My First negative, from a Ranger

[IflyinWY]

@Ash

Just because I am ignorant about the term "Ranger", perhaps you could clarify.

Great thread, great info, bummer about the Ranger.

 

[acherman]

I had 5 flights today, in a Canadian national park. I had my wife stand guard duty. Although, she was busy taking her own photos. Hah I do take care not disturb the serenity of the place and the peace of others. I tend to wait to take off or land until there are very few people around, if any. I will also walk some distance away if I can't avoid people (did that twice today). I also tend to take off and zip away quite quickly so the sound does not bother anyone nearby. In and out quickly. That's what my wife loves about me. [emoji16]

 

[LuvMyTJ]

@Ash

Just because I am ignorant about the term "Ranger", perhaps you could clarify.

Great thread, great info, bummer about the Ranger.

It is an authoritative/military term for a person of authority. - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ranger

 

[Ash]

Hi... yes LuvMyTJ, thanks for the clarification. I believe there job on the Valley is general protection of the site as well as doing chores very much like the forestry commission. Thank you guys....

 

[landmannnn]

Talking of the Elan Valley, about 20 years ago I was off roading on one of the tracks along the valley. Now closed.
Four rangers in separate 4x4s caught up with me accompanied by a helicopter. They asked me what I was doing rather aggressively. When I responded that I was driving on an unsurfaced public road with vehicular rights they said - don't let us find you here again and drove/flew off.

Sounds like the same muppets, too much government money and no training...

 

[robinb]

Hi Guys. Myself and a friend I fly with Paul had our first negative today from a Ranger at Ellan Valley in Wales. We were capturing some nice video and stills from the dams and reservoirs. We were not overlooking anyone's property or in a position were we could have caused harm to anybody.

As I was ascending the Phantom a Ranger from Ellan Valley approached me and said I should not fly here and had I got permission. I asked him under what law should I not fly, he said it was a private estate and the area was a strategic site. To be honest I was a bit pissed at him! We weren't doing any harm. We could have gone on to do some great footage of the Victorian dams. I have been flying for 12 months now and in general the public come to us asking about the Drones they seem quite interested in this new technology , and we are grateful. We give advice and demonstrations to the ones who seem genuinely interested. I have to say we did ignore him and moved on. On exiting the site we met two other Phantom Pilots and told them our story, they too seemed a bit pissed. Is it just a case of "I don't like them"...Don't fly here!....... I think yes. I didn't see any signs saying no drone videography. There were a handful of people taking photos and video of these great dams, they weren't asked to stop filming, weren't we just doing the same ? Any thoughts on this? I would like to hear what you think.

Thanks guys.............anyway if you would like to see what we filmed please follow the link below

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sorry but the ranger is talking bollocks

its not a private estate but owned by welsh water. (at least the water bits)

its open to public, it farmed by local famers and owned by the farmers.

 

[skyeboysteve]

My second flight with my P3, was also my second flight from a 4.5 mile long dam, that has a closed road across the top (used by cyclists and sightseers). I was approached by two game wardens five minutes into my flight, and a cameraman from a local TV station. They all seemed fascinated and interested and in general quite friendly. Later that afternoon, I flew from another location on the dam to film the mass of water gushing out of the outlet due to massive flooding we'd been having, turning what is normally a ditch with a trickle of water into a raging category 2 river. As I was about to launch, a local police officer showed up in his cruiser. I asked him if we were allowed to fly there, and he said he had no problem with it--he just wanted to watch. After he left, and I was walking back to my car at the end of my flight, I was met by the same two game wardens who were their friendly selves, but almost apologetically told me that their superiors had gotten a complaint about a drone flying in the vicinity, and was told that it was illegal to fly a drone over Federal Property--since the the dam was maintained by the Army Corp of Engineers, and drone use was considered a national security threat. The one who did most of the talking said he didn't blame me, that if he had a drone, he'd be "flying the **** out of it too".

In any case, I did some research that night, and discovered that yes, you can't take off or land within National Parks, but they have no jurisdiction of the airspace above them--that's up to the FAA to designate restricted airspace--like over parts of the Grand Canyon. This wasn't a national park, but I'm not going to push the issue when I can simply launch from property that doesn't belong to the Army Corp of Engineers.

In any case, it's absurd that people are worried about a flying camera being used for terrorism when anyone can film that dam, including walking right up to the railings around the spillway, or flying low over the area with a helicopter... or (like others have mentioned); simply looking on Google Earth. Just another example how our government is out-of-control and run by people who's only ability in life is winning popularity contests.

 

[sergekouper]

sorry but the ranger is talking bollocks

its not a private estate but owned by welsh water. (at least the water bits)

its open to public, it farmed by local famers and owned by the farmers.

It is actually an estate and filming there is a business for them, they dictate the rules, like it or not.

 

[diver_matt]

For those comparing surveillance with drone photography and ground based, it's important to remember that you can often see things from the air you can't see on the ground (and vice versa). Most importantly, it is more likely one could film from the air anonymously. Going to a popular tourist or protected site means having your photo taken by security cams.

At my air base, we get frequent reports of people taking photos from the freeway alongside the base. Yet they could simply come to the air show and take all they want. The difference is, they have to show I'd and be on many cameras.

 

[GadgetGuy]

Can I get one of those from DJI? Or should I try Amazon? Maybe E-bay...

Amazon has a 30 day refund policy on all returns! I vote for Amazon! Just be sure to check the reviews first, so you dont get one that others won't find hot!

 

[GadgetGuy]

In the UK, the land owners permission is required for takeoff. How that works for common or public land I don't know (I'm based in France, but British so have an interest).

With hindsight, it would probably have been better, to ask the Ranger for the address of the person to ask for permission, a meeting could then have been arranged where hopefully you could demonstrate the unique features of filming with a drone, and explain the safety measures you take.

Don't forget, laws, rights, and common sense are 3 completely different things.

I prefer the option of taking off from somewhere outside the premises, where they can't find you to tell you to stop flying while you are filming, and then apologizing after, if they do find you anyway, by following the landing of the quad! Better to ask forgiveness than permission!