Sooo.. I had a plan...
I really need more room to run then what I get in the back area or at the local park. It was perfectly gorgeous day today so I thought I would head up to the local school. KNOWING if I went into the school with a back pack and rolled up flags Bills Law would dictate that the SWAT team would be called and I would be on the evening news. Soo.. being smart I went to the farthest point on school property up to the track area and their official soccer field was. I knew as soon as I got the quad in the air the maintenance guys would be up there instantly with a 50/50 chance I would get someone cool or a total drone hating jerk on a power trip.
At the gate to the field there was an suv with an older lady sitting in the passenger side reading a news paper. I greeted her on the way by and asked if she knew what the policy was for people flying remote control toys there. She said she had no idea but there was an official soccer match at 2PM. I got there just around noon. Plenty of time to set up a small course and run 3 packs I have by the off chance I was not told to leave.
When I had arrived there was a gym class out on another field doing football drills who had started going back inside before I even had set up. I thought cool wont be interrupting anything and maybe all will be cool. I flew my heavy warm up battery doing some light freestyle then went out and set three flags out. I flew my first graphene pack and had an ok run just doing some low level controlled runs around the flags speeding up as I went.
As soon as this run was over I had picked up the quad and returned to the bench to change the last pack and think about what to work on when I saw the maintenance man pull up outside the fence. I thought OK well don't put it in the air sit there and let him come to you so I did not look like I was knowingly doing something I shouldn't. I got a cool dude who was very polite and asked if I was flying a drone. I told him I was flying a race quad and doing some flag practice. He said that was not allowed but was not sure if that was just during school hours or all the time. We talked a little more and I got the name of a person he said to speak with about what the ruling is. He also told me the office had called the local police and they were on their way. At that point I had written down the information and shook the guys hand to thank him.
the police had arrived by the time we were exchanging information and had met the maintenance man mid field on his way back to his truck. I assumed he told the officer there was no problem and I didn't give him crap. The officer was cool as well and we talked a bit while I was packing up my gear and he was taking my personal information. (be nice and respectful and most times the police will not hassle you. Its when you show attitude is when the get defensive)
He walked back out the gate and was speaking with the lady in the SUV while I walked around and picked up the flags and made sure I was heading out. I made the comment that I had to face the hill I had climbed to get there. I would say its a rise of 150 to 200 ft in less then a quarter mile to get up to that school which is why I RARELY fly there as I have to walk everywhere. That hill is like being back in aircrew training on the O course or something similar. Its brutal for me carrying a back pack up it. Anyway he was pretty cool and offered to drop me off down the hill since he was headed that way anyways. Long story short he was cool. I made a new friend and now have a contact for an official at the school which was the main goal for the day anyways.
Next phase trying to get permission to fly there regularly for faster runs in more open safer area. Maybe even find a place to fly in the gym over winter if they allow things like that.
