For the most part, drones being used in commercial industries are easily accepted. People know and understand that the drone pilot is trained and licensed to be using a drone for a very specific task. However, drone hobbyists are now facing some backlash when they venture out to use their drones. If someone sees a person flying a drone who is perhaps not in a work uniform, suspicions can easily arise. Michael McConnell from Lake Oswego, Oregon, is a drone hobbyist who has experienced these suspicions on several occasions.

Michael had the opportunity to first learn about drones when working on the set of the film Amazon Queen. He said that some of the best shots the crew captured were taken by drones. When he returned home, Michael bought a DJI Mini to fly recreationally. He loves the feeling of just flying the drone and seeing the world around him from a bird’s eye point of view. He would often take his drone out to parks or other local areas where he knew it was legal to fly.

The majority of people who see Michale flying his drone recreationally are curious and entertained by it. “Some people like it. Some people clap. Some come up to me and say ‘I just want to watch the drone,” he said. But on three separate occasions, people have called the police to report him, even though he wasn’t violating any FAA regulations. One man even went as far as to threaten Michael, saying that he would shoot the drone down if he had a gun on him. “My feeling is that it’s just a lack of information out there. I don’t want to disturb anyone or be a problem, so I’m really cautious with how I fly. I keep it under control,” Michael said. “I was told by one police officer to just go to the park and fly there. I did and you go there and there’s a sign that says ‘No drones’.”

It is this lack of understanding that makes it hard for drone hobbyists to do what they love. If a police officer advised Michael to fly his drone at a park, only to see there is a no drones allowed sign posted there, what are the real rules? West Linn Public Information Officer Bill Garland said that the city doesn’t have any ordinances for drone use, so they defer to regulations set forth by the FAA. Michael, other drone hobbyists, and commercial drone operators across the country all have to abide by FAA regulations.

In 2021, the FAA made adjustments that clarify who can use a drone, under what capacity a drone can be used, the standards that need to be met for drone use, and where it is legal to fly a drone. Any drone pilot is now required to pass a base certification course. If the intention is to fly a drone for commercial purposes additional measures require the pilot to obtain a Part 107, register the drone, and apply for a waiver if flying in restricted areas. The FAA also has an app that makes it easy to see if you are flying in restricted airspace. For Michael, having further clarity from the FAA means he can continue flying his drone without worry. If someone calls the police or approaches him, he can easily pull up the FAA app to show that he is legally flying his drone.

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