Anti drone equipment

[sailor2000]

Texas has a statute which prohibits capturing images from drones except under very limited circumstances “Texas Use of Unmanned Aircraft statute (Texas Government Code 423)”. I have a neighbor that likes to hover his drone over my pool while my wife is in it. Is the use of one of these drone catchers
illegal in Texas? I have spoken to the little perv but to no effect. Easy shot with a .410 but I hear that is frowned upon. I bet I could get it with a pellet rifle. Can a trespass warning be applied here? And after a warning enforce the no trespass with force? Any lawyer or LEO input would be appreciated.

[The Annoyed Man]

Prety cool. Have you tried calling the police?

[Jusme]

Prety cool. Have you tried calling the police?

Cheaper and definitely legal.

Get photos/videos of the drone over your property. I don't know if it is actionable, but I would go that route first.

[G.A. Heath]

The FAA regulates drones as aircraft and you should know that even threatening to intentionally damage or destroy an aircraft is a federal felony. Actually doing so is also a federal felony. The feds have yet to prosecute someone for doing so yet, however there is word that the FAA is working with the parties in the DOJ to change that number from zero.

My advice is contact your local LEOs and file a complaint citing Texas Government Code 423. The same statute also gives you Civil remedies as well and I am certain there is at least one attorney in Texas willing to establish themselves as the "Drone Lawyer" or some such.

Edit to add: Location is important too, if you live near an airport determine what class airspace you are in and you might find the remote pilot is flying illegally, especially if they are operating as a hobbyist. Drone regulations are very fluid right now, especially for hobbyist pilots.

For the record I am an FAA part 107 certified remote pilot.

[chasfm11]

Never mind the drone aspect, the machining was fascinating, at least to me. He must have a couple hundred dollars in fittings alone. I'm always amazed at the ideas that guys with those kinds of skills can come up with.

[Grumpy1993]

The FAA regulates drones as aircraft and you should know that even threatening to intentionally damage or destroy an aircraft is a federal felony. Actually doing so is also a federal felony. The feds have yet to prosecute someone for doing so yet, however there is word that the FAA is working with the parties in the DOJ to change that number from zero.

My advice is contact your local LEOs and file a complaint citing Texas Government Code 423. The same statute also gives you Civil remedies as well and I am certain there is at least one attorney in Texas willing to establish themselves as the "Drone Lawyer" or some such.

Edit to add: Location is important too, if you live near an airport determine what class airspace you are in and you might find the remote pilot is flying illegally, especially if they are operating as a hobbyist. Drone regulations are very fluid right now, especially for hobbyist pilots.

For the record I am an FAA part 107 certified remote pilot.

First, as suggested above, you should contact your local LEOs and file a complaint citing Texas Government Code 423.

Second, every time your wife sees the drone, she should call 911 to report a "Peeping Tom" spying on her sunbathing inside her privacy fence. Texas Penal Code § 21.17

Third, if "FAA regulates drones as aircraft" then you should contact the FAA whenever your neighbor flies his aircraft within 500 feet of you, your wife, or your home. Tell them an aircraft is not maintaining safe distance and you want to report a violation of Federal Aviation Regulation § 91.119, to wit: "the aircraft may not be operated closer than 500 feet to any person, vessel, vehicle, or structure"

[G.A. Heath]

The FAA regulates drones as aircraft and you should know that even threatening to intentionally damage or destroy an aircraft is a federal felony. Actually doing so is also a federal felony. The feds have yet to prosecute someone for doing so yet, however there is word that the FAA is working with the parties in the DOJ to change that number from zero.

My advice is contact your local LEOs and file a complaint citing Texas Government Code 423. The same statute also gives you Civil remedies as well and I am certain there is at least one attorney in Texas willing to establish themselves as the "Drone Lawyer" or some such.

Edit to add: Location is important too, if you live near an airport determine what class airspace you are in and you might find the remote pilot is flying illegally, especially if they are operating as a hobbyist. Drone regulations are very fluid right now, especially for hobbyist pilots.

For the record I am an FAA part 107 certified remote pilot.

First, as suggested above, you should contact your local LEOs and file a complaint citing Texas Government Code 423.

Second, every time your wife sees the drone, she should call 911 to report a "Peeping Tom" spying on her sunbathing inside her privacy fence. Texas Penal Code § 21.17

Third, if "FAA regulates drones as aircraft" then you should contact the FAA whenever your neighbor flies his aircraft within 500 feet of you, your wife, or your home. Tell them an aircraft is not maintaining safe distance and you want to report a violation of Federal Aviation Regulation § 91.119, to wit: "the aircraft may not be operated closer than 500 feet to any person, vessel, vehicle, or structure"

Unmanned Aircraft have to operate BELOW 400 feet under hobbyist and part 107 rules per the FAA. They also have to operate within visual line of site and a host of other requirements.

[Grumpy1993]

Tell it to the judge.

[jmorris]

I bet I could get it with a pellet rifle.

I bet you could! FWIW, a .22 pellet from a PCP rifle has more energy than a tiny .177.
As long as his camera doesn't catch the rifle and it isn't illegal in your municipality, things might work out.
But I am NOT advocating you do that, mmmkay?
Don't forget to post pictures/videos of your takedown. And your wife at the pool. ;)

Or if there's a way to get him labeled as a sexual predator in the system, he'll be soon knocking on your door to introduce himself, by law.

You must have missed the part above about it being a federal felony.

[Flightmare]

You must have missed the part above about it being a federal felony.

I did not. However, the FAA does not have the manpower to prosecute every case of destruction of toy to which their silly aircraft statute applies.
I agree, don't shoot at real aircraft.
But peeping Tom drones are just toys in my book. (I know, I know, you might throw that book at me LOL).
So far, local LEOs don't really care to prosecute toy destruction cases on a federal level. Thankfully. Let's hope it doesn't change.

Let's hope that the local LEOs also don't charge little Johnny from nextdoor with "assault with a deadly weapon" and "attempted vehicular manslaughter" after Johnny hit my toe with his toy RC car last weekend. Maybe such cases are now common in Commiefornia?

So you are advocating breaking the law, because you believe it to be a toy and not an aircraft? That sounds like a violation of rule #4. FAA rules may apply, even if you disagree.

[Grayling813]

There was an interesting video presentation I saw a while back by a network security guy whose neighbor's kid was using his drone camera to look into windows of houses. He found open ports on the network that the drone/controller used, was able to connect to the drone and take control of it. He downloaded all of the pictures/videos on the camera and confronted the parents of the kid with it.

[G.A. Heath]

First off it's a federal law that makes damaging or destroying an aircraft a felony, and FAA Rules/regulations that makes drones (Unmanned Aircraft) qualify as aircraft. For those who think all aircraft have to remain above 500 feet at all times I suggest you rethink that position, especially where rotary wing aircraft are concerned.

My advice is document the sUAS operating in violation of Government code 423. I would recommend that make sure that you get photos or videos from two separate incidents, this will support the claim that he is conducting surveillance of your wife and/or property. Once you have the ability to document the problem then contact your local PD, report the incidents and provide the evidence along with a printed copy of TGC423 so that the officers know what they are dealing with.

One of the biggest problems with TGC423 is that it does not define the word surveillance, and as a result we have to turn to what the common use of the word is. By providing proof of multiple incidents you are helping prove the remote pilot is meeting the requirements for conducting surveillance and showing that he is a repeat offender. If the local law enforcement won't act once you do this provide the same details to the media, they love bad drone operator stories almost as much as they like gun control stories.

Also the FAA does not do any criminal enforcement, they are a civil agency and only work within the limits of the regulations they write. For criminal matters they turn everything over to the DOJ which then decides who and how to prosecute.