Drones

[MOODMAN]

That's interesting, since the FAA mandates 400 feet, not meters. I wonder why then the drones you mentioned are capped at 400 meters? Seems arbitrary....

[Phenom]

Originally Posted by MOODMAN

That's interesting, since the FAA mandates 400 feet, not meters. I wonder why then the drones you mentioned are capped at 400 meters? Seems arbitrary....

How does the drone know it's 400' above the ground? Just curious. Does it have an altimeter you zero out somehow or does it measure vertical distance relative the controlling device?

[SidecarFlip]

Got me. My quadcopter can go wayyyyyyyyyy up if I want it to. I don't. I use mine for business, Farming business that is.

I've used it yo observe my hunting property and animal habits as well.

[Scrapper]

When you register with the FAA be sure you make several copies of the license. More than you think you will need. You should have a copy in the receiver compartment of each aircraft and one on your person whenever you fly. There are some people out there who will turn you in if they don't think you should be flying. I know, I've been there. Good thing I also had my copy on me. I fly at a small community town hall, with permission, but only when no one is around. Someone driving down the road turned me into the county sherriff. I'm not a registered member with the AMA, which a lot of people recommend. I fly by myself for my own enjoyment.

I registered back when it was $5 because I live about 2000ft from a small airstrip. They have the fly-in breakfast every summer. I have several electric planes and a heli. My largest plane might beable to get up to 400ft but I haven't tried that high yet.

I lost my copy of the original email in a hard drive crash recently, so it is not on my mail server any more. I have tried to contact the FAA about this matter and not gotten a response back.

I have been told that it has to be a original print out, not a copy of a earlier one. So now I'm stuck not being able to fly.

[aceinspp]

Well Mine may not be real high tech but its under the wire for registration so I'm good to go and yep has a nice HD camera still or video. 500ft range. Nice to use to video my RR. Later RJD

[Scrapper]

Originally Posted by aceinspp

Well Mine may not be real high tech but its under the wire for registration so I'm good to go and yep has a nice HD camera still or video. 500ft range. Nice to use to video my RR. Later RJD

What I was trying to get across in my previous post is even though you think it is under the wire, doesn't mean everyone else does. Last I checked the FAA is still writing the rules. Also, there is a free app from the FAA that they recommend every one use called B4UFly. It will show where restricted airspace is located. There is more restricted airspace than people think.

[Flybob]

Restricted air space effects every non piloted ( on board) aircraft no matter what weight or size. It also comes in two flavors. Restricted space that is in effect 24/7/365 and restricted space that is temporary due to movement of VIPs in the area.

[Scrapper]

Originally Posted by Flybob

Restricted air space effects every non piloted ( on board) aircraft no matter what weight or size. It also comes in two flavors. Restricted space that is in effect 24/7/365 and restricted space that is temporary due to movement of VIPs in the area.

Don't I know. I have about 2 sq mi area about 6 mi from my house which I can fly. Only about 1/2 sq mile not over someone else property. Works for me.

[B47]

Originally Posted by MOODMAN

Been flying drones for several years. Bought mine when they first came out. At that time, they had no altitude limits. New ones now have limited altitude to 400 feet per the FAA recommendations.
Not saying you should go over that, because that's the law. But, if you just need to get over that ridge that is 401 feet, its nice to be able to do so.
Honestly, having a drone is not something that makes you money unless you specifically have a cost benefit. I can see it if you are a farmer and want to survey your crops. Photography is a big one, but because drones are so cheap and prolific now, just about anyone can do some impressive aerial shots without hiring it out.
Also, we seem to be infatuated with the multi-blade drones, but true helicopters have benefits the multicopters don't. Plus, fixed wing drones have more range and endurance. Some hybrid fixed wings even allow hovering at target.
The air is getting crowded, and soon we will have highways in the sky just like on the ground.
Now, if they could just make flying RVs....

Drones are here to stay and there are some benefits to them as far as saving money goes. In addition to the example you pointed out here,my first FAA inspector station was Lubbock,Texas. A big district with a lot of open ground. There was/is a lot of underground gas transmission lines running though the district and our office would issue a lot of Pipeline Patrol permits that allowed small aircraft to fly at less than minimum altitude to survey the pipelines. A gas leak would show up as a stain on the ground.

I imagine that type of surveillance can now be done by drones instead of airplanes. That has to save money.

But like anything else,there are people who will ignore the rules and spoil it for those who do obey the rules.

[lomax]

Thank you for this thread, I needed a little comedy in my day.

I had a Phantom 3 Pro for quite a while and honestly was not using it that much. Can only take so many video's of the cabin and it gets boring. And all the Regulations and paranoia just made it a hassle. I could not even fly the thing in my back yard below fence level (legally) as I live withing 5 miles of an airport.

I am glad to see that this forum has the same information, misinformation, paranoia, threats, etc. that all the other forms have.

Thanks for the entertainment folks.

Marc

[RV Pilot]

I'll, so glad to see this thread back to life. Wow what a response compared to last time!

I'm a private pilot and a professional FAA licensed remote "dron" pilot. I have been flying professionally and as a hobby for over five years with multi rotors. I work regularly and do mostly videos and photography.

I see there is some miss information and questions here. I would be glad to try to answer any of your questions I can.

For all you out there flying have fun and be safe!

[Scrapper]

I think most of the people here are interested in the hobby aspect of flying what used to be called rc aircraft, whether it was planes, helicopters, or multi-rotor drones. After 9/11 the government changed the definition to
Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS), (drones).

Here is the FAQ site from the FAA: https://www.faa.gov/uas/faqs/

I would suggest that anyone interested in flying read it.

As I said before, if someone doesn't like that you are flying over their heads or property, they can report you and make it hard on you if you don't register.

It has happened before, it will happen again, and it has happened to me. Luckily, I had written permission from the town board and had my registration on me.

Below is a few from https://www.faa.gov/uas/faqs/

What is the difference between registering a UAS flown for fun vs. UAS flown for work or business?
If you fly your UAS for hobby or recreational purposes and you use the web-based registration process to register your aircraft, you only need to register once and then apply your registration number to as many UAS as you want. Recreational registrants only need to provide their name, address, and email address. The $5 registration fee covers all recreational UAS owned by the registrant.
Unmanned aircraft flown for work or business must be registered individually by the owner, and each registration costs $5. Registrants must supply their name, address, and email address, in addition to the make, model, and serial number (if available) for each UAS they want to fly.

If I'm just flying my UAS inside a building, or in my own yard, do I have to register it?
If you're flying indoors, you do not need to register your unmanned aircraft as the FAA does not regulate indoor UAS use. However, when flying in your own yard or over your own property, you will need to register your UAS if the UAS weighs more than 0.55 pounds.

If my UAS weighs more than 55 lbs., what are the registration requirements?
It must be registered using the FAA's paper-based registration process.

Is there a penalty for failing to register?
Failure to register an unmanned aircraft may result in regulatory and criminal penalties. The FAA may assess civil penalties up to $27,500. Criminal penalties include fines of up to $250,000 and/or imprisonment for up to three years.

[Mr Havercamp]

Originally Posted by lomax

Thank you for this thread, I needed a little comedy in my day.

I had a Phantom 3 Pro for quite a while and honestly was not using it that much. Can only take so many video's of the cabin and it gets boring. And all the Regulations and paranoia just made it a hassle. I could not even fly the thing in my back yard below fence level (legally) as I live withing 5 miles of an airport.

I am glad to see that this forum has the same information, misinformation, paranoia, threats, etc. that all the other forms have.

Thanks for the entertainment folks.

Marc

You said a mouthful there

The reason I never jumped in this thread because if you think this one is bad, its actually tame compared to the Drone forums. I liken it to a bike rack on the rear bumper threads. Most people who post on those forums as a newcomer usually bail within the first week because they ask a simple question regarding part 107 or the specific drones real world capability, and then are instantly bombarded by the Drone police with a bunch of mumbo jumbo. I've seen the weight police, the drone police, and even in some recent posts the grammer police and map police, oh my!

That being said I am going to reply to 5pickers post and I am not endorsing anything nor do I need a refresher of part 107.

Originally Posted by 5picker

My brother just purchased a Phantom 4 Pro. (very recently)
It has the same 400 METER limit. That's 1312'

5picker, unless your brothers P4 has some new firmware I am unaware of as I have not updated mine recently, his upper limits should be able to be set at 500 meters on the P4. Once you take it out of beginner mode it defaults to 100 meters or something, then it should be able to be set as far as 500. As far as that go's, and taking into account my statement above, it can also be set basically anywhere if you know how to do it and are in the least bit tech savvy. Frankly the barometric sensors are not 100% accurate. So holding to the letter of the law and 400' AGL is almost impossible. I'm just curious now if they changed the firmware to 400 meters. I couldn't find anything in their release notes and refuse to jump back into drone forums, or even go looking about. I guess I'll just do the update over the holiday and see what happens. I could care less if its 1312' or 1640'. When I lost sight of mine in a low cloud at about 750' the $1400 instantly came into focus. No real need to go there anyway.

Common sense required.

[northstar1960]

Originally Posted by MOODMAN

Been flying drones for several years. Bought mine when they first came out. At that time, they had no altitude limits. New ones now have limited altitude to 400 feet per the FAA recommendations.
Not saying you should go over that, because that's the law. But, if you just need to get over that ridge that is 401 feet, its nice to be able to do so.
Honestly, having a drone is not something that makes you money unless you specifically have a cost benefit. I can see it if you are a farmer and want to survey your crops. Photography is a big one, but because drones are so cheap and prolific now, just about anyone can do some impressive aerial shots without hiring it out.
Also, we seem to be infatuated with the multi-blade drones, but true helicopters have benefits the multicopters don't. Plus, fixed wing drones have more range and endurance. Some hybrid fixed wings even allow hovering at target.
The air is getting crowded, and soon we will have highways in the sky just like on the ground.
Now, if they could just make flying RVs....

Not anyone can just buy a drone and use it for profit . once you use the video or photographs for commercial use you need a UAS license so plan on being tested by the FAA. a real estate agent who uses pic/videos in a ad will need to have that license . recreational use is different but once it's done for commercial use better have that license

[5picker]

Originally Posted by Mr Havercamp

...(clip)

That being said I am going to reply to 5pickers post and I am not endorsing anything nor do I need a refresher of part 107.




5picker, unless your brothers P4 has some new firmware I am unaware of as I have not updated mine recently, his upper limits should be able to be set at 500 meters on the P4. Once you take it out of beginner mode it defaults to 100 meters or something, then it should be able to be set as far as 500. As far as that go's, and taking into account my statement above, it can also be set basically anywhere if you know how to do it and are in the least bit tech savvy. Frankly the barometric sensors are not 100% accurate. So holding to the letter of the law and 400' AGL is almost impossible. I'm just curious now if they changed the firmware to 400 meters. I couldn't find anything in their release notes and refuse to jump back into drone forums, or even go looking about. I guess I'll just do the update over the holiday and see what happens. I could care less if its 1312' or 1640'. When I lost sight of mine in a low cloud at about 750' the $1400 instantly came into focus. No real need to go there anyway.

Common sense required.

You may very well be right.
After coming out of beginner mode the default AGL was 400 meters.
It is very possible it can be changed to a higher value.

And you are also right, Phantom's use a barometric sensor(s) to obtain altitude data.
Not very accurate at all.
I get nervous at about 300' LOL!

[northstar1960]

Originally Posted by MOODMAN

That's interesting, since the FAA mandates 400 feet, not meters. I wonder why then the drones you mentioned are capped at 400 meters? Seems arbitrary....

Drones can go much higher then 400 ft . the FAA mandates require personal control . if you get caught flying over 400 agl it can cost you. but there are exemptions such as doing a thermal image of an electric tower that is 400 foot tall you may go above it but by no more then 400 ft above the highest point of the tower . drones need to be in line of sight at all times if not you can get in trouble , you can not fly over people at all unless their part of a flight crew . you would need to get an exemption from the FAA to do so and then it would require filing a plan going into flight safety etc and that can up to 6 months to get approval . can't fly with in 5 miles of an airport with out atc approval . there is certain air space you can't fly in lots of things to consider before flying
when i see people using their drones at campgrounds i get a bit upset because they are flying over uninformed people and things can happen anyone could turn them in to the FAA and the FAA doesn't mess around .I also see them flying at night after sunset this is also against FAA regulations .

[Scrapper]

Originally Posted by northstar1960

Drones can go much higher then 400 ft . the FAA mandates require personal control . if you get caught flying over 400 agl it can cost you. but there are exemptions such as doing a thermal image of an electric tower that is 400 foot tall you may go above it but by no more then 400 ft above the highest point of the tower . drones need to be in line of sight at all times if not you can get in trouble , you can not fly over people at all unless their part of a flight crew . you would need to get an exemption from the FAA to do so and then it would require filing a plan going into flight safety etc and that can up to 6 months to get approval . can't fly with in 5 miles of an airport with out atc approval . there is certain air space you can't fly in lots of things to consider before flying
when i see people using their drones at campgrounds i get a bit upset because they are flying over uninformed people and things can happen anyone could turn them in to the FAA and the FAA doesn't mess around .I also see them flying at night after sunset this is also against FAA regulations .

Exactly, this is some of the things I have been trying to get people to understand. You cannot fly over roads without possibilities of repercussions. If you fly over other peoples property, even campgrounds, you must get the permission of the owners and notify bystanders that they must stay behind you.

About 6 years ago I asked the owners of my seasonal camp site if it was ok to fly over a non-developed portion of their property. They said absolutely not. They don't want any rc toys on their property because of the liabilities. That includes sailboats, cars, trucks, and definitely not aircraft. I had a very nice and lengthy discussion with them.

Every now and then some weekenders will bring in rc cars and trucks in and as soon as the owners see them they are asked to put them away for the safety of others.

[Scrapper]

I just talked to the owners of our campground. They said they are relaxing the rules on boats and cars, but the definitely DO NOT want drones on their property because of the liability. They said that as far as other cg's, get the owners permission first, preferably in writing so your are covered.

[northstar1960]

Originally Posted by Scrapper

I just talked to the owners of our campground. They said they are relaxing the rules on boats and cars, but the definitely DO NOT want drones on their property because of the liability. They said that as far as other cg's, get the owners permission first, preferably in writing so your are covered.

Even with the campground owners permission you would still need to get anyone else's permission in order to fly over them . the owners can not approve flight over their guests with out the guest permission that is if i read the rules correct . in fact if it's a commercial flight you would also need faa approval also .

[Scrapper]

Exactly, it's a bigger hassle than its worth.
If you are an AMA member you have an insurance policy for accidents. But their rules state that all bystanders must be behind the operator.
Not worth the pita to go through.