Man Accused Of Shooting Down Drone

CBS Philly ^ | 9-30-14

[Paul46360]

"LOWER TOWNSHIP, N.J. (CBS) — A New Jersey man was arrested after police say he shot down a neighbor’s remote control drone."

[Beagle8U]

“By law, you’re incorrect everywhere in the United States. You do not own the airspace above your property.”

You do own the airspace a reasonable distance above your property, certainly the distance of shotgun range!

[Gator113]

Your assumptions are spot on.

[Carriage Hill]

You mean the EPA and Army Corps of Engineers agents BS’d me? Heh, what a surprise. I didn’t argue. That’s for an atty in a court, if necessary.

[SZonian]

Oooh...didn’t think of that...of course, my stunted neanderthal mind goes right into thinking of blasting things to little pieces.

[thackney]

I don’t bother with other folks’ property.

I suspected as much. The article isn't clear if this was over the shooter's property.

I am not a bit bashful when it comes to the willful and deliberate destruction of my property.

As you should. Many of those against the camera drones are concerned with their private property rights.

I suspect we will have some more laws on this topic.

[SkyDancer]

New game. Shotguns and Drones.

[meadsjn]

I don't see a problem. One guy wants to play aerial reconnaissance; the other responds with AAW.

[LostInBayport]

You mean we have too much freedom so we need government to step in and use its power to tax and regulate to prevent someone from owning an RC helicopter that *might* be used to take a picture of your property?

I didn't say anything about taxes.

I didn't say anything about preventing anyone from owning an "RC helicopter" (sounds much cuter and non-threatening than drone, doesn't it).

But there should be a few laws to prevent pervs, thieves and yes, intrusive government agencies from looking in our windows. I don't want voyeurs, crooks and bureaucrats invading my personal space any more than I want them in my life.

[IYAS9YAS]

Your assumptions are spot on.

I wanted to get into flying RC planes, but I keep thinking about what happened when my dad tried it. He had worked with a guy who'd been flying for a while, and was fairly comfortable with it, as long as the guy was nearby to help.

I was home one leave, and my dad decided he wanted to try flying it by himself. We went out to do so. He got it in the air okay, and it was flying well for a short while, then he lost all communication with it (we determined the receiver lost battery power).

It turned hard one direction, then nosed in for the last couple of hundred feet while at full throttle.

It took us a while, but we finally spotted the tail of it sticking up out of a wheat field nearby.

The nose was buried up to the windshield, the wing had snapped the rubber bands holding it on, and the poor little plastic pilot was decapitated.

He built a second plane, but never flew it and wound up selling it years later.

With a helicopter, I'm less worried about my pilot's little head, an much more worried about my own. ;-)

[Beagle8U]

Fly that thing over my house and I’ll smash it with 1 7/16 oz of mag #4 shot going 1400 fps!

[Gator113]

Okay, but only because you asked. Give me your address and we can play. I just got to love keyboard commandos. LMAO

[Paul46360]

thanks

[Oberon]

By law, you're incorrect everywhere in the United States. You do not own the airspace above your property.

That's all well and good. If I see an honest-to-gosh drone over my property, I'm quite likely to be on the wrong side of the law.

[SampleMan]

It was a shotgun.

[Beagle8U]

I’m in southern Mi, about 20 miles NE of Hillsdale.

Fly your stupid toy low over any of the houses in this area and it will get shot down, I guarantee it!

I can’t think of anyone around here that wouldn’t shoot it down.

[gunnut]

But, a landowner may make any legitimate use of their property that they want, even if it interferes with aircraft overflying the land.>/i>

I could make the argument that drone skeet shooting was a legitimate sporting use on my land.

[freedumb2003]

>>Strange because the Palestinians like to celebrate by firing randomly in the air, and they lose a few dozen per year as a result. <<

IIRC, it has to do with terminal velocity and friction. A bullet, after it hits apogee, is the same as any metal object dropped from a height. It would hurt but it doesn’t have nearly the power as a bullet fired from a gun directly aimed at you, even at distance.

[Beagle8U]

I agree!

[Renegade]

Lower Township is ANYTHING but densely populated.

[freedumb2003]

That's all well and good. If I see an honest-to-gosh drone over my property, I'm quite likely to be on the wrong side of the law.

What if it is delivering your Amazon order? You may have shot up your new Whatzitz 2000!