Drones

[Sandstone1]

Some one is flying a drone over my horses field. Horses not happy. Think they think its a huge horsefly. What are the up to date rules on this does anyone know? from what I have seen they should not fly over private property. Anyone else had this problem?

 

[PeterNatt]

The Droe whould be flown within 'Line of Sight' of the operator so you should be able to see the operator and request them not to fly the Drone over yoiur property.

 

[Sandstone1]

It was not within his line of sight. We did find him and request he does not do it again.

 

[Fransurrey]

We had one over our yard at home and were broken into, shortly after (very specific items stolen). We do know someone who shoots them down, rightly or wrongly, because round here they are increasingly a nuisance and/or used to stake out properties. Don't think I've ever seen an operator when I've seen one. Only today there was one hovering near me whilst I ate lunch. If I'd had something to throw I would have. PITA.

 

[Sandstone1]

Huge invasion of privacy in my opinion.

 

[Widgeon]

We've had one over our arena while I've been schooling before - it's happened a few times now. Fortunately I have a very sensible horse - YO's baby horse at the time would have had a meltdown! It makes me really cross. They're so fast moving and unpredictable. If I had the means I absolutely would shoot it down.

 

[AmyMay]

Stand underneath it with a big sign saying

Private Property- F Off

 

[Sandstone1]

I have to admit to some rather rude hand movements!

 

[The Xmas Furry]

Have a yard within an airfield flight path, they call the police in every time! Thats what happens here.....

 

[cauda equina]

One crashed in my yard
It was being flown from over a mile away - how can that be safe?

 

[JBM]

In ireland

You can fly an ‘open’ category drone (weighing under 25 kilograms) without permission, as long as:

• The drone is no more than 120 metres above the level of the land or water directly below
• The drone is not outside your line of sight
• The drone is not on or near certain exempted zones such as around hospitals and aerodromes
• Your capacity to operate the drone is not affected by the consumption of alcohol or illness.

 

[saalsk]

We have had a local camp site person have a similar issue with a drone being flown over the site. From what they have said (and this is simply the bits I can remember) the police said it was legal to fly over any land (except airports and MOD areas and other restricted stuff, that the aviation authority lists) and as long as the drone is under 250g, the operator has a flyers license, which comes with some sort of insurance, then they can fly where they like - including private property. I don't know about the line of sight issue - personally if it was that high in the air, I would never spot it anyway, but there is also a lower limit, so it shouldn't be able to get low enough to cause problems. The civil aviation authority website has all the info though. Apparently, any areas restricted, have some sort of software thing within the drone, that means they can't fly into the area anyway, even if the operator tries to make it. The camp site owner found that a local person was using a drone, with camera, and taking footage of the people camping, when they were in hot tubs etc. They were livid to find out that the police couldn't stop the person, but it turned out that word of mouth soon put a stop to this persons activities anyway ! If they had upset my horses I'd have been livid, and I have certainly heard of drones being *helped* to land in various ways !

 

[cloverlea]

They are using drones to look for what might be worth stealing. I have heard of them looking for Koi in garden ponds, and your horse is worth a lot more. They can use a camera on the drone, and study your security on their computers.

 

[PurBee]

In ireland

You can fly an ‘open’ category drone (weighing under 25 kilograms) without permission, as long as:

• The drone is no more than 120 metres above the level of the land or water directly below
• The drone is not outside your line of sight
• The drone is not on or near certain exempted zones such as around hospitals and aerodromes
• Your capacity to operate the drone is not affected by the consumption of alcohol or illness.

I looked up the drone laws recently for ireland as one buzzed above my property recently, about 20m above my head! If it weighs over 1kg the user must register with the aviation authority:

A drone can be operated in the “Open “category if:

• The drone has one of the class identification labels 0, 1, 2, 3, or 4.
• The drone was purchased before 1 January 2023, with no class identification label as above.
• The drone has a maximum take-off mass of less than 25 kg (55 lbs).
• The remote pilot keeps the drone at a safe distance away from people.
• The drone will not be operated directly over people unless it has a class identification label or is lighter than 250 g (0.55 lbs). (Please refer to subcategories of operations: A1, A2, and A3 to find out where you can fly with your drone).
• The remote pilot will maintain a visual line of sight (VLOS) or the remote pilot will be assisted by a UA observer.
• The remote pilot will not operate the drone above 120m (400ft).
• The drone will not carry any dangerous goods and will not drop any material.

General Rules for Flying a Drone in Ireland​

Based on our research and interpretation of the laws, here are the most important rules to know for flying a drone in Ireland.

• If you plan to fly above 15 meters (49 feet) and your drone weighs more than 1 kilogram (2.2 pounds) you must register your drone. You can register on the IAA’s website here.
• As best we can tell, the same rules apply to recreational and commercial drone operators, with no special licensing or permit requirements for commercial operations.
• Registered drones may not be flown above 120 meters (394 feet).
• Registered drones may not weigh more than 25 kilograms (55 pounds).
• Drone pilots must maintain a direct line of sight with their drone during operations, and may not fly more than 300 meters (984 feet).
• Drones may not fly within 5 kilometers (3 miles) of any airport.
• Drones may not fly within 30 meters (98.4 feet) of people, crowds, vehicles, or buildings.
• Drone insurance is recommended by the IAA, but is not legally required.
• Drones cannot be flown over national monuments.
• Drones may be flown

Drone Laws in Ireland | UAV Coach (2023)

Want to learn more about drone laws in Ireland? Check out our list of links and regulations for people flying drones in Ireland.

uavcoach.com

I read a forum of irish drone users and they were saying you can get drones to take down other drones! The emit a circuit-breaking zap to the flying trespassing drone, it drops clean out of the air!

 

[Abby-Lou]

We had one down our lane it zipped along like a huge wasp my mare was very upset by it. I approached the young man and explained the situation he was very apologetic never seen him again thank goodness

 

[JBM]

I looked up the drone laws recently for ireland as one buzzed above my property recently, about 20m above my head! If it weighs over 1kg the user must register with the aviation authority:

A drone can be operated in the “Open “category if:

• The drone has one of the class identification labels 0, 1, 2, 3, or 4.
• The drone was purchased before 1 January 2023, with no class identification label as above.
• The drone has a maximum take-off mass of less than 25 kg (55 lbs).
• The remote pilot keeps the drone at a safe distance away from people.
• The drone will not be operated directly over people unless it has a class identification label or is lighter than 250 g (0.55 lbs). (Please refer to subcategories of operations: A1, A2, and A3 to find out where you can fly with your drone).
• The remote pilot will maintain a visual line of sight (VLOS) or the remote pilot will be assisted by a UA observer.
• The remote pilot will not operate the drone above 120m (400ft).
• The drone will not carry any dangerous goods and will not drop any material.

General Rules for Flying a Drone in Ireland​

Based on our research and interpretation of the laws, here are the most important rules to know for flying a drone in Ireland.

• If you plan to fly above 15 meters (49 feet) and your drone weighs more than 1 kilogram (2.2 pounds) you must register your drone. You can register on the IAA’s website here.
• As best we can tell, the same rules apply to recreational and commercial drone operators, with no special licensing or permit requirements for commercial operations.
• Registered drones may not be flown above 120 meters (394 feet).
• Registered drones may not weigh more than 25 kilograms (55 pounds).
• Drone pilots must maintain a direct line of sight with their drone during operations, and may not fly more than 300 meters (984 feet).
• Drones may not fly within 5 kilometers (3 miles) of any airport.
• Drones may not fly within 30 meters (98.4 feet) of people, crowds, vehicles, or buildings.
• Drone insurance is recommended by the IAA, but is not legally required.
• Drones cannot be flown over national monuments.
• Drones may be flown

Drone Laws in Ireland | UAV Coach (2023)

Want to learn more about drone laws in Ireland? Check out our list of links and regulations for people flying drones in Ireland.

uavcoach.com

I read a forum of irish drone users and they were saying you can get drones to take down other drones! The emit a circuit-breaking zap to the flying trespassing drone, it drops clean out of the air!

They’re training eagles to take down drones!! The videos are super cool

 

[PurBee]

They’re training eagles to take down drones!! The videos are super cool

Hilarious!….Im scurrying off to find one!

 

[PurBee]

The international police and army are training eagles to take down drones!

 

[Bob notacob]

Perhaps everyone with an outdoor school should request the CAA to declare it a restricted zone. There is no reason why they could not .And if the potential risks of spooking a horse were pointed out , ask them would they take the responsibility if they refused!

 

[JBM]

The international police and army are training eagles to take down drones!

Yes this!! Isn’t it awesome!!

 

[PinkvSantaboots]

They fly them near us sometimes then knock on your door to sell you a birds eye view of your house, the guy wanted £35 so I bid him down and got it for £20 including a frame still have the picture it's in our hallway.

 

[magicmoments]

They are using drones to look for what might be worth stealing. I have heard of them looking for Koi in garden ponds, and your horse is worth a lot more. They can use a camera on the drone, and study your security on their computers.

That's my main concern. Personally I think they should be banned for individuals to buy, but can definitely she they have uses for the forces, search and rescue, etc.

 

[stangs]

The international police and army are training eagles to take down drones!

The Netherlands police plan to use eagles and other birds of prey to catch drones from the air. Falconers are baffled by this plan, calling it nonsensical and dangerous, newspaper AD reports. A demonstration video the police published last week shows a bald eagle plucking a small drone from the air. But according to falconers, viewers are given the wrong idea in the demo. The eagle grabs a small, hovering consumers drone, with soft plastic propellers. Where professional drones can fly between 70 and 300 kilometers per hour and way 3 kilos or more. "That will make mincemeat out of an eagle." Robert Muster, a falconer in Enschede, said to the newspaper. According to Musters, eagles are totally unsuitable for drone hunting. They use thermals when flying, which is why they live in the mountains. Over the flat country side of the Netherlands, eagles can fly 50 meters at the most before being exhausted, he said to the newspaper. The birds may even pose a danger to humans. "If an eagle can not catch his prey, he may become so frustrated that he picks up something else. Eagle talons are so strong that it can easily pierce a child's head."

[x]

In January of last year [2016], the Dutch National Police announced they were training eagles to take down misbehaving drones. More than a year later, police have determined that perhaps sicking massive birds of prey at rogue contraptions in the sky isn’t an ideal solution. NOS reports that Dutch police are retiring the project due to low demand, high costs, and unexpected drawbacks. According to Dutch news site NLTimes, “the birds would not always do what they were trained for.”

[x]

 

[Peglo]

My cousin’s (whose horses are also in the field) partner used to fly his drone over the horses field. The old TB used it as an excuse to get everyone to have a hoolie with her. Any excuse for a run around but they weren’t really bothered. It was good spook busting for incase we met anyone taking pictures with one out hacking.
I’ve not seen him fly it for a while though.

Completely different however for random people to fly their drones over stranger’s homes. That’s quite concerning.

 

[pinkfluffy]

We had a drone a few weeks ago and it was so big I thought it was a UFO. Horses snorted and stared and were mildly unsure. Probably would have been different if I'd been riding the drama queen pony. Found the guy, asked him to stop and was informed there was no law that said he couldn't park down the road and hover his drone over my horse yard.

 

[JBM]

Oh I also used a drone to help find my horses when they escaped the field last week
It was unsuccessful but it kinda worked!
My friend was flying it around and someone came out of their house looking very angry so before they could say anything I profusely apologised and explained the situation and their husband had actually seen the horses! Happy accidents

 

[Mero]

One crashed in my yard
It was being flown from over a mile away - how can that be safe?

If one crashed and the pilot was a mile away, it was probably a ‘fly away’ which means it developed some sort of fault or issue that meant it lost communication with the command unit and went off by itself. Interference from major power lines can cause it, amongst other things. If that happens the pilot should be contacting local police, air traffic control if relevant and recording its heading, last known speed, wind direction etc. The pilot must then report it so that the incident can be investigated.

Pilots who are operational for law enforcement, professional surveying, search and rescue etc should be mindful of livestock and other likely incursions, privacy impacts and wildlife and take it into account in their flight planning. They have to submit full flight plans, on site surveys and risk assessments and these are audited by the CAA. It’s the hobbyists who use them that are relatively unregulated, as airspace is not ‘private property’. I stopped one the other day that was flying in a flight restriction zone with no authorisation.

I was thinking when I read the first comment on the eagles that the propellers on a pro drone would cause severe injury to a bird, if birds of prey show interest in the drone, or other birds come near, you are supposed to bring the drone down until they move away. It’s a good reason for always having an observer with the pilot so they can keep an eye out of incoming birds. The kites and buzzards are always curious.

 

[Auslander]

MIne are drone trained! One of our hacking routes takes us past a drone club field, and although they are very good there, the horses were seriously freaked out - so one of my liveries bought himself a drone, and spent loads of time last summer desensitising the horses with it. It was possibly the most valuable thing we did last year, as they are all as good as gold going past the drone field now

 

[YourValentine]

See the CAA for drone use legislation, there are some handy 1 page summaries.

By law, from 2021, all drone operators - private and commercial- must be registered with the CAA and do an online test. If it carries a camera they need operator ID which must be stuck on the drone.

Drones are grouped into 3 categories, A1 (250g or less) can be flown anywhere except over a "crowd" defined as a group of people gathered together or in a situation where they could not move quickly to avoid a hazard.

That last bit about avoiding a hazard might be usable to stop people flying over horses /riding facilities. But suspect it will take a legal case to set precedent.

 

[Fransurrey]

We had one down our lane it zipped along like a huge wasp my mare was very upset by it. I approached the young man and explained the situation he was very apologetic never seen him again thank goodness

This reminds me of the time I turned into our farm driveway (riding) and found a group of young asian blokes with a drone. They were about to let it take off under my horse's nose until I not so politely pointed out that they were not the brightest of individuals...