400 ft limit

[yawnalot29]

FAA law says you must stay under 400 feet even it the drone can go higher.

FAA "law"? Are you a lawyer by any chance?

There are two lawyers that disagree with you.

http://gigaom.com/2013/12/08/so-you-wan ... -law-says/

While the FAA suggested in 1981 that model aircraft operators fly below 400 feet, the document was just an advisory, and two aviation lawyers contacted by Gigaom said the agency has no authority below 700 feet — for now.

“The FAA is already looking at it .. but it’s not going to happen for two years,” said John Todd of Todd & Levi in New York, who noted that the number of amateur drones in the sky is growing quickly.

And the 1981 advisory that's being talked about is here:

http://www.faa.gov/documentLibrary/medi ... /91-57.pdf

Please pay attention to #1 under "Purpose" then you can jump ahead to Section 3.c.

 

[DCLocal]

This thread is encouraging. While I understand folks being upset at the new flight restriction, I personally think it is smart and responsible.

Living in DC and just a few miles from Reagan National, I was disappointed at the prospect that if I get a PV2 it may not even be able to take off in my own yard. Now reading this thread it sounds like the PV2 will fly at limited altitude; is that correct?

I'd love to do a flyover of my house and neighborhood.

 

[BenDronePilot]

This thread is encouraging. While I understand folks being upset at the new flight restriction, I personally think it is smart and responsible.

Living in DC and just a few miles from Reagan National, I was disappointed at the prospect that if I get a PV2 it may not even be able to take off in my own yard. Now reading this thread it sounds like the PV2 will fly at limited altitude; is that correct?

I'd love to do a flyover of my house and neighborhood.

Actually it may not take off at all if you're within a specified distance from the airport. And if you can take off your flight altitude limit may not even be enough to fly over your house. I'm not sure what the lowest is but I think it's around 25 or 30 feet than on to 394 feet as you reach the 5 mile limit for class A areas. Outside of 5 miles there's no limit.

 

[skyhighdiver]

FAA law says you must stay under 400 feet even it the drone can go higher.

are you a complete moron who cannot read, it is not a law it is an ADVISORY
voluntary compliance!! http://www.faa.gov/documentLibrary/medi ... /91-57.pdf

I swear we go over this about every 2 weeks with a new batch of morons :evil: :evil: :evil:

 

[MikesTooLz]

This is all because the closer you are to the airport, the real planes are flying lower to the ground and currently you see people clearly flying over 2,000 feet and posting their video's online showing the altitudes.

 

[CRankin]

Living in DC and just a few miles from Reagan National, I was disappointed at the prospect that if I get a PV2 it may not even be able to take off in my own yard. Now reading this thread it sounds like the PV2 will fly at limited altitude; is that correct?

As long as you don't upgrade to v3.0 or higher you should be OK. Or you can always downgrade. I went back to 1.08 after going to 3.0 and deciding I didn't want a Phantom with its wings clipped. If the cherry blossoms had lasted longer, I was planning to bring my P2V down to DC this weekend and fly at low altitude (50' or so) over the Potomac, taking pictures and video.

Do you know if people are still allowed to fly kites on the National Mall? The reason I ask is because I'd like to get some pictures of the Washington Monument from above. I was thinking that it might not be a 'big deal' if I did it on a day that people were flying kites as well, since there would be other things in the air. (I'll just need to use a spotter to ensure that the quad stays away from the kites in the air.)

 

[phantomguy]

Living in DC and just a few miles from Reagan National, I was disappointed at the prospect that if I get a PV2 it may not even be able to take off in my own yard. Now reading this thread it sounds like the PV2 will fly at limited altitude; is that correct?

As long as you don't upgrade to v3.0 or higher you should be OK. Or you can always downgrade. I went back to 1.08 after going to 3.0 and deciding I didn't want a Phantom with its wings clipped. If the cherry blossoms had lasted longer, I was planning to bring my P2V down to DC this weekend and fly at low altitude (50' or so) over the Potomac, taking pictures and video.

Do you know if people are still allowed to fly kites on the National Mall? The reason I ask is because I'd like to get some pictures of the Washington Monument from above. I was thinking that it might not be a 'big deal' if I did it on a day that people were flying kites as well, since there would be other things in the air. (I'll just need to use a spotter to ensure that the quad stays away from the kites in the air.)

http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1127488

 

[DrJoe]

US airspace:

Pretty good map of current TFRs (temporary flight restrictions) in the United States, which usually includes model aircraft. http://tfr.faa.gov/tfr_map_ims/html/index.html Check it before you fly. Some are permanent (30 miles around DC) and some are temporary (around landslide in Evrett. Washington state).

When in doubt, call 1-800-WX-Brief and tell them you are a model R/C pilot and ask for NOTAMS and TFRs for your area of flight. The briefers are usually pretty friendly. The Government will tell you that ignorance of the law is no excuse. While the FAA drags its feet on rules for "drones" or UAS's, and $10,000 fines are issued, overturned, and appealed, you might want to at least make sure you are not flying in a restricted zone.

PS- I'm not trying to restrict anyone, I love my phantom. I just want the hobby to remain as safe as possible and follow established model aircraft guidance so we don't get grounded.