Can't concentrate flying when children are present

[alokbhargava]

If you are flying in a park and kids come nearby and ask questions, you should answer them. Kids have tons of anxieties and questions, we should educate them properly.

 

[Brockrock]

I find that I enjoy flying more now with family and/or friends present. I don't head out alone very often - as I did when I first got the copter - since I'm a lot more confident and proficient now, and it can be a great social event. Also, I think that when random people observe you to be otherwise engaged in a group, social event of this type, they are less likely to come over and attempt to engage you with questions and/or an attempt at conversation, and if they still do, others can speak with them.

Litchi has proven itself useful in this regard, and I find that many of the folks who I invite to go flying take a keen interest in sitting down ahead of time to plan/plot a mission somewhere that we will then go fly - especially if they get a say as to what they think might be a good height, distance, or angle to capture that perfect picture or video. I have found that they feel more engaged if they are a part of the process right from the beginning, and after flying, it's always nice to have others' creative opinions when it comes to video editing.

I do however, understand the frustration of being disturbed while flying, but I guess I see it as 'part of the deal'. This is still a very young industry, and there is a huge amount of public curiosity swirling all around it. The question then becomes, what opinion(s) will that curios person take away from their brief encounter with us, and what will they tell their family, friends, and coworkers...?

 

[Phantom2USA]

I'm hoping they leave you the **** alone so you can have some fun & get that perfect artistic shot..
Try just letting out a huge scream, I bet they'll scatter then..
Me.. I just fly for fun... ain't looking for no art......

 

[hit-n-run]

You win the award for creepiest sounding topic

 

[Pharm]

I suddenly stare at the controller and put on my best "scared" face. Then I say something like, "Oh no! No! No! It's coming back at us! I've lost control! You guys need to get out of here fast! Run for your lives! Run! Run! Run!"

Then I giggle as they practically trip over each other trying to get far away.

 

[Spyderz]

I take it a lot of you guys don't have kids. I do, and I enjoy taking my 3 year old with me when I fly. Sure sometimes he is more interested in throwing rocks in a puddle and making a splash or digging in the sand at the beach, but he also loves the quadcopter (I've been flying minis around him since he was a baby, and two previous generations of Phantoms) and he asks about it all the time and gets excited to watch daddy fly his "qua-caw". Kids that come up to you and ask questions are curious, maybe if people like us that are into the hobby/sport/art engage these young'uns about what we do, what it can do, we will be in a way giving back to the community and maybe inspire some future enthusiasts such as ourselves, People like you guys give the rest of us a bad name to the public. No I won't let random little Johnny have a go at flying my bird, I won't even let my three year old, he gets it and is ok with that, and most of that comes from how you present yourself. Let's be people to be looked up to, not people that give this past time a bad name!

 

[luke14321]

I really hate when I visit a beautiful park with a nice lake view and there are children present. When they see the drone they start making noises and can't concentrate. This is why I prefer to visit any park very early in the morning, when they are not people around that can bother me.

Solution to your problem!

 

[MattMPilot]

I fly my inspire late at night to capture the lake with the backdrop of a beautiful sunset but there are still kids that ask to fly it and try to grab it!

 

[Neon Euc]

When kids come up and ask me questions I reply in Italian. I can't speak Italian... But they dont know that. And soon the little sods bugger off as they can't understand what I'm saying lol

 

[macoman]

Solution to your problem!

I love that thing... It can work!!!

 

[hit-n-run]

What about hot chicks? It might give some of you some general anxiety, but if a hot chick started asking questions as opposed to a kid, would you be just as annoyed?

 

[outdoorslife308]

What a shame. Kids playing at a park? I would've never expected it. It's not like kids were playing at parks in the years before we flew our birds there, was it?

 

[macoman]

What a shame. Kids playing at a park? I would've never expected it. It's not like kids were playing at parks in the years before we flew our birds there, was it?

Look, kids can play in any park they feel like... what I really can't stand is people bothering me when I am trying to take some footage. They are not even asking questions, they are making weird noises that I guarantee that will bother most of you. I would love to record it so you guys can listen and have better understanding.

 

[Spyderz]

Here is a wild thought, if you don't want to be around other people when you fly because of whatever reason, DONT FLY FROM PLACES LIKE PARKS WHERE PEOPLE CONGREGATE! DUH!!!

 

[Phantom2USA]

Wow... what if they're alien children checking out your drone & talking & you think they're just making noise's?

 

[macoman]

Here is a wild thought, if you don't want to be around other people when you fly because of whatever reason, DONT FLY FROM PLACES LIKE PARKS WHERE PEOPLE CONGREGATE! DUH!!!

Well that's the only place I find to be legally allow to do it... I don't want to flight in urbane areas... I can legally be suit if my drone hit a house or car in case of a failure. In a park you can flight on the grass or the lake and if the aircraft shutdown in mid air, it will crash but I will be the one losing it without of fear of someone's property been damaged.

 

[Spyderz]

Well that's the only place I find to be legally allow to do it... I don't want to flight in urbane areas... I can legally be suit if my drone hit a house or car in case of a failure. In a park you can flight on the grass or the lake and if the aircraft shutdown in mid air, it will crash but I will be the one losing it without of fear of someone's property been damaged.

Wow sucks to be you. BTW, those people in the park, if there are enough of them would constitute a large group of people which I do believe is a no no too. And even if they aren't a large group, just the fact they are there means if your bird has a failure and comes down, the possibility exists that it could come down on someone. And how did they get to the park... did they all walk or take transit or ride bikes, OR did maybe some people drive there in vehicles? Pretty safe to say if you come down on one of those vehicles and cause damage to, the owner is going to have grounds to come after you for damage to their property. And of course I know that the county parks in my county are off limits to remote controlled anything, I had a nice talk with a county park ranger about a year ago while I was flying my Phantom there where she informed me of the non posted rule. That even includes the city parks in my small city and most others throughout this county (being county controlled). Something about the ambience it disrupts for the non r/c enthusiasts which constitutes the majority of the park goers. Besides if you are really trying to capture art, flying over the same park all the time, doesn't that get boring? Doesn't that make your art all seem the same??

 

[macoman]

Wow sucks to be you. BTW, those people in the park, if there are enough of them would constitute a large group of people which I do believe is a no no too. And even if they aren't a large group, just the fact they are there means if your bird has a failure and comes down, the possibility exists that it could come down on someone. And how did they get to the park... did they all walk or take transit or ride bikes, OR did maybe some people drive there in vehicles? Pretty safe to say if you come down on one of those vehicles and cause damage to, the owner is going to have grounds to come after you for damage to their property. And of course I know that the county parks in my county are off limits to remote controlled anything, I had a nice talk with a county park ranger about a year ago while I was flying my Phantom there where she informed me of the non posted rule. That even includes the city parks in my small city and most others throughout this county (being county controlled). Something about the ambience it disrupts for the non r/c enthusiasts which constitutes the majority of the park goers. Besides if you are really trying to capture art, flying over the same park all the time, doesn't that get boring? Doesn't that make your art all seem the same??

First, I never flight over people. In fact, I always take the bird far away from people in the park. What does mean the non posted rule, can you elaborated?. I don't flight on the same park, I always try to go to the forest, lake, river... I have not yet test the bird on the beach. Going to check if it's allow in NJ.

 

[outdoorslife308]

Well that's the only place I find to be legally allow to do it... I don't want to flight in urbane areas... I can legally be suit if my drone hit a house or car in case of a failure. In a park you can flight on the grass or the lake and if the aircraft shutdown in mid air, it will crash but I will be the one losing it without of fear of someone's property been damaged.

You can go outside of whatever town/city you live in. Nobody said you could only fly within city limits. If you don't want to fly in urbane areas-don't-fly in the rural areas surrounding where you live.

 

[Mike2A]

Many times I fly with either my son or wife acting as observer/crowd control/public relations liaison which usually leaves me free to focus on my flight and video. Maybe I'll have some Q&A flyers printed?

We might not admit it, but at some level we all like the attention sometimes...