Just a heads up to those who ignore the rules.

They'll be the death of freedom for us all unless we stop them.

+1 The nanny state is getting...nannier. In New Jersey, the state government passed a law making it illegal to serve runny eggs. Across the nation, there are burger chains that refuse to serve Medium Rare. It's not like there are people dropping dead left and right from Medium Rare cheeseburgers. I suspect these decisions are made by lawyers and bean counters, not chefs.

OK, sorry. Off-topic rant is over and I feel better.
 
Perfectly attainable. As a pilot, I have to comply by regulation with ALL law enforcement officers. They put it in the regulation and you are participating by engaging in aeronautical activities. There is already precedent, otherwise the FAA would have no authority over the guy without a certificate flying an unregistered home built airplane.

I've corrected a couple idiots, and one one told me to screw off, so I called the troopers, they came and collected info, and passed it on to FSDO. These idiots were flying on the taxiway of a local public use airport, occasionally going over the runway (fixed wing UAS).
 
I too am a Certificated Private Pilot, Single Engine Land.

I am within a NO FLY ZONE that is insane in size. I do NOT get remotely close to the nearest Airport which is Class D Airspace. I never even get anywhere close to the 400 foot limit. Why spend all the battery power to go to max altitude?
I stay strictly within line of sight, NO GPS flight paths. While a Phantom 2 Vision+ won't ever get into the engine of General Aviation Aircraft, this "drone" is definitely heavy enough to go through the windscreen of a Cessna 172 that flies at a Maximum speed: 187.65 mph, Cruising speed: 140.43 mph. You can cite the "Frozen Chicken Cannon" myth all you wish. Take the 1.7 pound Phantom 2 and collide with the pilot's windscreen as he is cruising @ 140 MPH. You will have that drone in his face! Or even the passenger's face! Now talk about responsibility AND liability!
Not going to be me. However, I will state it simply - Someone IS going to be the example! It isn't IF - It is WHEN!
 
And the battery might even become a fire bomb when smashed through the windscreen.

A cabin filled with smoke and fire, and a smashed window might be a bit distracting for the pilot. :rolleyes:

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Added sarcasm-smiley ...
 
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And the battery might even become a fire bomb when smashed through the windscreen.

A cabin filled with smoke and fire, and a smashed window might be a bit distracting for the pilot.

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The pilot is most likely LESS concerned with "distraction"! His face is full of windscreen fragments, metal fragments of the drone, and no way to see to possibly control the aircraft.
All General Aircraft DO have fire extinguishers. Doesn't do a bit of good IF you can't see!
 
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There is no possible way to pinpoint where the drone or operator is via radio signals. You could in theory find the approximate strength of the signal and make a radius, but pinpointing would require at least triangulation, which is not possible in this case.
 
I mean honestly I personally agree with FAA's approach to this. I'm no engineer. But, a phantom going into a commercial jet engine or even a small plane engine could cause something so minor that may lead to something more catastrophic. I wouldn't want to know what would happen. For us (responsible users) this shall pose no threat. But, we all know there really are dumb people out there who are buying these quads from all different companies and launching them up in the air without even opening the manual. Let alone finding out if they are allowed to fly in their area or not. DJI and other companies are making it even easier to fly it without looking at the manual at all. We need these dummies to be caught before someone does get really badly injured or worse. I would hate to see our hobby destroyed due to these irresponsible people.
Everyone needs to understand that 99.9% of the pilot sightings are unsubstantiated. That is according to a recently released Freedom of Information act from the FAA. There's a lot of BS out there driven by the media.
Here's how it goes, the FAA feeds a report to a major network, who believes it true and then puts it on the nightly news. That's not good reporting..but it does make news.
 
There is no possible way to pinpoint where the drone or operator is via radio signals. You could in theory find the approximate strength of the signal and make a radius, but pinpointing would require at least triangulation, which is not possible in this case.
You DO have a Smartphone on your Flight Controller. It IS picked up by the cell towers. You now have your triangulation. It is done all the time, and it isn't just on TV!
Your Smartphone links through the Range Extender which amplifies your signal, and it IS a two-way link! The FPV on the Vision app is displaying Altitude, distance, speed, the number of GPS satellites locked on.
Now how do you think this ALL can't be tracked or traced? Seriously? The Government is already flying one and two engine aircraft all over the country and it is showing up on anyone whom records flights on Flight Radar. These aircraft have a single purpose - to pick up and record cell phones and the like.
 
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Everyone needs to understand that 99.9% of the pilot sightings are unsubstantiated. That is according to a recently released Freedom of Information act from the FAA. There's a lot of BS out there driven by the media.
Here's how it goes, the FAA feeds a report to a major network, who believes it true and then puts it on the nightly news. That's not good reporting..but it does make news.

It isn't just the FAA that gets it out to the media. Pilots are publicly stating their encounters. A few are even backed up by the radar at the airport. Eventually a transponder WILL be required in drones. Then there will be NO denying the presence of the drone
 
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Probably not transponders, more like an ads-b out.
ADSB *IS* a transponder! Queried on 1090MHz, replies are on 1030MHz.
I already provide data to Flight Radar on these. They aren't mandatory as of this moment, BUT a very large number of aircraft do this already. The receiver here is a simple one ounce USB Dongle. The 5/8 wave antenna is shorter than the two in the legs of the Phantom.

Even single engine Pilatus Porters, known in military circles as the U-10 Helio-Courier ARE using them. I can track these using Flight Radar all the way from my home to Syracuse, NY, Columbus, OH, so just draw a circle using Dulles Intl. Airport that covers all that area. Their entire flight path is displayed.
 
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The ADSB sounds good but what a bout a no fly zone data base in the onboard software flight management software?
Before you fly you would be required to file a flight plan with your ID number on line for the area you intend to fly in then you would get a pin number you would have to enter into you RC aircraft to unlock the flight control. Now you are on record , you think you would feel a little more responsible now that the authorities now have you on record for operating in a RC permissible area?
Hey I don't like it neither but some of these wild and crazy people are going to get our hobby taken away from us if we don't do something. I've all ready said it look back at my last post. But first time a airplane goes down because of a RC aircraft that will be the end of the hobby. So please don't screw up the hobby all of us!
 
The ADSB sounds good but what a bout a no fly zone data base in the onboard software flight management software?
Before you fly you would be required to file a flight plan with your ID number on line for the area you intend to fly in then you would get a pin number you would have to enter into you RC aircraft to unlock the flight control. Now you are on record , you think you would feel a little more responsible now that the authorities now have you on record for operating in a RC permissible area?
Hey I don't like it neither but some of these wild and crazy people are going to get our hobby taken away from us if we don't do something. I've all ready said it look back at my last post. But first time a airplane goes down because of a RC aircraft that will be the end of the hobby. So please don't screw up the hobby all of us!
This seems like a horrible plan for the average hobby pilot. I go drive around the mountains camping and fishing but I also take my p3p with me. I would have to register an entire mountain range which isn't feasible. Something will be done but this seems overboard considering the risk.
 
The ADSB sounds good but what a bout a no fly zone data base in the onboard software flight management software?
Before you fly you would be required to file a flight plan with your ID number on line for the area you intend to fly in then you would get a pin number you would have to enter into you RC aircraft to unlock the flight control. Now you are on record , you think you would feel a little more responsible now that the authorities now have you on record for operating in a RC permissible area?
Hey I don't like it neither but some of these wild and crazy people are going to get our hobby taken away from us if we don't do something. I've all ready said it look back at my last post. But first time a airplane goes down because of a RC aircraft that will be the end of the hobby. So please don't screw up the hobby all of us!

I agree with most of this. However, the "onboard Flight management software, is the Firmware! DJI already has what "THEY" decided was "THEIR" No Fly Zones. Their No Fly Zones flat do NOT match the FAA No Fly Zones.
Personally, I would not object to filing a flight plan! I do it in the General Aviation Aircraft that I fly. My preferred flying is Aerobatics. So I not only have to file a flight plan, I have to open the Aerobatic "Box" I will fly in. To end up registering my Phantom and applying the FAA Number to my Phantom does not bother me a single bit.
Like you, I am worrying about the "ONE" that causes an airplane to go down. The "Drone" market is getting so large, that we WILL have to seriously get regulated! Remember the single fool that decided to fly a Drone through the University of Virginia, and even down the arched corridors. He was indeed caught and fined!

(I'd note that I am an Amateur Radio Operator also. You and I have more in common than you may think. We could get nailed *if* we get too close to a band edge.)
 
This seems like a horrible plan for the average hobby pilot. I go drive around the mountains camping and fishing but I also take my p3p with me. I would have to register an entire mountain range which isn't feasible. Something will be done but this seems overboard considering the risk.

I would have to disagree. You will only have to file a flight plan and input your ID "WHEN" you get ready to fly. Not just driving around, or hiking with it in a pack on your back. If we get to this point, we would be no different than a commercial drone pilot that already has a handheld aviation radio to contact the nearest airport tower IF he will fly within their airspace.

It isn't asking too much to preclude a collision!
 
I would have to disagree. You will only have to file a flight plan and input your ID "WHEN" you get ready to fly. Not just driving around, or hiking with it in a pack on your back. If we get to this point, we would be no different than a commercial drone pilot that already has a handheld aviation radio to contact the nearest airport tower IF he will fly within their airspace.

It isn't asking too much to preclude a collision!

But to fly below 200 feet within sight, is that really necessary?

Is it necessary below 400?
 

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