I believe 99% of the pilots on here don't recognize also that the city they live in most likely already has site locations approved and/or not approved for RC aircraft, such as a list of parks or basins or fields, this in turn is a city level, so flying out of the location of your property would be limited as well...
I'd love to know more about the state and local rules. Assuming all state and federal buildings are off limits? By how far? Meaning, how close to my state capital can I fly (as an example)?
lol, you guys are hilarious. Stop trying to spread fear.
I personally could care less if the FAA or otherwise wants to talk to me about my flights logged by my flytrex data. The resources are not there to pursue litigation against even 1% of 1% of "us".. so knock it off already.
There have been no LAW changes yet.. so much **** ignorance spreading wild is breeding crazy talk left and right.
There has been no true NEW regulation "passed" and therefore nothing new is more enforceable than it was a week ago.
I'm not saying that there won't be, but right now, stop guessing and go fly.
Agreed, The idea of drones to the FAA is just a tossed up subject. A ton of he said, she said. FAA rules a 5 miles 400 ft and AMA is 3 mile 400ft. Either way, be respectful of airports and you're ok.
I have gone over 650ft around where i live and the worst i got was my elder neighbor freaking out at the sound of a flying weedwacker. After seeing the footage, he was happy
i'm afraid the Flytrex data would be useless to them as it wouldn't stand up in court if argued as they can't confirm accuracy of the equipment. My account on there says i have achieved a maximum height of 1005ft, which i can confirm is incorrect as my Phantom is set to 400ft so i can't get into trouble
@fandango -- your max height (recorded) is above sea level.. what is your altitude above sea level where you fly? I would guess with what you have said that you are 600 ish feet?
Here is a photo i used in another thread asking about that very difference. As Jayson Hanes says, On mine, i was 370 ft up from where i was standing, but 744 from sea level.
Not being an attorney, I would expect that the courts would not allow such evidence.
It would be like you posting a video of driving your car at 150mph on a US interstate.
Then the cops seeing it and charging you.
I read somewhere that even the FAA's own attorneys have stated that the FAA has no legal authority below 700 feet AGL.
So I don't know for sure who is right and who isn't.
As far as I'm concerned, as long as there is no intended interference with regular air traffic, then there should be no problems.
Like I've never seen a 747 fly a 1,000 feet above my house.
Small planes and helo;s yes.
No. There is no FAA rule. It is a suggestion only. It is an advisory circular (AC 91-57). An AC does not have the force of law.
Likewise, there is no FAA rule regarding line of sight or preprogrammed flight. Only a suggestion.
Not being an attorney, I would expect that the courts would not allow such evidence.
It would be like you posting a video of driving your car at 150mph on a US interstate.
Then the cops seeing it and charging you.
Hey guys..I don't have a flytrex yet,but I have a question regarding the 400 foot ceiling. .I live in the foothills and would like to know if I can fly over a mountain if it's over 400 feet in evaluation? ? Perhaps Steve Mann knows the law regarding this..don't want to assume I can fly up to 400 feet above a 400 foot high mountain. .happy flying turbodronepilot. ..
Hey guys..I don't have a flytrex yet,but I have a question regarding the 400 foot ceiling. .I live in the foothills and would like to know if I can fly over a mountain if it's over 400 feet in evaluation? ? Perhaps Steve Mann knows the law regarding this..don't want to assume I can fly up to 400 feet above a 400 foot high mountain. .happy flying turbodronepilot. ..
height restrictions are AGL ( above ground level ), not ASL ( above sea level ). there are plenty of places you couldn't even take off if everything was measured from sea level. my 2 story house would be over 800 feet tall!!!!! fancy painting those ceilings for me???. indoor rockets would be fun but the stairs would be a real PITA ! long before drones hit the news people were quite happily chasing thermals with RC gliders well above 400 feet without any FAA or CAA ( where i am ) interest at all aslong as you were 5 miles away from airports. at what point will the slowfly and parkfly stuff get sucked into the can't fly here category along with the micro drones and copters??
@fandango -- your max height (recorded) is above sea level.. what is your altitude above sea level where you fly? I would guess with what you have said that you are 600 ish feet?
Hey kids, it's not a good idea to post private information on a public domain. If you're worried about people seeing said information...don't post it!
It's pretty doubtful that the FAA is going to start sifting thru Flytrex data, and while everyone knew that tighter restrictions and regulations were incoming, none of us know the extent of it.
Til then, stay under 400 feet, fly safe, and continue as you were.
It's pretty doubtful that the FAA is going to start sifting thru Flytrex data, and while everyone knew that tighter restrictions and regulations were incoming, none of us know the extent of it.
Not so sure. If you're going to try to regulate what people can do with these things you need some data on what they are doing. Seems that Flytrex stuff would make a good source for some research on how they're being used, along with online video postings.
Not so sure. If you're going to try to regulate what people can do with these things you need some data on what they are doing. Seems that Flytrex stuff would make a good source for some research on how they're being used, along with online video postings.
It's guys like you that are the hilarity. This board is rife with the kind of people the FAA are seeking to stop, those that don't even want to discuss the rules, let alone fly by them. It is not fear we are spreading, it is knowledge required to remain on the legal side progress.
If pilots don't start self regulating, you can bet that big bro will.
That being said, FlyTrex would not be enough to peg you. But it could put you on the radar if your're really stupid. As has been said, I don't believe the FAA is out to kill the hobby. I've only seen them go after commercial use and extremely wreckless behavior. And so far squashing commercial activity has failed. Punishing recklessness has not.
It's a nice fantasy to think that if we all behaved, the FAA won't regulate the crap out of this space. The reality is the FAA is going to have their way regardless of how low and slow you fly.
On the topic at hand, the FAA doesn't have the manpower to trawl Flytrex sites. They have no idea what Flytrex is. However, they may find it if you popped up on their radar through other means.
And there is no reason why they couldn't use it against you. If you make a statement saying "I flew to 1,000ft", they could use that against you. Flytrex data is equally if not more credible.
Hey guys..I don't have a flytrex yet,but I have a question regarding the 400 foot ceiling. .I live in the foothills and would like to know if I can fly over a mountain if it's over 400 feet in evaluation? ? Perhaps Steve Mann knows the law regarding this..don't want to assume I can fly up to 400 feet above a 400 foot high mountain. .happy flying turbodronepilot. ..
Minimum altitudes as defined by the FAA are AGL. Cruising altitudes are MSL. The Flytrex data is based on the GPS sea level, which is a hypothetical perfect globe.
GPS elevation uses the World Geodetic System. That means that GPS treats the world like it were a completely perfect globe, and your GPS tells you how high up you are over its imaginary surface. But the Earth isn't really like that. In most places it's pretty close, but the crust is thicker than some places than in others and you end up with some pretty serious differences between "actual" sea level, and the level predicted by WGS. 100 ft errors are not uncommon and it's why GPS IFR airport approach procedures seem to be unreasonably high. And if you are thinking about a database of actual heights, it does exist, but the Earth's gravitational field is constantly changing.
Here's a map showing the gravitational differences around the world, which effects the shape of the earth. North America is pretty close to zero from the GEOID height, but Northern Europe and the Eastern Pacific could be as much as 50m from the GPS atitude. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/EGM96
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