twice a week, I find a remote area to launch from primarily because many of the construction people want to chat about the drone.
It is true that a gentle answer turns away wrath, but some people make it very difficult to be polite.
R.P..R
Well-Known Member
This kid handled it well. Keep calm and relax....
And don't be like this guy... Who's irresponsible, disrespectful and confrontational and flexing his FAA part 107
And don't be like this guy... Who's irresponsible, disrespectful and confrontational and flexing his FAA part 107
Exactly the type of drone operator that makes us all look bad. "The girl behind the counter gave you permission?" This "business owner" asks a counter lady for permission to be on private property? What a doofus. Ever heard of a manager?
The company people were both right, your FAA license does not give you carte blanche to be on private property. Both the girl and the guard were polite, he was a total applehole.
R.Perry
Well-Known Member
I agree they guy on private property should have at least known who gave him permission. When told to leave, he did. Rent a cop needed to keep his mouth shut once they agreed to leave. If he did get permission to fly off their property then why was he at fault?
Personally I think he probably could have found a better location on public property to film the bridge.
The problem I see with both of these is dealing with confrontation while the drone is still airborne, that shouldn't happen.
I would have told the first guy to get lost, but I'm not a politically correct person, and I would not have engaged him while I was flying.
Where I work most of the time, I had to get the superintendent to tell the construction people not to bother me when I'm flying. Once I land I have no problem chatting with them.
Both of them should have been told interfering with a PIC while airborne is illegal. You can not engage someone in a debate and keep situational awareness while flying.
I had a park ranger confront me while I was filming a dam face, I told him I would talk to him when I was done, he started yelling that I was breaking the law, I told him to call a real cop, and get lost. The confrontation ended when I went to the park manager and told him I was hired by the power company that is responsible for the dam to film the face of the dam. The GI Joe ranger had no authority to even approach me because one side of the dam is the park, the other side is the power companies responsibility. Not only that the park manager told me there were no restrictions regarding drone operations over the park.
Uninformed people make stupid assumptions based on their ignorance, and I for one have little patience for that kind of thing.
Personally I think he probably could have found a better location on public property to film the bridge.
The problem I see with both of these is dealing with confrontation while the drone is still airborne, that shouldn't happen.
I would have told the first guy to get lost, but I'm not a politically correct person, and I would not have engaged him while I was flying.
Where I work most of the time, I had to get the superintendent to tell the construction people not to bother me when I'm flying. Once I land I have no problem chatting with them.
Both of them should have been told interfering with a PIC while airborne is illegal. You can not engage someone in a debate and keep situational awareness while flying.
I had a park ranger confront me while I was filming a dam face, I told him I would talk to him when I was done, he started yelling that I was breaking the law, I told him to call a real cop, and get lost. The confrontation ended when I went to the park manager and told him I was hired by the power company that is responsible for the dam to film the face of the dam. The GI Joe ranger had no authority to even approach me because one side of the dam is the park, the other side is the power companies responsibility. Not only that the park manager told me there were no restrictions regarding drone operations over the park.
Uninformed people make stupid assumptions based on their ignorance, and I for one have little patience for that kind of thing.
"I had a park ranger confront me while I was filming a dam face" You film my **** face I'd be pissed off too!!!
R.P..R
Well-Known Member
Perry, let’s fly at Santa Cruz! [emoji23] there’s a park ranger out there that we call Smokey the bear. I was filming the FD water rescue out at the boardwalk and Smokey ran up to me and demanded to hand over my drone, claiming that I was violating the FAA rules and regulations, which was false, but I complied and handed him over my drone, minutes later he gave it back, and apologize, to top it off he got mad, because I didn’t informed him that I was there with SCFD. But by the end of the day, I had a good laugh.
