Change in law on RC camera use?

[Simon Chambers]

Posted by Tony Bennett on 06/12/2012 21:17:53:

i can see some job opertunities coming along though for rc fliers.

Apparently ROV's (Remotely Operated underwater Vehicles) operators are usually RC enthusiasts. Infact I remember seeing a job ad in one of the RC flying magazines trying to recruit operators.

Si.

[scott finnie]

Posted by Colin Ashman on 06/12/2012 08:55:50:

You might change your mind if a drone from a national newspaper or local authority came snooping over your property or even looking in throught your windows.

If the local burglar bought one from Amazon ( about £ 250 I understand ) to case your garden shed or garrage for anything worth stealing would you say that was O.K.?

They already have that, google maps? you can stand in the street and zoom in, check out the house then swipe!, we found this out after we where broken into, i seen my items on sale on gumtree then went for a visit to buy them, phoned the police whilst i was enroute, they said it was there new ultimate tool

[scott finnie]

**LINK** would love to say more about this company but cant, though you can read all you want online, my father works there , i'm a big fan of fpv systems and think there will be alot more breakthroughs in the near future, fpv and drone technology is great, you can imagine a building on fire and instead of sending firemen up the stairs to possibly save knobody, you could fly a drone outside with IR ect and see if anyones still alive, even more so for chasing and capturing criminals too, the eye in the sky heli is just too loud and obvious, where a drone or quadcopter is relatively silent from 50 to 100 ft in height, the jobs will soon come along for all us Rc enthuasiast's and the world will look at Rc in a whole new way

 

Scott

Edited By scott finnie on 07/12/2012 02:42:34

[Shaunie]

The problem with legislation is it only affects the law abiding citizen. To the criminal what does it mean to be breaking another law?

If the burglar knows he's going inside if he gets caught breaking and entering, is he going to be the slightest bit concerned to know he's breaking some camera drone law? Of course not!

What we have in the UK are laws covering everything because they are too specific. As already mentioned we have privacy laws that are already applicable in these cases, the method of privacy breach is surely unimportant.

It is of course fine in the eyes of the powers that be that they watch us from every street corner, but hate the possibility that we could conceivably use the same technology against them!

The worry is that these devices are becoming mainstream, available from toy shops and flown by kids (of all ages) who have no regard or concept of the possible dangers of incorrect use. Youtube is full of clips of trains/cars/boats etc. being chased by camera planes. Now people with no common sense, having watched the clips can go into a shopping mall toyshop, walk out with one in a box and try to emulate this for themselves.

The trouble is that the negatives inevitably outweigh the positives in the eye of the public so those with an ulterior motive can use the spin to introduce any legislation they wish and the public are led to think it is a good idea.

As well as being a modeller I am also a member of a search and sescue organisation and am exploring the possibilities of building something to help us search for vulnerable missing people, probably a multicopter of some sort with thermal imaging.( If anyone here wishes to help me in this please PM me, I know little about multicopters, I'm a fixed wing man mainly.)

(Finishes ranting, picks up soapbox, exits stage left.)

Shaunie

[Garbo]

Will you be still allowed to video from full size planes?

Will I be allowed if I get a letter from my mammy?

[Martin Harris - Moderator]

Posted by scott finnie on 07/12/2012 02:41:41:

**LINK** would love to say more about this company but cant, though you can read all you want online, my father works there

 

Scott

 

Aha - that's what happened to MDS!   Can you get any of these cheap???

They might like to re-think the company branding though in the light of the poor reputation (not entirely deserved in my experience) of the Russian company's products.

Edited By Martin Harris on 07/12/2012 09:52:36

[Erfolg]

I am still a little more than puzzled as to why the BBC had the peice as a news item.

If it was a placement by MDS, their objective was less than obvious. Certainly not pushing the capability of the devices, as that was subjugated to the emphasis on should the use be regulated.

If it was by a government agency, was it just about public information with respect to dangers and opportunities. If so I hope the BMFA are engaged with the relevant agencies.

With reference to safety issues, I would have thought that they were adequately covered by the ANO 167, you know the bits, I am sure, 30m of a person, 50m for a car etc, 150m for a crowd.

Whoever mentioned the notion that authorities being concerned about themselves being monitored, rather than doing all the monitoring, could have a point. Some noises and disquiet with respect to video footage of the guy who died after being pushed over, police officers being photographed etc have been made.. I guess the real fear is not that the authorities (at a higher level) are not necessarily concerned at being shown to breaking laws themselves, but technology could be used to thwart the principal of keeping order.

It just seems a "bolt form the blue" type placement, no news content at all, more relevant to a science, technology programme.

[scott finnie]

Posted by Martin Harris on 07/12/2012 09:48:54:

Posted by scott finnie on 07/12/2012 02:41:41:

**LINK** would love to say more about this company but cant, though you can read all you want online, my father works there

Scott

Aha - that's what happened to MDS! Can you get any of these cheap???

They might like to re-think the company branding though in the light of the poor reputation (not entirely deserved in my experience) of the Russian company's products.

Edited By Martin Harris on 07/12/2012 09:52:36

The great old wankel engine, i could probably get a good bashed up one haha, thats really the only thing you could use from MDS in a normal lifestyle, other than that its all a tad to dangerous, though watch closely mid 2013 there is the new voodoo coming out!

[Modonaut]

There are many places in the USA where the government do not want people poking their noses into, like the multitude of 'interment' camps (over 600 so I hear) that have sprung up over the past few years. I read that these fpv models are thus to be banned in some states. The technique allows you to fly the model 'out of ground' site which obviously is dangerous in the first place. I can't think in any way that having a low flying camera over your residence isn't a breach of privacy. Mind you I realise we are being watched all the time anyway by satelite.

[Rich too]

Posted by Colin Ashman on 06/12/2012 08:55:50:

You might change your mind if a drone from a national newspaper or local authority came snooping over your property or even looking in throught your windows.

If the local burglar bought one from Amazon ( about £ 250 I understand ) to case your garden shed or garrage for anything worth stealing would you say that was O.K.?

Oh, but its ok for Google to put our homes on the net for all to see, assisting said burglers...the whole issue is ridiculous - Rich

Edited By Dickster on 05/06/2013 11:07:18

[bouncebounce crunch]

Hope none of you fly over my yard, as my trousers may be slightly or heavily influenced by gravity thus giving you a better view than you would expect on a quiet day. hehehehehe chuckle chuckle.