Drones close to home

The 400 AGL is a recommendation from the FAA in an AC. Same goes for parks, schools hospitals near airports etc. I'd say most comply with the guidance but there are those who don't. What's funny is the FAA recommends not flying in parks but yet there's a whole class of aircraft called Park Flyers. The rules in the U.S. are much more relaxed than overseas.

Another thing to look out for are the model rockets. They go far higher than RC aircraft and are traveling far faster. We're definitely not at the point of dodging model rockets like SAMs over Vietnam but it's just another threat that's out there. Share the airspace and be on the lookout.
 
ClimbnSink said:
Share the sky bro
Click to expand...

There need to be rules.

An analogous situation would be if someone drove an RC car into a high speed freeway. Most drivers will agree that this is not an acceptable behavior, which can lead to a major accident resulting in loss of lives and properties.

Most drivers/passengers would agree that a well regulated road system with strict rules is desirable, so that traveling by car can be conducted safely and economically at low risk, even though this means limiting the freedom of bicyclists, skateboarders, roller skaters, and pedestrians to go wherever they will. I doubt those who would argue for a complete abolition of all the road rules would be more than a tiny minority. (There will always be undoutedly some.)

Air transportation should be no exception, and most people will realize it sooner or later (though it may take some fatality to get there).
 
RV10flyer said:
Your co-workers may stay below 400', but many don't. Click on the above fb link, then the pic. Scroll to the right through the pics and you'll see a few well above 400'.
Click to expand...

I'm aware of that. My point was more aimed at the idea of finding the frequency that they're using. With SS, good luck.
 
Yet dogs and kids still chase balls into the street. The world doesn't follow made up rules. If you don't want to hit anything look where you are flying.
First they came for the drones and many were glad to see them go, then they came for the ultralights, then the GA planes. GA planes are a bigger threat to the airline flying public then drones. Be careful about wishing for rules.
HelloWorld said:
There need to be rules.

An analogous situation would be if someone drove an RC car into a high speed freeway. Most drivers will agree that this is not an acceptable behavior, which can lead to a major accident resulting in loss of lives and properties.

Most drivers/passengers would agree that a well regulated road system with strict rules is desirable, so that traveling by car can be conducted safely and economically at low risk, even though this means limiting the freedom of bicyclists, skateboarders, roller skaters, and pedestrians to go wherever they will. I doubt those who would argue for a complete abolition of all the road rules would be more than a tiny minority. (There will always be undoutedly some.)

Air transportation should be no exception, and most people will realize it sooner or later (though it may take some fatality to get there).
Click to expand...
 
Radio Control like airline travel has morphed over the years. When I started in 1972 it was the home of aviation minded folks who had to have some disposable income, building skills, and the will power to go through some rather tough flying lessons. And this was the norm until about 5 years ago when the "ready to fly" birds appeared. This was less of a barrier to entry than before......and now we see an entirely new animal in the quadcopters and hexacopters with built in stabilization and no aviation knowledge required at all. These are the Ipad pilots who are more interested in the video than the flying. And so we see the village idiot going to 3,300ft without a care in the world. It's not even remotely the same group of real RC pilots I know who respect GA, a lot fly GA. We have a VERY responsible group at my field.....several warbird pilots and one well known P-51 owner.......these guys are NOT the problem.
 
Now the RC guys are turning snobbish it is the aviation apocalypse I tell ya.:lol:
 
Boohoo on the NPS. Wonder if they will use their precious aerial delivery law against droners?
 
dell30rb said:
You have a lot more to worry about if you are flying at the altitudes in the videos (looked like under 500' to me)

Lot more birds out there than 'drones'
Click to expand...

I don't know about you' but I take off and land as low as 0' AGL. :D

I say 'as low as' because sometimes I like to drop 'er in from 5' :wink2:
 
Vf6cruiser said:
Radio Control like airline travel has morphed over the years. When I started in 1972 it was the home of aviation minded folks who had to have some disposable income, building skills, and the will power to go through some rather tough flying lessons. And this was the norm until about 5 years ago when the "ready to fly" birds appeared. This was less of a barrier to entry than before......and now we see an entirely new animal in the quadcopters and hexacopters with built in stabilization and no aviation knowledge required at all. These are the Ipad pilots who are more interested in the video than the flying. And so we see the village idiot going to 3,300ft without a care in the world. It's not even remotely the same group of real RC pilots I know who respect GA, a lot fly GA. We have a VERY responsible group at my field.....several warbird pilots and one well known P-51 owner.......these guys are NOT the problem.
Click to expand...

Yep. They lowered the barrier and stupid poured in.

It seems clear that the FAA is not going to get its chit together and do something about this any time soon. It also appears that AMA has no influence over these morons who appear to know or care little about airspace and sharing the skies with people.

Drone operators do not have their butts up in the sky so they should always err on the side of safety. If they are operating away from airports at sub-treetop height and they keep their drone in sight, fine.

But since these people don't have any of their own skin in the game, they start doing stupid sh** like parking a drone on the approach path of a major airport... check! or flying high... check! or flying in IMC... check!

They say the FARs are written in blood. Guess there's not enough blood yet.
 
petrolero said:
Yep. They lowered the barrier and stupid poured in.

It seems clear that the FAA is not going to get its chit together and do something about this any time soon. It also appears that AMA has no influence over these morons who appear to know or care little about airspace and sharing the skies with people.

Drone operators do not have their butts up in the sky so they should always err on the side of safety. If they are operating away from airports at sub-treetop height and they keep their drone in sight, fine.

But since these people don't have any of their own skin in the game, they start doing stupid sh** like parking a drone on the approach path of a major airport... check! or flying high... check! or flying in IMC... check!

They say the FARs are written in blood. Guess there's not enough blood yet.
Click to expand...


Sounds almost like this board when Cirrus introduced the glass cockpit!
 
Re: No flying or bathing your drones in national parks

F01LA said:
If the GoPro survives that would be some pretty awesome footage!

But seriously, that's pretty dumb and destructive. I love Yellowstone and I love drones, and will not be mixing the two.
Click to expand...


I live 30 miles from Yellowstone and fly over it almost weekly...... This dumb move on the drone operator should get him /her 5 years in federal prison....:yes:

The Grand Prismatic pool is one of the most fantastic thermal features in the park......

Cap't Jack got this pic when I took him and his wife flying a couple of years ago....

http://www.pilotsofamerica.com/forum/showthread.php?t=44331&highlight=Yellowstone
 
Re: No flying or bathing your drones in national parks

N801BH said:
I live 30 miles from Yellowstone and fly over it almost weekly...... This dumb move on the drone operator should get him /her 5 years in federal prison....:yes:
Click to expand...

I worked at Canyon Village 2 summers in my pre-pilot days. Have not yet had a chance to fly over. Great pictures!

Dumb moves like this one may fuel an anti-drone backlash that won't be good for anyone. It's going to be interesting.
 
jmp470 said:
Sounds almost like this board when Cirrus introduced the glass cockpit!
Click to expand...

Not sure what you mean, but it sounds as though you have interpreted my post to mean that I am against drones in toto. I can understand why you might draw that conclusion since I didn't write my full manifesto on drones in that post. And if you don't do that, people on this board seem to attribute the most obtuse meaning to a post, Occam be damned.

I am not against drones in toto. I am against ****oles with drones sharing airspace with me. My point with the post is more in reference to the OP as I think is reasonable.

The fact is that the availability of cheap, easy-to-fly drones has lowered the barrier to entry such that anyone can fly a drone and it is clear from the numerous videos popping up that many (not all!) drone operators don't know much about airspace, flight rules, see-and-avoid, flight patterns nor do some seem to give a rat's.

But it is unassailably true that they have less to lose than I do (as an airplane pilot).

It is also unassailably true that the FAA is dragging its arse getting operating rules out for commercial drones. Even if they did, those rules apply to commercial drones, not amateur drones. So any twit can buy a 4-rotor drone at Brookstone and fly it anyplace s/he wants to within range. There is no training, no accountability, and no skin in the game.

In general, if a UAV pilot is in constant line-of-sight visual contract with his machine and is operating at building height or less, I have little to no proble and I don't think this activity needs to be regulated any more than RC planes are.

If they are operating in controlled airspace, above building height, in IMC?!, or outside of direct line-of-sight control they need to be able to follow the same flight rules that the rest of us follow. In most large cities, that is at least going to mean that they need a transponder but also it means they need to be able to see and avoid.

There are very few drones that meet these requirements. Therefore, they need to stay below building/treetop height and away from airport flight patterns - and I'm sure most do. But those aren't the problem - it's the ones like in the OP that are.
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top