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Public ignorance or Willful disdain?

Mike Nevins

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Joined
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Location
Grand Junction, Colorado
Website
www.mountainskyaerial.com
Just a quick note. I was out camping Friday and Saturday in a Non-State camp (National Forest). I decided to launch the Phantom P4P to get an idea of the area and for a short video for online. Just when I was finished, I was approached by a Woman who walked right up to me as I was hand catching the Phantom and telling me that "It's legal in Colorado to shoot down a drone" I told the women that it was not "Legal", then she threatened me by telling me "that I have been warned". I just told here she did not know what she was talking about as she left my camp area.

Fortunately, we were getting ready to pack up and go some where else. She was filming me with her cell phone. She got so close to me that the wash from the Phantom knocked the cell phone out of here hand and she was startled. I took photo's of her, and her truck license plate so that if I need to I could file harassment and the fact that she threatened to shoot my drone down. Could have gotten real ugly if I had let it, but she was just willfully ignorant.
 
Just a quick note. I was out camping Friday and Saturday in a Non-State camp (National Forest). I decided to launch the Phantom P4P to get an idea of the area and for a short video for online. Just when I was finished, I was approached by a Woman who walked right up to me as I was hand catching the Phantom and telling me that "It's legal in Colorado to shoot down a drone" I told the women that it was not "Legal", then she threatened me by telling me "that I have been warned". I just told here she did not know what she was talking about as she left my camp area.

Fortunately, we were getting ready to pack up and go some where else. She was filming me with her cell phone. She got so close to me that the wash from the Phantom knocked the cell phone out of here hand and she was startled. I took photo's of her, and her truck license plate so that if I need to I could file harassment and the fact that she threatened to shoot my drone down. Could have gotten real ugly if I had let it, but she was just willfully ignorant.

Should have told her it is a federal felony to threaten harm to an aircraft, just like you don't say bomb in an airport. Might have changed the dynamic ;)
 
Yeah, I could have. But it's pretty hard to communicate what people don't want to hear regardless of the truth. I have photo's of her and her truck along with her name. So, if any were to come of it, I would at the very least press harassment charges..

Thanks for the thought though.
 
Yeah, I could have. But it's pretty hard to communicate what people don't want to hear regardless of the truth. I have photo's of her and her truck along with her name. So, if any were to come of it, I would at the very least press harassment charges..

Thanks for the thought though.
You did the right thing Mike. It's always easier to play hindsight armchair general like I did, glad the encounter seemed to end where it did and didn't go further down the rabbit hole of crazy they got going on.

Seriously a small drone flying is not reason in itself to threaten an armed response. Too many people feel comfortable threatening gun violence over trivial things in my opinion.
 
I would have told her I shoot back, lol, just kidding. I'm wondering if anyone has been prosecuted for shooting down a drone or trying to? It would be nice if the media would let the public know that it is against the law.
 
You should have called the law immediately. You can't walk up to someone and threaten to shoot anything of theirs because they don t like it. That type of person shouldn't own guns.
 
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I would have told her I shoot back, lol, just kidding. I'm wondering if anyone has been prosecuted for shooting down a drone or trying to?

As far as I am aware no prosecutions have "stuck" to date for this. Once there has been an sUAS shooting and if it's reported to the FAA they then determine if the case is "worthy" of the time, man power, and $$ to pursue. If this is a YES the case is turned over to the Department of Justice for investigation and prosecution. Unfortunately it's not been worthy to date and all cases have remained "Civil" thus far.

Hopefully that will change at some point though.

It would be nice if the media would let the public know that it is against the law.
That's not going to happen (at least not any time soon) because that goes directly against the Media Agenda to keep our big nasty dangerous drones the media BUZZ WORD. They aren't going to do anything to HELP the sUAS industry.
 
Also, the FAA may regret not stepping in merely for the precedent value alone.

My thoughts exactly. It seemed like that would have been an "Easy One" for them... almost like fishing in a barrel lol. Sometimes you gotta wonder what their real thought processes were or did someone say, "I wouldn't touch that with a 10' pole.... let the lower courts work it out."
 
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My thoughts exactly. It seemed like that would have been an "Easy One" for them... almost like fishing in a barrel lol

Absolutely. It would have be a cheap outing for the FAA. "Nope, you can't shoot down an aircraft, even a mere drone, without your safety being at risk."

The local judge botched it too nevertheless. Everyone pulls out their phone and records everything these days. Would the judge think it's ok to shoot the camera out of your hands if someone doesn't like it? Crazy ruling really.
 

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