Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Drone constantly flying over back gardens

100 replies

MikeRafone · 08/09/2023 10:41

I thought privacy in your own back garden was a given - ok a few windows from neighbours

But we have a drone that keeps flying over our gardens in the town where I live every Friday.

Im not keen on this and wonder what they are looking for?

OP posts:
SM4713 · 09/09/2023 16:10

Last week our neighbours house caught fire and it ended in a fatality 😢

As the multiple fire crews were trying to put the fire out, a drone came flying over! The fireman threatened it with the hose and it flew off. How callous and thoughtless can some people be!

notimagain · 09/09/2023 16:10

topnoddy · 09/09/2023 16:05

Well they never found who was flying that one around Gatwick airport did they !

Is there anyway of blocking the signal that controls them I wonder

Is there anyway of blocking the signal that controls them I wonder

Not legally - FWIW the Ukrainians and the Russians are probably the current SMEs

Fallingthroughclouds · 09/09/2023 16:20

I hate them. I think they are really dangerous. What if they have a mechanical fault, run out of battery or the owner is just rubbish at flying them. They could easily drop out of the sky and seriously hurt someone.

Rav3 · 09/09/2023 16:31

Doone21 · 09/09/2023 15:31

Air rifles are not firearms but if she can't locate the owner who the hell is going to prosecute for criminal damage? And she's got mitigating circumstances.

This is not great advice, an air rifle absolutely IS a firearm and you would be breaking numerous laws following your advice. If anyone witnesses your random shooting out of your boundary (the camera on the drone, or a neighbour) and you could be in for some really bad times.

edit - to clarify in UK law an air rifle is deemed a firearm, will differ in other countries.

notimagain · 09/09/2023 16:34

Fallingthroughclouds · 09/09/2023 16:20

I hate them. I think they are really dangerous. What if they have a mechanical fault, run out of battery or the owner is just rubbish at flying them. They could easily drop out of the sky and seriously hurt someone.

What they do in the event of a fault is an "it depends.."

For info - many drones have some degree of automated collision/obstacle avoidance built in.

In the event of the battery getting v low initially most usually try to return "home", failing that most will perform a controlled vertical landing rather than just plummet.....

Daisymay2 · 09/09/2023 16:45

Sorry, spotted not stopped.

Thatladdo · 09/09/2023 16:49

With my drone pilot hat on now..

Lots of bad advice given here, ill clear some of these 1st.

"Air rifles are not firearms" - They very much are! You are very likely to have unplanned visitors VERY quickly! - they wont be friendly or approachable.

"but if she can't locate the owner who the hell is going to prosecute for criminal damage? And she's got mitigating circumstances." - no mitigating circumstances at all, annoyance is rubbish and remember even a sub 250g drone has a 4k camera and this also sends a video feed back to the controller/phone which can be checked later to see you brandishing you weapon, even picking up the drone and taking it if you were foolish enough.

Drones are classed as aircraft and shooting / throwing rocks etc would see you in court as if youd done that to a plane or glider.

Drones "should" always be flown in clear line of site, so the operator of a sub250g drone should be within say 100m and have an unrestricted view of it - this might help you track them down.

Thats the law, but as we know, no all humans dont like to follow laws and stretch boundries think 155mph bmw doing 100 on the motorway, most popular the DJi Mini2/3 will happily fly over 1km away in the ek/eu.

The operator is most likely not even remotely interested and hasnt noticed you. If you found them and asked them/told them your concerns they would probably be more than happy to avoid you and even show you what they are actualy doing.

Wherearemymarbles · 09/09/2023 17:29

if they under 250g the restrictions are simply not to fly above 400ft and in or near airfields.
if they fly high, say 80-100m then the camera is so wide angle you dont get much detail. If they are skimming over your fence at 8ft its a different story!

MonumentalLentil · 09/09/2023 17:30

Quote:

  1. If a drone is equipped with a camera, the operator must register for an Operator ID with the CAA.
MonumentalLentil · 09/09/2023 17:32

So, if you have a security camera pointed at the street you need a sign up but if you want to spy on people in their gardens or look in their windows to burgle them, that is fine.

Fallingthroughclouds · 09/09/2023 17:34

notimagain · 09/09/2023 16:34

What they do in the event of a fault is an "it depends.."

For info - many drones have some degree of automated collision/obstacle avoidance built in.

In the event of the battery getting v low initially most usually try to return "home", failing that most will perform a controlled vertical landing rather than just plummet.....

Show quote history

Thanks, that's good to know. Shame it's not all of them. I imagine a lot of the cheap ones 8 year olds fly maybe don't.

PollyPut · 09/09/2023 17:35

The police should be concerned - it may be looking for properties that look empty/worth burgling. But I think you will need to work with other neighbours to figure out where it is coming from

mug2018 · 09/09/2023 17:37

We had the same .. i dialed 999 and asked for some advice .. the police came within 5 mins as it is an offense.
Granted, there are greater crimes for the police to get involved with but it was their decision to come out, I didn't ask them to as I was only wanting their advice as there was nothing online at the time

LauraNorda · 09/09/2023 17:41

Buy your own drone and fly it into the other one.

Steep learning curve and all that . . .

Thatladdo · 09/09/2023 17:46

MonumentalLentil · 09/09/2023 17:30

Quote:

  1. If a drone is equipped with a camera, the operator must register for an Operator ID with the CAA.

Correct, only an operator ID, no training required exept read the manual.
A flyer ID would not be required but recommended, think of it as a cycling profficiency test for drones - covers basic laws and operational things.

Just renewed mine I think it was a little over a tenner payable each year.
Your given a code unique to you and that is to be visable on said drone so losses/incidents can be attributed to an indervidual.

Just like TV liscences and car insurance, criminals arent interested in them but it demonstrates someone is responsible and aware of the rules i guess.

MrsMoastyToasty · 09/09/2023 17:49

Our local police were using one to see where someone who was acting suspiciously in the lane to the rear the houses opposite us. It wasn't suitable for them to drive the police car down it.

Thatladdo · 09/09/2023 17:50

LauraNorda · 09/09/2023 17:41

Buy your own drone and fly it into the other one.

Steep learning curve and all that . . .

😆
Unless its the local authourity or police who are flying said drone then your in some deep shit.

Dont like police cars driving down your lane? just buy a car and ram into them!! 😆

They all record a log of GPS location and other parameters as well as footage, they are perfectly entitled to fly over your house. Just not at like 20 feet and hover eg.

MidnightOnceMore · 09/09/2023 17:54

MonumentalLentil · 09/09/2023 17:32

So, if you have a security camera pointed at the street you need a sign up but if you want to spy on people in their gardens or look in their windows to burgle them, that is fine.

This is what pisses me off. I don't understand why anyone other than the authorities are allowed to use them over other people's homes.

Unwisebutnotillegal · 09/09/2023 17:54

When my son was little I had severe anxiety and depression. A drone repeatedly flew over my head as I was up a ladder repairing a wall and my son was in the paddling pool , eventually I lost my shit and threw a brick at it. I’m a terrible aim so never thought I’d hit it but I knocked it clean out of the sky. I was completely furious and threw in the front garden with a note attached saying I wasn’t sorry!! Cannot stand them! But maybe don’t take my approach!

muddyford · 09/09/2023 18:02

We this too. It really is an invasion of privacy.

Thatladdo · 09/09/2023 18:03

MidnightOnceMore · 09/09/2023 17:54

This is what pisses me off. I don't understand why anyone other than the authorities are allowed to use them over other people's homes.

Show quote history

There is overlap in most laws, but its like saying you cant look out the window on a plane or if theres a hill behind your garden or you have a low fence someone cant look into it.

If the drone is clearly hovering above your garden and a "low" altitude so you can determine its camera is indeed poiting towards your property then yes, thats a crime.
Again, complicated - a quality drone can see through your windows as a distance that wouldnt cause you alarm thats why the police, fire and survey teams love them.

Emerging technology, annoying eh.
But if someone wanted to spy on you theres a thousand ways that dont involve a noisy, highly noticable, buzzing machine that you would never realise...

Mouthfulofquiz · 09/09/2023 18:12

We had a neighbour using drones outside various bedroom windows on the street at night. I went banging on the gate in my pjs and I was expecting to see their teenager flying the drone but it was the dad of the family and his friend. Pathetic. i said that it was disgusting that he was filming into children’s bedrooms (loud enough for everyone to hear on a quiet night) and it didn’t happen again.

BlueBlubbaWhale · 09/09/2023 18:58

Homeowners own the space above their houses/gardens up to a certain height so no one should be encroaching it. Not sure that's much help until you know who's flying it though.

Thatladdo · 09/09/2023 19:11

BlueBlubbaWhale · 09/09/2023 18:58

Homeowners own the space above their houses/gardens up to a certain height so no one should be encroaching it. Not sure that's much help until you know who's flying it though.

Homeowners have property rights about the airspace above their property, think cutting branches from a neighbours garden or someone building something over your property but thats about where it ends, you have no right to it in a property ownership sence.

The CAA regulate the airspace and its use, thats what the operators ID is all about and there is no minimum height which is stated as being too low, its to be prooved and reasonable that its causing an issue like invasion of privacy and each case is tested and considered on that basis.

You can refuse to let people takeoff and land from your property but thats where your rights end regards private airspace.

Numerous youtube (arsehole) "auditors" have demonatrated how able you are to upset and annoy people, businesses and even places like police stations.