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AIBU?

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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:
AllstarFacilier · 09/09/2023 19:13

My dad has a drone. He plays with it like it’s a remote controlled car since he retired. He takes it to the beach or fields and flies it, but sometimes he flies it from his back garden as he is on a hill and can see for miles around. He’s not creeping or spying, he’s just playing with his toy.

Imisssleep2 · 09/09/2023 20:51

It's illegal for them to fly a drone over your property, if you know who it is and have the bottle ask them to stop or report to the police on 101, it is not allowed.

Thatladdo · 09/09/2023 20:54

Imisssleep2 · 09/09/2023 20:51

It's illegal for them to fly a drone over your property, if you know who it is and have the bottle ask them to stop or report to the police on 101, it is not allowed.

It is completely allowed in the UK.
100% Allowed to be clear

Newrumpus · 09/09/2023 20:58

Imisssleep2 · 09/09/2023 20:51

It's illegal for them to fly a drone over your property, if you know who it is and have the bottle ask them to stop or report to the police on 101, it is not allowed.

Thats not correct

Pottyberry · 09/09/2023 21:05

According to civil aviation "drones" over 250g should fly no closer than 50m to people and should have a flyer ID and operator ID which should be on the drone. If you can possibly photograph it and enlarge you could perhaps trace the operator and ask they stay away from your garden.

"Toys" below 250g are not subject to these restrictions, but toys are not aircraft and no rules on hosing a toy as far as I know.
Feel for you OP x

TicTacNicNak · 09/09/2023 21:13

Get a big sheet to lay on your lawn and paint the words FUCK OFF DRONE on it. Should give them the message.

MariePaperRoses · 09/09/2023 21:13

cultofdrone.com/drone-laws-in-the-uk/

I'd be buying a bigger drone and get it to swoop in front of the invading drone and see if you can engage it in a dog fight!

Thatladdo · 09/09/2023 21:15

Pottyberry · 09/09/2023 21:05

According to civil aviation "drones" over 250g should fly no closer than 50m to people and should have a flyer ID and operator ID which should be on the drone. If you can possibly photograph it and enlarge you could perhaps trace the operator and ask they stay away from your garden.

"Toys" below 250g are not subject to these restrictions, but toys are not aircraft and no rules on hosing a toy as far as I know.
Feel for you OP x

If its a small one its sub 250g, most popular are mini2 &3, these are 242g, as these have cameras on they arent classed as toys and they will need an operator ID.
They can (if they have one!) show you that although they are not obliged to.
It is a offence to distract someone flying a drone, they might ask to you wait until they return and land. which should only take a moment because it should be close by.
If it isnt thats when the offences begin.

Pottyberry · 09/09/2023 21:20

The Civil Aviation Authority give guidance on whether a drone is a toy or not, and it's more complex than your explanation.
@MikeRafone could be good to check out CAA website, lots of drone info there which is accurate.

I have not mentioned distracting a drone operator, not sure why you gave me this information? Maybe for another poster?

Thatladdo · 09/09/2023 21:26

Pottyberry · 09/09/2023 21:20

The Civil Aviation Authority give guidance on whether a drone is a toy or not, and it's more complex than your explanation.
@MikeRafone could be good to check out CAA website, lots of drone info there which is accurate.

I have not mentioned distracting a drone operator, not sure why you gave me this information? Maybe for another poster?

Its close enough given the likely and most common drones used in the uk, although a toy isnt a get out of jail free card it can still cause a nuisence but thats for the police to asses - and not distracting the operator was for the good of anyone reading the whole thread filled with duff info who wanted to find the operator, so yes another poster.

Alphabet1spaghetti2 · 09/09/2023 21:41

Do you know anyone with a pet bird of prey that needs exercising? They seem to deal with the problem quite nicely.
failing that - hose pipe it.

user1471518104 · 09/09/2023 22:59

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.

What's the mitigating circumstances? If they hit the drone whilst its in the air its a major offence and there can be changed by the CAA for interfereing with an aircraft in flight

The drones have GPS and can be tracked to within a few feet at all times. What makes you think they are even recording you ? They most likely are just flying around

user1471518104 · 10/09/2023 21:29

ithinkicanithinkican · 09/09/2023 23:13

All of that stuff s valid for a commercial drone operator. For a leisure user apart from the 50 metre rule it's completely irrelevant

HeatherMoores · 10/09/2023 21:58

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...

Uh oh. Like what?

AnneElliott · 10/09/2023 22:01

TicTacNicNak · 09/09/2023 21:13

Get a big sheet to lay on your lawn and paint the words FUCK OFF DRONE on it. Should give them the message.

This could encourage more of them! When I was learning to fly my instructor told me a farmer had painted 'piss off Biggles' on top of one of his barns, but as the pilots told each other about it, more of them flew past to see it for themselves!

AnneElliott · 10/09/2023 22:03

Or you could take inspiration from this woman and get a jar of pickles.

www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater-manchester-news/latest-act-ukranian-bravery-russian-23301242.amp

WhamBamThankU · 10/09/2023 22:25

Get a very good water gun

PonyPatter44 · 10/09/2023 22:42

I'd be posting on my local Facebook pages that the drone operator was trying to see into kids' bedrooms and was potentially a nonce. Let peer pressure do its work.

Don't like being called a nonce? Stop acting like one, then!

Banana1979 · 10/09/2023 22:58

Get your own drone and wage a war with it
Equip it with some sort of anti-aircraft missile

memote · 10/09/2023 23:10

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.

See I think if you were driven to despair & had a moment of insanity when you threw a rock at a drone & have never been in trouble with the law they wouldn't send you to jail, certainly not on par with throwing rocks at a plane!

Plus police don't even come out for burglaries so...

memote · 10/09/2023 23:12

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.

and if you crash your drone into them when it's hovering, it's just an accident.

memote · 10/09/2023 23:14

@Thatladdo how many drones do you have?!

Totallyterrific · 10/09/2023 23:18

I would be tempted to have an "accident" with a garden hose with the nozzle on the jet setting. "oh dearie me, I was watering my plants and I lost concentration for a moment" etc