Photographer and drone pilot Tim Whittaker said most drones flying over private property were doing so out of ignorance and not maliciousness. Photo / Warren Buckland
Photographer and drone pilot Tim Whittaker said most drones flying over private property were doing so out of ignorance and not maliciousness. Photo / Warren Buckland
Residents in Whakatu say a drone was shot down because of its alleged link to a series of burglaries.
A resident of Whakatu who wishes to remain anonymous said he and others living in the area believed a drone frequently flown over private property was linked to several break-ins.
Hesaid there had been a series of break-ins in the area for a couple of years, but in the most recent incident three houses were broken into in January about a week after the drone stopped flying around.
He witnessed the drone eventually get shot down and land in his neighbour's yard when it once again flew too close to homes in the neighbourhood.
The residents were concerned for their safety if their names were published.
Hawke's Bay Today was told the person who shot the drone did not wish to comment.
"Obviously it was technically illegal and they could lose their firearms licence," the Whakatu resident said.
Photographer and drone pilot Tim Whittaker said drones flying over private property are more likely to be due to ignorance rather than calculated maliciousness.
He said the cameras on most drones aren't capable of the type of surveillance most people fear due to their very wide lenses, the equivalent of a 24mm camera lens, and lack of zoom functionality.
"They can't zoom in, unless they're actually hovering right outside your window. I suppose the occasional criminal might do a bit of scoping out, but I don't see them used maliciously in that form where some people might think they are being spied on."
He said he hadn't heard of anyone who has had their drone shot out of the sky but he has had a man with a firearm threaten to shoot his drone while on a real estate job.
"He said 'is that your f'ing drone? I am going to shoot it out of the sky!'
Whittaker was the first person in the region to get a CAA Part 102 Certified UAV operator certification, but he says it is not hard for normal pilots to follow the rules. Photo / Warren Buckland
"He thought I was flying over and looking at his property when I wasn't."
He said he understood and sympathised with people upset at drones over their homes.
"They either think that they are doing something nasty or they just don't like the sound of them and I fully understand that."
A police spokeswoman said they could not find any reports of drones being shot down in Hawke's Bay following a general search.
A Civil Aviation Authority spokesperson said no one in Hawke's Bay has been charged with shooting a drone.
They said shooting a drone would be a breach of the law and could be a criminal offence under the Crimes Act or Arms Act and Section 44 (1)(b) of the Civil Aviation Act 1990.
A breach of Section 44 (1)(b) in the Civil Aviation Act could be penalised with up to 12 months in prison or a fine of up to $10,000.
The spokesperson said around 69 per cent of all complaints the CAA receives about drones are about drones operating over people or property without consent.
"It is important to note that the CAA can only investigate a complaint if there is sufficient evidence to identify who is flying the drone.
"Seeing the drone land at an address or noting the registration or company markings of a vehicle the drone operator is using are good identifiers."
The spokesperson said if a drone appears to be an immediate hazard then the police or nearest airport should be contacted.
Complaints about invasion of privacy with drones are not under CAA's jurisdiction and should be referred to the Privacy Commissioner.
Whittaker said the biggest thing for drone pilots to remember was consideration for other people.
"As an aircraft, you are bound by the laws of the Civil Aviation Authority, CAA.
"If I go shooting real estate, I will always ask all the neighbours if I can fly around because even if you are not flying over their house they might perceive you to be flying over their house.
"In my experience, every time I ask somebody almost all of them have said yes, but when you don't ask somebody that's when the problem comes."
