Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP); Flight Crew Flight Instructor; Flight Crew Instrument
Flight Crew Last 90 Days 50; Flight Crew Total 11000; Flight Crew Type 500
Situational Awareness
Airspace Violation All Types; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural FAR; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy
General None Reported / Taken
Weather; Procedure; Human Factors
I was on top of scattered clouds at 5;500 ft. arriving at HAF from the south. Weather reports from the airport all indicated the airport was VFR. As I approached the IF for the approach I had to decide between coordinating a pop up approach with Approach Control or descending through a large opening in the cloud layer and flying up the beach. I chose to remain VFR and fly up the coast due to the fact that it was getting dark and I had no idea how long it would take Approach Control to coordinate an approach. I descended uneventfully below the clouds and proceeded to the airport at between 1;000 and 1;500 ft. over hills that vary from 100 ft. to 300 ft. high. Apparently there is some drone operator who operates off a hill that gets upset when aircraft fly over at low altitude. He called me right after I had landed. He told me he 'I can not enforce this but I am requesting that we not fly over his drone operation'. I never saw a drone and am not sure if he was operating one at the time. Talking to other pilots it appears he calls every pilot he sees fly over at 1;500 ft. or below. I typically fly higher but on days when the ceilings are 1;500 to 2;000 ft. it is unavoidable to fly low. I am concerned about the drone operator calling pilots and possibly influencing their decisions when sacrificing safety of flight of the aircraft vs. inconvenience of the drone operator.
A pilot reported a concerned citizen called them after landing to request that they do not fly over the citizens' 'drone operation'. The reporter stated other pilots who fly into this airport have also received phone calls from the same person.