CSSHEGEWISCH While I would never consider flying a drone (it's an expensive way to get that shot that nobody else has, and I don't shoot digital), I hope that nobody is stupid enough to try to fly a drone over Clearing or Bensenville. The proximity of those yards to Midway and O'Hare could make things miserable for everyone by someone's very stupid mistake.
While I would never consider flying a drone (it's an expensive way to get that shot that nobody else has, and I don't shoot digital), I hope that nobody is stupid enough to try to fly a drone over Clearing or Bensenville. The proximity of those yards to Midway and O'Hare could make things miserable for everyone by someone's very stupid mistake.
Correct; and with the FAA, they will hit you with a civil penalty which means you won't get your day in court.
I worked in aviation for thirty years under their watchful eye, and can attest that they don't mess around when air safety is compromised.
Norm
"Shhhhhshhhhh! Be vewy qwiet! We're huntin' dwones!"
"Huh-huh-huh-huh!"
Convicted One I guess that if I don't like my neighbor, and one night as he's getting home from work I go over and beat him senseless, that's going to be a misdemeanor. But, if I let it be known that I was waiting for him to get home so I could beat him (laying in wait), then it's a serious felony. So, in that same spirit, I guess that any action I might take against an overflying drone would have to be a "heat of the moment" type emotional crisis.
I guess that if I don't like my neighbor, and one night as he's getting home from work I go over and beat him senseless, that's going to be a misdemeanor. But, if I let it be known that I was waiting for him to get home so I could beat him (laying in wait), then it's a serious felony.
So, in that same spirit, I guess that any action I might take against an overflying drone would have to be a "heat of the moment" type emotional crisis.
Thanks to Chris / CopCarSS for my avatar.
Firelock76 Battle drones? Nah, it'd be more fun if someone with an R/C P-51 shot it down! Or an R/C Messerschmitt, depending on your interests!
Or an R/C Messerschmitt, depending on your interests!
Or a BB gun ? Roman candles ? "Punkin' chunkin" ??? Catapults/ trebuchets ? This could get right interesting (if not out of control . . . ).
Meanwhile, over in Paris, France, there's been a lot of concern in the past couple of days about unknown drones flying over or near the Eifffel Tower, the presidential palace, the U.S. Embassy, etc.
- Paul North.
Murphy Siding Convicted One ...... Years ago I had two neighbors, one of which had his driveway RIGHT ON the propertyline with his next door neighbor, and had a bad habit of cutting a rut into his neighbor's lawn. Neighbor got tired of it and started seeding his lawn with roofing nails, and a third neighbor's dog ended up getting into the nails, and they are probably all still entwined in litigation over it all. A similar type dispute around a nearby small town near here ended when a judge ordered one of the fueding neighbors to get rid of his braying jackasses that he had purchased simply to annoy his neighbor. Sounds like the script for a bad movie starring Danny DeVito and Dan Akroyd.
Convicted One ...... Years ago I had two neighbors, one of which had his driveway RIGHT ON the propertyline with his next door neighbor, and had a bad habit of cutting a rut into his neighbor's lawn. Neighbor got tired of it and started seeding his lawn with roofing nails, and a third neighbor's dog ended up getting into the nails, and they are probably all still entwined in litigation over it all.
A similar type dispute around a nearby small town near here ended when a judge ordered one of the fueding neighbors to get rid of his braying jackasses that he had purchased simply to annoy his neighbor. Sounds like the script for a bad movie starring Danny DeVito and Dan Akroyd.
Johnny
Now THAT would be something, the Red Baron's 81st victory being a drone!
I've always loved the Fokker Triplane, my favorite WW1 fighter. A commenter on a History Channel "Worlds Greatest Fighter Planes" show said it best:
"The Fokker Triplane? Well, it's not the worlds most innovative, effective, or influential fighter, but it sure is cool!"
Convicted One...... Years ago I had two neighbors, one of which had his driveway RIGHT ON the propertyline with his next door neighbor, and had a bad habit of cutting a rut into his neighbor's lawn. Neighbor got tired of it and started seeding his lawn with roofing nails, and a third neighbor's dog ended up getting into the nails, and they are probably all still entwined in litigation over it all.
A local RC airplane group sometimes has dogfights between their planes. Two RC planes each have a plastic ribbon about 10' long put onto their tails. They then chase each other around, trying to chew the ribbon off the other plane with their propellers. From what I've seen, the ol' Red Baron Fokker triplane might be more than a match for a civilian type drone.
A good fence probably costs a helluva lot less than those legal fees Convicted Ones neighbors have racked up!
It has been said that fences make good neighbors. Of course, two pounds of roofing nails or tacks does not cost as much as a good fence does.
Murphy Siding Would I be within my rights, if I have a battle drone attack an unwanted intruder drone in the airspace above my property? Mischief
(sigh) the correct answer to that question is probably a lot more complex than we think it should be. Years ago I had two neighbors, one of which had his driveway RIGHT ON the propertyline with his next door neighbor, and had a bad habit of cutting a rut into his neighbor's lawn. Neighbor got tired of it and started seeding his lawn with roofing nails, and a third neighbor's dog ended up getting into the nails, and they are probably all still entwined in litigation over it all.
it's surprising what you are not allowed to do on your own property if someone can claim they've been victimized by your action.
BaltACD There use to be a TV show about Battle Bot's - guess we need one about Battle Drones.
There use to be a TV show about Battle Bot's - guess we need one about Battle Drones.
Battlebots is returning to the air. I think abc picked it up. They could do a flying drone competition. That'd be cool.
It's been fun. But it isn't much fun anymore. Signing off for now.
The opinions expressed here represent my own and not those of my employer, any other railroad, company, or person.t fun any
Battle drones? Nah, it'd be more fun if someone with an R/C P-51 shot it down!
Try at a well trained hawk on a drone. (watch the blades!! Might have to drop a net on it.)
Murphy Siding Hown in tarntaion was I supposed to know that durnded thing was a drone? It looked just like one of those UFO's you see in the National Enquirer Would I be within my rights, if I have a battle drone attack an unwanted intruder drone in the airspace above my property?
Hown in tarntaion was I supposed to know that durnded thing was a drone? It looked just like one of those UFO's you see in the National Enquirer Would I be within my rights, if I have a battle drone attack an unwanted intruder drone in the airspace above my property?
Never too old to have a happy childhood!
How in tarntaion was I supposed to know that durnded thing was a drone? It looked just like one of those UFO's you see in the National Enquirer Would I be within my rights, if I have a battle drone attack an unwanted intruder drone in the airspace above my property?
Murphy Siding it's proabbly going to come to the forefront of the news in realtionship to a charge of discharging a firearm inside the city limits.
Funny you would mention that aspect. I've contemplated what I might do in a situatuion where i felt Imposed upon by one. I wonder if there are any protective property rights provisions for such devices?
eg; Gee i'm sorry officer, if I had known that the drone belonged to the police dept i would have used my crossbow" etc...
Murphy Siding Out in my neck of the woods, it's proabbly going to come to the forefront of the news in realtionship to a charge of discharging a firearm inside the city limits. A lot of folks are pretty protective of their privacy.
Out in my neck of the woods, it's proabbly going to come to the forefront of the news in realtionship to a charge of discharging a firearm inside the city limits. A lot of folks are pretty protective of their privacy.
I suspect it won't be long before we hear of one taken out of the air by a hose stream at a fire...
Larry Resident Microferroequinologist (at least at my house) Everyone goes home; Safety begins with you My Opinion. Standard Disclaimers Apply. No Expiration Date Come ride the rails with me! There's one thing about humility - the moment you think you've got it, you've lost it...
"Inadvertantly catching...", and therin lies the rub.
It's what the drone owner does with that inadvertantly caught footage. If he's a dummy, he'll put it on the 'net with a "ha-ha" attitude. If he's smart, he won't.
We can go round and round with this but what it amounts to for drone sales and use in the future depends on what's done with them right now. The irresponsible actions of very, very few probably won't make much of a difference. People can be irresponsible with anything. If it gets epidemic, well then...
Only time will tell.
Given the altitude many of these devices are capable of, it's very easy to have a lot of private property in view in a very short time.
I saw drone footage of a fire not long ago in which the field of view easily covered a city block. The focus of the video was obviously the fire, but inadvertantly catching that teenage girl sunbathing nude in a back yard would not have been out of the question.
And given enough altitude, and ambient noise (wind, traffic) a high-flying quadcopter would probably not even be noticed.
Firelock76Pardon, I should have said "Don't overfly private property within reason",
And there you have it in a nutshell, the justification for the qualifier "watch while still legal"
Eventually the concept of what is considered "reasonable" will be drawn into somone's crosshairs.
How high must one build a fence to have a 'reasonable' expectation of privacy?
My guess is that the backlash will come from an unexpected source. The Government will become leery of tattletales 'snooping' on what uncle sam considers to be it's "private" business. Or businesses practicing business models where ethics come into question, choosing to dodge scrutiny. (captive feeding, for example)
Let one well funded "victim" fall prey to observation by others, and the entire landscape could change quickly
Pardon, I should have said "Don't overfly private property within reason", what the videographer did didn't seem to me to be unreasonable. If he was hovering over someone's backyard looking down for "something" or hovering outside someone's window looking for "something else" that'd be another story.
As I said, common-sense should apply.
One more thing: If the blind heavy hand of government regulation ever comes down hard on drones and their users it'll be because of irresponsible use. I don't own a drone and don't have any plans on getting one but I hope it doesn't come down to that.
Drayton Blackgrove does great work with his videos and has quickly mastered the use of drones.
Dave Nelson
Firelock76 Superb video! Someone's got a great eye for the camera, and that's no lie. A cut above the somewhat typical railfan video where the angles are poor, the camera's being held as if by a drunk in an earthquake zone, and no sense of time or place. And I am amazed at how rock-solid the images from the drone are. And LensCaps' right, it DOES kind of remind me of a Christmas layout. What I don't get is "...watch while still legal." As far as I know there's no up-coming prohibitions on private drone use. The rules in effect are common sense: Keep the altitude at 500 feet or less. Keep the drone within eyesight. Don't fly the drone near an airport, or near government installations. Don't overfly private property. DON'T invade anyones privacy, EVER! Follow these rules and you won't get in trouble.
And I am amazed at how rock-solid the images from the drone are.
And LensCaps' right, it DOES kind of remind me of a Christmas layout.
What I don't get is "...watch while still legal." As far as I know there's no up-coming prohibitions on private drone use. The rules in effect are common sense:
Keep the altitude at 500 feet or less.
Keep the drone within eyesight.
Don't fly the drone near an airport, or near government installations.
Don't overfly private property.
DON'T invade anyones privacy, EVER!
Follow these rules and you won't get in trouble.
I wasn't all that impressed with the editing, esp. of the on-the-ground portion - a "mindless run-by" kind of thing.
The drone footage was spectacular, but too much time is spent circling that clock tower with the bell chiming - 1:44 to 2:16 = 32 secs., about 1/7 of the video's length, while just barely showing the tracks below and off to one side - without any trains - or connecting to the railroad in some way. It doesn't say if that tower is part of a former railroad station (doesn't look to be close enough to the tracks, either). However, the other more ornate brick building next to it and a little closer to the tracks does look more like a railroad station - or maybe it's the low frame building on the other side of the tracks ?
I'd like to see a video with some 'pacing' the train from above or to one side, possibly zooming in on the cab from time to time (compare with some segments of BN's 1970's "Portrait of a Railroad" documentary), and/ or tracing forward over the top of the train.
Videos in more scenic environments - mountains, crossing large rivers, etc. - could be show-stoppers.
Anybody else notice that the videographer credited the ads on Google for funding his trips ?
"Note:Please excuse the advertisements. Through the Google Adsense program, the advertisements help me pay for the trips I take to capture the trains."
I would say the thing is if you're not sure, just don't do it. As railyards are private property I wouldn't fly a drone over one, at least not unless I was invited or cleared on the property to do so.
On the right of way? I'm not sure I'd go on the right of way either. There's plenty of places to observe railroad action without tresspassing on the ROW. Why take chances? Are taking pictures really worth getting in trouble over? Mind you, if you're not tresspassing and following the rules I think you should be left alone to enjoy your hobby. I have a libertarian frame of mind that way.
By the way, I watched that video again. I can't get over how GOOD it is.
Hollywood good. If there was a "Oscar" for rail videos he'd get it!
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