Drone video of a boat running aground.

[Ronnie]

I found this as I was surfing the phantom pilots site. The question on the post was did the poster/videographer do anything wrong? I thought he flew to close for to long but didn't see that he did anything illegal. Anyway, I thought some of you may enjoy this regardless of wrongful actions by those involved. The grounding happens at about the 2:15 mark.

 

[MrMoose]

I cringed while watching it. I think that the drone operator was incapable of putting him/herself in the shoes of the boat crew. If he/she were capable of empathy, it would have been realized that such intrusive behavior was inappropriate.

 

[haknslash]

I look at this the same as if I had a tire blowout and while on the side of the road someone comes up to me just standing there videoing the whole thing not saying why they are all up in my business, offering any help, etc. Just standing there filming. Definitely cringe worthy and I'd probably be pissed too.

 

[su laxplayer21]

The mistake the guy on the boat made was using a fishing pole instead of a 12gauge with a bird shot!

 

[Topper232]

I think @MrMoose nailed it. Weather legal or not, a lot of people just don't have the empathy or the ability to know what the "right" thing to do is in situations like this. No one likes to make a mistake, especially an expensive one like that, and to have someone sort of advertising your mistake can be frustrating to say the least.

 

[captainhook]

I almost posted this on Phantom Pilots when I saw it last week but refrained. The drone operator was a complete jackass. Flying above him or filming him is one thing, even hovering above him at 300' is acceptable, but at that height? Completely unacceptable. Should the guy damage his drone? Of course not, but it's the same as parking a boat 10' off of his port side and taking a video--I'm sure that wouldn't be looked upon very kindly either.

Interesting thing happened to me over the weekend and I thought of this video too. I was trying to wakeboard for the first time while my dad was trying to learn to drive a jet boat for the first time. Neither of us did very well and I had a drone 25' over my head from somebody on shore. I wasn't that upset about it given that I am a drone owner myself, but the frustration of me not being able to get out of the water, getting mad at my dad for not being able to drive the boat, along with a drone over my head? I can see how someone would get pissed off over it.

 

[Ancient canoe]

Did he do anything wrong? Absolutely, drone operator was being a jackass. Was he doing anything illegal? No.

 

[MrMoose]

Did he do anything wrong? Absolutely, drone operator was being a jackass. Was he doing anything illegal? No.

Just like the A$$holes that shoot their golf balls at my house. Illegal, no. Wrong, yes. Karma, right/wrong, good/bad... I believe that most people are born with the common sense of right and wrong. I believe that many use the law to excuse their poor decisions and actions, because they are not good people. It's simple. We can all identify these types. Some accept them, and some move away from them. Right and wrong.

 

[Ancient canoe]

Just like the A$$holes that shoot their golf balls at my house. Illegal, no. Wrong, yes. Karma, right/wrong, good/bad... I believe that most people are born with the common sense of right and wrong. I believe that many use the law to excuse their poor decisions and actions, because they are not good people. It's simple. We can all identify these types. Some accept them, and some move away from them. Right and wrong.

Had the boater hooked the drone he could have ended up with a drone bill on top of his boat repair bill, but if I had any say I would definitely give him a pass.

 

[ToddW850]

Ouch!

 

[Zarrella]

Shoot 'Em!!!

 

[subysti]

The boat guys mistake was missing the drone with the fishing pole. Really? I would've snagged it on first cast. What drone bill? Wasn't me, I did see drone crash in to the water near me though. Isn't the video recording stored on the camera in the water???? Guy in the boat was wrong also. Shouldn't have been going that fast that close to docks and shore.

 

[Eric Ballard]

I have a drone and would not do this. What a$$holes!!!!! use your flare gun - after all you where just signaling for help....

 

[Ronnie]

The boat guys mistake was missing the drone with the fishing pole. Really? I would've snagged it on first cast. What drone bill? Wasn't me, I did see drone crash in to the water near me though. Isn't the video recording stored on the camera in the water???? Guy in the boat was wrong also. Shouldn't have been going that fast that close to docks and shore.

Actually it depends on the device being used. My apple devices don't concurrently record what the drone is recording but my android device does.

The poster on the phantom site is also the drone pilot/ videographer and it seems like he just posted to try and get validation for what he did. The feedback was around 60% against him.

I don't take footage like that or fly that close to people unless I know them.

Still I think the public needs to be better educated as to what the appropriate response is. Drones are protected as if they were full scale aircraft under the faa. They penalty for interfering with such a craft in flight can be very steep.

 

[Ancient canoe]

Is people messing with drones a common problem in the drone piloting world? I got to say, if a drone caught me with my pants down and flew close enough for me to do something, I can't say I would ignore it.

 

[Julian]

I think following a stranger with a camera for more than a few seconds would be strange. This should apply to a person on foot as it would a drone. If he'd been up high and hadn't hung around, this would have been much less invasive, but so drop and and get close ups of the boat was obnoxious.....not different than if you'd been on a jetski with a camera circling the boat. Now I need to remember to get my jet pump squirt gun working on the new boat.... Chuckle.....

So sorry your drone didn't like getting wet....I was just trying a different thrust vector to move around!

 

[Hannibal]

Rude of the drone pilot but a good lesson just the same. I troll around unknown waters for that very reason. All the electronic equipment didn't make up for careful visual observation. Guy with drone no different than if people were gawking from the condo balconies or boat ramps when people often fug up.

 

[Mainah]

The drone pilot who took this video = Jerk. The why on that has been covered above and I agree. However the boat pilot in the video = more money than brains. If you can afford an off shore fishing boat with 4 outboards it likley has one heck of a chartplotter. Before putting people at risk respect the environment you are in and learn how to use the chartplotter. Money does not make one impervious to risk but it does seem to make some people think they are.

Also that hazard should be physically marked better from what I could see in the video.

 

[seadude]

With all those guys and all that power I'm surprised they couldn't figure out a way to back off that reef!
(and that hovering flying camera would be pretty obnoxious)

 

[mraz72]

does that damage a boat? The answer is probably, it depends, but just curious if anyone has done anything similar and the results?

Also, growing up mudding, when we bottomed out, we would unload the car and try to rock. Not sure if getting everyone in the water was an option there. I guess paying the tow fee was the best way to go.