Hassled by Security

[picworx]

I live a few blocks down from a very rich guy worth a billion they say. Anyway his personal twin engine sikorsky helicopter has a bad habit of flying low over our small village thumping the air with those rotors and making your house shake.

Anyway I wanted to get the identification number of the craft to report the low flying and noise to Transport Canada. It lands on his property and all kind of guys in suits exit the bird and go into the house, these by the way are all financial people as his company sells mutual funds etc.

Anyway I finally had enough and went down there to photograph the craft to get the identification number and boy did those security guys cross the public road and asked me what I was doing. I said very nicely I like helicopters, they started to get gruff and told me I cannot take pictures of activity on private property.

I said I could and then he wanted my name etc which I refused to give him. He then called over his buddy and I kept shooting showing I was not intimidated. Anyway they left me alone and eventually I left.

Tense for sure but I think I am right?

[FlyingPhotog]

Provided you didn't go to any "extraodinary lengths" to get the shots (tresspass, break anything, lie, etc...) you're perfectly fine.

However, I'd suggest perhaps shooting the helo in flight next time... ;)

[picworx]

Just stood on the opposite side of the road, as for the security folk I think they have no enforcement powers that I know of?

[Bob_A]

Good luck dealing with the noise issue. It doesn't seem reasonable that someone can be allowed to fly a helicopter onto their property two blocks away from homes in a villiage. We live in a world full of entitlement pigs though so I guess I shouldn't be surprised.

[FlyingPhotog]

It's actually entirely reasonable but I would ask the OP who was there first?

The landing pad or the residents around it?

[Karl Johnston]

Just call the police or transport canada and report a low flying aircraft or helicopter in your area. They probably have a division that inspects that stuff.

Or go to your local one and report it and they will likely go chat with the guy.

[picworx]

Most of the homes in the area predates his for sure, his is just larger and the chopper lands on the grass in front of the mansion, gates have cameras etc and premises protected security personel

[Karl Johnston]

In his defense I would be kind of creeped out if someone came over to my place and started taking random pictures of my vehicles license plates or other personally identifying stuff :lol: wouldnt you ?

I just cant afford to pay guys in suits to hassle everyone.

[FlyingPhotog]

Most of the homes in the area predates his for sure, his is just larger and the chopper lands on the grass.

Well, there are no prohibitions against doing what he's doing provided he's doing it in a safe and reasonable manner.

However, if he's constantly ragging it in at very low altitudes and not staying reasonably high until over the landing area, then I'd complain to Transport Canada and have them look into it.

Helicopters do fly under slightly different regs than fixed-wing aircraft though in terms of the altitiudes at which they're allowed to fly.

ETA: Municipalities can legislate against private landing facilities however. Scottsdale, AZ has such a law on the books and that's an area where many folks would probably love to be able to fly off their own property.

[picworx]

FlyingPhotog is right choppers do fly under different regs, anyway all I wanted was the identification number which i got and plan to report it to Transport Canada. It just that these guys feel they can hassle anyone they want which gets me.

[Bob_A]

It's actually entirely reasonable but I would ask the OP who was there first?

The landing pad or the residents around it?

I don't know Jay but if someone started landing a helicopter in their yard two blocks from me I'd be pretty ticked no matter how legal it may be. But then again I'm not happy that our city started patroling the ravine area beside our house at all hours of the night using a helicopter.

I guess I'm a cranky old guy :)

I think the OP should be talking to both Transport Canada and his town's bylaw enforcement department.

[DealsGapCobra]

How often does he fly in or out?

[carshop]

I live a few blocks down from a very rich guy worth a billion they say. Anyway his personal twin engine sikorsky helicopter has a bad habit of flying low over our small village thumping the air with those rotors and making your house shake.

Anyway I wanted to get the identification number of the craft to report the low flying and noise to Transport Canada. It lands on his property and all kind of guys in suits exit the bird and go into the house, these by the way are all financial people as his company sells mutual funds etc.

Anyway I finally had enough and went down there to photograph the craft to get the identification number and boy did those security guys cross the public road and asked me what I was doing. I said very nicely I like helicopters, they started to get gruff and told me I cannot take pictures of activity on private property.

I said I could and then he wanted my name etc which I refused to give him. He then called over his buddy and I kept shooting showing I was not intimidated. Anyway they left me alone and eventually I left.

Tense for sure but I think I am right?
Is that the big house on Taunton Road, near the arena?

[JWright]

There was a big gray helicopter flying over my house a couple of weeks ago. Turned out it was my next door neighbor...








Actually, I live about two miles east of the San Diego Naval Hospital and my neighbor is a Navy helicopter pilot. He was flying a training mission into the hospital and had to orbit in this are until some of the traffic going into the airport (whose approach path is close to the hospital) had cleared.

[Fernando]

FlyingPhotog is right choppers do fly under different regs, anyway all I wanted was the identification number which i got and plan to report it to Transport Canada. It just that these guys feel they can hassle anyone they want which gets me.

You couldn't have gotten it with pen and paper?

-F

[FlyingPhotog]

I have Helos, Stearman, L-39s, Citations and 101 Cessnas, Pipers and Mooneys over my house all the time but then I live 1/4 from an airport (actually, a fly-in community.)

But, I knew it was there when I bought the house.

[tim]

I just cant afford to pay guys in suits to hassle everyone.

You have them hassle limited numbers of people?

[nicksan]

You couldn't have gotten it with pen and paper?

-F

Exactly...but how else would he have proven his manhood, that he wasn't being intimidated by the 2 security folks?

I'm just surprised a Photographer's Rights printout wasn't involved in this one. :lol:

[Karl Johnston]

You have them hassle limited numbers of people?
Only up to 3 at a time sadly :/

[jdando]

So what is the registration number?

[cdifoto]

You'd think the address of the owner...heck even a description of the home...would be sufficient.

"Hey, um, I would like to report that the billionaire on my street is flying his helo too low."

How many billionaires on your street fly helicopters around?

[picworx]

I could have gotten it with pen and paper but having a picture with a date and time stamp was important to me. The registration number is a canadian one

[cdifoto]

...having a picture with a date and time stamp was important to me.
Translation:

"I just wanted to see if I could get away with it."

[books64]

You did the right thing, picworx, irregardless of what some of the other posters may think. Pictures are always better than simply taking down the number on pen and paper. Bottom line is that even if you were on a sidewalk in front of his property, on his side of the street, you are well within your rights as a photographer and citizen. Next time a private security guard hassles you, call the police and report them.

[amfoto1]

It might be a bit different in Canada, but here in the US so long as you were standing in public right of way and pointing your camera toward publicly visible portion of his property, you are within your rights to take photos.

If you were standing on private property and shooting goings-on in the back yard, not normally visible from public right of way, then you'd be in trouble.

If you were using a really high powered telephoto and peeking in his windows, it might be a problem.

Check into local noise ordinances and restrictions.

He might have gotten a variance of some sort. I live in Silicon Valley, and Larry Ellison (CEO of Oracle... CEO in this case is said to mean "Chief Egomaniacal Officer") has gotten a variance that allows him to land and take off his private jet from the city airport at all hours, even though commercial aviation at the same airport has to shut down at midnight and can't fly before about 6 a.m. (they get hefty fines, if they have a late flight land).

Money can buy almost anything, if there's enough of it.

[DealsGapCobra]

OK, so they didn't know exactly what you were allowed to do...do you know exactly what he is allowed to do?

[hawkskins]

Take photos of anything you want as long as you are breaking no laws. Who cares if he /they didn't like you taking the photos. I'm glad you did it and stood your ground.

[books64]

Well said, hawkskins!

[Stealthy Ninja]

Translation:

"I just wanted to see if I could get away with it."

Dude, you almost made me LOL at work.

:lol:

Just don't ask me why I'm reading this at work... :shock:

[FlyingPhotog]

I support the expression and assertion of rights involved in a photo meet-up that addresses this issue.

Just make damn sure they don't actually own the sidewalk. They might. If they do, you have to stop taking pictures there. Take them from across the street in that case.

Really? Your very first post and you just decide to bring the really big spoon?

Wow...

[Stealthy Ninja]

Really? Your very first post and you just decide to bring the really big spoon?

Wow...

Being a spammer, the guy will be gone pretty quick. ;) Oh I was right, shocking. :shock:

Back on topic.

I can see the security were only doing their job. They couldn't just let a photographer do that (what would the boss think).

They probably went back and said to their boss "Well that one won't be hassling you again boss! Heh heh heh!"

The boss was happy, they get paid and the OP got his photos. All's cool.

[focus.pocus]

as long as you are on public property and it's not Gov. run then you can snap away...

[WMS]

Just don't ask me why I'm reading this at work... :shock:

Shouldn't you be working ???

Wayne

[ChasWG]

Legalities aside, this CEO has to own a Sikorsky twin rotor behemoth instead of something quieter? How about a Bell JetRanger or if you need all that space for more people then what about a Sikorsky S-76 Spirit?
But those twin rotor jobs are way noisey beasts. I live near a US AFB and we get those monsters flying over every once and a while along with every other crazy military flying machine, including Air Force One when the president comes to Denver. But for me, that's fine. I like the air show. The worst are the A-10 Warthogs, man are those things slow and seriously loud! Again, I like seeing all of them.

[snails]

irregardless

This is not a real word. :D

[tim]

This is not a real word. :D

Irrespective and regardless of it not being a real word, it still makes sense!

[WMS]

Letters represent the sounds which compose words, which represent thoughts and are intended to communicate those thoughts to others. If the communication is successful then the string of letters used was appropriate.

Wayne

[Stealthy Ninja]

Shouldn't you be working ???

Wayne

Shutup. :p :lol:

Letters represent the sounds which compose words, which represent thoughts and are intended to communicate those thoughts to others. If the communication is successful then the string of letters used was appropriate.

Wayne

LOL ys i agr +1

[medic583]

picworx... don't think you even needed a shot of the chopper id...

In Ontario our medi-vac choppers (s-76's) are only allowed to land at a spot once which is not designated as a "Heli-pad". Once they have landed there... that's it... no more... the pilots can loose their license if reported from what they have told me. Heck... they also can't land at night anywhere that isn't designated a heli-pad or airport... eliminates them from on-scene calls for half the day.

A call to Transport Canada to find out if your neighbour does in fact have a designated and approved "heli-pad" might be in order along with the question about the "environmental impact assessment" that has to have been done might have been less hassle to you.

We have a HUGE and lengthy process to go through to obtain the simplest heli-pad for our hospitals and remote communities... and they even look at flight paths that would least disturb the community... if it is known by TC as an recognized landing pad.

[nphsbuckeye]

Letters represent the sounds which compose words, which represent thoughts and are intended to communicate those thoughts to others. If the communication is successful then the string of letters used was appropriate.

Wayne
Now, if only my teachers would have bought that argument. :D

[Stealthy Ninja]

A call to Transport Canada to find out if your neighbour does in fact have a designated and approved "heli-pad" might be in order along with the question about the "environmental impact assessment" that has to have been done might have been less hassle to you.


All he needs to do then is find some rare woodpecker or some such thing. Claim the helicopter is interrupting their mating rituals, and then it will all stop. ;)

We all know government care more for animals than people. :rolleyes:

Every time I see the name of this thread I think: Hasselblad