topspin

I lived in Augusta, GA for a few years a while back and we used to go turky hunting in the fall. There were several old farmers up around Athens who use to let us hunt on their land and it was perfectly legal as long as you had a state fish and game Turkey stamp. I don't seem to recall it being illegal to cross a road with a gun, we did it lots of times but no one with any sense would ever shoot towards or near a road.

N410DC

Agreed. I could not find anything in Georgia's laws that prohibits someone from crossing a road with a loaded gun. It is, however, illegal in GA to discharge a firearm within 50' of a road, unless it's in self-defense.

Sport_Pilot

Well there you go! You get out of your truck, walk 50 feet from the road and shoot the plane down. There is of course the destruction of someone else's property. Though I do not think that would count if the plane was flying over your property.

jester_s1

Hmm. I thought the road rule was everywhere. I took hunter's ed in Mississippi and that was one of the rules they taught us. Mississippi hunters are required to clear their weapons before crossing a road, and can't load their weapons until they are out of their vehicles and safely in the woods. I don't recall there being a distance requirement, just not actually on the pavement or dirt itself.

falcon_56

My guess is most places in the United States (not counting restricted zones) you are likely to get in trouble for shooting at an airplane that happens to fly above your home. I dont think the airlines, among others, would be too happy if it was legal to do so.

Sport_Pilot

I don't think so, it has happened many times goiing back to free flight. Also many cases of not just models but kites in the courts. In most states it is allowed to shoot trespassers or at least if you feel theatened, and that is a person. Cops don't usually care if someone shoots a model that is trespassing on their land.

Heck in a few decades we will likely all be shooting each other if things keep going as it is anyway.

Hossfly

I don't know / remember the exact date, however it is now illegal (at least here in Texas) to fire a weapon up into the sky using the single bullet of regular guns. IIRC there is no restriction for shotguns, etc. I haven't researched the matter and don't need to do so. Not a bad law. Shotguns are not banned such, but I don't remember if the shotgun with a single slug is exempt or not. (I don't hunt anymore except for maybe some years I make a deer hunt with my son.) I never was very kind with those that fire bullets into the sky.
Now any airplane low enough to be shot down with any standard civil firearm is far too low to be other than a landing approach or shortly after take-off. OTOH, any bullet fired into the empty sky is going to come down somewhere, and there is no need for such risk-taking. I do remember of hearing of persons being hit by falling bullets. There was one several years ago where a child was, IIRC, killed by such a falling bullet. As a grandfather and a great grandfather, If I see someone just firing bullets into the sky, well he may well be the one in serious danger!! I don't practice anymore but some years ago I could place 6 revolver bullets in the same hole in the center of a 5-6" bulls eye at 40 feet.

Now let's get back to model airplanes and those whirling-rotary toys.

Sport_Pilot

Wait I thougt he was talking about model airplane's. For full scale airplanes there is a federal law against shooting at them. I think it applies even if they are breaking the law and flying under the minimum altitude in Part 92.

N410DC

Good point. The feds (FAA) do regulate full-scale aircraft, but I have never heard of them going after someone for trying to shoot a model aircraft. Furthermore, I imagine someone shooting at air aircraft that was occupied by one or more humans could be charged with reckless endangerment, aggravated assault, attempted murder, attempted manslaughter, etc. in most states.

eddieC

My Feedback: (2)

In Michigan, 10 miles from me. It was written up in the local paper.

My point is you're wrong, SP, it's illegal in many states to shoot at anything/nothing unless you're hunting. It's called 'reckless discharge of a firearm' here.

And you ignored my request for some substantiation:
As has been pointed out on other (mainly drone) threads, you DON'T own the airspace above your property and that premise has been upheld many times in court. Also, there are folks doing time in federal penitentiaries for aiming lasers at aircraft. And there have been TV shows about wayward bullets killing people. It's a stupid way to deal with a minor annoyance IMO.

804

My Feedback: (1)

You can't target shoot in Michigan? Really?

Sport_Pilot

Quite wrong, except in urban areas. You can shoot at targets, tin cans, bottles, or anything you want. Just not at people and animals (unless in hunting season or classified as varmets).

Don't tell people who do shoot guns on a regular basis what the laws. We know the laws and most journalists do not.

Hossfly

Man - O - Man! 804, if eddieC is correct, then I am one dirty crook. I have owned a small cabin on 2 acres +/- on a small lake near Crystal Falls, Michigan for some 30 years, (in the Upper Peninsula).

I shoot there frequently, always aimed to the lower portion of the rather high embankment on my place, which is some 20 ft. upgrade towards the highway.
People all around the lake shoot frequently, yet I have NEVER witnessed any sign of a bullet coming into the water. It is unlawful to shoot reptiles with a gun in MI.
That includes snakes. I do have other weapons!
There are many deer blinds and cottages all around the area. At one time I owned 40 acres nearby, but it got to be too much tax as in MI, non residents are taxed
3 times the resident cost. That darn cabin TAX is twice + my cost of my home taxes here in TX.
What does all that have to do with RC? Well it demonstrates that a considerable amount of discussion here is more credited to "wanna' be arguing" rather that issuing knowledge from known reality concerning model airplanes.
Now IMO, it would be much better if we could stick to known fact/s and get on with working-on and playing with our toy-airplanes. Yes, I know that is what I SHOULD be now doing!! Bye Bye!
P.S. Check out www.dumasproducts.com, www.RetroRCProducts.us.com, www.dielsengineeringinc.com, and http://brodak.com/spirit-of-yesteryear-kits.html,
www.easybuiltmodels.com, and get busy with REAL aeromodeling. Bye Bye again!!

Sport_Pilot

Hossfly, another one. http://www.bmjrmodels.com/

topspin

Lets face it, it's just plain dumb to shoot at water anyway because of the ease at which bullest can ricochet off of the water. I had a friend in Florida who used to shoot Alligators but he got caught by the game warden. Cost him $1,200.00 and he nearly lost his boat and trailer.


In any case I don't have any planes worth my life so if someone is shooting at my plane I have to assume they are nuts and might shoot at me also. I would pickle the plane and head for the ditch.

Charlie P.

Lots of things going on here. I'm in the AMA and have promised not to fly over people so I don't. If, however, someone pulls up and starts blasting away I don't think I'd have any trouble being 300 yards between them and the model in a few seconds as I would have started away when I noticed a vehicle approach. Past 80 yards a shotgun is worthless. And if they can hit it with a rifle past that distance they're darned good shots!

On the other hand, I have 20 acres and raise sheep, turkey and chickens. If I step out on the porch and see someone terrorizing my animals with a model plane, quad or whatever I will be taking my best shot as well. Probably at the model if it was a first offense.

"Reckless discharge of a firearm"? Interesting. I have steel clangers hung at 50 and 100 yards out my back door and when I'm not picking off farm vermin I practice with a shot at those. Most of my neighbors are doing the same here and there. Inside city limits it's usually forbidden. Out in the rural sections it goes on all day and occasionally at night. My neighbor shot 32 coyotes in one year a few years back. More often than not I'm armed or have one at hand when I'm out futzing around the farm. A firearm in a cabinet is a useless firearm.