Pinhead gets arrested for flying drone into Empire State building

[WoodiE]

What, another yahoo gets in trouble for flying a drone? Say it ain't so!

Sean Riddle was out flying his drone near the Empire State building in New York when he managed to crash it into the 40th floor side of the Empire State building. Sean then went and asked the security guards for help getting his aircraft and they called the cops instead who then arrested him and charged him with reckless endangerment, misdemeanor criminal mischief, and illegally navigating an aircraft over the city.

Of course he twitted about crashing it before talking with the security guards - https://twitter.com/SeanRiddle12/status/695392728964681728

source

 

[ninnon]

Firstly you have to be stupid enough to fly a drone in a city and not expect to crash it into a building, then you have to be stupid enough to go and ask for it back once you've crashed it. It's like stealing a car and calling the breakdown services to come and help you...

 

[HPIguy]

Just another in the long line of dumbasses making it tough for the responsible pilots out there. The huge surge of larger RTF multi rotors really enabled a lot of this crap. If these idiots had to actually do some reading and research, learn how to build the thing, investe their time building it, program the flight controller, etc then I think it would turn off a lot of them to begin with. And the one's that stuck it out to completion might have a different attitude about flying them as well. Can't tell you how many stories I've heard about people who have zero RC experience (even ground rigs), but they see a Youtube video of aerial videography from a multi rotor, think it's super cool, then run out and buy one and of course crash it immediately.

EDIT: Just re-read the article and realized he's from KY, that explains it.

 

[Rolex]

EDIT: Just re-read the article and realized he's from KY, that explains it.

I'm guessing Lexington.

 

[slowngreen]

I see drones the same way I see sport bikes aka crotch rockets. They are an amazing piece of technology that can be really cool and have their purpose. But they have become available to anyone who wants one. So all these idiots who dont like following rules, laws, guidelines, common sense and so on, end up making them look like bad things that the public ends up hating and wish would go away.

 

[Rolex]

There's no way he flew it from street level. I'm guessing he was on the rooftop of a neighboring building.
He already lost his new toy, now I hope he loses a LOT of money in fines.

 

[HPIguy]

Lloyd, I completely agree.

Ralph, he could have easily done it from street level if he was flying FPV.

 

[ninnon]

Lloyd, I completely agree.

Ralph, he could have easily done it from street level if he was flying FPV.

You wouldn't be able to see the drone very well, and you'd be getting in the way of people standing in the middle of the street. He could of been in central park and used FPV though...

 

[JAMMER]

That what you call air between the ears.

 

[HPIguy]

You wouldn't be able to see the drone very well, and you'd be getting in the way of people standing in the middle of the street. He could of been in central park and used FPV though...

You can easily take off LOS with your goggles on your head then pull them down to go FPV. I used to land by doin g the inverse as you have no depth perception with the goggles on.

 

[Rolex]

He could of been in central park and used FPV though...

Not possible. I'm very familiar with Manhattan. Central Park starts at 60th street and the Empire State Building is at 34th.
We're talking CITY blocks here. That's OVER a mile. That corner of Central Park would be the last clear spot in the direction
you're referring to, and there would be hundreds of buildings blocking the signal.

 

[ninnon]

Not possible. I'm very familiar with Manhattan. Central Park starts at 60th street and the Empire State Building is at 34th.
We're talking CITY blocks here. That's OVER a mile. That corner of Central Park would be the last clear spot in the direction
you're referring to, and there would be hundreds of buildings blocking the signal.

Ah right, never been to NYC or the U.S. I'm struggling to see how he'd of done this for long enough without getting ordered to bring it down safely. The only ways he could of done it would of been to fly it from out a window, which would have limited visibility, or to fly from the streets- where he'd quickly be seen. I think the most likely place would be from the top of a building.