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Why are Drones Flying over my House?

Alice T Breeze
By Alice T Breeze. Updated: January 16, 2017
Why are Drones Flying over my House?

Though drones were originally invented to substitute helicopters for warfare purposes, they have become the latest thing among UAV fanatics, and the possibility to add accessories and cameras has fascinated many and encouraged people to purchase their own drone for personal use. If you have spotted a drone around your house lately and are curious to know the possible reasons, take a look at this OneHowTo article and find the answer to why drones are flying over your house.

You may also be interested in: How High Can Drones Fly?

Contents

  1. The Neighbor
  2. The Police
  3. Commercial use
  4. Is the drone invading your privacy?

The Neighbor

As we've said, there are many people that decide to purchase a drone for their own personal use for recreational purposes. If you have seen the drone fly over your house several times, especially during daytime and at hours when people are usually off work, then you could safely guess it is one of your neighbors playing with his/her new expensive toy.

Why are Drones Flying over my House? - The Neighbor

The Police

If you're wondering why are drones flying over your house, it also may be the Police. Though not confirmed, it is said that several police forces in some countries have substituted helicopters for drones to perform their duties. You will probably notice if you see the drone is fairly far away from the ground, as Police would know violation regulations and would not come as close as to violate privacy laws.

Why are Drones Flying over my House? - The Police

Commercial use

Another option that would explain why a drone is flying over your house is that there are companies that use these devices for commercial use. A TV program might be shooting footage of your neighborhood, or a company might be taking photos for real-estate purposes. It might even be Google, taking new pictures for the Google Earth app.

Why are Drones Flying over my House? - Commercial use

Is the drone invading your privacy?

There have been several cases of people who feel the presence of a drone is invading their privacy, especially if someone has spotted a drone flying low over their homes several times.

Though there are different laws regarding drone use in different countries, you should know that shooting a drone is a legal offense and could get you arrested. In fact, it can be a federal crime to shoot down a drone in several states in the US. Check state laws on drone issues before you take this kind of action.

So what should you do? Providing that the legal maximum height of an aircraft is 250 feet above the ground, you can follow the drone and try to find the person who is controlling it. Kindly ask the person to stop flying it over your home, and if the person does not take any notice, your best bet is to sue the drone operator. The person may be charged for Private nuisance, trespassing or invasion of privacy.

Why are Drones Flying over my House? - Is the drone invading your privacy?

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3 comments
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jani
is it possible that someone is hacking does drones and using them to spy ???
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tim webb
there are 2 drones flying above my house now there flashing on and of they have been coming for about 2/3 weeks now to the same spot they even have the ability to go invisible who would own them
Gary
Why are drones flying over my house? They wake me up in the middle of the night and I'm not sure what I can do about it. Though they were mosquitoes at first. Any of the reasons you suggest in the article could be possible but I'm fed up.
OneHowTo Editor
Hi Gary,
As you've suggested yourself it could be any of the reasons stated above. Try calling the police station, neighbors or your local estate agents kindly just to find out if it is them. Once you know you can take action.
Hope this helps
vester
GARY- Night vision drones? Definitely more suspicious than the ones trying to catch you nude sunbathing to show their friends at work! Keep IT covered Gary! unless you are very proud! BTW= How big are the mosquitoes where you live to sound like drones? In Colorado some skeeters can lift a moose! 3-2019
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Why are Drones Flying over my House?