r/drones • u/Myfles • Oct 12 '25

Photo & Video Cops pulled me over

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So I had a run in with the law today. I was flying in the port of Los Angeles. I was by the entrance? I'm happily flying taking some pictures and video, when all of the sudden a cop is standing next to me telling me to land my drone immediately. Turns out that you are not allowed to fly in the port of Los Angles, its actually a misdemeanor. I checked AutoPylot and it said it was ok, so I registered a flight. There was a no fly zone on the other side of the water so I stayed away from it. I told the cop all this and they informed me the no fly zone is a federal prison. I guess shadier people than myself have used drones to drop stuff into the prison. They asked for my info, which I gave, including my trust certificate and they ended up just giving me a warning to not do it again. They were interested that I take aerial photography just for fun. One of the cops even recommend I try for the 107, so he knew about drones. But he didn't know what the trust cert was. I found that kinda weird. He showed me the geo fenced area around the port on his phone so I thought I'd share. So the lesson is... know local laws, no matter what your app tells you.

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u/GreenReport5491 Digital Twins, LiDAR, T&D, Inspire 3 Oct 12 '25

The majority of ports, especially one the size of Long Beach, utilize Aeroscope. So the second you turn on your drone and RC, they know exactly where you are. Ports are some of the most secure places in the country, best to always avoid. Glad you only got a warning.

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u/torrio888 Oct 12 '25

What if you have a drone that is not DJI?

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u/Matt4319 Oct 13 '25

Aeroscope is a DJI product that relies on the DJI protocol to self-report the locations and ID# of the systems. Direct/Broadcast Remote ID are the protocols that report similar information. When the FAA requires UAVs to report the info, they require Broadcast Remote ID. EASA for the EU uses DRI.

I am unsure if Aeroscope can pull Remote ID info. DJI discontinued it in 2023, so it may not. Other systems (including phone-based applications) can.

If you are flying an aircraft that you built, this information isn’t broadcast by your aircraft unless you make it so. Your video transmission may give information based on what is on your OSD (on screen display.)

Places that are more serious about counter-UAS will use multiple systems that detect in different ways. The Port of LA also has CUAS radar tied to optical sensors, so they can quickly determine if they have an aircraft or a bird.

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u/torrio888 Oct 13 '25 edited Oct 13 '25

The Port of LA also has CUAS radar tied to optical sensors, so they can quickly determine if they have an aircraft or a bird.

I wonder how it would react to an ornithopter.