Confrontation of the Month - Drone pilot vs Florida Man 

Just wait till this guy realizes all of his surrounding neighbors have surveillance cameras and rings.

You can't use logic against stupidity.

If he repeatedly was making unwanted physical contact, that is battery and is prosecutable

There were better ways to handle this.

"listen to your wife and get back inside" L E G E N D A R Y !!

Send him a Google Earth picture of his backyard.

This is the reason I don't fly my drone anymore. Hell even when you are no where near a house some yoyo who thinks he or she is a lawyer, or just has nothing better going on in their life, has to play cop and harass you. It really is a shame that these kind of people exist.

"Florida man" said it all on this one hahahahahaha

How do I register my Frisbee? 😂

I wear a gopro on my chest on every job.

That was not about drones, it was about alcohol.

The expression i French is ”l'esprit d'escalier”; The clever retort you came up with on your way home (actually in the stairs on your way home). I actually almost died when Ken Dono refered to the gentleman’s wife as ”that”!😂😂😂

"I wasn't videoing you or your house with my drone but I sure as hell am videoing you right now! Why does the drone upset you but my phone doesn't?"

Alcohol grows balls!

If he does that like someone did to my F107 friends the cops made her pay for everything and she was cited. People just enjoy flying drones I am an f-107 certified pilot I enjoyed flying drones and no it's not that you're so special that I'm looking at you

BAHAHAHA. Gotta love people that think they actually own the airspace above their house and think every drone operator is looking in people's windows.

one trick I use all the time: I wear a yellow safety vest that says, "FAA certified drone pilot, do not disturb" and I set out two traffic safety cones to stand between. no one has ever bothered me when I do this.

Had a "neighbor" pull this same crap with me and I'm just a simple hobbyist chasing trains with a Mavic 2 at 400ft a vast majority of time. Guy made the same threat to shoot the drone down. I kindly sent all the details to the FBI with intent to cause harm in the video caught on my security system.

Ken I'd distance myself from DoBo. He is on the verge of be Red Flagged in Florida. His comments in here are open threats toward all.

What is it about drone pilots named Ken? Don't mess with the Kens.

Calling cops is risky, but honestly that's what they're supposed to be there for. If you call the cops you'd think they'd at least de-escalate before getting more info. If this would have went further south and someone got shot you'd be frowned upon for not calling the cops. Sometimes you're damned if you do and damned if you don't.

Best line was when he called him a redneck Lol 😂😂

I know it's tough to deal with crazy people that have no clue, yet they think they know everything but, but, but as a PIC you cannot let your ego take over your senses. Ego is your worst enemy! As hard as it is to learn safe operation of DJI or FPV drone we need to learn just as hard how to cultivate our egos, so we can handle and subdue the crazy ones. I know, I'd probably blow my gasket as well but it would not make the situation any better. Great conversation, thanks for sharing.

My neighbor shot my drone down a couple of months ago. I have him on video doing it. The local sheriff’s department did nothing about it. It was a mini 2 and unregistered

This response is what gives our industry a bad name... Terrible response!!!

Alright Ken needs a new series. Top Karen Encounters! We can send in our ‘Karen’ encounters and Ken can rank them! 😂😂 This video would be the heavyweight contender for sure hahaha!

Oh, what the heck…. Let’s go sign up for the remote pilot 101…..

I think I would have been calling the police. This wasn't the calmest handling of the situation by either side.

Option 4....you DO have a weapon😂😂😂

For future jobs tell the owner to notify neighbors. Maybe display a sign " perverts flying on this day". Something like that.😂

Carry too.

I just moved to Ohio and on my neighbor app, one of the first posts I saw was someone complaining about a drone over their house while they were trying to drink wine in peace. That was followed up by many comments to shoot the drone down. Everyone thinks a drone in the sky is spying on them and this is their common reaction sadly and reason I will not do real estate work.

I have learned to fly so that no one knows where I am. When I fly back I go in a different direction then drop down just above tree tops and fly back so no one can see where it went. Works great. I have seen a few cars try and follow it but I lead them down the wrong road and cut across a thick forest lol.

I understand the drone pilot was in the right here, but I freaking HATE it when people use the phrase "I'm in fear for my life" when there is no presence of a deadly threat. It's such a cheap way to try to open the door to using lethal force when there is only a threat of physical non lethal force.

Ken I was busted for flying over wilderness out in the middle of the desert and they gave me a citation. Park Ranger!! I never stepped foot on or in wilderness. Long story short they lied on a federal document and said I landed in the wilderness and my GoPro proved them wrong and we won the case. Was looking a 12 mo in prison and they deliberately lied to try and nail me. If you'd like the story I'd be more than happy to do an interview.

Theres a point in some confrontations where you dont think talking your way out is going to work so you prepare for a fight. By telling him to listen to his wife lol.

"With THAT?"...hahahaha. Now you're talking my language. Monday Morning Quarter Backing always appears on Tuesday...I hate that.

faking having a weapon is always the worst idea. if you act like you are armed 9/10 they are going to attack, its seen as weak in a mans mind for him to attack someone unarmed, for example lets say you have a paintball gun and he has a 9mm. what happens when you charge/shoot him and he thinks its a real firearm,"whatever excuse the lawyer would give" and magdumps. all could have been avoided. 2A stay strapped or get clapped.

Better man than me, the moment I would have been touched, it’s enough for me to “protect” myself.

What about a Tshirt stating...Don't shoot the pilot"😂😂

What is it with Florida Man? I had a Florida Man that moved to NC that came to my house while I was flying and threatened to shoot my drone down as well. I always conceal carry my pistol when I fly. When he roared up, pointed his finger an inch from my nose and screamed "I'm gonna SHOOT ..." I wonder if he noticed my hand move to my waistband until he finished the sentence "that thing out of the sky" ... WHEW. Almost drew my pistol. Be careful who you threaten, Florida Man. They may bite back.

"Do you want me to do stand your ground"?😂

His smart brother needs to learn how to record in landscape mode. Geez.

I live in rual Michigan my neighborhood is full of sophisticates actually like this... Since i started flying my neighbors became assholes came in my yard to bitch evey time they heard it start up. Last year i was asked to see if i could find a deer that had been shot worked perfect word got around now those same sophisticates want my help lol!!!

I wonder how he expected a drone to film a house from directly above it? most people think all drones have an IR telephoto lens that can look right into your windows lol. which is why my favorite spot to stand when flying my drone is from a flat roof where I work.

Hey Ken! I strongly recommend GoPros for bodycams. They have an amazing FOV, each battery will last easily 2 hours, they are pretty indestructible and with the GoPro subscription you get unlimited cloud storage of all your videos. So as soon as you turn it on before each flight, turn it off after, and when you get home just plug it to power and it uploads everything to the cloud for backup. Started using one after a couple threats while flying lol

All of my neighbors tell me they think my drone is cool. Several of them started buying cheap drones and losing them all over the neighborhood since seeing me flying my FPV drones up and down the street.

Not very professional. That type of response/reaction would not be acceptable to any other business. If everything was legit should have just asked if he would like you to call the police and get an officer there. No need to respond or let the guy get under your skin.

Drunk POS needs to go to jail for interfering with a business.

Had a neighbor say he'd shoot my DJI mini out of the sky and I explained the FAA rules and followed with he'd be the one going to jail.

There was a dozen ways Dobo could've handled this better. He chose not to go down those paths. Not defending the drunk, but Dobo isnt doing us any favors behaving like this. One day someone will teach him a lesson in restraint

The Florida law is SB 766 // 2015 for anyone who wants some interesting reading! Under part 107 though you can temporarily transition over private property to get to the intended area!

@necigrad Walking Away doesn't always work. I was doing a job in the Pilsen area of Chicago last year when a crazy lady came running out of her 3-Flat screaming and trying to knock my EVO II Pro controller out of my hands with the bird in the air. I pulled away a few yards, tried to explain what I was doing, she wouldn't listen to a word I said, and continued hitting my hands, arms, and shoulder shrieking in her worst Karen voice. She then started screaming that her husband was Chicago Cop and he was on his way to shoot me! I tended to believe her, so I called the Chicago police as well right after I landed the drone. She then tried to stomp on the drone and i had to push her away while I grabbed it. Then she was demanding to know which car was mine. She said she owned 4 buildings on the block and I was not allowed to park on her block! That was too funny! True to her word, her husband and his partner rolled up me and right up onto the sidewalk - and almost hitting me! I could imagine the hysterical lies she told him.... Keep in mind I'm wearing a bright yellow vest saying "FAA Certified Commercial Drone Operation in Progress: Please keep your distance for your safety". He came up to me very aggressively until I told him I pressing charges against his wife for interfering with a Certificated Commercial sUAS flight, as well as assault, and battery. I told him I also reported the encounter before he showed up to the Chicago FAA FSDO for prosecution. He slowed his roll a bit and his partner stepped in to smooth things over. Then the Cops I had called showed up and the husband tried pulling rank and gaining favor with his buddies, but it didn't work out that way. The Officer that showed up was a past client of mine and we had run the Chicago Half-Marathon together a few years earlier. He put the husband on notice and said he would take a complaint on the assault charges if I wanted. I took an apology from the husband on behalf of both him and his wife. She was still screaming "c*cksucker" at me as the husband pushed her back up the front steps. I was wearing a CammPro body cam but things happened so fast I forgot to turn it on. Lesson learned - start the recording the second you step out the car! Interestingly, I did use the body cam successfully when an Orland Park police office rolled up on me during a real estate shoot and told me what I was doing was illegal and demanded I land the drone. I told him I was recording him and would give him the option of going back to his squad car and calling the Sergeant in charge of his own police department's drone program, Don H. (an acquaintance of mine), and then apologize to me. Which he ultimately did while misquoting a rescinded village ordinance from years earlier...😆😆

That homeowner, he’s got beer muscles.😂😂😂😂🤣🤣🤣 Go back inside before you get your ass kicked. I had an incident once were some young guy came out, saying I was flying over his house when I wasn’t and then he flips out his FBI card and tin badge saying he’s an FBI agent, guy look like he was 18 years old. When I said, let me see that close-up so I can take a picture of it he wouldn’t take it out again, because he knows he was impersonating a federal agent.

*the FAA GOVERNS the airspace. They don’t OWN it. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Everyone always thinks someone is spying like they are worth the drone battery and time lol 😂

They all think we’re spying on them.

Some people just don't know how to act especially intoxicated.

not sure how they did it back in NAM but now a days you probably shouldn't start a conflict with a drone operator who knows where you live. not a good strategy for retirement.

I think both were out of line. Always try to de-escalate. You could have simply shown him what you were doing. "Hey, if you calm down I'll show you what we were doing - you can see we're not spying, but we have a job to do." If you can't, it's time to pack up and leave. It doesn't matter who's in the right or wrong. Wishing you'd escalated the situation by slating his wife just means you're an a**hole. This is exactly the type of situation we as a community need to learn how to de-escalate by either calming the person and getting them onside, or walking away if they cannot be reasoned with. Blowing up, fighting, etc is not the answer. it just isn't.

Folks may not realize this, but the Insta 360 x cameras have a "loop recording" mode that will record a video loop up to 30 minutes in length then overwrite it as new video is recorded. That way you can set up an Insta 360 while you're flying to record in loop mode and capture everything that goes on around you while you fly to help you when Karens attack. I really like that the Insta 360 is small and unobtrusive, so a lot of folks don't even realize they're essentially on a security loop when they approach me.

Thanks for this - where are the Bodycam links??

I've been abused a couple of times for flying my drone at the local foreshore, even though I kept about 250yds away from people, there's always a nasty a'hole somewhere waiting for a reason to force their feelings upon others.

Why yes, spying on people with a 24mm wide angle lens.

I like Ken's idea about the t-shirt lol. You should have asked that dude in front of all his neighbors who was that other guy you saw with his wife while you were flying over his house.

LOL🤣🤣🤣

When someone confronts you like this, always, always, always dial 911 right away. If this drunken man had been armed the situation could have turned into a nightmare very quickly. Also it's never a good idea to meet aggression with aggression. In my profession I'm verbally assaulted by members of the public as a matter of course. While deescalation isn't always possible, it is always possible to maintain the status-quo until authorities arrive. Let the complainant yell and cuss all he wants; that just increases the chance that he'll get tired and walk away.

The other day I had the same problem with an idio% for fly my drone near his house. Wtf people, It’s a drone not the CIA.

Idk offer to show the pictures and how it's centered on the house your doing it for!

DOBO was about to fuck that guy up I can tell...That guy was asking for it. It could have all been avoided had that guy come up in a different approach with decency and respect.

Awesome everybody is filming nowadays !

What you should’ve did is just ignore him and say call the proper authorities. You shouldn’t have said anything.!

i fly freestyle with DJI ... and always have a dditional set of googles with me, so i can just show proples what i'm doing, that usually deescalates the situation, even with cops.

Thanks for standing your ground Ken. I do this everyday as well and every once and awhile some Karen crawls out from under a rock, usually during a full moon, and loses their shit. These idiots are dangerous and I’ve thought about wearing a body cam too, I’m going to look into it. You were 100% right in what you did. Great job 👍

I think your approach was incorrect. Avoid conflict at all cost, stoking the fire is not a good option. It makes for entertaining youtube video, but not worth it. Speak less and get the H*ll out of there.

Man, it's gotten to the point where I'm getting more and more nervous to fly because of all the misinformation out there and the idiots who believe it. Luckily I've never had an encounter this bad.

3...he had a mullet! 😂😂🎉🎉

body cams sound good. I did have a similar situation, the person did call the cops. Cops showed up, I gave the cop my business card and showed him my 107 Cert, Drone insurance, LAANC, and the footage from the control. The catastrophe adverted. It does help that the San Antonio PD does have a drone department so the officer that dept to find out how to proceed. The officer deemed what I was doing was legal and no law was broken and no crime was committed so I finished the job. The person was still bothered but at that point, the officer was doing the de-escalation.

I was taking drone photos of a strip mall for a client and a lady come running towards me yelling "Why are you filming me?" I said, excuse me? She repeated herself. I turned my remote controller and screen to her. She saw I had a store front in frame and it wasn't the one she came out of. She said, "Oh...that is a good picture." Her whole attitude flipped and I imagine she felt pretty silly. I took the opportunity to educate her on the drone gimbal. Just because one is in the air it doesn't mean it is looking at you. Sounds like that guy needed some drone education, but he probably wouldn't have listened.

This is an argument for changing the rules so we don't have to fly LOS. Doubt that guy could have worked the Karen app.

I was confronted by my next door neighbor and I accidentally told him off nothing this intense but a simple "I'll do what I want" lol

I just use a GoPro with the chest holder. Hands free, voice control record on/off. Easy peezy.

That dude was a complete dolt. I don't use a drone, but I do use a lot of pro-photography gear. And you would be surprised how many people freak out when they see a photographer taking pictures of literally anything in public spaces. Most people will just ignore you, but a significant number cannot resist the urge to bully and harass. Even if you are extremely careful to avoid the humans ... they see you as a target. However if I am with a female model they typically stay away because I think they know that the girl would blaze them. It was very smart that you didn't hit him because these types of jackass will sue you forever. Pathetic.

Amazing, well done... tried being courteous ✔️ tried being informative ✔️ hand his attitude back to him ✔️

This is what the 45th president did to the United States.

Never say "I'm standing my ground and I'm in fear for my life". God forbid you have to use force, it is a bad look to scream "standing my ground" when you are obviously not in real life or limb danger. It makes you look like you are over-reacting to a drunk guy and considering deadly force when no deadly force is presented towards you. Screaming is not a death threat. Just my opinion.

Interesting way to choose to handle the situation. Maybe the calm approach was edited out of the video? I’d expect more from Ken to resolve this more professionally. I’ve had some confrontations with people who are concerned about drones. Often times calmly explaining drone FAA rules and showing some evidence of the job shoot sorts the situation out quickly

There absolutely was a third option from what I've seen in the video. WALK AWAY! Leave the situation. The guy deserved every bad thing that could have happened, but why would you even engage him? It's not your problem. Let him yell as you walk to your car and drive off. Where you were dumb... No, STRAIGHT UP STUPID, was suggest you had a firearm whether you did or not. Just leave. Then call the cops.

I hold my 107 license and actually have residency in his area in the Tampa Bay area yet I do not know him nor his channel. What is his channel name?

I think you handled it pretty well, thought it out well while he's in your grille. Encouraging him to call law enforcement and body cam is great. If he attacks you full on, you then have every right to defend.

had same confrontation with a-hole, he said the same. But when he stepped towards me, I let him know to stay back. He knew right then I wasn't gonna coward or run.

Ken, so yesterday I was getting aerial shot of the historic Ashlar Hall in Memphis, and I had a guy from a million dollar house come out and ask me what I was photographing…. He was also shirtless. 😂 I thought of you guys. He seemed pacified when I told him.

This is going to happen a LOT more once the whole ID crap is enforced.. if it ever is.

"Mullet." LOL!!!1

Keep being difficult with people that feel invaded/spied upon is going to bring more stringent rules/laws eventually. We all owe it to the industry/hobby to keep calm and de-escalate whenever possible.

Gopro with chesty mount would also work. Thinking I am going to start doing this

Was flying FPV doing laps around my house (2015 analog so barely could see) and the neighbor comes storming up to me in my garage saying how not to fly it over his house and I was spying. I proceeded to land, calming say "wait here, I got something inside I want to show you". By the time I came back out he hauled ass back to his side of the fence never to be heard from again. Oh, I might have said something like "just got out of prison and now it looks like I'm going back" as I walked inside 😁. I don't own any weapons so the can of soda I had wouldn't have been much use if he called my implied bluff.

It's hard to reason , if at all ,with alcohol. I wonder , has it ever worked to show a land holder what has been filmed in order to dispell claims of spying etc. Very unpleasant for the honest videographer.

DoBo, the Comment Cuss a matic. Guy has issues.

Come to Australia and the Karen’s up here will make you laugh