Public Shaming Drone Flying POS

[COEngineer]

This guy launched, flew, and landed his drone (visible on the blanket in the foreground) from a point 5 miles inside the Bridger Wilderness. When I approached him, he and his lady friend were acting almighty nervous, but when I confronted him, he said "I didn't see a sign." I sent the pics to the USFS. If anyone knows this guy, I would like to give his name to the USFS LEO who replied to me.

Edited to clarify that the drone was within the Wilderness the entire time of the incident.

 

[Deez Nutz]

Though I don't agree with people flying their stupid drones here and there and everywhere, is it actually illegal? Wilderness is areas that prohibit mechanized travel on the ground, but are there regs for flying drones above the ground? I believe aircraft are legal to fly over wilderness areas until they decide to touch the ground.

 

[Bryerific]

Though I don't agree with people flying their stupid drones here and there and everywhere, is it actually illegal? Wilderness is areas that prohibit mechanized travel on the ground, but are there regs for flying drones above the ground? I believe aircraft are legal to fly over wilderness areas until they decide to touch the ground.

 

[Deez Nutz]

View attachment 335696

But the OP said the meanie head was flying his drone "into" which I understood as the operator piloting the drone from outside of the wilderness area but flying over the ground in the wilderness area. Which seams legal according to the regs you posted.

If in fact that is what happened, that makes the OP a Karen for being a taddle tale.


Again, I don't disagree that it's an annoying act, just curious what the actual rules say.

 

[rogerthat]

Yeah I think they generally have to follow the same rules as airplanes. I suspect maybe the only rules the dude was breaking was the Faa rules where he can’t fly it above 400 agl and visual line of sight rules. No way he could see his drone at 5 miles

 

[Ben Lamb]

But the OP said the meanie head was flying his drone "into" which I understood as the operator piloting the drone from outside of the wilderness area but flying over the ground in the wilderness area. Which seams legal according to the regs you posted.

If in fact that is what happened, that makes the OP a Karen for being a taddle tale.


Again, I don't disagree that it's an annoying act, just curious what the actual rules say.

Eh,

I think it's a grey area if anything. The key phrase on the USFS website is mechanical and mechanized. If it's defined as that, then it's not able to be used in Wilderness. The fact that he took off and landed outside of it does not negate that he operated it inside the boundaries.

Also, *tattle-tale.

 

[Forkyfinder]

Yeah I think they generally have to follow the same rules as airplanes. I suspect maybe the only rules the dude was breaking was the Faa rules where he can’t fly it above 400 agl and visual line of sight rules. No way he could see his drone at 5 miles

Came here to say this.

Visual line of sight is a near comically abused regulation with drones. I dont think ive ever seen one operating that stayed in LOS the whole time someone was operating it.

 

[COEngineer]

English is hard. He launched, flew, and landed the drone while he and the drone were within the Wilderness (5 miles from the Wilderness boundary), ie, it's not like he accidentally flew across the boundary.

 

[Ben Lamb]

English is hard. He launched, flew, and landed the drone while he and the drone were within the Wilderness (5 miles from the Wilderness boundary), ie, it's not like he accidentally flew across the boundary.

100% worth letting him know.

 

[HappyCamper]

I know your catching flack as a tattle tale but I give you credit. There are far too few LEOs and we appreciate members of the public policing themselves. The vast majority of all crimes are only discovered because of the public saying something. That rule exists for a good reason and he clearly had a guilty conscience.

 

[Deez Nutz]

Eh,

I think it's a grey area if anything. The key phrase on the USFS website is mechanical and mechanized. If it's defined as that, then it's not able to be used in Wilderness. The fact that he took off and landed outside of it does not negate that he operated it inside the boundaries.

Also, *tattle-tale.

I see now that the guy was in the wrong since he was in the wilderness when he took off and landed his drone and for that I appreciate the OP calling him out.

But as to address your point, wilderness areas do not have airspace that extend above them that is part of the wilderness, so if you take off and land outside the boundaries of the wilderness then technically you aren't breaking any laws, and you haven't flown "into" the wilderness unless you land inside of it.

 

[Moserkr]

Good on you COEngineer. Ive been dealing with mtn bikers claiming ignorance on an easy 2 mile hike into a wilderness area with a popular lake. If rules arent enforced then it only gets worse.

 

[rogerthat]

English is hard. He launched, flew, and landed the drone while he and the drone were within the Wilderness (5 miles from the Wilderness boundary), ie, it's not like he accidentally flew across the boundary.

Thanks for the clarification. I suspect I read your message before you edited it. I agree with you and appreciate your efforts. I would have turned his arse innto

 

[Carl 9.3x62]

View attachment 335701
Good on you COEngineer. Ive been dealing with mtn bikers claiming ignorance on an easy 2 mile hike into a wilderness area with a popular lake. If rules arent enforced then it only gets worse.

Need a stick in the spokes for those

 

[CoHunter1991]

Funny how many humans think rules don't apply to them

 

[OntarioHunter]

Though I don't agree with people flying their stupid drones here and there and everywhere, is it actually illegal? Wilderness is areas that prohibit mechanized travel on the ground, but are there regs for flying drones above the ground? I believe aircraft are legal to fly over wilderness areas until they decide to touch the ground.

Looks to me like it's on the ground.

 

[Deez Nutz]

Looks to me like it's on the ground.

The original post was edited with more information for clarification since my post. Thanks for letting me know though.

 

[Gr8bawana]

Funny how many humans think rules don't apply to them

Oh they do apply but only to other people.

 

[Sytes]

A person may operate a drone from outside the wilderness, fly over the wilderness and return outside - same as a rotate/fixed aircraft.

Whether a simple, "Hey an FYI - operating a drone within a designated wilderness area is not permitted" or public website face placing a person... Meh, to each his/her own. I wouldn't go that far. I would report the incident - based on the peron's reaction to the information.

The guy looks like he was having fun with his g/f and on a dork-ish level, likely didn't read up on the regulations.

 

[FairWeather]

So there’s the rules that say you can’t, therefore you can’t…but putting that aside, what is the actual harm of people flying drones in a wilderness area?

I’m thinking as a hypothetical situation where the pilot didn’t lose or leave their drone, merely flew it around then left and the only offense was flying the drone.

It doesn’t really matter, as we’re not the policy creators, but it just seems like a “mind your own business” kind of thing to me.