You’re just not that interesting

My Airstream in the desert near Vulture Peak. As you can see, I’m not filming in my windows.

Over the past few months while traveling from one park to another, one contract to another, I’ve been working with our DJI Phantom drone.  Practicing park videos, making park videos, etc.  And I’ll tell you, when the drone goes up in the air it attracts a lot of attention.  If there’s anyone nearby you can be sure they’re coming over to ask you about the drone.

Every person I’ve spoken to about the DJI Phantom thinks it’s pretty darned cool.  I’d say 10% of the folks I’ve talked to wanted more information, because they too would like to fly a fun little quadcopter around.  And I’d say 100% of the people I’ve talked to have expressed privacy concerns when it comes to drones with cameras on them.

I have yet to talk to someone who doesn’t express privacy concerns when they see my drone.  It’s really weird.  Everybody I’ve met has had a similar line of thinking…..

Well, I just don’t want my privacy violated with one of these things.  If I saw one over my property I’d shoot it down.

To everybody with concerns like this I have one simple thought.  You are just not that interesting.

In the case of my drone, it’s for business purposes.  It’s also fun to fly.  When I’m using it I can promise that it’s for business or recreation purposes only.  Filming Watson Lake in Prescott.  Filming the wide open expanses of the Borrego Desert.  Making short commercials for RV Parks and showing the park layout from up above.  That’s what I’m all about when the Phantom goes up.

What I’m not interested in is peaking through your window with the drone.  That doesn’t present a real business proposition.  I’m not going to fly over your back yard looking for your secret pot farm.  And I’m certainly not trying to “peep” into your life.  I’ll leave that to our Federal Government, who has no problem violating your privacy.

I think I violated my own privacy with this self portrait. I look terrible!

My drone isn’t tied into the NSA

When you see my Phantom hovering around the sky you can be assured, I’m not funneling data back to the NSA.  With less than 15 minutes of flight time per battery I’m certainly not keeping it up in the air for long video surveillance bits.  We’ve got satellites for that, or have you not seen Google Maps, Google Earth, etc?

As an interesting side note, I always used to pop on to Google Maps while staying at Point of Rocks.  I could zoom the satellite version in so far that you could actually see the Nissan Titan & the Airstream.  Maybe I even showed up in an image or two.

While everyone has major privacy concerns on their mind when they talk about these little drones I have to hold my laughter in.  Since the 96 Telecomm Act privacy has been thrown out the window with the bath water, stale donuts, and whatever else you’d like to toss.  With ICOS (Increased Court Ordered Surveillance) and CALEA (Communications Assistance for Law Enforcement Act) out there easy wiretapping of digital communications is commonplace.  Every time I hear people griping about one administration or another’s illegal wiretaps I giggle.  See, the groundwork for loss of privacy has been being built for quite some time.  Democrat and Republican.  Don’t get me started.

So, for folks super worried about their privacy when it comes to Drones in the sky…..you’re worrying about something that’s just not relevant.  And if you really do worry about your privacy, look over at Big Brother.  Finally, just remember my own perspective.  You are just not that interesting.

Bert’s Airstream top. Shot with the GoPro and the DJI Phantom.