If I see a drone flying over my property, under what circumstances can I
shoot it down? I think I generally have the right to keep whomever I
please off of my property... yes I know that means I can't shoot them [the "trespassers will be shot" signs notwithstanding :o)] but does that idea
extend to the airspace above my property? The trouble with a drone it
seems to me that shooting it down, harsh as that is, is the only recourse
I can see to its invasion of privacy.
/Bernie\
--
Bernie Cosell Fantasy Farm Fibers
[email protected] Pearisburg, VA
--> Too many people, too few sheep <--

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According to Bernie Cosell <[email protected]>:

If I see a drone flying over my property, under what circumstances can I >shoot it down?

I don't think the answer has changed since you asked the same question
last week.

--
Regards,
John Levine, [email protected], Primary Perpetrator of "The Internet for Dummies",
Please consider the environment before reading this e-mail. https://jl.ly

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"Bernie Cosell" wrote in message news:[email protected]...

If I see a drone flying over my property, under what circumstances can I >shoot it down? I think I generally have the right to keep whomever I
please off of my property... yes I know that means I can't shoot them [the >"trespassers will be shot" signs notwithstanding :o)] but does that idea >extend to the airspace above my property? The trouble with a drone it
seems to me that shooting it down, harsh as that is, is the only recourse
I can see to its invasion of privacy.
/Bernie\

Well suppose it weren't an unmanned drone but some kind of manned device
like a small helicopter with a person on board. Clearly you shouldn't be allowed to shoot it down unless you have reasonable suspicion that it is a threat to human life. In this case it would also represent an invasion of privacy, but I think your only reasonable recourse would be to call the
police or possibly file a lawsuit against the owner or operator. In the
case of the unmanned drone, shooting it down would raise other issues such
as bullets running astray or debris from the falling drone possibly injuring
a person or property, I think again your only real recourse is calling law enforcement or filing some kind of suit.

--

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On 7/4/2023 10:10 AM, Bernie Cosell wrote:

If I see a drone flying over my property, under what circumstances can I shoot it down? I think I generally have the right to keep whomever I
please off of my property... yes I know that means I can't shoot them [the "trespassers will be shot" signs notwithstanding :o)] but does that idea extend to the airspace above my property? The trouble with a drone it
seems to me that shooting it down, harsh as that is, is the only recourse
I can see to its invasion of privacy.
/Bernie\

The answer is "it is complicated" and best left to the police.

A drone flies nearby but it is a real estate agent filming your
neighbor's house which is going to offered for sale.

A drone goes by that is being used to take air pollution measurements.

A drone is being flown by the electric company which is surveying the
state of the power line in the alley behind your place.

Your homeowner insurance company or the county is checking the estimates
on your property value.

A drone slowly files over your neighborhood. Unbeknownst to you, it is
the police conducting a search for a missing child. As we already
discussed, they are conducting a warrantless search. As a result, they immediately raid your property figuring you hid the body.

Of course if the drone is hovering outside and peeping through your
window, you have a much better case.

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According to Roy <[email protected]>:

On 7/4/2023 10:10 AM, Bernie Cosell wrote:

If I see a drone flying over my property, under what circumstances can I
shoot it down? I think I generally have the right to keep whomever I
please off of my property... yes I know that means I can't shoot them [the >> "trespassers will be shot" signs notwithstanding :o)] but does that idea
extend to the airspace above my property? The trouble with a drone it
seems to me that shooting it down, harsh as that is, is the only recourse >> I can see to its invasion of privacy.
/Bernie\

The answer is "it is complicated" and best left to the police.

As we said when we discussed this a week ago, shooting down drones is
not easy, and falling debris or bullets could hit someone or
something. You would also probably be liable for damage to the drone.

This is a civil matter and your remedies are civil: sue the person
who's annoying you with the drone for an injunction to stop or for
damages.

People operating drones are required to keep them in sight so if you
can see the drone, you should be able to see who's running it.



--
Regards,
John Levine, [email protected], Primary Perpetrator of "The Internet for Dummies",
Please consider the environment before reading this e-mail. https://jl.ly

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On 7/4/2023 7:50 PM, John Levine wrote:

People operating drones are required to keep them in sight so if you
can see the drone, you should be able to see who's running it.

Yes. And if they don't keep it in sight...?

In the 1980s my parents had a house with an enclosed backyard -- lots of
trees and high wall providing privacy from nearby properties.

My sister would sometimes sunbathe naked, but she noticed that the
number of airplanes going by overhead would increase dramatically within
about 20 minutes. This was presumably people flying within the law
(requiring a minimum altitude of 800 ft. above ground level). But you
can see a lot from 800 ft. with a good pair of binoculars.

Note: most "general aviation" craft have only one person on board, the
pilot, although the standard design usually has two seats and some have
four. I don't think it's wise for the pilot to be looking somewhere
other than the surrounding airspace, but there is no guarantee that
pilots have good sense. I also note an old saying that applies to both
pilots and motorcyclists: there are old xxxs and there are bold xxxs,
but there are no old, bold...

--
I do so have a memory. It's backed up on DVD... somewhere...

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