This story just makes me so sad. We got broken into last year, we got pictures and videos and leads about the robber and the police doesn’t wanna do anything about it, same guy came back and robbed a house in a neighbor community and got guns. Again this guy is walking freely without being prosecuted. Now here is a law abiding citizen who flew his drone in a national park and is being prosecuted.
Janis I feel your pain. I was robbed years back, and proved who did it. All the police had to do was make 2 phone calls to verify it, and instead their response to me was, and I quote, "I know it seems like a lot to you, but to us, it's not worth our time." I guess cases like this where they can see it as easy money, the time can be found.
Well you've gotta understand. Catching a robber costs money to arrest, prosecute and jail. However, prosecuting a drone flier can generate revenue for them through fines!!! Follow the money.
Not sure if anyone cares but if you guys are stoned like me atm then you can watch pretty much all of the latest movies and series on InstaFlixxer. I've been streaming with my gf for the last weeks xD
Tyler Johnson buddy, you are on here talking about the fragile ecosystem being jeopardized by drones? Yet gas powered choppers are flying over one by one making noise (being one with nature right?) and killing the environment to make a buck. It’s all about money. Not saving the park. In years of drones 2 reported accidents. Seriously? There’s been more people die by falling off of a slope. Yes it’s illegal but it’s silly. There should def be laws, but the laws in place are just stupid. FAA certified pilots, who understand airspace should definitely be allowed to fly in national parks. So get off of here with your Mother Earth worshiping crap. And go troll a helicopter touring page
Nathan_drones, “buddy,” you have a point, though I never acknowledged fossil fuels to be beneficial to the environment. I agree that they’ve done considerable damage to the world as a whole, indirectly through emissions, but I would never ask the world to halt the things they rely upon. However, I am criticizing a very specific scenario as explained by the video; wherein a pilot, who either wasn’t certified, or was certified and should have known better, violated the law concerning a limited area thereby dedicated to being preserved through abnormally taut restrictions. I’m not necessarily a “Mother Earth worshiper,” though I do appreciate the environment and become frustrated when a minority ignorantly breaks a law, whether or not they agree with it and ruin it for the others. If you’re pissed that it only took 2 drone crashes to make the hobby illegal in a National Park, then what if all drone pilots had the carelessness to fly with such an oblivious understanding of their airspace and the laws corresponding to it? The specific scientific wonders that make-up the reason for the establishment of Yellow Stone National Park, would be impacted in several ways (ie: changes in pH). And you think that all accidents, caused by those who are knowingly violating the policy, are reported to the authorities? I highly, highly doubt that crashed or lost aircraft are reported to those that would charge them for their misconduct. I am also a drone pilot certified under Part 107, so I understand the community and your point of view. I’m irritated that people like this ruin it for people like me, as you are too. Additionally, helicopters are much more sophisticated equipment that allow for a compete understanding of all relative obstacles with 1st person views, unlike drones with only 1 live-video feed, that also require in-person training in addition to much more extensive knowledge tests. They cannot be disconnected from a “controller” when they fly out of range, or have restrictive 30-minute flight times. It’s an apples to oranges comparison. Also, dying by falling is a personal risk; I’m sure the Park System isn’t a fan of retrieving corpses due to physical trauma, so your argument is pitiful to say the least. Finally, I agree with your 3rd to last sentence to an extent; there has to be a way that responsible, well-oriented, and certified pilots with the proper knowledge, equipment, and insight, can enjoy the beauty our National Parks have to offer. So, “buddy,” get off of here with your “laws protecting natural areas are stupid but let me propose an argument about fossil fuels that has nothing to do with flying drones, National Parks are resilient, and I should be an exception because I disagree” crap, and go troll somebody incapable of refuting your stupidity and egotistical attitude.
CaptSpicyWeiner lol that's what happens when you run out of rhetorical arguments; resort to conspiracy theories. If you think that justifies breaking the law, then I'd hate to be your lawyer...
CaptSpicyWeiner don’t make a hyperbole over everything. Of course I’m a science enthusiast- it’s one of the reasons I respect protecting our National Parks. But that’s the stupidest argument I’ve heard. Lol, and you had the audacity to say “super volcano GENIUS.” LOL
This is why I do NOT post any of my flights on UA-cam or any other social media. I keep them in a special place just for me and my family members to see. I don't brake any UAV laws but I still don't trust FAA or any federal government laws.
It's getting stupid bad especially here where I live. I have already had the FAA send me a certified letter which I didn't even pick up because I know for a fact I didn't do a damn thing wrong. What's weird though is they sent a letter to my address stating they where investigating me of flying my drone around my entire neighborhood and taking pictures of people. (NOT) I can't stand my neighbors! Nor would I do something like this!! That being said I have taken my drone out in my backyard and flew no higher then 80 ft and never left the yard!! With the letter came also a yellow piece of paper saying I needed to go to the post office and pick up the certified letter from them! Made no sense to me. I'm guessing if I would have picked up the letter that would make me look guilty of whatever it was they where saying I was doing wrong. I now take my equipment out to our land and that's about the only place I'll fly because seems folks in my neighborhood are crazy ass but bag paranoid schizoids!! We have our huge compound out there and I'd dare any fool to intervene on or even around that location. Especially the feds. I have no love for them whatsoever. Anyway good luck and do your best to fly as far away from people/nuts as possible! You can bet there is going to be that one person who call either the police or FAA on you just for having a hobby and trying to enjoy life. Good day sir🙂 and good luck flying your quads/drones.
Which I do agree they do need drone registration because there are folks out there that like to fly there drones at 3000 ft and more right in the path of other aircraft. These folks one day unfortunately are going to cause a major accident and if God forbid this happens they will be able to identify the quad that may have caused said accident. Funny thing is I see post all over UA-cam of folks flying 3000 ft up and 2 miles out and they think they are so cool. Well guess what it's just a matter of time before they get there little certified letter in the mail. I try to warn people but they get snappy at me and tell me to mind my own business. Lol well that is there hard earned money they are throwing at the Feds hope they enjoy it!
Sounds like one of those neighbors reported you to the FAA. I don't know if it's a good idea to ignore the letter or not. I would have never thought the Yellowstone Park Ranger office would actually spend taxpayer money to pursue such a minimal situation as mine, yet they did. I have a feeling the FAA is the same way. I actually gave away my drone recently to a friend but I have a DJI Mavic Pro on order which is supposed to show up in February.
Bob Brown - Sorry for your bad luck. UA-cam was the reason i wanted a drone . Im so glad i didnt spend the money to get a drone. Maybe they will change the laws . I know one thing , people will stop buying them , if they dont change things soon.
@@robbinstaup7469 not a reason to not get one, they are still tons of fun, right guys??? get one for like $55usd or so like I am doing. i am getting this one, SG700. getting it this week i hope, in about 2-4 days or so from now, all the way from CHINA, to MIAMI FLORIDA. seems like it taking forever to get it though, but it is snail mail so.....HEHEHEHEH.... LOL anyone else here own that one? just asking.
Right.... mistake number one... was to answer any questions from a park ranger calling on Christmas eve. I know you know that now.... HOWEVER the biggest mistake was pleading guilty. This ties the judge's hands into passing punishment. THE ABSOLUTE WORSE THING was to plead guilty. You said yourself the ticket/documentation had the wrong information. They have to prove that you flew that drone yourself (regardless what you said over the phone)--- on that particular day/time/and/location. The extif data on the video file or any images will have proper time stamping on it and also any park pass/receipt for entry would have a proper date that doesn't jive. The prosecutor had zero on hard evidence. YOU ARE INNOCENT UNTIL PROVEN GUILTY---- that is unless you plead guilty, of course. If it were me, I would have summarized to the judge, "the information that was provided on the ticket state that I was at the park on nn-nn-nnnn date, and that alone cannot be proven. I was unequivocally not present at that part on that particular day - that alone should be enough to dismiss. ALSO they haven't proven that I flew the drone at all. NO proof that it was a drone at all. For example, kites are permitted and specifically mentioned as exempt aircraft that are allowed." Hearsay is not admissible as evidence in court. They can't legally hang there hat on any video that you post of footage (that you could have gotten from a stock company or a fellow content creator) that you 'say' that you took at this particular park. That is the very definition of hearsay. They honestly fell on their sword when with any basic information that was presented that was factually inaccurate. game over, good day sir, nice try, move on to the next victim.
Well I agree and don't agree on some points. If I pleaded not guilty I would have likely had to appear in person in Wyoming (I live in Florida) The time and expense to do so didn't make sense. (and of course they know that) Second, I mentioned to the lawyers I talked to how all of the info on the ticket was incorrect, thinking that would invalidate the citation. They said that was not the case, the rangers can simply revise the ticket details and it doesn't matter. Both of these lawyers lived in the Yellowstone area and were quite familiar with the games the rangers play so I believed them. In the brief video they cited me on, you never see me but you can hear my voice at one point and my girlfriends license plate is briefly visible so I think that may have been proof enough, maybe? If I wanted a solid shot at getting the citation thrown out I would have likely needed a lawyer there and again, the cost of securing their services would have been more than the fine was. In the end I did indeed learn to NEVER answer the phone if I am not positive who the number calling is. If it's important, they can leave me a voicemail and then I can decide if I want to respond. Thanks for the feedback, hopefully others learn from my mistakes.
The public is learning that it doesn’t pay to be honest. Logic apparently has no place in law. This is true in Canada as well. Well handled Sir ,keep your pride.
for some reason i think you gave them too much info and thats what they used against you. what would have happened if you didnt answer the phone and blocked their number? i get a bunch of calls from different states and never answer them at all and end up blocking them. it's always telemarketers. if they didnt leave a voicemail or send you a letter explaining why they are looking for you, then wth? i dont know man... sorry this happen to you. thanks for sharing and will keep your experience in mind and i'll stay away from national parks.
Steve Colwill, you sir are correct. The second the park rangers started asking questions he should have invoked his 5th amendment and refused to answer questions. Furthermore, if he was not Marandized, all questions are invalid. This was a misdemeanor crime, which means that the park rangers had to physically see him violate the law. The supreme court has ruled that law enforcement cannot use video, of a misdemeanor crime and absent their presence, to effect an arrest. This dude got railroaded to plead guilty .....
We need to get these laws changed. There should be a good middle ground to allow drones to fly in these parks within certain rules that protect the animals, people, and the environment. Blanket rules to ban drones are unfair. There needs to be organization here among drone hobbyist and drone professionals to lobby for rule changes. Fairness is the key here.
Especially since it seems to be just "drones." I fly a helicopter in my local one and never had a problem. I also drive a ton of RC crawlers and stuff. Any one of those could be just as dangerous to animals/environment, yet they're perfectly fine. What is it about multirotors that scare so many people?
Aardvark The word 'drone' and it's association with the military I would think is where the negative connotation came from. The one thing I've come to realize is people are generally stupid and afraid of things they have no knowledge of, but will stick to their faulty thinking because to change their mind would make them appear weak.
I just got caught yesterday at Grand Teton National Park flying my drone. Same as you, a quick 5 minute flight. I was in the middle of nowhere just off a creek with no humans in sight. Flew my drone, landed it, turned around and two officers were standing watching up on the street. I may even have to fly back to Wyoming from Florida to go to court. RIDICULOUS
I was at Tetons 4 months ago and wanted to fly so bad... such a beautiful place and drives me crazy that I couldn't capture with a harmless drone.... I went to the other side at the national forest and flew over there... I was told that it was only National parks that was illegal... I'm starting to think I should take down some of my videos
How did you not assume that would be illegal? Before I was in Yellowstone, I said to myself, I'm sure that this is illegal, and so I googled it. You got what you deserved. You're making things worse for everyone by not checking first. Only by setting and enforcing strict consequences will people like you be prevented from doing this in the future. And there is signage, at least in Yellowstone. Very obvious if you're paying attention.
Reginald Brown What harm is he doing to society by simply flying a drone over nature, where there is no one around him? As long as you are flying responsibility there should not be an issue. Government worshipping robots like you are the reason these stupid blanket rules are put in place
I took my drone to a National Park in NC and saw a Ranger I asked him if I could fly my drone there and he told me if I put my drone on the ground I would be fined., but I could fly my drone outside the park and fly in and take pictures but if it touched the ground I would be fined.
That is technically true. Remember the FAA and NPS do not cooperate. FAA does not really like the NPS stance, as FAA says it has jurisdiction in airspace, even over parks. But they let NPS have its way on low flying drones, and get the FAA gets you on exceeding height if NPS does not. NPS has very strict rules, and lots of the LE guys are ex-MP's with only a black and white view of world. Another overly-strict drone rule because some people have poor judgement.
Please remember to use the full name & contact info of public officials when you post about them! It helps the rest of us reach out to express our displeasure. If they never hear about it on a large scale, things will never improve for us.
I intentionally left out names as I didn't think in the big picture it would be helpful. I think making the video is helping to put a nice spotlight on the practice and it is something I am seeing on UA-cam more and more.
What HE did was illegal! No excuses for something that could have threatened a fragile ecosystem. I'm an avid drone enthusiast but with the fun comes the responsibility and with the irresponsibility comes the punishment.
first of all you already paid the fine, second how can they prosecute you for it, when you can't see in the video who is operating the drone? Maybe you found sd card with video on it and post it as your own?
If you had registered your drone with the FAA, all that information was up front in the lead up to the registration process. I do agree that the Feds were just running a "for profit" program scanning UA-cam videos not for safety issues but rather racking up the fines to fill their coffers. Last time we camped in a National Park we left our site (with our payment ticket clipped to the post as required) to film the sunset. When we got back to our site, it was occupied by another family. They told me that the Ranger had torn up our ticket and sold them a replacement (I checked their stub carefully and their story checked out). Naturally, they all got off work at 6 pm and were no where to be found when we needed them. I wrote a letter to the park service when we got home and naturally, never heard a word from them.
Nah actually the FAA registration went down more than three months after I flew. The FAA program started in December, I flew in September. And what I saw in the FAA guidelines, there was no mention of national parks as restricted areas, only airports. Fines are definitely a large revenue stream for Yellowstone. Pursuing them via UA-cam videos and cell phone calls was a first according to the couple layers I talked to in Wyoming that dealt with fighting these cases. It's awesome.
That's right, I forgot about the time frame. I registered mine in December, the day it went live online (to avoid paying the $5 fee). But I did read the materials on the registration site and did see that National Parks were off limits there.
Yep I did the same, registered on day one. Ah I just read the info on the main registration page, I didn't know there was more to read. Oh well, an expensive lesson was learned.
Dufisthenics With millions of videos on UA-cam, you have to think that the offended agencies are using key words to do searches. That being the case, I'd be very careful in assigning titles to my videos, avoiding words like "Phantom" or "drone" for instance.
Oh I have no doubt the park ranger was searching "drone yellowstone" Like I said in the video they prosecuted another guy the exact same way. I think he actually flew back in June or July of 2015.
The lesson here is if the park ranger calls you and asks about the flight you play dumb and say it's not your drone. This story could have been thrown out because of the wrong date and time. You could demonstrate that you were in another state at the time of the offense. Ever hear of self-incrimination? You don't have to even talk to the ranger and he can't build a case because he doesn't know anything. Sorry, but this guy buried himself.
I wonder what'll happen if I post a video of my daughter's birthday, and I name it "I flew a drone over Yellow Stone National Park!" and then I tag "National Park Service".
Brilliant! I'm going to post some generic footage of the woods behind my house and title it like that. Then if I get a call tell them to suck my quad. Lol
I would have made them find me. Serve me in person. Make them spend at least what they are going to try and fine me. Never volunteer info to anyone over the phone..
@@minkorrh too late, it is already the law, your required to answer, and btw...i have a few questions for you.... LOL. [if your in a court room, and the judges says to talk, and you do not, your in jail on a contempt of court/charge] although doing that is illegal, but judges get away with it all the time. been there done that.
First mistake was telling him time, date etc, I am a certified commercial drone pilot in Australia, I would not give out any information. To Prosecute they need evidence of a time, date, place and also who the pilot was. if they are missing one component there is no way to prosecute.
@@Duf Yep. they relied on you pleading guilty and not having legal representation due to the cost vs benefit, not many people bother getting legal representation as it costs more than the potential fine. However any trainee solicitor would have had the matter thrown out of Court in about 60 seconds. A lot of my drone videos now no longer say I fly my drone or similar, they just say drone flight over whatever location. That way they can only guess that I was flying the drone, but have no evidence that it was me who was flying it. Especially when I fly over populated areas which I can legally do. But not taking any chances. I also have a side business flying drones taking photographs for money mainly real estate sales. Just be less trusting next time, don't tell them anything, and simply say it was not you flying the drone do not disclose dates, times etc. Good luck with your done videos.
i knw its prob too late but i recently found a little gap in da laws and im aure with thte right council you can beat a ticket given to you at a NATIONAL PARK VIA UA-cam.. Main thing use ur right to not self incriminate, ex: HOW DO THE RANGERS KNW IT WAS A DRONE, u coulda mounted a action cam to a kite 4 example then use that in court with a lawyer and they cnt prove it was filmed with a drone unless you post it or u confess.... Food 4 thought.....
Unfortunately I had no idea about the park policy on drones so I had no concerns about incriminating myself. Since that day I NEVER answer any phone call that I do not recognize the number for, ever.
Years ago when I visited the Grand Canyon you could buy joy flights over it. Is this still the case? Here in Australia the same bans apply but you can buy low level helicopter flights over many national parks where drones are banned. Go figure
This is a perfect situation that shows why it is NEVER a good idea to answer questions from law enforcement. Had you not said anything, they wouldn't have crap on you and you would be $900 richer. I am very pro cop but this was BS. On something so new there needs to be a transition/education period to get the word out that it's against the law to fly in certain areas.
Kevin Slattery the laws are there to protect is all, BUT government all over the world are totally failing to get the word out as to what you can and cannot do. Neither do the retailers who sell them. If you dont know you cant obey the law. I agree ignorance is no excuse but government has a role to play, and a responsibility to regulate how people buy drones.
There were some issues also when the Firefighter were trying to put out big wild fire and has to ground their helicopter because a few people were flying drone filming the fire.
I think the fact that they policing via UA-cam shows they don't know how to spend their time, funded by us, the taxpayers. The NPS has taken an extreme positing on this and I hope that the rules are relaxed under a new administration.
Yea when I added up how much federal employee time and resources were taken up by this it was a bit crazy. Hell they had two rangers from Everglades National Park drive like a 70-80 mile round trip just to give me the citation.
All "public" parks are mostly for private profit, it's ridiculous. That's why there are so many "public" or "national parks", property they can use to nickel and dime us to death
Duf yes sounds like it. They effectively used your conversation to incriminate you. I bet they didn’t forewarn you prior to the conversation that anything you said or did could be used against you.
Tons of people flying drones in restricted airspace, national parks, etc. The kids like to laugh at the people who fly with permits and under the rules, until they have to pay a fine.
Well if you are referring to me as a kid, thanks, I'm almost 50. :) In my case I wasn't laughing at anyone and if I knew about the restriction I would have observed it.
The car license plate was visible briefly in the video. The NPS is a federal agency so I am sure they can easily get pretty much anyone's phone number.
There was no grounds to prosecute you really, if the judge truly believed you had unintentionally broken their little rule, then he should have dismissed the case and just put a flag against your name so that if it happened again, you'd get an instant full fine, as you'd simply have no defense in a second case. Your situation is not justified at all.
+Kier06 Yep like I said when the ranger revealed it was a violation I assumed that was what would happen, warning and if you do it again, drop the hammer. I was wrong. I read back in 2013 there was a large cut in the federal park budget. Perhaps this is one way they try to create alternative revenue streams, UA-cam policing.
I can't believe the stupidity in this thread. Since when is intent required to break the law? Did the officer who pulled you over ask if you intended to speed? As for little rule, I suggest you look up the incidents dummy mentioned in his video and add up all the damage caused to Yellowstone Park features by crashing drones.
Depends on the circumstances. If there's a stretch of highway with multiple traffic deaths, there's no leeway. Same with drunk driving. Speeding with your wife in labor, sure. After what happened with drones in Yellowstone prior to your flight, a zero tolerance policy is clearly justified. But you think you're special and you should get a break because you're ignorant and attended public schools where you weren't graded and you have no knowledge of how the real world works because you didn't see a sign explaining it to you.
A friend was flying in a local state park when a park police officer came up to us and said, " I know what you're doing is harmless, but you can't fly that here". I guess we were lucky that he only gave us a warning and let us go, too bad for you dude.
Well they initiated contact on my cell phone. My girlfriend lives with me. Regardless, I think for a federal agency to obtain a person's personal contact info is very easy at this point.
This is sad! The parks belong to the citizens of the USA, Tax payers keep these parks up and we cant even enjoy them or use a drone to take video for memories in the future. Just sad and outlandish!!
Probably can't do that either because they will have the child protective services say you are endangering your children and causing them potential harm. This crap is so stupid. Sorry you had to go through this. Unbelievable
You will only be allowed to fly it in your bathroom tub with foam all over the walls for protection. Don't vote for Dems or Reps. It's the same gang and the same fools.who habe gotten us here. Turn back, or all hope is lost !
I saw a video of somebody who was in a National Park who chased down a bald eagle with a drone. The bald eagle eventually destroyed the drone, but somehow they were able to recover the wreckage. That's one of many reasons they banned all drones in all National Parks. However, it IS possible to get a special permit to fly a drone in a specific location at a specific time with Ranger present, you just have to fill out a bunch of paperwork.
As far as I know, it's only illegal to land and launch your drone in the NPs. But they have no purview over the air space. People I know launch their drones just outside the NP border then fly over to take some shots, if it's worth the trouble.
Yes I have heard the same thing. Basically since I did not know about the restriction I was naive and accidentally entrapped myself on the phone. If I told them I did what you described they would have had no way to prove otherwise.
According to the FAA all aircraft have to maintain a minimum altitude of 2,000 feet over national parks and wilderness areas. I ran into this problem trying to launch from public land next to the park.
+Jessica Corpus The license plate of my girlfriend's car was visible for a half second. They are a federal agency so getting my phone number was probably very easy.
Yes, technically if you took off outside of official park boundaries, flew over it and then landed outside of park boundaries that is outside of their jurisdiction.
@@Duf How about a hand take off/land or some other place that does not involve ground contact, like the roof of your car? I mean, you and your car have the right to be there and if someone wants to prosecute you, they should prove that you actually took off/landed from/on the ground. Anyway, I am very sorry for what happened to you. No, actually I'm outraged, because national parks belong to everyone and it should be your right to take memories from a place as long as you don't endanger someone or cause any damage. Plus, it's plenty of people who may never have the chance to visit those places, so it's only fair for them, too, to be able to enjoy the views that someone else captured and made available. Finally, I admire your composure in recalling the issue and the fact that you shared your story with us. I don't own a drone yet, but can't wait to buy one, so I'm currently on a drone video/information marathon, just to educate myself as much as I can.
@@alexgabriel5650 Haha well good ideas but to be honest, the incident was so frustrating that my best advice is to forget about flying in any federal lands, drones are banned in most of them. Luckily nowadays the DJI app will warn you about no-fly zones, back then it wasn't a thing.
Duf nah this is bs, policing youtube is bs but ive seen stories. The fact that they messed up the citation means you shoulda pled not guilty tho. You didn’t fly it on the day that the ticket said that you did. so you werent guilty of what the ticket said. Right? Lol
Did you take down video in question? Did it get flagged from the actual footage, or was the name of National Park and drone in the title? I'm curious about pre 2014 footage I have, and if it will still be a hassle for me even though it was before ban. I was going to include it in new video, but sounds like a real pain and the burden of proof would be on me as to the date of recording.
Yep I took it down immediately. Technically if you shot it before the ban took place you are legally ok but seeing that the NPS rangers are scouring UA-cam for "Yellowstone drone" I personally would not even risk it. It is far more hassle than it's worth. My video got flagged based on the date it was posted and the follow up phone call when the ranger entrapped me into admitting when it was.
+Dufisthenics Thanks for the reply. As much time as they have spent hassling you and others could be spent getting the word out and posting obvious signs. I'm in National Parks ALL the TIME in the NW and have seen thousands of signs about bears and keeping your food inaccessible to them and not a single sign relating to ariel photography. The only reason I now know is your video. I suppose there's no money in fines if they get the word out properly though. Thanks for making the video.
You're a fool. The is no law or regulation requiring a goddamned sign to notify tourists of any or all regulations in the park. If there was, Yellowstone would be full of signs and look like New York. In fact, there is no such law anywhere in the USA because all laws, regulations and ordinances are in the public record. I've got news for you, clown. If something is in the public record you, and everybody else, have been notified whether or not you bothered to look it up. (There's no law requiring the FAA to contact every drone owner about FAR 107, either.) "Mr. Ranger, I didn't see a sign to notify me that pulling my pants down and taking a shit in between eruptions at Old Faithful is illegal!" "What? I saw NO signs in Yellowstone telling me to drive on the right side of the road!" Additionally, they're going to go after social media posters first. Why? Because you threw your offense in their faces and your ego will force you to make a whining video about it that hundreds or thousands of people will see. As a taxpayer, that's a far better way to reach out and warn people not to fly drones in national parks than spending hundreds of thousands of dollars on signs. I can't understand how your girlfriend puts up with your whiny ass. Maybe she's the dominant one in your reaaltionship.
I supposed if you have a incident what could happen other than your drone is busted, why are they paranoid from the drone. Flying over the mountain or over the rocks, you think you damaged those?
Sad, for many reasons. But a valuable lesson - the 5th Amendment means you don't have to say anything that would incriminate yourself. Or shorter, when bothered by "law enforcement", STFU! They can't make you say anything. They would have to prove you shot this. Just because you posted a video doesn't mean you shot it.
@@Duf lol, Live n learn I guess. I learned at a young age that if anyone questions you that has the words, Officer, Agent, warden or Ranger in their title, you tell them you want an lawyer present.
Yes I am sure they knew my employer already and it surely was better for me to go out into the parking lot to meet than than to have two armed park rangers come into my office looking for me. :(
The law makes people stupid ... or the more complex the law is, the more corrupt the state. Do you know where it comes from? A very, very old school. // For the matter ... I do follow simple rules: I am insured, member of RC club, I do not endanger in any way other people or violate their home-privacy. This is simple. BTW my insurance covers and describes - what is insured. I am in Germany. Now I will describe what I am not doing: I am not intentionally flying beyond a line of sight, over people, roads, cars, homes, higher then 100m, in proximity of airports, power-plants, public places. However - now I will show you examples of the law regulations which in my view (I do try to maintain logic based perspective) are made by ignorants (the lobbied ones) for Lenin's useful-idiots: for FPV flying you need a spotter (well, a spotter while talking does the same, as a phone conversation while driving a car - should we make a research?), do not fly over beaches (why not - early in the morning 6am?), do not fly over national parks (well, 100m away of me to take a few wonderful pictures? why not?), closer than 15km to the border, in towns of more than 25000 citizens (Poland, remember town is to its administrative boarder - there, you have only fields), over all private properties (what about a field of corn, grasland?), have camera on your model (Sweden, throw your smartphones away and jail all Facebookers, selfy-takers for violating others privacy, Swedish rape statistic is not a problem - the problem is a camerrra on a drrrrone ... in such a not populated country ...) ... enough ... enough!!! Do I always obey these? Of course not - the same as I would not obey the law requiring me to denounce some fellow Jew (Yes, there was such a LAW), or as in USA the law to kill a prisoner. Simple! // Unfortunately to deal with some stupid regulations you will have to prepare well (what is pretty sad) - if you build models (do not only buy DJI toys) - set a failsafe to a some distant, known to you spot/landing place (I love corn fields), attach to a drone/UAV/RPA/model a GSM or MarcoPolo tracker. Should I explain the procedure to find your model afterwards? I am not proud of this solution - it causes danger - however this is what a stupid law causes. Conversation I had: Q (or order): Please land it down. A: I am flying? Q: This drone! A: I am flying what, officer? (It was an electric glider at that moment initiating flying away to land at his per-programmed failsafe-spot/corn filed). To make the whole scene complete - have in the grass, in front of you some small RC toy - as you would be preparing to fly or make some testing. This is a real-life scenario example how FAA, EASA and many others - through their lobbied by corpos "regulations" - criminalize our around 100 years old RC hobby. Shame one you! /// For the physics related to flying - I can assure you, that amazon and google already know - they need different source of power. For now, their "fast delivery" can be only considered as an emergency solution, costs and risks are too high. THEY WANT TO FLY OVER PEOPLE, CARS, ROADS, PUBLIC PLACES, CHILDREN, NATIONAL PARKS, PRIVATE PROPERTIES, WHATEVER. People start to THINK! The moment they start to mass-fly - is the moment when things will start to fall down on your heads. GRAVITY! And regulators want to criminalize and jail hobbyists. Shame on you! /// And now, for some Hyde-Park-fun :) - let us talk about how unsafe, heavy, uncontrolled, statically proven to be prone to accidents, prone to weather changes, fighting with eagles, scaring birds and other animals, casting shadows, ... para-gliders, endanger us, being below ...
What if you post your video on UA-cam BUT mention that you are not the drone pilot? I seen another UA-cam video of someone flying their DJI Inspire 2.. And he made the statement that no one can prove that THIS controller is flying THAT drone! But I will be more careful flying drones now. Even though the laws are slightly different here in the UK.
If you have friends abroad just give them the footage and they can upload it in their country without mentioning your name. It's just not worth their while chasing people abroad. Here's what foreign tourists can film but an American citizen cannot ua-cam.com/video/nO29FS8X9Gg/v-deo.html
Damn, that's a shame that they were so strict about it, given that there were no signs or anything informing you it was illegal... Thanks for sharing your story, though, it was informative and entertaining. :D Take care.
Just reported that a drone/helicopter collision on Kauai's Na Pali coast. No crash, injuries or death but the owner (prolly tourist), remains unidentified. Hawaii state parks prohibit drone use and this incident is a great example of the few affecting the whole.
Holy Shit! Just now seeing this man! This is such a joke! So sorry you had to go through this mess! I think I would have been forced to borrow the money to fight this stupid citation even if it did end up costing more! To come after someone because they saw it on UA-cam is just not right! They were just trying to make examples out of a few I guess.
Do it, then lose! Law is clear, he broke it. Too friggin' bad. He does not have the right to destroy the environment. Go back to fixing cars and leave wild places wild.
Drones don't destroy the environment any more than ATVs (which are legal in Nat Parks) do. The real issue is drones have CAMERAS. They don't want photography, video or sound recording. It is strictly forbidden in Nat. Parks. One more reason why I decided, out of 2037 reasons, to move to Japan.
Even if you do answer: do not talk. At. All. It doesn't matter if you are 100% innocent. No good can come out of talking to someone who is looking for a reason to charge you.
Thank you for posting your story. I was looking into purchasing a drone to take video of camping & hunting trips in National Forests. I had no idea about the national parks restriction. I will check into the US Forest restrictions. Feds at any level & any department are harsh rectal sphincters.
I am pretty positive anything federal will prohibit drone use. Yep I had no idea either, unfortunately. I often wonder what would have happened if I just never answered my cell phone on Christmas Eve.
Thank you. Actually drones are prohibited in National Parks, not sure about National Forest. The Gov Rule: if you want to do something benign it is illegal. HA SOOO I decided to not buy the drone that I wanted since government makes everything complicated sufficiently that they don't even know the laws & regs. Government is HOSTILE to We The People...there is only one way to handle a bully and I think that is coming soon.
Firefighter Luigi I agree with you probably on most fronts, but I also think the problem with federal land management is its run by you, me, the hippies, loggers, bloggers, city folk, hill billys and special interest groups. I have encountered a lot of people who are bothered by drones in wilderness environments. I have also witnessed a drone operator scare mtn goats off cliffs in front of a bunch of tourists (should have heard them bitching at me) that was also blamed on forest services policy. I have worked for usfs for 20+years, in the woods, not a desk, and one thing I've learned is you can't satisfy everybody all the time. FYI I'm in recreation, trails department, wild land firefighter, not policy maker. Opinions are like ass holes, everybody has one. If you haven't already, check out drones in the wild channel, Mt baker video.
Thanks trails4all, I gotta grin from some of your comments and I appreciate your wisdom. I understand that all forests vary based on who is running the fed gov…the former tyrant is now gone. I would like to believe that We The People manage federal land, but we do not ask former Senator Reid (he made lots of $$ from it). The days of Woody Guthrie are gone. The guy that made this video should never have been subjected to the harsh & unreasonable tactics he suffered. Most “street” rangers & I are cut from the same cloth. I spent several years as a police officer in the 70s & did a tour as a fire dept. inspector/investigator (LEO) during my fire service career. I know the difference between an oath keeper & “you can’t touch me” federal jerk and so do you. My hunting partner & church brother is retired USFS ranger (NorCal). Like you he handled recreation, enforcement, fraud, etc. We both miss the Reagan days, when common sense & the citizen were the priority. Personally, I appreciate a ranger that recognizes an honest mistake from criminal or gross negligent behavior…the feds got it very wrong in this case. A good ranger is more TEACHER than cop. Don’t get me wrong, I am the 1st to cheer when a ranger smacks down jerks that ruin everyone else’s time in the land. PS: I teach at an international conference once a year along with some feds (FBI, EPA, etc) only 10% of them are worth a hoot. Trais4all, you likely don’t agree with me, you earned the right to disagree, THANK YOU for caring for our lands. God Bless You Brother! Thanks trails4allI, I got a smile from some of your comments and I appreciate your wisdom. No doubt a few idiots cause problems, but the guy that made this video should NOT have been subjected to those terror tactics, period. I found most "street" rangers are cut from the same cloth as I am. My hunting partner & church buddy is a retired USFS ranger (retired from Nor Cal) and like you he did a stretch running recreation, enforcement, fraud, etc. Personally I appreciate a ranger that recognizes an honest mistake from criminal activity, one might say he is more teacher than cop...But I LOVE IT when they smash the bad guys that terrorize everyone. I spent some years as a police officer in the 70s, so I know the difference between keeping ones oath vs. a power trip. God Bless you for looking after OUR federal lands.Thanks trails4allI, I got a smile from some of your comments and I appreciate your wisdom. No doubt a few idiots cause problems, but the guy that made this video should NOT have been subjected to those terror tactics, period. I found most "street" rangers are cut from the same cloth as I am. My hunting partner & church buddy is a retired USFS ranger (retired from Nor Cal) and like you he did a stretch running recreation, enforcement, fraud, etc. Personally I appreciate a ranger that recognizes an honest mistake from criminal activity, one might say he is more teacher than cop...But I LOVE IT when they smash the bad guys that terrorize everyone. I spent some years as a police officer in the 70s, so I know the difference between keeping ones oath vs. a power trip. God Bless you for looking after OUR federal lands.Thanks trails4allI, I got a smile from some of your comments and I appreciate your wisdom. No doubt a few idiots cause problems, but the guy that made this video should NOT have been subjected to those terror tactics, period. I found most "street" rangers are cut from the same cloth as I am. My hunting partner & church buddy is a retired USFS ranger (retired from Nor Cal) and like you he did a stretch running recreation, enforcement, fraud, etc. Personally I appreciate a ranger that recognizes an honest mistake from criminal activity, one might say he is more teacher than cop...But I LOVE IT when they smash the bad guys that terrorize everyone. I spent some years as a police officer in the 70s, so I know the difference between keeping ones oath vs. a power trip. God Bless you for looking after OUR federal lands.Thanks trails4allI, I got a smile from some of your comments and I appreciate your wisdom. No doubt a few idiots cause problems, but the guy that made this video should NOT have been subjected to those terror tactics, period. I found most "street" rangers are cut from the same cloth as I am. My hunting partner & church buddy is a retired USFS ranger (retired from Nor Cal) and like you he did a stretch running recreation, enforcement, fraud, etc. Personally I appreciate a ranger that recognizes an honest mistake from criminal activity, one might say he is more teacher than cop...But I LOVE IT when they smash the bad guys that terrorize everyone. I spent some years as a police officer in the 70s, so I know the difference between keeping ones oath vs. a power trip. God Bless you for looking after OUR federal lands.Thanks trails4allI, I got a smile from some of your comments and I appreciate your wisdom. No doubt a few idiots cause problems, but the guy that made this video should NOT have been subjected to those terror tactics, period. I found most "street" rangers are cut from the same cloth as I am. My hunting partner & church buddy is a retired USFS ranger (retired from Nor Cal) and like you he did a stretch running recreation, enforcement, fraud, etc. Personally I appreciate a ranger that recognizes an honest mistake from criminal activity, one might say he is more teacher than cop...But I LOVE IT when they smash the bad guys that terrorize everyone. I spent some years as a police officer in the 70s, so I know the difference between keeping ones oath vs. a power trip. God Bless you for looking after OUR federal lands.
Are your UA-cam video's monetized? Wouldn't a part 107 certification be needed to use drone footage you are making money from? The FCC certainly does not screw around.
You may be able to educate me but my understanding of the flight ban on national parks states that you may not land or take off in any national park as far as i can tell nothing says you cant fly over one .i am not a lawyer just wondering
Drone laws/regulations should not be heeded. Who really owns the air, the land, the sea! I mean, really think about it. Is this really a free country we live in if we cant enjoy life as we see fit and not harm others in the process? God Bless America? I dont feel blessed! God Stress America is more like it! I feel stress every damn day! Flying and enjoying drones RESPONSIBLY should NOT be punished for ANY reason!!!
Well unfortunately responsible drone flying is a subjective thing. As you can see from the comments in this thread, there are some people that think drones should pretty much be grounded, permanently.
Flying drones is akin to pirate radio. The government claims to own all the air, but we the people are the rightful owners. But the government continues to shut down and arrest/fine pirate radio operators and drone pilots who don't kowtow to their arcane rules.
Rule # 1 never agree to be questioned by a law enforcement officers without a lawyer present. This Park Ranger took advantage of your ignorance in regards to you not knowing you were being investigated. Sad.
Same problem in the UK, The National Trust don't allow drones to fly over any of the land that they "own". Of the various reason they quote is - "Some sites may have wildlife or agricultural animals, or animals which are sensitive to disturbance, such as birds and deer herds, which could be alarmed or stressed by the presence of drones, especially at breeding times" I live near to the peak district where, if you are a bird on national trust moorland you can be shot ! but not stressed by a drone, shooting brings in money, drones don't ! I have wondered if you said your go pro was hanging beneath a kite would that be ok ;)
In the big picture I can understand the rule, what I don't appreciate is the lack of at least one warning before dropping the fine hammer, especially with the circumstances surrounding my incident.
Well, buy them sound meter. And help to measure cars, airliners, people, small planes over 150m etc. I wonder the results ... Commentary? At least ignorants.
The video showed the license plate of Cindy's car for a split second, plus, the NPS is a federal agency, I have no doubt they need very little to get that sort of information.
The takeaway should be that a drone operator is responsible for knowing the rules and following them, just like in a car. Drivers are expected to know they aren't allowed to drive down the sidewalk just as drone pilots should know something as easy to remember as national park=no-fly zone. You should also probably investigate obtaining a FAA Part 107 certification since you are likely using your drone for commercial purposes, i.e. a UA-cam channel that is monetized.
Never ever ever volunteer any information to authorities. Get a lawyer and plead the 5th. You make them subpoena you if they are attempting to build a case against you. And you are right. Never answer an unfamiliar number. Especially and out of state number. Often they will get tired of trying to contact you and give up.
Maybe but I have a feeling that since it is a federal agency they could have gotten it in a number of ways. The car was actually registered to my girlfriend, not me.
Dam, I am from the UK and this is so terrible. No Drone flying in National Parks? Crazy! I guess looking back your downfall was admitting quilt. Dont tell strangers or rangers anything.
Yeah the first lesson is check before you fly but the second lesson is don't discuss anything over the phone with those people they were on a hunting expedition who knows how many other drone pilots they had called until they got somebody to admit it. Hate to say this but that was really a dumb mistake buddy.
Yes indeed. At least in Canada, it is always on the drone pilot to know the laws around where they are flying and to ensure CYA paperwork is in place. Sadly, ignorance isn’t a defence. Drones are considered (almost) entirely the same as jetliners here. National parks (or basically any for that matter) are also off limits in Canada unless you have permission in writing (aka a filming permit). They are notoriously hard to get and costly, according to my research. I understand the principle behind it, but it is definitely a bummer. I hope that you are able to rekindle your hobby if it makes sense for you, it is just worth using this event as a learning experience etc. (To be clear, I don’t mean to bash you or anything. Just speaking from personal experience here and what I’ve read as I am currently going for Canada’s most advanced drone operator’s certificate/pilot’s license)
Back then, not really. Nowadays modern drones have stuff built into them that will not let you even take off in a known no fly zone. It uses your GPS coordinates.
I've learned through this and similar videos not to talk to any federal official, employee or agent until you have been fully informed of your rights and your obligation to disclose any information. They are not your friends or buddies.
It is my understanding that if you take off and land outside of park boundaries your safe. You can however land inside the boundry in an emergency. What sucks is that you can fly an rc plane in yellow Stone even if it has a camera on it.
Dufisthenics ahh, Sorry to hear about your terrible experiences. Funny isn’t it, God gave us all nature to enjoy, and we have to pay man to enjoy it. Kinda sucks
This is the exact reason I will not talk to government unless I need something for myself, usually a permission slip or some other form of selling my rights back to me.
Duf, Just saw your video...BUMMER! I have been contemplating flying over Zion Nation Park. But launching outside the park flying in shooting my video and back out. According to everything I have read it is not illegal to fly over the park what makes it illegal is taking off or landing within the park. My question to you is: Did you admit to taking off or landing within park boundaries?
That is correct, of course you will likely violate the FAA line of sight rule in the process. :( Yes I told the ranger I flew inside the park as at the time I did not know that was illegal.
@@Duf I've got a strobe light on the drone (can bee seen for 2000 meters with binoculars) and have located a road high above Zion that is an overlook to the park but not in the park. The only issue I see will be the 400' AGL limit but I'm mapping it out and now need to learn how to use Litchi to follow the contour of the mountains. I will also file the flight with AIRMAP that will clear with LAANC Wish me luck. Lots of conditions to plan plus it is a full day round trip.
The FAA has a rule about flying over National Parks already, afaik it is only a guideline but they say fly VFR no lower than 2500’ AGL, which is obviously too high for drone flights. TBH I have little desire to fly in National Parks since usually there is plenty of aerial footage already, and I’m mostly a landscape photographer. I’m more interested in the human aspect of photography, and since humans don’t actually fly, drone footage is just extra footage IMO so I generally only fly for fun and family photos.
Oh that's why. Its said that the Egyptian caves and artifacts were found on the North side. Discovered in 1909. That's crazy and anyway how did he go about tracking you down by your youtube page? That is damn crazy.
It is just like if the police want to talk to you. Don't talk to them without a lawyer. It would have been hard to know this when you got called though.
If all these drones were manufactured in the USA, there would be an effective "drone lobby" ($$$$ for politicians) and drones would be allowed in national parks. Its about the money.
The NPS may own the land and water, but not the air. So, technically, if YOU were outside the park, you could overfly the park. Of course, the line-of-sight requirement would severely limit where you could go. I found this little excerpt on the National Park Service website that seems just a teensy bit hypocritical: *"Does the National Park Service use unmanned aircraft?* The National Park Service uses unmanned aircraft for administrative purposes when appropriate and approved by the director of the region in which the park is located. These purposes may include search and rescue operations, fire operations, scientific study, and *aerial photography."* (emphasis mine) So, THEY can take drone-based photos and video in the park that your tax dollars fund, but you can't. On the other hand, I do think that a complete lack of regulation of drones in the park could turn them into electronic beehives and detract from the experience for other park visitors.
This story just makes me so sad. We got broken into last year, we got pictures and videos and leads about the robber and the police doesn’t wanna do anything about it, same guy came back and robbed a house in a neighbor community and got guns. Again this guy is walking freely without being prosecuted.
Now here is a law abiding citizen who flew his drone in a national park and is being prosecuted.
How about all of the online credit card fraud/theft? Cops laugh at you if you ask them to pursue it.
Janis I feel your pain. I was robbed years back, and proved who did it. All the police had to do was make 2 phone calls to verify it, and instead their response to me was, and I quote, "I know it seems like a lot to you, but to us, it's not worth our time."
I guess cases like this where they can see it as easy money, the time can be found.
Well you've gotta understand. Catching a robber costs money to arrest, prosecute and jail. However, prosecuting a drone flier can generate revenue for them through fines!!! Follow the money.
@@stevenbingham3061 that's exactly what I thought ! It's all about the money!
Not sure if anyone cares but if you guys are stoned like me atm then you can watch pretty much all of the latest movies and series on InstaFlixxer. I've been streaming with my gf for the last weeks xD
This is a perfect example of policing for profits. This is becoming more and more common these days.
And a perfect example of violation of the law and ignorance regarding your responsibilities.
Tyler Johnson buddy, you are on here talking about the fragile ecosystem being jeopardized by drones? Yet gas powered choppers are flying over one by one making noise (being one with nature right?) and killing the environment to make a buck. It’s all about money. Not saving the park. In years of drones 2 reported accidents. Seriously? There’s been more people die by falling off of a slope. Yes it’s illegal but it’s silly. There should def be laws, but the laws in place are just stupid. FAA certified pilots, who understand airspace should definitely be allowed to fly in national parks. So get off of here with your Mother Earth worshiping crap. And go troll a helicopter touring page
Nathan_drones, “buddy,” you have a point, though I never acknowledged fossil fuels to be beneficial to the environment. I agree that they’ve done considerable damage to the world as a whole, indirectly through emissions, but I would never ask the world to halt the things they rely upon. However, I am criticizing a very specific scenario as explained by the video; wherein a pilot, who either wasn’t certified, or was certified and should have known better, violated the law concerning a limited area thereby dedicated to being preserved through abnormally taut restrictions. I’m not necessarily a “Mother Earth worshiper,” though I do appreciate the environment and become frustrated when a minority ignorantly breaks a law, whether or not they agree with it and ruin it for the others. If you’re pissed that it only took 2 drone crashes to make the hobby illegal in a National Park, then what if all drone pilots had the carelessness to fly with such an oblivious understanding of their airspace and the laws corresponding to it? The specific scientific wonders that make-up the reason for the establishment of Yellow Stone National Park, would be impacted in several ways (ie: changes in pH). And you think that all accidents, caused by those who are knowingly violating the policy, are reported to the authorities? I highly, highly doubt that crashed or lost aircraft are reported to those that would charge them for their misconduct.
I am also a drone pilot certified under Part 107, so I understand the community and your point of view. I’m irritated that people like this ruin it for people like me, as you are too.
Additionally, helicopters are much more sophisticated equipment that allow for a compete understanding of all relative obstacles with 1st person views, unlike drones with only 1 live-video feed, that also require in-person training in addition to much more extensive knowledge tests. They cannot be disconnected from a “controller” when they fly out of range, or have restrictive 30-minute flight times. It’s an apples to oranges comparison.
Also, dying by falling is a personal risk; I’m sure the Park System isn’t a fan of retrieving corpses due to physical trauma, so your argument is pitiful to say the least.
Finally, I agree with your 3rd to last sentence to an extent; there has to be a way that responsible, well-oriented, and certified pilots with the proper knowledge, equipment, and insight, can enjoy the beauty our National Parks have to offer.
So, “buddy,” get off of here with your “laws protecting natural areas are stupid but let me propose an argument about fossil fuels that has nothing to do with flying drones, National Parks are resilient, and I should be an exception because I disagree” crap, and go troll somebody incapable of refuting your stupidity and egotistical attitude.
CaptSpicyWeiner lol that's what happens when you run out of rhetorical arguments; resort to conspiracy theories. If you think that justifies breaking the law, then I'd hate to be your lawyer...
CaptSpicyWeiner don’t make a hyperbole over everything. Of course I’m a science enthusiast- it’s one of the reasons I respect protecting our National Parks. But that’s the stupidest argument I’ve heard. Lol, and you had the audacity to say “super volcano GENIUS.” LOL
This is why I do NOT post any of my flights on UA-cam or any other social media. I keep them in a special place just for me and my family members to see. I don't brake any UAV laws but I still don't trust FAA or any federal government laws.
Yea based on my experience that is a smart move.
It's getting stupid bad especially here where I live. I have already had the FAA send me a certified letter which I didn't even pick up because I know for a fact I didn't do a damn thing wrong. What's weird though is they sent a letter to my address stating they where investigating me of flying my drone around my entire neighborhood and taking pictures of people. (NOT) I can't stand my neighbors! Nor would I do something like this!! That being said I have taken my drone out in my backyard and flew no higher then 80 ft and never left the yard!! With the letter came also a yellow piece of paper saying I needed to go to the post office and pick up the certified letter from them! Made no sense to me. I'm guessing if I would have picked up the letter that would make me look guilty of whatever it was they where saying I was doing wrong. I now take my equipment out to our land and that's about the only place I'll fly because seems folks in my neighborhood are crazy ass but bag paranoid schizoids!! We have our huge compound out there and I'd dare any fool to intervene on or even around that location. Especially the feds. I have no love for them whatsoever. Anyway good luck and do your best to fly as far away from people/nuts as possible! You can bet there is going to be that one person who call either the police or FAA on you just for having a hobby and trying to enjoy life. Good day sir🙂 and good luck flying your quads/drones.
By the way I'm AMA certified and my drones are all registered and I've have a part 107 certificate
Which I do agree they do need drone registration because there are folks out there that like to fly there drones at 3000 ft and more right in the path of other aircraft. These folks one day unfortunately are going to cause a major accident and if God forbid this happens they will be able to identify the quad that may have caused said accident. Funny thing is I see post all over UA-cam of folks flying 3000 ft up and 2 miles out and they think they are so cool. Well guess what it's just a matter of time before they get there little certified letter in the mail. I try to warn people but they get snappy at me and tell me to mind my own business. Lol well that is there hard earned money they are throwing at the Feds hope they enjoy it!
Sounds like one of those neighbors reported you to the FAA. I don't know if it's a good idea to ignore the letter or not. I would have never thought the Yellowstone Park Ranger office would actually spend taxpayer money to pursue such a minimal situation as mine, yet they did. I have a feeling the FAA is the same way. I actually gave away my drone recently to a friend but I have a DJI Mavic Pro on order which is supposed to show up in February.
Mental note. Don't post drone footage on UA-cam. Got it.
Good rule to follow.
Bob Brown - Sorry for your bad luck. UA-cam was the reason i wanted a drone . Im so glad i didnt spend the money to get a drone. Maybe they will change the laws . I know one thing , people will stop buying them , if they dont change things soon.
Ya, I just bought one and i'm always worried and very careful when I fly it. Tons of rules…..@@robbinstaup7469
Bob Brown drone footage in normal areas cant get you into trouble unless your making money from it. It’s called recreational
@@robbinstaup7469 not a reason to not get one, they are still tons of fun, right guys??? get one for like $55usd or so like I am doing. i am getting this one, SG700. getting it this week i hope, in about 2-4 days or so from now, all the way from CHINA, to MIAMI FLORIDA. seems like it taking forever to get it though, but it is snail mail so.....HEHEHEHEH.... LOL anyone else here own that one? just asking.
The park ranger did not want you to find his illegal MJ business...
Right.... mistake number one... was to answer any questions from a park ranger calling on Christmas eve. I know you know that now.... HOWEVER the biggest mistake was pleading guilty. This ties the judge's hands into passing punishment. THE ABSOLUTE WORSE THING was to plead guilty. You said yourself the ticket/documentation had the wrong information. They have to prove that you flew that drone yourself (regardless what you said over the phone)--- on that particular day/time/and/location. The extif data on the video file or any images will have proper time stamping on it and also any park pass/receipt for entry would have a proper date that doesn't jive. The prosecutor had zero on hard evidence. YOU ARE INNOCENT UNTIL PROVEN GUILTY---- that is unless you plead guilty, of course. If it were me, I would have summarized to the judge, "the information that was provided on the ticket state that I was at the park on nn-nn-nnnn date, and that alone cannot be proven. I was unequivocally not present at that part on that particular day - that alone should be enough to dismiss. ALSO they haven't proven that I flew the drone at all. NO proof that it was a drone at all. For example, kites are permitted and specifically mentioned as exempt aircraft that are allowed." Hearsay is not admissible as evidence in court. They can't legally hang there hat on any video that you post of footage (that you could have gotten from a stock company or a fellow content creator) that you 'say' that you took at this particular park. That is the very definition of hearsay. They honestly fell on their sword when with any basic information that was presented that was factually inaccurate. game over, good day sir, nice try, move on to the next victim.
Well I agree and don't agree on some points. If I pleaded not guilty I would have likely had to appear in person in Wyoming (I live in Florida) The time and expense to do so didn't make sense. (and of course they know that) Second, I mentioned to the lawyers I talked to how all of the info on the ticket was incorrect, thinking that would invalidate the citation. They said that was not the case, the rangers can simply revise the ticket details and it doesn't matter. Both of these lawyers lived in the Yellowstone area and were quite familiar with the games the rangers play so I believed them.
In the brief video they cited me on, you never see me but you can hear my voice at one point and my girlfriends license plate is briefly visible so I think that may have been proof enough, maybe?
If I wanted a solid shot at getting the citation thrown out I would have likely needed a lawyer there and again, the cost of securing their services would have been more than the fine was.
In the end I did indeed learn to NEVER answer the phone if I am not positive who the number calling is. If it's important, they can leave me a voicemail and then I can decide if I want to respond. Thanks for the feedback, hopefully others learn from my mistakes.
The public is learning that it doesn’t pay to be honest. Logic apparently has no place in law. This is true in Canada as well.
Well handled Sir ,keep your pride.
for some reason i think you gave them too much info and thats what they used against you. what would have happened if you didnt answer the phone and blocked their number? i get a bunch of calls from different states and never answer them at all and end up blocking them. it's always telemarketers. if they didnt leave a voicemail or send you a letter explaining why they are looking for you, then wth? i dont know man... sorry this happen to you. thanks for sharing and will keep your experience in mind and i'll stay away from national parks.
Steve Colwill
E
Steve Colwill, you sir are correct. The second the park rangers started asking questions he should have invoked his 5th amendment and refused to answer questions. Furthermore, if he was not Marandized, all questions are invalid. This was a misdemeanor crime, which means that the park rangers had to physically see him violate the law. The supreme court has ruled that law enforcement cannot use video, of a misdemeanor crime and absent their presence, to effect an arrest. This dude got railroaded to plead guilty .....
They wanted to make an example of you. I've lost a little respect for the Yellowstone Park Rangers.
That and keep the fine revenue flowing.
Park Rangers are losers to begin with , they talk like they are cops and maybe even worse...go arrest a bear you fuking idiot I'd tell them...
We need to get these laws changed. There should be a good middle ground to allow drones to fly in these parks within certain rules that protect the animals, people, and the environment. Blanket rules to ban drones are unfair. There needs to be organization here among drone hobbyist and drone professionals to lobby for rule changes. Fairness is the key here.
I agree but as is so often the case, a few morons can ruin the fun for everyone else.
Especially since it seems to be just "drones." I fly a helicopter in my local one and never had a problem. I also drive a ton of RC crawlers and stuff. Any one of those could be just as dangerous to animals/environment, yet they're perfectly fine. What is it about multirotors that scare so many people?
Well said, Jack!
Aardvark The word 'drone' and it's association with the military I would think is where the negative connotation came from. The one thing I've come to realize is people are generally stupid and afraid of things they have no knowledge of, but will stick to their faulty thinking because to change their mind would make them appear weak.
One word: cameras.
So at the end of the day who was the victim in this whole thing of him flying a drone for 5 minutes to warrant a 1,035$ fine?
No victim, just a method to increase fine revenue stream for the park. I am sure the park rangers involved got commendations.
PUT THE DOLLAR SIGN IN FRONT
DO YOU *walk* AROUND WITH YOUR ZIPPER DOWN??
YOU LOOK STOOPID!
@@SDsc0rch Thank you for your comment. I think we can clearly see who the "stoopid" (stupid) one is. What's "well around?" :)
I just got caught yesterday at Grand Teton National Park flying my drone. Same as you, a quick 5 minute flight. I was in the middle of nowhere just off a creek with no humans in sight.
Flew my drone, landed it, turned around and two officers were standing watching up on the street. I may even have to fly back to Wyoming from Florida to go to court.
RIDICULOUS
Ah damn dude, they should let you appear by phone. That sucks, I know your pain.
I was at Tetons 4 months ago and wanted to fly so bad... such a beautiful place and drives me crazy that I couldn't capture with a harmless drone.... I went to the other side at the national forest and flew over there... I was told that it was only National parks that was illegal... I'm starting to think I should take down some of my videos
Busted!!!
How did you not assume that would be illegal? Before I was in Yellowstone, I said to myself, I'm sure that this is illegal, and so I googled it. You got what you deserved. You're making things worse for everyone by not checking first. Only by setting and enforcing strict consequences will people like you be prevented from doing this in the future. And there is signage, at least in Yellowstone. Very obvious if you're paying attention.
Reginald Brown What harm is he doing to society by simply flying a drone over nature, where there is no one around him? As long as you are flying responsibility there should not be an issue. Government worshipping robots like you are the reason these stupid blanket rules are put in place
I took my drone to a National Park in NC and saw a Ranger I asked him if I could fly my drone there and he told me if I put my drone on the ground I would be fined., but I could fly my drone outside the park and fly in and take pictures but if it touched the ground I would be fined.
Yep that is one way to get around it. Unfortunately I had no idea a no-fly rule was even a thing back then.
That is technically true. Remember the FAA and NPS do not cooperate. FAA does not really like the NPS stance, as FAA says it has jurisdiction in airspace, even over parks. But they let NPS have its way on low flying drones, and get the FAA gets you on exceeding height if NPS does not. NPS has very strict rules, and lots of the LE guys are ex-MP's with only a black and white view of world. Another overly-strict drone rule because some people have poor judgement.
Good to know! That's what I thought
Please remember to use the full name & contact info of public officials when you post about them! It helps the rest of us reach out to express our displeasure. If they never hear about it on a large scale, things will never improve for us.
I intentionally left out names as I didn't think in the big picture it would be helpful. I think making the video is helping to put a nice spotlight on the practice and it is something I am seeing on UA-cam more and more.
What HE did was illegal! No excuses for something that could have threatened a fragile ecosystem. I'm an avid drone enthusiast but with the fun comes the responsibility and with the irresponsibility comes the punishment.
@@tylerjohnson704 bruh. No. Just stop. No one agrees with you. There's too much unnecessary policies.
The public is learning that there are more cons to be honest than pros. Apparently logic has no place in law.
@@tylerjohnson704 .. the law is put in place by fools and defects... sheep follow stupid laws.
Here's an idea: Put the video back up. Nothing they can do now. :)
Hehe after all the hassle and frustration I went through, just not worth it.
That's how they win, +Dufisthenics!
first of all you already paid the fine, second how can they prosecute you for it, when you can't see in the video who is operating the drone? Maybe you found sd card with video on it and post it as your own?
But the faa can
Jeff Delong TV no the FAA can not.
If you had registered your drone with the FAA, all that information was up front in the lead up to the registration process. I do agree that the Feds were just running a "for profit" program scanning UA-cam videos not for safety issues but rather racking up the fines to fill their coffers. Last time we camped in a National Park we left our site (with our payment ticket clipped to the post as required) to film the sunset. When we got back to our site, it was occupied by another family. They told me that the Ranger had torn up our ticket and sold them a replacement (I checked their stub carefully and their story checked out). Naturally, they all got off work at 6 pm and were no where to be found when we needed them. I wrote a letter to the park service when we got home and naturally, never heard a word from them.
Nah actually the FAA registration went down more than three months after I flew. The FAA program started in December, I flew in September. And what I saw in the FAA guidelines, there was no mention of national parks as restricted areas, only airports. Fines are definitely a large revenue stream for Yellowstone. Pursuing them via UA-cam videos and cell phone calls was a first according to the couple layers I talked to in Wyoming that dealt with fighting these cases. It's awesome.
That's right, I forgot about the time frame. I registered mine in December, the day it went live online (to avoid paying the $5 fee). But I did read the materials on the registration site and did see that National Parks were off limits there.
Yep I did the same, registered on day one. Ah I just read the info on the main registration page, I didn't know there was more to read. Oh well, an expensive lesson was learned.
Dufisthenics With millions of videos on UA-cam, you have to think that the offended agencies are using key words to do searches. That being the case, I'd be very careful in assigning titles to my videos, avoiding words like "Phantom" or "drone" for instance.
Oh I have no doubt the park ranger was searching "drone yellowstone" Like I said in the video they prosecuted another guy the exact same way. I think he actually flew back in June or July of 2015.
The lesson here is if the park ranger calls you and asks about the flight you play dumb and say it's not your drone. This story could have been thrown out because of the wrong date and time. You could demonstrate that you were in another state at the time of the offense. Ever hear of self-incrimination? You don't have to even talk to the ranger and he can't build a case because he doesn't know anything. Sorry, but this guy buried himself.
BINGO!
Really, the lesson here is to follow the damn law
@@brownthunder999 Hard to follow it when it doesn't follow common sense and changes constantly.
@@robopam doesn't matter. That's why you've gotta stay updated on the laws in the area everytime you fly. It's not the law's fault
@@brownthunder999 I think it matters to the guy that's out over $1000 for no good reason.
I wonder what'll happen if I post a video of my daughter's birthday, and I name it "I flew a drone over Yellow Stone National Park!" and then I tag "National Park Service".
Some park rangers will probably have eyeballs on it
Brilliant! I'm going to post some generic footage of the woods behind my house and title it like that. Then if I get a call tell them to suck my quad. Lol
What if we all post Rick Astley and title it “flew my drone in Yellowstone park” and tag national park service
simple lesson here is: Don't talk to the police
Yep and believe me, I learned it. I don't answer ANY call from a number I do not know, ever.
The real lesson? CHECK THE LAWS
It's up to them to prove it. Keep your mouth shut.
Total bs scam. Sorry you had to go through that. Reenforces my belief to never answer the phone for an unknown number.
Like not answering the phone would have prevented a Ranger from knocking on his door and serving him.
I would have made them find me. Serve me in person. Make them spend at least what they are going to try and fine me. Never volunteer info to anyone over the phone..
And never use your real information when you open a UA-cam account. Have several, all bogus, dating back to 2005.
Be careful. Soon it will be against the law NOT to answer. I joke but a little part of me looks sideways.
@@minkorrh too late, it is already the law, your required to answer, and btw...i have a few questions for you.... LOL. [if your in a court room, and the judges says to talk, and you do not, your in jail on a contempt of court/charge] although doing that is illegal, but judges get away with it all the time. been there done that.
Never say anything to any type of government official
For sure, lesson learned.
Sounds like a racket. It's a shame you had to go through that.
+C.A.Nav Yea it was pretty clearly all about the money.
I am very happy my incident stirred such a deep reaction from you that you felt the need to repeatedly comment so negatively. Have a great day!
Dufisthenics
Everyday and idiot tourist gets nailed for being an idiot in Yellowstone is a fucking great day in Northwest Wyoming!
Why on earth with someone want to take beautiful pictures of a park? I’m boycotting Federal parks, because of this.
You should have gotten a lawyer. Paying more is worth not getting a misdemeanor..
Everyone has to make that decision for themselves I guess.
First mistake was telling him time, date etc, I am a certified commercial drone pilot in Australia, I would not give out any information. To Prosecute they need evidence of a time, date, place and also who the pilot was. if they are missing one component there is no way to prosecute.
Agreed, but I was naive and unaware I had done anything wrong. They prosecuted without accurate time, date or location.
@@Duf Yep. they relied on you pleading guilty and not having legal representation due to the cost vs benefit, not many people bother getting legal representation as it costs more than the potential fine. However any trainee solicitor would have had the matter thrown out of Court in about 60 seconds. A lot of my drone videos now no longer say I fly my drone or similar, they just say drone flight over whatever location. That way they can only guess that I was flying the drone, but have no evidence that it was me who was flying it. Especially when I fly over populated areas which I can legally do. But not taking any chances. I also have a side business flying drones taking photographs for money mainly real estate sales. Just be less trusting next time, don't tell them anything, and simply say it was not you flying the drone do not disclose dates, times etc. Good luck with your done videos.
So they saw your video on UA-cam. How did they get your personal info like name, address and number???
i knw its prob too late but i recently found a little gap in da laws and im aure with thte right council you can beat a ticket given to you at a NATIONAL PARK VIA UA-cam..
Main thing use ur right to not self incriminate, ex: HOW DO THE RANGERS KNW IT WAS A DRONE, u coulda mounted a action cam to a kite 4 example then use that in court with a lawyer and they cnt prove it was filmed with a drone unless you post it or u confess.... Food 4 thought.....
that was jst 1 exmaple of multiple ways to get rid of a HEARSAY ticket because u have no witnesses
Unfortunately I had no idea about the park policy on drones so I had no concerns about incriminating myself. Since that day I NEVER answer any phone call that I do not recognize the number for, ever.
@Habeas Corpus Yep after this incident I NEVER answer my cell or home phone unless I am sure I know who the caller is.
That's not a gap. That's how it works. It's up to them to prove it. And you NEVER talk to them, NEVER answer questions.
Don’t they have to say you have the right to be silent and not testify against yourself before they ask all of those questions???
Nah it wasn't a criminal offense.
what specific charges did you get? I just got a letter from them for my UA-cam vids
Years ago when I visited the Grand Canyon you could buy joy flights over it. Is this still the case?
Here in Australia the same bans apply but you can buy low level helicopter flights over many national parks where drones are banned.
Go figure
This is a perfect situation that shows why it is NEVER a good idea to answer questions from law enforcement. Had you not said anything, they wouldn't have crap on you and you would be $900 richer.
I am very pro cop but this was BS.
On something so new there needs to be a transition/education period to get the word out that it's against the law to fly in certain areas.
Yep I learned a very expensive lesson.
Or maybe just stop making everything illegal? No?
Kevin Slattery the laws are there to protect is all, BUT government all over the world are totally failing to get the word out as to what you can and cannot do. Neither do the retailers who sell them. If you dont know you cant obey the law. I agree ignorance is no excuse but government has a role to play, and a responsibility to regulate how people buy drones.
I wonder what would happen if you just ignored the call
Yea I thought about that. They had all my info so they may have still sent a park ranger from Everglades to give me the citation.
Very sad story. Thank you for posting and helping others be aware.
There were some issues also when the Firefighter were trying to put out big wild fire and has to ground their helicopter because a few people were flying drone filming the fire.
Yea I have heard about that, the sort of thing that makes drone pilots look bad.
You could also say, helicopter could not fly because an eagle was flying - same physics.
I think the fact that they policing via UA-cam shows they don't know how to spend their time, funded by us, the taxpayers. The NPS has taken an extreme positing on this and I hope that the rules are relaxed under a new administration.
Yea when I added up how much federal employee time and resources were taken up by this it was a bit crazy. Hell they had two rangers from Everglades National Park drive like a 70-80 mile round trip just to give me the citation.
All "public" parks are mostly for private profit, it's ridiculous. That's why there are so many "public" or "national parks", property they can use to nickel and dime us to death
Nope! You fly your drone in a park where people go to get away from it all? Busted!
Scott Slotterbeck you are an idiot.
Thanks for calling me an idiot. Made me laugh to know you have no cogent response. You are unarmed in a duel of wits, ha ha ha.
How were they able to get your contact information?
In the video the license plate for the car was visible for literally a half second.
apheus27
Drone registration number, printed on the drone, maybe!
This is why you never talk to law enforcement. Period.
This is why you check the laws before you do sensitive things.
So the moral of the story is don’t talk to anyone and refuse to answer any questions to anyone. So “no comment’” should be the standard answer.
Pretty much. If I never answered the phone I don't think they would have ever pursued it further.
Duf yes sounds like it. They effectively used your conversation to incriminate you. I bet they didn’t forewarn you prior to the conversation that anything you said or did could be used against you.
Tons of people flying drones in restricted airspace, national parks, etc. The kids like to laugh at the people who fly with permits and under the rules, until they have to pay a fine.
Well if you are referring to me as a kid, thanks, I'm almost 50. :) In my case I wasn't laughing at anyone and if I knew about the restriction I would have observed it.
Yup. Loser idiots ruin it for everyone else.
Legally, you need to be flying from outside the park, as well as taking off and landing from out of thempark
Micah Robinson but you need to keep the Drone in your visual line of sight! So, definitely not getting any good footage!
Dufisthenics I hope the person did not mean you. You made the effort to publish such an informative video... if he meant you, it is just an a**hole.
How did park ranger got your phone number?
The car license plate was visible briefly in the video. The NPS is a federal agency so I am sure they can easily get pretty much anyone's phone number.
Must have made the worthless ranger feel like super cop.
Yep that was the impression I got, why else would someone make such an effort to wreck a person's Christmas Eve...
Too bad. You broke the law. Shut up.
@@scottslotterbeck3796 No victim, no crime.
My question is how can all these video on youtube get process to go live and be posted on there site.
I don't have the answer.
There was no grounds to prosecute you really, if the judge truly believed you had unintentionally broken their little rule, then he should have dismissed the case and just put a flag against your name so that if it happened again, you'd get an instant full fine, as you'd simply have no defense in a second case.
Your situation is not justified at all.
+Kier06 Yep like I said when the ranger revealed it was a violation I assumed that was what would happen, warning and if you do it again, drop the hammer. I was wrong. I read back in 2013 there was a large cut in the federal park budget. Perhaps this is one way they try to create alternative revenue streams, UA-cam policing.
I can't believe the stupidity in this thread. Since when is intent required to break the law? Did the officer who pulled you over ask if you intended to speed? As for little rule, I suggest you look up the incidents dummy mentioned in his video and add up all the damage caused to Yellowstone Park features by crashing drones.
You have heard of officers issuing warnings when someone is pulled over for speeding, right? Thanks for the comment.
Depends on the circumstances. If there's a stretch of highway with multiple traffic deaths, there's no leeway. Same with drunk driving. Speeding with your wife in labor, sure.
After what happened with drones in Yellowstone prior to your flight, a zero tolerance policy is clearly justified. But you think you're special and you should get a break because you're ignorant and attended public schools where you weren't graded and you have no knowledge of how the real world works because you didn't see a sign explaining it to you.
Please continue, I am learning a lot.
A friend was flying in a local state park when a park police officer came up to us and said, " I know what you're doing is harmless, but you can't fly that here". I guess we were lucky that he only gave us a warning and let us go, too bad for you dude.
Yea this was clearly all about generating revenue streams.
Dufisthenics that's why you don't use your real name on UA-cam.
I am pretty sure they ran the plate on my girlfriend's Prius which was visible for a second on the video.
Dufisthenics did they call her, first is her car registered in your name? If not, then I think that's highly unlikely.
Well they initiated contact on my cell phone. My girlfriend lives with me. Regardless, I think for a federal agency to obtain a person's personal contact info is very easy at this point.
This is sad! The parks belong to the citizens of the USA, Tax payers keep these parks up and we cant even enjoy them or use a drone to take video for memories in the future. Just sad and outlandish!!
drones annoy hikers
Unreal. ExxonMobil could dump 800,000 gallons of crude in Yellowstone and the fine would be less.
They would just write it off of their taxes. :)
Wonder what the rules will be like by 2020. Probably fly only in your house. Thanks for the heads up
Well in Canada they are almost at that point already.
Probably can't do that either because they will have the child protective services say you are endangering your children and causing them potential harm. This crap is so stupid. Sorry you had to go through this. Unbelievable
You will only be allowed to fly it in your bathroom tub with foam all over the walls for protection. Don't vote for Dems or Reps. It's the same gang and the same fools.who habe gotten us here. Turn back, or all hope is lost !
Pretty soon it'll be here's some goggles of old drone footage so act like your flying...
If people continue to break and not look up the laws, then that could happen, unfortunately.
I saw a video of somebody who was in a National Park who chased down a bald eagle with a drone. The bald eagle eventually destroyed the drone, but somehow they were able to recover the wreckage. That's one of many reasons they banned all drones in all National Parks. However, it IS possible to get a special permit to fly a drone in a specific location at a specific time with Ranger present, you just have to fill out a bunch of paperwork.
Yea it is people like that, ones that chase eagles, that will screw it up for everyone else.
As far as I know, it's only illegal to land and launch your drone in the NPs. But they have no purview over the air space. People I know launch their drones just outside the NP border then fly over to take some shots, if it's worth the trouble.
Yes I have heard the same thing. Basically since I did not know about the restriction I was naive and accidentally entrapped myself on the phone. If I told them I did what you described they would have had no way to prove otherwise.
www.nps.gov/zion/learn/management/lawsandpolicies.htm Operating within the boundaries of national parks is prohibited.
The NPS has no authority to govern the airspace over its parks, it falls within the FAA.
According to the FAA all aircraft have to maintain a minimum altitude of 2,000 feet over national parks and wilderness areas. I ran into this problem trying to launch from public land next to the park.
Nope. You can't fly below 10,000 feet. Busted!
how did they get your phone number and address? I know I would not give my info to someone claiming to be someone with out evidence of who he is!
+Jessica Corpus The license plate of my girlfriend's car was visible for a half second. They are a federal agency so getting my phone number was probably very easy.
If they can find Osama Bin Laden, what makes you think the Feds can't find a UA-cam poster in the USA?
There are other reasons they do not want you to fly there. You might find something they dont want you to see.
I have heard that from others as well.
Question: The FAA regulates airspace, right. The NPS has control over ground, not airspace...?
Yes, technically if you took off outside of official park boundaries, flew over it and then landed outside of park boundaries that is outside of their jurisdiction.
@@Duf How about a hand take off/land or some other place that does not involve ground contact, like the roof of your car? I mean, you and your car have the right to be there and if someone wants to prosecute you, they should prove that you actually took off/landed from/on the ground. Anyway, I am very sorry for what happened to you. No, actually I'm outraged, because national parks belong to everyone and it should be your right to take memories from a place as long as you don't endanger someone or cause any damage. Plus, it's plenty of people who may never have the chance to visit those places, so it's only fair for them, too, to be able to enjoy the views that someone else captured and made available. Finally, I admire your composure in recalling the issue and the fact that you shared your story with us. I don't own a drone yet, but can't wait to buy one, so I'm currently on a drone video/information marathon, just to educate myself as much as I can.
@@alexgabriel5650 Haha well good ideas but to be honest, the incident was so frustrating that my best advice is to forget about flying in any federal lands, drones are banned in most of them. Luckily nowadays the DJI app will warn you about no-fly zones, back then it wasn't a thing.
The FAA institutes this policy - not the NPS's responsibility to warn people, but the drone pilot's responsibility to check with the FAA
You didn’t know the law ?? And your making videos ? Come on man
Yea I know
Duf nah this is bs, policing youtube is bs but ive seen stories. The fact that they messed up the citation means you shoulda pled not guilty tho. You didn’t fly it on the day that the ticket said that you did. so you werent guilty of what the ticket said. Right? Lol
Did you take down video in question? Did it get flagged from the actual footage, or was the name of National Park and drone in the title? I'm curious about pre 2014 footage I have, and if it will still be a hassle for me even though it was before ban. I was going to include it in new video, but sounds like a real pain and the burden of proof would be on me as to the date of recording.
Yep I took it down immediately. Technically if you shot it before the ban took place you are legally ok but seeing that the NPS rangers are scouring UA-cam for "Yellowstone drone" I personally would not even risk it. It is far more hassle than it's worth. My video got flagged based on the date it was posted and the follow up phone call when the ranger entrapped me into admitting when it was.
+Dufisthenics Thanks for the reply. As much time as they have spent hassling you and others could be spent getting the word out and posting obvious signs. I'm in National Parks ALL the TIME in the NW and have seen thousands of signs about bears and keeping your food inaccessible to them and not a single sign relating to ariel photography. The only reason I now know is your video. I suppose there's no money in fines if they get the word out properly though. Thanks for making the video.
Yes it was basically just a shakedown for money. I think calling us on Christmas Eve about it was a really, really shitty thing to do.
You're a fool. The is no law or regulation requiring a goddamned sign to notify tourists of any or all regulations in the park. If there was, Yellowstone would be full of signs and look like New York. In fact, there is no such law anywhere in the USA because all laws, regulations and ordinances are in the public record. I've got news for you, clown. If something is in the public record you, and everybody else, have been notified whether or not you bothered to look it up. (There's no law requiring the FAA to contact every drone owner about FAR 107, either.)
"Mr. Ranger, I didn't see a sign to notify me that pulling my pants down and taking a shit in between eruptions at Old Faithful is illegal!"
"What? I saw NO signs in Yellowstone telling me to drive on the right side of the road!"
Additionally, they're going to go after social media posters first. Why? Because you threw your offense in their faces and your ego will force you to make a whining video about it that hundreds or thousands of people will see. As a taxpayer, that's a far better way to reach out and warn people not to fly drones in national parks than spending hundreds of thousands of dollars on signs.
I can't understand how your girlfriend puts up with your whiny ass. Maybe she's the dominant one in your reaaltionship.
I like to think he just was having a bad day. ;)
You should have had an attorney present. This is so bogus.
Should have checked the laws ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
I supposed if you have a incident what could happen other than your drone is busted, why are they paranoid from the drone. Flying over the mountain or over the rocks, you think you damaged those?
Because people do stupid things like crash them into geysers.
Sad, for many reasons. But a valuable lesson - the 5th Amendment means you don't have to say anything that would incriminate yourself. Or shorter, when bothered by "law enforcement", STFU! They can't make you say anything. They would have to prove you shot this. Just because you posted a video doesn't mean you shot it.
Well as I mentioned up front, I had absolutely no idea I did something that was prohibited, hence, I told on myself, like an idiot.
@@Duf lol, Live n learn I guess. I learned at a young age that if anyone questions you that has the words, Officer, Agent, warden or Ranger in their title, you tell them you want an lawyer present.
@@billybl22 Well since this happened I never answer the phone unless I know who it is, never....
If you didn't make arrangements to accept the citation in person, would they have been able to even attach this to you?
Yes I am sure they knew my employer already and it surely was better for me to go out into the parking lot to meet than than to have two armed park rangers come into my office looking for me. :(
The law makes people stupid ... or the more complex the law is, the more
corrupt the state. Do you know where it comes from? A very, very old
school. // For the matter ... I do follow simple rules: I am insured,
member of RC club, I do not endanger in any way other people or violate
their home-privacy. This is simple. BTW my insurance covers and
describes - what is insured. I am in Germany. Now I will describe what I
am not doing: I am not intentionally flying beyond a line of sight,
over people, roads, cars, homes, higher then 100m, in proximity of
airports, power-plants, public places. However - now I will show you
examples of the law regulations which in my view (I do try to maintain
logic based perspective) are made by ignorants (the lobbied ones) for
Lenin's useful-idiots:
for FPV flying you need a spotter (well, a spotter while talking does
the same, as a phone conversation while driving a car - should we make a
research?), do not fly over beaches (why not - early in the morning
6am?), do not fly over national parks (well, 100m away of me to take a
few wonderful pictures? why not?), closer than 15km to the border, in
towns of more than 25000 citizens (Poland, remember town is to its
administrative boarder - there, you have only fields), over all private
properties (what about a field of corn, grasland?), have camera on your
model (Sweden, throw your smartphones away and jail all Facebookers,
selfy-takers for violating others privacy, Swedish rape statistic is not
a problem - the problem is a camerrra on a drrrrone ... in such a not
populated country ...) ... enough ... enough!!! Do I always obey these?
Of course not - the same as I would not obey the law requiring me to
denounce some fellow Jew (Yes, there was such a LAW), or as in USA the
law to kill a prisoner. Simple! // Unfortunately to deal with some
stupid regulations you will have to prepare well (what is pretty sad) -
if you build models (do not only buy DJI toys) - set a failsafe to a
some distant, known to you spot/landing place (I love corn fields),
attach to a drone/UAV/RPA/model a GSM or MarcoPolo tracker. Should I
explain the procedure to find your model afterwards? I am not proud of
this solution - it causes danger - however this is what a stupid law
causes. Conversation I had: Q (or order): Please land it down. A: I am
flying? Q: This drone! A: I am flying what, officer? (It was an electric
glider at that moment initiating flying away to land at his
per-programmed failsafe-spot/corn filed). To make the whole scene
complete - have in the grass, in front of you some small RC toy - as you
would be preparing to fly or make some testing. This is a real-life
scenario example how FAA, EASA and many others - through their lobbied
by corpos "regulations" - criminalize our around 100 years old RC hobby.
Shame one you! ///
For the physics related to flying - I can assure you, that amazon and
google already know - they need different source of power. For now,
their "fast delivery" can be only considered as an emergency solution,
costs and risks are too high. THEY WANT TO FLY OVER PEOPLE, CARS, ROADS,
PUBLIC PLACES, CHILDREN, NATIONAL PARKS, PRIVATE PROPERTIES, WHATEVER.
People start to THINK! The moment they start to mass-fly - is the moment
when things will start to fall down on your heads. GRAVITY! And
regulators want to criminalize and jail hobbyists. Shame on you! /// And
now, for some Hyde-Park-fun :) - let us talk about how unsafe, heavy,
uncontrolled, statically proven to be prone to accidents, prone to
weather changes, fighting with eagles, scaring birds and other animals,
casting shadows, ... para-gliders, endanger us, being below ...
What if you post your video on UA-cam BUT mention that you are not the drone pilot? I seen another UA-cam video of someone flying their DJI Inspire 2.. And he made the statement that no one can prove that THIS controller is flying THAT drone! But I will be more careful flying drones now. Even though the laws are slightly different here in the UK.
After what experienced I don't think the potential hassle is worth the risk.
If you have friends abroad just give them the footage and they can upload it in their country without mentioning your name. It's just not worth their while chasing people abroad. Here's what foreign tourists can film but an American citizen cannot ua-cam.com/video/nO29FS8X9Gg/v-deo.html
Damn, that's a shame that they were so strict about it, given that there were no signs or anything informing you it was illegal... Thanks for sharing your story, though, it was informative and entertaining. :D
Take care.
Thanks, hopefully others can avoid going through a similar situation. It wasn't fun, at all.
It's a shame they have to do this in the first place because drone pilots don't take the time to know the laws.
Just reported that a drone/helicopter collision on Kauai's Na Pali coast. No crash, injuries or death but the owner (prolly tourist), remains unidentified. Hawaii state parks prohibit drone use and this incident is a great example of the few affecting the whole.
Oh geez, yep it's that sort of ignorant and reckless behavior that will ruin it for all of us.
Holy Shit! Just now seeing this man! This is such a joke! So sorry you had to go through this mess! I think I would have been forced to borrow the money to fight this stupid citation even if it did end up costing more! To come after someone because they saw it on UA-cam is just not right! They were just trying to make examples out of a few I guess.
I don't even think they cared about making examples of us. I think it was just another avenue to generate fine revenues.
Do it, then lose! Law is clear, he broke it. Too friggin' bad. He does not have the right to destroy the environment. Go back to fixing cars and leave wild places wild.
Drones don't destroy the environment any more than ATVs (which are legal in Nat Parks) do. The real issue is drones have CAMERAS. They don't want photography, video or sound recording. It is strictly forbidden in Nat. Parks. One more reason why I decided, out of 2037 reasons, to move to Japan.
I wonder how they got your phone number?
The license plate of my car, my UA-cam channel name, who knows, they are a federal agency so it isn't hard for them to pull it.
Outrageous! Be careful who you talk to on the phone. Duffman
Yep I NEVER answer the phone anymore unless I know the phone number. If they don't leave a voicemail it must not have been very important.
Even if you do answer: do not talk. At. All. It doesn't matter if you are 100% innocent. No good can come out of talking to someone who is looking for a reason to charge you.
Be careful about the laws then this will not have happened. Drone pilots are expected to have common sense.
Federal law requires that all rules and regulations be posted and easily visible to ALL, doesn't matter what the state regulation is...
Well from what I have seen of the Yellowstone rules and regulations, that would be one BIG sign. :)
Thank you for posting your story. I was looking into purchasing a drone to take video of camping & hunting trips in National Forests. I had no idea about the national parks restriction. I will check into the US Forest restrictions. Feds at any level & any department are harsh rectal sphincters.
I am pretty positive anything federal will prohibit drone use. Yep I had no idea either, unfortunately. I often wonder what would have happened if I just never answered my cell phone on Christmas Eve.
Firefighter Luigi be careful with drones and hunting. Most western States have laws with that as well.
Thank you. Actually drones are prohibited in National Parks, not sure about National Forest. The Gov Rule: if you want to do something benign it is illegal. HA SOOO I decided to not buy the drone that I wanted since government makes everything complicated sufficiently that they don't even know the laws & regs. Government is HOSTILE to We The People...there is only one way to handle a bully and I think that is coming soon.
Firefighter Luigi I agree with you probably on most fronts, but I also think the problem with federal land management is its run by you, me, the hippies, loggers, bloggers, city folk, hill billys and special interest groups. I have encountered a lot of people who are bothered by drones in wilderness environments. I have also witnessed a drone operator scare mtn goats off cliffs in front of a bunch of tourists (should have heard them bitching at me) that was also blamed on forest services policy. I have worked for usfs for 20+years, in the woods, not a desk, and one thing I've learned is you can't satisfy everybody all the time. FYI I'm in recreation, trails department, wild land firefighter, not policy maker. Opinions are like ass holes, everybody has one. If you haven't already, check out drones in the wild channel, Mt baker video.
Thanks trails4all, I gotta grin from some of your comments and I appreciate your wisdom. I understand that all forests vary based on who is running the fed gov…the former tyrant is now gone. I would like to believe that We The People manage federal land, but we do not ask former Senator Reid (he made lots of $$ from it). The days of Woody Guthrie are gone. The guy that made this video should never have been subjected to the
harsh & unreasonable tactics he suffered. Most “street” rangers & I are cut from the same cloth.
I spent several years as a police officer in the 70s & did a tour as
a fire dept. inspector/investigator (LEO) during my fire service career. I know the difference between an oath keeper & “you can’t touch me” federal jerk and so do you. My hunting partner & church brother is retired USFS ranger (NorCal). Like you he handled recreation, enforcement, fraud, etc. We both miss the Reagan days, when common sense & the citizen were the priority. Personally, I appreciate a ranger that recognizes an honest mistake from criminal or gross negligent behavior…the feds got it very wrong in this case. A good ranger is more TEACHER than cop. Don’t get me wrong, I am the 1st to cheer when a ranger smacks down jerks that ruin everyone else’s time in the land. PS: I teach at an international conference once a year along with some feds (FBI, EPA, etc) only 10% of them are worth a hoot. Trais4all, you likely don’t agree with me, you earned the right to disagree, THANK YOU for caring for our lands. God Bless You Brother! Thanks trails4allI, I got a smile from some of your comments
and I appreciate your wisdom. No doubt a few idiots cause problems, but
the guy that made this video should NOT have been subjected to those
terror tactics, period. I found most "street" rangers are
cut from the same cloth as I am. My hunting partner & church buddy
is a retired USFS ranger (retired from Nor Cal) and like you he did a
stretch running recreation, enforcement, fraud, etc. Personally I
appreciate a ranger that recognizes an honest mistake from criminal
activity, one might say he is more teacher than cop...But I LOVE IT when
they smash the bad guys that terrorize everyone. I spent
some years as a police officer in the 70s, so I know the difference
between keeping ones oath vs. a power trip. God Bless you
for looking after OUR federal lands.Thanks trails4allI, I got a smile
from some of your comments and I appreciate your wisdom. No doubt a few
idiots cause problems, but the guy that made this video should NOT have
been subjected to those terror tactics, period. I found most
"street" rangers are cut from the same cloth as I am. My
hunting partner & church buddy is a retired USFS ranger (retired from
Nor Cal) and like you he did a stretch running recreation, enforcement,
fraud, etc. Personally I appreciate a ranger that recognizes an
honest mistake from criminal activity, one might say he is more teacher than
cop...But I LOVE IT when they smash the bad guys that terrorize
everyone. I spent some years as a police officer in the 70s, so
I know the difference between keeping ones oath vs. a power trip.
God Bless you for looking after OUR federal lands.Thanks trails4allI,
I got a smile from some of your comments and I appreciate your
wisdom. No doubt a few idiots cause problems, but the guy that made this
video should NOT have been subjected to those terror tactics,
period. I found most "street" rangers are cut from the
same cloth as I am. My hunting partner & church buddy is a
retired USFS ranger (retired from Nor Cal) and like you he did a stretch
running recreation, enforcement, fraud, etc. Personally I
appreciate a ranger that recognizes an honest mistake from criminal
activity, one might say he is more teacher than cop...But I LOVE IT when
they smash the bad guys that terrorize everyone. I spent
some years as a police officer in the 70s, so I know the difference
between keeping ones oath vs. a power trip. God Bless you
for looking after OUR federal lands.Thanks trails4allI, I got a smile
from some of your comments and I appreciate your wisdom. No doubt a few
idiots cause problems, but the guy that made this video should NOT have
been subjected to those terror tactics, period. I found most
"street" rangers are cut from the same cloth as I am. My
hunting partner & church buddy is a retired USFS ranger (retired from
Nor Cal) and like you he did a stretch running recreation, enforcement,
fraud, etc. Personally I appreciate a ranger that recognizes an
honest mistake from criminal activity, one might say he is more teacher than
cop...But I LOVE IT when they smash the bad guys that terrorize
everyone. I spent some years as a police officer in the 70s, so
I know the difference between keeping ones oath vs. a power trip.
God Bless you for looking after OUR federal lands.Thanks trails4allI,
I got a smile from some of your comments and I appreciate your
wisdom. No doubt a few idiots cause problems, but the guy that made this
video should NOT have been subjected to those terror tactics,
period. I found most "street" rangers are cut from the
same cloth as I am. My hunting partner & church buddy is a
retired USFS ranger (retired from Nor Cal) and like you he did a stretch
running recreation, enforcement, fraud, etc. Personally I appreciate a
ranger that recognizes an honest mistake from criminal activity, one might say
he is more teacher than cop...But I LOVE IT when they smash the bad guys
that terrorize everyone. I spent some years as a police officer
in the 70s, so I know the difference between keeping ones oath vs. a power
trip. God Bless you for looking after OUR federal lands.
Are your UA-cam video's monetized? Wouldn't a part 107 certification be needed to use drone footage you are making money from? The FCC certainly does not screw around.
I'm gonna use my drone and upload to UA-cam. But i'll be on vacation in florida. Soo i'll fly it there, and upload When i'm home in norway😂👌
Well, I drove home from Wyoming to Florida and they still pursued me. :(
Please do not ruin it for other people
Please leave these peoples info, the ranger and others . We would like to contact them.
I'd rather not aid and abet.
At least you can write off your $500 donation on your 2016 income tax returns.
Yea I didn't even think about that. :)
No, you can't.
You may be able to educate me but my understanding of the flight ban on national parks states that you may not land or take off in any national park as far as i can tell nothing says you cant fly over one .i am not a lawyer just wondering
Technically you can fly over them.
Drone laws/regulations should not be heeded. Who really owns the air, the land, the sea! I mean, really think about it. Is this really a free country we live in if we cant enjoy life as we see fit and not harm others in the process? God Bless America? I dont feel blessed! God Stress America is more like it! I feel stress every damn day! Flying and enjoying drones RESPONSIBLY should NOT be punished for ANY reason!!!
Well unfortunately responsible drone flying is a subjective thing. As you can see from the comments in this thread, there are some people that think drones should pretty much be grounded, permanently.
theone2be33 you and Timothy McVeigh sure think the same way.
Flying drones is akin to pirate radio. The government claims to own all the air, but we the people are the rightful owners. But the government continues to shut down and arrest/fine pirate radio operators and drone pilots who don't kowtow to their arcane rules.
Rule # 1 never agree to be questioned by a law enforcement officers without a lawyer present. This Park Ranger took advantage of your ignorance in regards to you not knowing you were being investigated. Sad.
Yes lesson learned and the ranger was happy to entrap me, on Christmas Eve.
What are they trying to hide? Being prosecuted for flying a drone over nature😡
harming nature. If you want nature, go somewhere not highly regulated like a Nat'l Forest.
So can I post a drone photo of national parks? Not my photo
As long as you don't incriminate yourself like I did.
thx Duff for sharing.
Same problem in the UK,
The National Trust don't allow drones to fly over any of the land that they "own".
Of the various reason they quote is -
"Some sites may have wildlife or agricultural animals, or animals which are sensitive to disturbance, such as birds and deer herds, which could be alarmed or stressed by the presence of drones, especially at breeding times"
I live near to the peak district where, if you are a bird on national trust moorland you can be shot ! but not stressed by a drone, shooting brings in money, drones don't !
I have wondered if you said your go pro was hanging beneath a kite would that be ok ;)
In the big picture I can understand the rule, what I don't appreciate is the lack of at least one warning before dropping the fine hammer, especially with the circumstances surrounding my incident.
Well, buy them sound meter. And help to measure cars, airliners, people, small planes over 150m etc. I wonder the results ... Commentary? At least ignorants.
"Scare the bisons" lol...
What i want to know is HOW THE HELL did NPS get your phone number through a youtube video?
The video showed the license plate of Cindy's car for a split second, plus, the NPS is a federal agency, I have no doubt they need very little to get that sort of information.
I would spend $10K but would not give any cents to the park f**** stealing money under stupid laws.
I hear you. I just didn't have that sort of money to burn.
The takeaway should be that a drone operator is responsible for knowing the rules and following them, just like in a car. Drivers are expected to know they aren't allowed to drive down the sidewalk just as drone pilots should know something as easy to remember as national park=no-fly zone.
You should also probably investigate obtaining a FAA Part 107 certification since you are likely using your drone for commercial purposes, i.e. a UA-cam channel that is monetized.
Yea easy now, not as easy back then when it was a new rule that was not widely known.
Never ever ever volunteer any information to authorities. Get a lawyer and plead the 5th. You make them subpoena you if they are attempting to build a case against you. And you are right. Never answer an unfamiliar number. Especially and out of state number. Often they will get tired of trying to contact you and give up.
All good advice that I wish I followed back in 2015.
Dang if they didn't get the license plate number, I would have said it wasn't my footage.
Maybe but I have a feeling that since it is a federal agency they could have gotten it in a number of ways. The car was actually registered to my girlfriend, not me.
Lying ruins it for everyone.
Dam, I am from the UK and this is so terrible. No Drone flying in National Parks? Crazy!
I guess looking back your downfall was admitting quilt. Dont tell strangers or rangers anything.
I definitely convicted myself. However I no longer ever answer the phone if I dont know the number.
Why it is prohibited to public especially drones flying
Because of a few dumb people doing stupid things.
The lesson here is to always check before flying!
Good lesson, and dont answer the phone.
@@Duf You can answer the phone but use Bugs Bunny as part of the greeting!
Yeah the first lesson is check before you fly but the second lesson is don't discuss anything over the phone with those people they were on a hunting expedition who knows how many other drone pilots they had called until they got somebody to admit it. Hate to say this but that was really a dumb mistake buddy.
Yes indeed. At least in Canada, it is always on the drone pilot to know the laws around where they are flying and to ensure CYA paperwork is in place. Sadly, ignorance isn’t a defence. Drones are considered (almost) entirely the same as jetliners here.
National parks (or basically any for that matter) are also off limits in Canada unless you have permission in writing (aka a filming permit). They are notoriously hard to get and costly, according to my research. I understand the principle behind it, but it is definitely a bummer. I hope that you are able to rekindle your hobby if it makes sense for you, it is just worth using this event as a learning experience etc.
(To be clear, I don’t mean to bash you or anything. Just speaking from personal experience here and what I’ve read as I am currently going for Canada’s most advanced drone operator’s certificate/pilot’s license)
Sorry for my bad english.
Does it have safety system?
Back then, not really. Nowadays modern drones have stuff built into them that will not let you even take off in a known no fly zone. It uses your GPS coordinates.
If$500 were part of a donation to a philanthropy, you should be able to deduct the donation on your federal taxes if you itemize your deductions.
Yes I believe someone else mentioned that could have been counted as a charitable donation. I didn't claim it though.
Apparently you actually can legally fly over a national park so long as you don't take off from or land on the grounds.
True but more than likely you will violate FAA rules in doing so. (line of sight rule)
@@Duf Yeah...didnt think about that......probably true.
I've learned through this and similar videos not to talk to any federal official, employee or agent until you have been fully informed of your rights and your obligation to disclose any information. They are not your friends or buddies.
Yes I also don't EVER answer the phone anymore unless I am absolutely certain who is the other end.
I have learned to know and follow the laws then you won't have to worry about this.
It is my understanding that if you take off and land outside of park boundaries your safe. You can however land inside the boundry in an emergency. What sucks is that you can fly an rc plane in yellow Stone even if it has a camera on it.
Yes that is true, BUT if you posted it on UA-cam and included Yellowstone in the title dont be surprised if you get a call, on Christmas Eve.
Did you double check your DJI flight records? It would have the exact flight path.
My drone was a Phantom 2 and I wasn't running a DJI app for it.
Dufisthenics ahh, Sorry to hear about your terrible experiences. Funny isn’t it, God gave us all nature to enjoy, and we have to pay man to enjoy it. Kinda sucks
This is the exact reason I will not talk to government unless I need something for myself, usually a permission slip or some other form of selling my rights back to me.
I never answer my phone anymore.
Did you have the option to pay the fine and not go to court? I assume so but was hoping for it to be reduced?
No, I had to "appear" in front of the magistrate, at least that was what I was told.
Duf www.justice.gov/usao-wy/criminal-division/violations-yellowstone-and-grand-teton-national-parks-and-other-federal-enclaves
@@rsilvers129 looks like a change that took place after my situation.
@@rsilvers129 Evidently I was a Number 1, not sure why.
Duf they average three fines per day! Seems like they are using it for revenue generation.
What are they hiding in national parks?
Park rangers with lousy attitudes
Duf, Just saw your video...BUMMER! I have been contemplating flying over Zion Nation Park. But launching outside the park flying in shooting my video and back out. According to everything I have read it is not illegal to fly over the park what makes it illegal is taking off or landing within the park. My question to you is: Did you admit to taking off or landing within park boundaries?
That is correct, of course you will likely violate the FAA line of sight rule in the process. :( Yes I told the ranger I flew inside the park as at the time I did not know that was illegal.
@@Duf I've got a strobe light on the drone (can bee seen for 2000 meters with binoculars) and have located a road high above Zion that is an overlook to the park but not in the park. The only issue I see will be the 400' AGL limit but I'm mapping it out and now need to learn how to use Litchi to follow the contour of the mountains. I will also file the flight with AIRMAP that will clear with LAANC Wish me luck. Lots of conditions to plan plus it is a full day round trip.
Bob Lopez Good luck Bob, please post back how it all went 👍
The FAA has a rule about flying over National Parks already, afaik it is only a guideline but they say fly VFR no lower than 2500’ AGL, which is obviously too high for drone flights.
TBH I have little desire to fly in National Parks since usually there is plenty of aerial footage already, and I’m mostly a landscape photographer. I’m more interested in the human aspect of photography, and since humans don’t actually fly, drone footage is just extra footage IMO so I generally only fly for fun and family photos.
Oh that's why. Its said that the Egyptian caves and artifacts were found on the North side. Discovered in 1909. That's crazy and anyway how did he go about tracking you down by your youtube page? That is damn crazy.
I never asked for specifics on how I was tracked down but it is a federal agency so I am sure they have ample resources to do so.
It is just like if the police want to talk to you. Don't talk to them without a lawyer. It would have been hard to know this when you got called though.
Yep I was naive and had absolutely no clue I was being entrapped.
Rule N°X when you do something illegal, do not say it to everybody...
Good rule!
If all these drones were manufactured in the USA, there would be an effective "drone lobby" ($$$$ for politicians) and drones would be allowed in national parks. Its about the money.
Maybe
The NPS may own the land and water, but not the air. So, technically, if YOU were outside the park, you could overfly the park. Of course, the line-of-sight requirement would severely limit where you could go. I found this little excerpt on the National Park Service website that seems just a teensy bit hypocritical:
*"Does the National Park Service use unmanned aircraft?*
The National Park Service uses unmanned aircraft for administrative purposes when appropriate and approved by the director of the region in which the park is located. These purposes may include search and rescue operations, fire operations, scientific study, and *aerial photography."* (emphasis mine)
So, THEY can take drone-based photos and video in the park that your tax dollars fund, but you can't. On the other hand, I do think that a complete lack of regulation of drones in the park could turn them into electronic beehives and detract from the experience for other park visitors.
This has been pointed out repeatedly, problem is you likely will violate the FAA line of sight rule in the process.
@@Duf No argument there.