400 foot?

[dalebb]

After four wheeling Colorado over forty years I make the following observations:

1. Those miners had nads to pull ore out of some of the holes they made in the mountainsides.

2. Many of them died young.

3. The "view value" of having a drone doesn't increase the visual experience of being in the mountains by very much.

4. I'd go as high as you need to go to be +400 feet over the mountain top. I don't think the FAA is going to make an issue out of it.

5. I wish I was in the high country right now! 105/+humidity out here on the plains, today.

--zigs

I feel for you on number 5, I got 6500watts of solar panels to keep the A/C going.

 

[Langy]

In the UK you must maintain 'line of sight' with the P3.

Air Navigation: The Order and Regulations -
"The person in charge of a small unmanned aircraft must maintain direct,
unaided visual contact with the aircraft sufficient to monitor its flight path in
relation to other aircraft, persons, vehicles, vessels and structures for the
purpose of avoiding collisions."

I believe that 400 feet vertically is the defined limit for 'unaided visual contact'.

 

[mick]

Langy, you are correct, the CAA rules is maximum 400ft height and max distance is 500 metres length, any thing over this and you need to apply for special permissions,

 

[Chuck Young]

After four wheeling Colorado over forty years I make the following observations:

1. Those miners had nads to pull ore out of some of the holes they made in the mountainsides.

2. Many of them died young.

3. The "view value" of having a drone doesn't increase the visual experience of being in the mountains by very much.

4. I'd go as high as you need to go to be +400 feet over the mountain top. I don't think the FAA is going to make an issue out of it.

5. I wish I was in the high country right now! 105/+humidity out here on the plains, today.

--zigs

So it is a perfect 75 degrees here today, awesome. I am always seeing places like the bat cave up the side of mountains, especially in the mining districts that are my favorites for collecting rocks. Many of the 4wd roads through the valleys give you no clue where the nice rock piles are just off the road, P3P will get me that info in short order.

 

[Cris A.]

Are you sure about that? I assume that the 400ft limit is to avoid airplanes that fly as low as 500ft AGL. If a plane flew through that valley at 2000ft that would pose a real danger.

FAR 91.119(c) says: Except when necessary for takeoff or landing, no person may operate an aircraft below the following altitudes: (c) Over other than congested areas. An altitude of 500 feet above the surface, except over open water or sparsely populated areas. In those cases, the aircraft may not be operated closer than 500 feet to any person, vessel, vehicle, or structure.

So an aircraft SHOULD be more than 500 feet in all directions from terrain, structures, etc., and a quadcopter operating at less than 500 feet above those things SHOULD clear any aircraft operating in the area. I say SHOULD because I can tell you firsthand that it's pretty hard to judge what is 500 feet AGL from the left seat of an aircraft, and it can be even harder from behind the R/C of a quadcopter. If the aircraft pilot is careful as he should be, he should fly at least 500 feet above the highest terrain in the grid he is in, but a lot of times that doesn't happen.

 

[Cris A.]

5. I wish I was in the high country right now! 105/+humidity out here on the plains, today.

And that's why I live here and not there!

 

[Richard in ky]

I don't think I would be able to NOT fly into that cave...even with the knowledge that I will lose my quad, I would still have to do it. Not saying you should...but If you do, please make sure to cache that video!

Would that be great to have 360 degrees avoidance system on one of these birds where you could do that. I think that will be an option on one the new DJI Matrice.

 

[Richard in ky]

The P3 Pilot app allows setting the max height above takeoff at 500 meters (1640 ft). According to the manual, if you lose GPS the limit is reduced to 400 ft. Apparently the P3 will start descending in that situation. Good luck if you're 1000 feet up a mountain side, 100 feet above ground level when that happens.

At any rate, the 400 foot limit you seem to be concerned about is the FAA recommdation for "Above Ground Level" where the Phantom is located, not above the takeoff point. So you can climb hills and should adjust accordingly.

I am not sure but I don't think the Phantom will descend when it is returning to home. If it is lower than the set point it will rise to that point. I don't know if it is true as I never checked it out my self but I have heard that you can actually go over the 500 meter height while it is returning to home and telling it to ascend at the same time.

 

[Man.Of.Kent]

I'm pretty sure that I read in the CAS regs that the 400ft max is for sua's over 7kg. Under 7kg the height restriction is line of sight, just like horizontal. At 500m height I can still maintain visible contact, but it takes concentration.

 

[Busyone]

No restrictions in belgium so far. The gouvernement is working on a law for drones en it comes in december this year. Meanwhile we fly as high as we want, exept in nofly zones.
Here i am flying above antwerp with my wing..[emoji6]

 

[Zerone]

I'm pretty sure that I read in the CAS regs that the 400ft max is for sua's over 7kg. Under 7kg the height restriction is line of sight, just like horizontal. At 500m height I can still maintain visible contact, but it takes concentration.

I think this is the document you've read and you are right with regard to the less than 7kg classification being restricted to VLOS. However, if you read the summary at the bottom of the page you'll see that the CAA consider VLOS to be 400' vertical and 500m horizontal. There are also the additional regulations for any UAS equiped with a camera.

Small Unmanned Aircraft (20kg or less) | Aircraft | Operations and Safety

 

[Man.Of.Kent]

I see what you're saying and I don't habitually look for loop holes - but - a summary that starts 'in essence' still seems to be guidance rather than a strict regulation that overrides my previous observation.

 

[DeWolfe]

P2V+
All the 400ft stuff very helpful.

that is 400ft Above ground level (AGL) everyone uses too many acronyms. just define first. i am flying in Diamond Head today from inside the crater and need to get up to or over the rim which is right about 700ft. take off will be about 300ft ASL or above sea level ... just outside the crater by the way

thinking about doing with with ground station ... watching that thing go up in the air and out of sight (OOS) gives me the willies

 

[DeWolfe]

Sorry that is Diamond Head on Oahu / Hawaii.