Logging sUAS time?

[James331]

Anyone have any info on this? Like a sample log page and any reasons to bother logging any thing behind battery cycles?

Kinda new a the 107 world, and the drone "forums" seem to have zero clue about anything aviation.

This was the only legit thing I found on it.
http://www.faa.gov/documentlibrary/media/notice/n_8900.258.pdf

It's like, the time is useless, but you should log it, but no info on what exactly to log.

Is it worth tracking? And what should one track, just props turning time?

 

[Velocity173]

I would think it's worth tracking if you want a future UAS job. For those of us that fly under the model aircraft rule, it would be a waste.

 

[SkyDog58]

It might be useful to keep track of actual commercial work with a description of the task performed (i.e aerial photography, tower inspection, etc.) but just flying a toy drone around for fun is not worth logging in my opinion.

Btw my Remote Pilot certificate finally showed up on airman records a couple of days ago but no plastic card yet. Anybody get theirs yet?

 

[Brad Z]

It might be useful to keep track of actual commercial work with a description of the task performed (i.e aerial photography, tower inspection, etc.) but just flying a toy drone around for fun is not worth logging in my opinion.

Btw my Remote Pilot certificate finally showed up on airman records a couple of days ago but no plastic card yet. Anybody get theirs yet?

Yes, I got mine on Friday.

 

[SkyDog58]

Hmm, I guess mine should be here soon then.

 

[James331]

Havent got mine yet ether.

Figure I'll log any pt107 work, paid jobs or prospect work, or anything I use for marketing.

I've also heard I should be logging cycles on the battery and any stuff that has a posted life limit, which I don't think I have any.

Need to make some new excel logs.

Anyone have a sample log page for a sUAS pilot or airframe?

 

[Brad Z]

Anyone have any info on this? Like a sample log page and any reasons to bother logging any thing behind battery cycles?

Kinda new a the 107 world, and the drone "forums" seem to have zero clue about anything aviation.

This was the only legit thing I found on it.
http://www.faa.gov/documentlibrary/media/notice/n_8900.258.pdf

It's like, the time is useless, but you should log it, but no info on what exactly do log.

Is it worth tracking? And what should one track, just props turning time?

There's no FAA requirement for logging anything, nor can it be applied to flight experience requirements in other parts of title 14.

I don't know what sort of sUAS you're flying, but time doesn't seem to be a particularly useful metric. Perhaps # of missions? Landings? Regardless, log whatever makes sense to you. Eventually the industry will adopt some standard (or not).

Honestly, I don't see a strong future for a UAS flying as a specific skill; the trend in aircraft design is to simply the operation so that required skill to operate is minimal. The real metric for hiring will be how good of a _____ you are...i.e. Photographer, surveyor, farmer, etc. The sUAS just facilitates you doing that job better/faster/easier.

 

[James331]

I agree to some point.

However reading some of the F'ups some of these folks have, it's still a aircraft and the Feds seem to agree.

There are a few insurance companies doing sUAS nowadays, AIG being one, I'm sure they'll want to know you can fly the thing, and some type of experience level. I've also noticed some of the folks are backing away from UAS with the new FAA regs, enter how I picked up mine.

I'm flying a smaller airframe, picked up a decked out cinetank MK2, full telemetry, custom 3D printed goodies, monitors, etc, you can plan out a mission off the custom controller and just let her rip, but if that GPS looses fix, which we all know happens, you better be able to stick and...uh...rotor it back down, both vlos and if needed FPV wise.

Frankly the turboprop I fly for work can do most all of the flying, I could teach someone to fly her in 30hrs, fully relying on do lists and automation, they wouldn't be smooth, but they'd get the job done.. until the AP kicked off in some chop, or something went slightly sideways, just ask this guy.

Yeah, it's just a drone, crashes and it's $, and maybe a busted window or some stitches, but physics and software and still the same, chit happens and you want someone who can fly the thing vs just push buttons, especially in our litigious society.

Seems lots of the photographers who buy these things don't think about that and really have chit for situational awareness and airspace/FAR skills.

There are a few guys around me offering some services, but even a non aviation person can tell they don't know much about drones, probably fine for a wedding photo, or a college video project, but the construction and insurance folks don't really want to deal with that, I've found as a working pilot it's easy to sell UAS even over a highly experienced pro photographer, double so if you understand a little about roofing and drainage and whatnot.

 

[Brad Z]

I agree to some point.

However reading some of the F'ups some of these folks have, it's still a aircraft and the Feds seem to agree.

There are a few insurance companies doing sUAS nowadays, AIG being one, I'm sure they'll want to know you can fly the thing, and some type of experience level. I've also noticed some of the folks are backing away from UAS with the new FAA regs, enter how I picked up mine.

I'm flying a smaller airframe, picked up a decked out cinetank MK2, full telemetry, custom 3D printed goodies, monitors, etc, you can plan out a mission off the custom controller and just let her rip, but if that GPS looses fix, which we all know happens, you better be able to stick and...uh...rotor it back down, both vlos and if needed FPV wise.

Frankly the turboprop I fly for work can do most all of the flying, I could teach someone to fly her in 30hrs, fully relying on do lists and automation, they wouldn't be smooth, but they'd get the job done.. until the AP kicked off in some chop, or something went slightly sideways, just ask this guy.

Yeah, it's just a drone, crashes and it's $, and maybe a busted window or some stitches, but physics and software and still the same, chit happens and you want someone who can fly the thing vs just push buttons, especially in our litigious society.

Seems lots of the photographers who buy these things don't think about that and really have chit for situational awareness and airspace/FAR skills.

There are a few guys around me offering some services, but even a non aviation person can tell they don't know much about drones, probably fine for a wedding photo, or a college video project, but the construction and insurance folks don't really want to deal with that, I've found as a working pilot it's easy to sell UAS even over a highly experienced pro photographer, double so if you understand a little about roofing and drainage and whatnot.

Unless you're operating under a waiver for BVLOS (of which none have been issued), loosing a GPS fix shouldn't be an issue since you should be able to see the sUAS unaided. From stick and rudder perspective...well in a quadcopter there isn't much. If the gyrostabilizers fail, the thing is dropping out of the sky no matter what your experience level is. Thankfully they're pretty light so not much damage unless it hits someone directly (and why we can't fly over people).

 

[James331]

True, but the amount of folks who just trust in GPS, it's quite high, get the UAS on the far side of a roof, with a little wind, kick the autopilot GPS stuff off and Mr artsy photographer is going to end up buying a window or denting a gutter, lest we forget the damage to his drone, and FARs aside you get that thing in a odd spot, not backing up your vlos with FPV would be silly, much like not using ADSB when equipped.

 

[BillTIZ]

It might be useful to keep track of actual commercial work with a description of the task performed (i.e aerial photography, tower inspection, etc.) but just flying a toy drone around for fun is not worth logging in my opinion.

Btw my Remote Pilot certificate finally showed up on airman records a couple of days ago but no plastic card yet. Anybody get theirs yet?

It took a week for me to get notification that my temp certificate was ready. That was two weeks ago, still not in the online records.

 

[BillTIZ]

There's no FAA requirement for logging anything, nor can it be applied to flight experience requirements in other parts of title 14.

I don't know what sort of sUAS you're flying, but time doesn't seem to be a particularly useful metric. Perhaps # of missions? Landings? Regardless, log whatever makes sense to you. Eventually the industry will adopt some standard (or not).

Honestly, I don't see a strong future for a UAS flying as a specific skill; the trend in aircraft design is to simply the operation so that required skill to operate is minimal. The real metric for hiring will be how good of a _____ you are...i.e. Photographer, surveyor, farmer, etc. The sUAS just facilitates you doing that job better/faster/easier.

It is recommended in the Part 107 training to maintain an operations/maintenance log on the sUAS. Battery cycles, age, etc., nothing on logging Pilot time.

 

[Brad Z]

It is recommended in the Part 107 training to maintain an operations/maintenance log on the sUAS. Battery cycles, age, etc., nothing on logging Pilot time.

We're not talking about maintenance in this thread; the original question was about tracking small UAS aeronautical experience.

 

[James331]

We're not talking about maintenance in this thread; the original question was about tracking small UAS aeronautical experience.

Not to drift my own thread, but I'm new to the sUAS game and want to be doing it right, I'd be interested to hear anything pilot log AND mx log wise