Drones

[gattaca66]

I must admit to mixed feelings on the subject of drones (recreational ones, not the sort armed with Hellfire missiles etc!). Having built my own working model planes, rockets etc when younger, I can understand the fun people might get from controlling what can be quite sophisticated flying machines. I've seen some fabulous footage shot on the island, and they surely add a new dimension to photography and film making. However......

I was doing some work on the roof terrace this afternoon when I became aware of a buzzing noise, and I spotted a substantial drone, with camera undeneath, hovering maybe forty feet away. It circled around, and whether true or not I gained the feeling it was circling our house. Now, if someone finds any interest in filming me in my swimming shorts they have bigger problems, so I was going to ignore it when I realised Mrs G66 was sunbathing on the terrace by the pool.

I nipped downstairs to find she had already been alarmed by this thing and gone indoors, and as I went back up to the roof it flew off. I was able to see where it returned to, a nearby house occupied by a family of holidaymakers.

I reckon this is only going to become a bigger problem. I know from chatting to a 'legit' drone user and film maker here that one needs a licence, but that's not going to stop visitors. Now, I happen to have means to probably bring down a drone, but I suspect if I do so I will be in more trouble than the owner, and I'm not going to do that. Has anyone else come across this problem yet? Any experience of involving the Policia or Guardia?

I'd always assumed the wind here would make drones unviable, but it seems not!

[emmi]

Spooky!  I hadn't thought of the voyeuristic side , or just simply "spying" that is possible with these drones. Not nice.  I certainly wouldn't like it to happen to me. If I were you, I'd consider having a chat with a local policeman about it.  Where are you based as a matter of interest?

[waggy]

Years ago a pal of mine started to have his regular Sunday morning lie-in ruined by an early morning radio- controlled plane fanatic so he kept a 12 bore shotgun handy by the bed, lowered the window next Sunday morning, let fly and that was the end of it. No one ever came to claim the stricken stick and paper job from the field next door where it crash-landed.
I reckon some enterprising soul should design an interceptor control for drones, something you could keep by you, a mobile phone app, maybe. Any 10 year old out there want to make a fortune?

[Archer]

Try the hosepipe. 

[Brightspark]

Years ago a pal of mine started to have his regular Sunday morning lie-in ruined by an early morning radio- controlled plane fanatic so he kept a 12 bore shotgun handy by the bed, lowered the window next Sunday morning, let fly and that was the end of it. No one ever came to claim the stricken stick and paper job from the field next door where it crash-landed.
I reckon some enterprising soul should design an interceptor control for drones, something you could keep by you, a mobile phone app, maybe. Any 10 year old out there want to make a fortune?

the vast majority of these drones are wifi controlled, I believe there are "jammers" that can be purchased but whether they are affordable or not I don't know.

[erik_tonny]

Years ago a pal of mine started to have his regular Sunday morning lie-in ruined by an early morning radio- controlled plane fanatic so he kept a 12 bore shotgun handy by the bed, lowered the window next Sunday morning, let fly and that was the end of it. No one ever came to claim the stricken stick and paper job from the field next door where it crash-landed.
I reckon some enterprising soul should design an interceptor control for drones, something you could keep by you, a mobile phone app, maybe. Any 10 year old out there want to make a fortune?

the vast majority of these drones are wifi controlled, I believe there are "jammers" that can be purchased but whether they are affordable or not I don't know.

A jammer has a limited range. Besides, most drones go into safety mode when signal is lost, with many automatically returning to the take-off point and landing.
It is however fairly easy to hack a drome and just let it fly away or crash or land in sea. Or land it on the roof of the guardia civil 
Don't see however how one can achieve this with  a mobile phone as you can't generate enough signal over a wide range to overrule the owners signal.

gattaca66, was this in Corralejo? A Phantom DJI sounding like a large mosquito.

[waggy]

I'm not too well versed on the level of electronic technology needed, Erik, but if someone just whispers a need someone else will put an electronic spoke into an electronic wheel and fix it. You just need to generate enough need to find the cure to satisfy it by making someone else rich. Drones, other than their kills to shots ratio, seem to have enough annoyance potential to do that.

[gattaca66]

Sorry, should have said where.....this was  on the Campo de Golf, Caleta. I believe it was indeed a DJI drone, in black. Air defences now in place, high pressure hose with catapult back-up!

[woe10]

Sorry, should have said where.....this was  on the Campo de Golf, Caleta. I believe it was indeed a DJI drone, in black. Air defences now in place, high pressure hose with catapult back-up!

I would think it was against Aviation law to fly one in the flight path, as the Golf is.

[Brightspark]

Sorry, should have said where.....this was  on the Campo de Golf, Caleta. I believe it was indeed a DJI drone, in black. Air defences now in place, high pressure hose with catapult back-up!

I would have an unbelievable amoumt of fun doing something like this, though my weapon of choice would be the catapult over the hosepipe.

[fourthwisemonkey]

Jamming the signal is not difficult or expensive. However most drones have a return to home facility/autoland for if they lose signal.
The DJI drones have been hacked before now using an exploit in the gps software....the same sort of exploit than can hijack your phone.
Basically the hack demo took control of the drone and basically told it it was in a no fly zone and hence it auto landed.

I personally would prefer the old fashioned catapault or .22 air gun approach......lot simpler and a lot less tech needed.

[erik_tonny]

What is a .22 air gun?

[woe10]

What is a .22 air gun?

      http://www.walmart.com/c/kp/pellet-rifle-22

[Snowdrop]

How awful Gattaca66. I am sure your wife felt very uncomfortable as it sounds you did.  There's enough Pervs around without it happening from above too.  We once had our personal space invaded but it stopped when we threatened the person with the police.  And what about possible 'casing' places out to burgle?  Looks like there is a new stall outside capanerio selling them at the weekend.  The owners of such equipment need to think about where they use such devices and respect peoples privacy.  Will defo buy a catapult if I see one above me

[decho]

Well next time you go to the lagoons at Cotillo don't forget to take your anti-aircraft device with you. There was one flying around yesterday...very irritating!

[zedzedeleven]

Lots of overactive imaginations in play here. Who would need to resort to such methods at Cotillo lagoons? a leisurely stroll along the water`s edge would surely satisfy even the most avaricious voyeur. If it didn`t then there`s always the dunes to the south of the two hotels. Or so I`m told.

[Dave Diggler]

Lots of overactive imaginations in play here. Who would need to resort to such methods at Cotillo lagoons? a leisurely stroll along the water`s edge would surely satisfy even the most avaricious voyeur. If it didn`t then there`s always the dunes to the south of the two hotels. Or so I`m told.

It isn't the voyeuristic element that would bother me (if someone gets their thrills from watching 2 x 50+ wrinkling in the sun, then that says more about them than us) it would be the noise

[waggy]

http://independentfilmnewsandmedia.com/sophisticated-gangs-using-drones-to-target-church-roofs-for-their-lead/

[Dave Diggler]

http://independentfilmnewsandmedia.com/sophisticated-gangs-using-drones-to-target-church-roofs-for-their-lead/

"..lead strippers..."  Is she the one that goes on first?

[waggy]

Yes but she weighs a ton. Mind you, some prefer big women.

[Mr Boo Boo]

Think this thread is droning on a little IMHO