Discussion
So today we saw a drone hovering over our garden/paddock .Surely this is an invasion of privacy . We rang the police thinking it could be someone checking our security or seeing if we had anything worth nicking ?. Police didn't want to know . Anybody else had this , any advice .I assume if I bring it down I will be liable for criminal damage .
mycroft said:
So today we saw a drone hovering over our garden/paddock .Surely this is an invasion of privacy . We rang the police thinking it could be someone checking our security or seeing if we had anything worth nicking ?. Police didn't want to know . Anybody else had this , any advice .I assume if I bring it down I will be liable for criminal damage .
I do think it is legal, but if you "brought it down" from a position that they couldn't film then how could they prove it?Just deny it, and never stop denying it.
The UK Air Navigation Order, published by the CAA is the reference you need to look at to see if any regulations have been broken. Extract for you from Article 95 of the above:
[b](1) The person in charge of a small unmanned surveillance aircraft must not fly the
aircraft in any of the circumstances described in paragraph (2) except in
accordance with a permission issued by the CAA.
(2) The circumstances referred to in paragraph (1) are:
(a) over or within 150 metres of any congested area;
(b) over or within 150 metres of an organised open-air assembly of more than
1,000 persons;
(c) within 50 metres of any vessel, vehicle or structure which is not under the
control of the person in charge of the aircraft;
or
(d) subject to paragraphs (3) and (4), within 50 metres of any person.
(3) Subject to paragraph (4), during take-off or landing, a small unmanned
surveillance aircraft must not be flown within 30 metres of any person.
(4) Paragraphs (2)(d) and (3) do not apply to the person in charge of the small
unmanned surveillance aircraft or a person under the control of the person in
charge of the aircraft.
(5) In this article 'a small unmanned surveillance aircraft' means a small unmanned
aircraft which is equipped to undertake any form of surveillance or data
acquisition.[/b]
Your garden/paddock may not qualify as a congested area:
The Air Navigation Order defines a congested area as being 'any area of a city, town or settlement which is substantially used for residential, industrial, commercial or recreational purposes'.
If in doubt then email the CAA with details of the incident, it's up to them to enforce this order.
I'm surprised the police couldn't help TBH, perhaps call ATC at your local airport or military airfield, they usually have a UAS/Drone liaison officer.
[b](1) The person in charge of a small unmanned surveillance aircraft must not fly the
aircraft in any of the circumstances described in paragraph (2) except in
accordance with a permission issued by the CAA.
(2) The circumstances referred to in paragraph (1) are:
(a) over or within 150 metres of any congested area;
(b) over or within 150 metres of an organised open-air assembly of more than
1,000 persons;
(c) within 50 metres of any vessel, vehicle or structure which is not under the
control of the person in charge of the aircraft;
or
(d) subject to paragraphs (3) and (4), within 50 metres of any person.
(3) Subject to paragraph (4), during take-off or landing, a small unmanned
surveillance aircraft must not be flown within 30 metres of any person.
(4) Paragraphs (2)(d) and (3) do not apply to the person in charge of the small
unmanned surveillance aircraft or a person under the control of the person in
charge of the aircraft.
(5) In this article 'a small unmanned surveillance aircraft' means a small unmanned
aircraft which is equipped to undertake any form of surveillance or data
acquisition.[/b]
Your garden/paddock may not qualify as a congested area:
The Air Navigation Order defines a congested area as being 'any area of a city, town or settlement which is substantially used for residential, industrial, commercial or recreational purposes'.
If in doubt then email the CAA with details of the incident, it's up to them to enforce this order.
I'm surprised the police couldn't help TBH, perhaps call ATC at your local airport or military airfield, they usually have a UAS/Drone liaison officer.
You are also making an assumption that it had a camera fitted, that if it did have a camera that the camera was actually switched on, and if it was switched on it was pointed at your paddock rather than somewhere else. That's a lot of assumptions to get your knickers in a twist over.
DIW35 said:
You are also making an assumption that it had a camera fitted, that if it did have a camera that the camera was actually switched on, and if it was switched on it was pointed at your paddock rather than somewhere else. That's a lot of assumptions to get your knickers in a twist over.
I'm guessing that he's in the middle of nowhere, and it wasn't his neighbors son?I can't think of any reason someone would want to fly a drone near someone else's paddock. All that's in a paddock is horses - horse people wouldn't want a drone near horses in case it scares them, normal people know horses are s
t so wouldn't want to film horses. PS - your post makes it sound like you own a drone. What kind of weirdo owns a drone?
PPS - garden rake OP, garden rake..
If it was fitted with a camera it should not be flown within 50m of people:
https://www.caa.co.uk/Consumers/Model-aircraft-and...
https://www.caa.co.uk/Consumers/Model-aircraft-and...
mycroft said:
So today we saw a drone hovering over our garden/paddock .Surely this is an invasion of privacy . We rang the police thinking it could be someone checking our security or seeing if we had anything worth nicking ?. Police didn't want to know . Anybody else had this , any advice .I assume if I bring it down I will be liable for criminal damage .
Would you also phone the police if an aeroplane or helicopter flew over your house?Nickyboy said:
Was it actually looking at your garden or photographing the surrounding landscape? What do you have to hide? Anyone can look into your garden.
a friend of mine does a lot of aerial photography with his drone, you get amazing pics
Ah yes, the worst thing possible anyone can ever say when your privacy has been invaded in any situation.a friend of mine does a lot of aerial photography with his drone, you get amazing pics
"What have you got to hide?"
If it was over any of your buildings (or within 50m of) then it was illegal. What did the drone look like?
I doubt they were sussing your security as they're not exactly quiet so not really the best thing to use for that.
The police are supposed to be the ones to call now the CAA have handed over to them to investigate these kind of things. Some forces are more proactive than others. If its a one off I really wouldn't bother, just make a note of it in case the same one appears again.
ETA I was wrong over your building is ok if over 50m. Every day is a school day
I doubt they were sussing your security as they're not exactly quiet so not really the best thing to use for that.
The police are supposed to be the ones to call now the CAA have handed over to them to investigate these kind of things. Some forces are more proactive than others. If its a one off I really wouldn't bother, just make a note of it in case the same one appears again.
ETA I was wrong over your building is ok if over 50m. Every day is a school day
Edited by andrewrob on Monday 3rd October 21:12
You don't say how high or low the drone was.
Yes you would quite clearly be liable for criminal damage if you shot it down, and given the device has a GPS and camera on board, there is a good chance the pilot will know who and where, with a nice video to send to the police.
Having piloted one of these with a friend, chances are you're just being paranoid. They wouldn't need to fly over your paddock to get a good look into it, their cameras are pretty good and if it was some nefarious type, they'd have not let you even see the drone.
I get your worry - but put it in to perspective. Google Earth probably gives a good account of the layout of your buildings and paddock. What else could they see that couldn't be seen from the road, or a nefarious type sneaking around?
Privacy is such a grey area, it means different things to different people... but ultimately we all have responsibility for understanding what the situation of our privacy is at all times. If your outside, its best to assume you could be observed.
Yes you would quite clearly be liable for criminal damage if you shot it down, and given the device has a GPS and camera on board, there is a good chance the pilot will know who and where, with a nice video to send to the police.
Having piloted one of these with a friend, chances are you're just being paranoid. They wouldn't need to fly over your paddock to get a good look into it, their cameras are pretty good and if it was some nefarious type, they'd have not let you even see the drone.
I get your worry - but put it in to perspective. Google Earth probably gives a good account of the layout of your buildings and paddock. What else could they see that couldn't be seen from the road, or a nefarious type sneaking around?
Privacy is such a grey area, it means different things to different people... but ultimately we all have responsibility for understanding what the situation of our privacy is at all times. If your outside, its best to assume you could be observed.
andrewrob said:
If it was over any of your buildings (or within 50m of) then it was illegal. What did the drone look like?
I doubt they were sussing your security as they're not exactly quiet so not really the best thing to use for that.
The police are supposed to be the ones to call now the CAA have handed over to them to investigate these kind of things. Some forces are more proactive than others. If its a one off I really wouldn't bother, just make a note of it in case the same one appears again.
No the pilot can fly 50m over a building, where no other provision applies. I doubt they were sussing your security as they're not exactly quiet so not really the best thing to use for that.
The police are supposed to be the ones to call now the CAA have handed over to them to investigate these kind of things. Some forces are more proactive than others. If its a one off I really wouldn't bother, just make a note of it in case the same one appears again.
esxste said:
andrewrob said:
If it was over any of your buildings (or within 50m of) then it was illegal. What did the drone look like?
I doubt they were sussing your security as they're not exactly quiet so not really the best thing to use for that.
The police are supposed to be the ones to call now the CAA have handed over to them to investigate these kind of things. Some forces are more proactive than others. If its a one off I really wouldn't bother, just make a note of it in case the same one appears again.
No the pilot can fly 50m over a building, where no other provision applies. I doubt they were sussing your security as they're not exactly quiet so not really the best thing to use for that.
The police are supposed to be the ones to call now the CAA have handed over to them to investigate these kind of things. Some forces are more proactive than others. If its a one off I really wouldn't bother, just make a note of it in case the same one appears again.
Gassing Station | Speed, Plod & the Law | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff