Drones And The Law

[~Wingnut~]

Hi all!
Yesterday I came home from work to find two of my neighbours (from separate houses, men in their 30' & 40's) in our back garden attempting to get one of the neighbours drones out of our tree (they were taping long poles together to knock it out). They looked more surprised to see me than I did them. Apparently the 'wind' had blown the drone into our tree (there was no wind). I was kind of shocked and just said I wouldn't let our dog out whilst they were there and I walked off inside a bit dumbstruck that they were there, esp as they had to unbolt the tall gate from the inside to get in. This weekend is going to be spent fitting padlocks to BOTH sides of the gate so they can see there is no getting in if it happens again!

Rewind to last Tuesday and whilst I was at work my husband said there was a drone hovering over our back garden. He let our teen daughter go out there and do the usual swearing at it etc as it was just staying over our garden. Obviously we now know who it belongs to!!
I've since thought more about this after finding them in our garden and feel quite peed off and angry about it esp as I think more about why this neighbour, who lives 3 houses away, is flying it over our garden (it had to be over and in our garden for it to get 'blown' into the tree).

Where do we stand with the law and him doing this? Do we have a right to knock it out of the sky if he does it again? Could he threaten us with having to pay for any damage? Just want to know where we stand really.

Many thanx

[~Wingnut~]

Sorry should add, I don't know if this is one of those drones that has a camera attached, I'm assuming it is but can't be certain.

[ummmm]

How big is the drone. According to my boss the one we have at work needs a licence to fly.

[1ozzy]

Not sure about oop there. In Oz it is illegal to fly one within a certain amount of metres of a building, residential or commercial.

If one came down in my backyard I'd accidentally damage it beyond repair and say "sorry about that, I didn't see it".

[1ozzy]

You may find something here that helps answer your question.

Haven't perused the whole site myself.

https://www.caa.co.uk/Consumers/Model-aircraft-and-drones/Flying-drones/

[Zacs-Master]

I think you need to be certain whether it has a camera or not. If it has I have sympathy with your situation. If it hasn't, I think your overreacting.

[ummmm]

I don't think it's an overreaction to be peeved to find people in your garden when you return home.

[Old_Geezer]

One should ask if one can retrieve one's ball ... er I mean drone.

[hc4361]

They are breaking the law:
You must avoid flying it within 150 metres of a congested area and 50 metres of a person, vessel, vehicle or structure not under the control of the pilot.

[Zacs-Master]

I don't think they are 'laws' hc. As far as i can tell it's advisory by the FAA.

[dannyk13]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-30387107

[chelle7272]

http://www.prettys.co.uk/drones-and-the-law

[New Judge]

"I don't think they are 'laws' hc. As far as i can tell it's advisory by the FAA."

They are indeed laws. The Air Navigation Order 2009 is a comprehensive piece of legislation which regulates almost all aspects of air navigation in the UK:

http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2009/3015/contents/made

Offences under Section 166 (which deals with the regulation of flying "drones" which do not carry surveillance equipment) and Section 167 (which covers those that do) attract maximum fines of £2,500.

These people flying their machine over Wingnut's garden are pillocks. Quite apart from tramping all over her property without permission (which is not what decent neighbours do) many people who fly drones have very little idea how to fly them safely or of the legislation that regulates them. Virtually all of these things are equipped with cameras so making the liable to control under S167. It is quite clear that in an urban setting there is rarely going to be 50 metres where there is no "...vessel, vehicle or structure which is not under the control of the person in charge of the aircraft". Quite simply (and perfectly understandably) it is illegal to fly a drone in any such area.

[ToraToraTora]

I'd shoot it straight down if the hovered anywhere near me, idiots, get one of these: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/NEW-Barnett-BLACK-WIDOW-Powerful-Hunting-Slingshot-Catapult-FREE-38-STEEL-AMMO-/331237158962?hash=item4d1f45f032:g:G0sAAOSwIBBUYzBL

[Zacs-Master]

I stand corrected.

[melv16]

I know a farmer who was plagued by a couple of cretins who were flying their drones over his land and farmhouse, upsetting the livestock. After several warnings, which were ignored, he solved the problem with a shotgun. ... Farmer 2 Drones 0.

[ToraToraTora]

love it melv! kin eejits

[~Wingnut~]

Thank you all! Very helpful. I don't really see how I am over reacting tho as he has no business hovering over our garden, camera or no camera! He has a big enough garden to fly it over or failing that literally just down the road is a massive playing field! Ahh well we will see if he decides to do it again.

Thank you again everyone :)

[Peter Pedant]

// I don't think it's an overreaction to be peeved to find people in your garden when you return home.//

I agree

also you have to think of access - too easy - and what happens if they fall out of the tree and try to claim off your house insurance
padlocks a v good idea

You can also play the girlie card - I am frightened when strangers come into my garding unbid.

when I retrieved my dog from a neighbours garden she rang up the police and said I was trying to get in ! - showed a certain lack of a sense of humour - we dont speak much nowadays and always with a 3rd person present

Oh try photographing them when they are next in your garden
they wont like that at all