Privacy Concerns: Where Can You Legally Fly Drones in Michigan?

After the recent upheaval over drones flying over U.S. cities recently, a Michigan community is joining the list after some suspicious activity.

A recent post over the weekend on NextDoor from a Linden resident showed concern over a drone flying over their home over the weekend between 9:00 and 11:00 p.m.

Where Was The Suspicious Drone?

The incident happened near Linden Mill Pond in the heart of Downtown Linden, Michigan.

The question on NextDoor from the Linden resident 'Did anyone else see a drone hovering over their house last night, between 9 and 11 in the block of N. Bridge, Murphy, Franklin, and Oak Street? It looked like they were taking pictures of everyone's homes.'

Linden Resident's Speculation

While one resident responded with the comment, 'Flying Pervert', another said "We had one looking in our window one night last year.i called my neighbor because it went over there once we realized it was watching us. My neighbor got his gun went out there [and] shot it down. We haven't seen one since.'

Others believe that is was a search and rescue operation for a person or an animal. The original poster did indicate that 'They were shining a spotlight.'

What Are Best Practices for Recreational Drone Pilots?

While the law doesn't specifically prohibit flying a drone over private property, as opposed to restricted airspace, hobbyists can find them in a lawsuit if permission for filming is not approved.

Basically, you can fly over a private residence, as long as you or an associate can keep line of site with the drone at all times and have permission for filming or taking photos over their property. If the drone is flying from one location to another and travels over private property without stopping for video or photos you should be okay. However, it's probably best to get permission anyway... just to be safe.

The best practices for recreational drone flying in Michigan are to seek permission, avoid intrusiveness, and be cautious. You wouldn't want a local resident to blow your drone out of the sky!

Here are the full details of drone-flying laws in Michigan.