Hi just wondering what peoples thoughts are regarding “reasonable height” for a sub 250 drone.
For example an empty field? then a road with buildings either side? then over a roof top with no one about? then same example with people?
Just that i know max altitude but not what is a legal term for min height for sub 250g. I know that every situation is different but can you fly along a pavement with a drone 10feet of the ground, if no one is there and you have a clear view of path? like to know other peoples thoughts
Use some common sense and how you’d feel if you saw a drone whilst you were in a field, in your house/garden or driving along a road.
1 metre
At least 50 metres for all these scenarios tends to be the commonly accepted common sense answer around here usually, but again it depends on the scenario. Should be higher than the building or further enough away to not be peering into people’s windows, and high enough to not distract drivers.
Remember places where the public can be the situation can change in a split second, just like the motorway. So the field maybe empty when you started, but oh, here comes a group of 50 cyclists all going really fast and I need to get my drone out of dodge asap.
I generally always fly up to 50 meters as soon as I take off. It’s just a good nice height to not generally hit anything, especially overhanging trees and by out of ear shot of people below.
I set my height according to the photo or video I want to capture. In an empty space that could be anything from a few feet to 400 feet. Over water it is at least 6 feet.
When there are people about I try to avoid them as much as possible but I have flown a sub 250g drone within about 30 feet above single uninvolved people without any complaint. A similar height for an empty road.
Most of the time with buildings I don’t know the height of them so I guess by allowing about 10 feet per storey and judge something that looks reasonable usually starting off high and dropping down to frame the buildings in the camera view if that Is what I’m trying to photograph. This is often about 250 feet up.
Think about how far away from objects or people you can be to achieve your objective rather than how close to them you can get. If people don’t notice the drone then you are far enough away. If they start to watch it you are close enough. If they become afraid or annoyed then you are much too close (unless Karen has become over-irritated by the shadow of the drone).
Had this a year ago whilst filming some allotments I’d been asked to get aerial footage of. Flying about 30m or so ( about 100 ft high) and some lady allotmenter/ allotmentist/ whatever ya call them, complained I was upsetting her dog ( which was just lying there quietly ) No pleasing some folks