Who will register their Phantom with the FAA?

[yawnalot29]

I guess that nobody figures out that it is AGL. If it is like regular flying it is always agl not mean sea level. Where is your common sense There does not have to be any specifics. If you can't figure it out that is agl you people have a problem. Don't try to make a loophole.to get out of registering your drone

Half right.

I posted my story twice already on this board so I won't repeat my story. Suffice to say.. here's the scenario:

I am taking off from a house on a hill overlooking Pacific ocean. The house is about 650 feet above sea level.

I flew up about 150 feet AGL from the house and head out to ocean to take some video of the coast line and etc.

So.. technically by the time I get down to the coast line, I am 800 feet AGL right? At that point, I don't even know if I trust the altitude reading of my Phantom (and the answer is you shouldn't as I end up crashing into side of the hill about 150 feet below ground level where I took off from (a net lost of 300 feet from flying to ocean and back).

 

[GoodnNuff]

As much as it pains me to admit it (tongue in cheek), GoodnNuff and I agree 100% here! The fact is that all altitude guidelines have always been AGL, and still are. The FAA cares not that your Phantom is incapable of AGL calculations anywhere but over a flat earth. The 400 foot suggested "above your launch point" is irrelevant to the FAA if you are 650 feet AGL, because you launched from 250 above MSL, and are flying at 400 feet above that location, as measured by DJI GO, but are now flying over sea level ground or the ocean! You must know the topography of the are you intend to fly over relative to your launch point to manually calculate 400 feet AGL! Similarly, you will crash into the ground by flying to an elevation more than 400 above your launch point, if you do not exceed 400 feet in the DJI GO app! Beware, and please educate yourself!

This is just crazy. You are in agreement with me, and twice today I have like JKDSensei's posts.
See, this is just the sort of mayhem I was talking about....

 

[GadgetGuy]

This is just crazy. You are in agreement with me, and twice today I have like JKDSensei's posts.
See, this is just the sort of mayhem I was talking about....

The enemy of my enemy is my friend? See, drone registration has made the world a happier place!

 

[Chuck Young]

So there may be circumstances the 400 foot rule is difficult to adhere to. Flew the other day about 3000 feet out after going up to 75 feet AGL. At 3800 feet out I was probably above 400 feet AGL over a canyon. Sure would have been tough to recover if she went down. Pucker factor was astronomical on this one.

 

[kphantom]

I'm registered. Need to figure how to mark the P3 next. I'd like a label or decals.

 

[GadgetGuy]

So there may be circumstances the 400 foot rule is difficult to adhere to. Flew the other day about 3000 feet out after going up to 75 feet AGL. At 3800 feet out I was at 1800 feet AGL over a canyon. Sure would have been tough to recover if she went down. Pucker factor was astronomical on this one.

View attachment 38237

Yup, a clear FAA Guideline violation! To comply, you have to descend, BUT, the P3P will never allow you to ever descend more than 200 meters below your launch point, so you would have still been at 1200 feet AGL, if you still proceeded with your flight to 3800 feet out.

 

[GadgetGuy]

I'm registered. Need to figure how to mark the P3 next. I'd like a label or decals.

If you "loosely" attach it, you can photograph it upon launch to prove it was there, and then "discover" it fell off in flight, after the ensuing catastrophic crash, where you slink away. Remember, it must be placed such that no tools are required to reveal it!

 

[RadRich]

Note to self: Now that this is done, it's probably not a good idea posting videos of your P3 going beyond LOS...

 

[Chuck Young]

Yup, a clear FAA Guideline violation! To comply, you have to descend, BUT, the P3P will never allow you to ever descend more than 200 meters below your launch point, so you would have still been at 1200 feet AGL, if you still proceeded with your flight to 3800 feet out.

That is essentially in my backyard and that is one of hundreds of canyons near me that are thousands of feet vertical. Don't think many planes get down in that canyon or many of the others I have and will fly. My wife had the HMZ-T3Ws on and loving every second of the flight. I had eyes on the bird and paying careful attention up and down the canyon. It was essentially straight out from me the whole time. I hate/love it when I know recovery is going to be a multi-day affair. May have been able to take the Snowmobile in along the side of the Railroad tracks through there. If anyone has rode Amtrak's Zephyr from California to the Mid-West they have been in that canyon.

 

[TheDroid]

I think some are worrying about the FAA and here in Canada Transport Canada. I dont think they are going to bother you as long as you dont fly your drone like an idiot and fly near crowds, fly at night out were you can get spotted and busted, and above 400 ft, really who wants to go higher than that, if you have a FPV it might not be too bad, but i know i like to at least keep my phantom in sight so i know where it is and what its doing. I know when i had it up to around 200 ft, i could hardly make it out in the sky, it was like a little dot. If you like to perform stunts and like to fly dangerously than you will most likely get busted and fined. Just my thoughts.

 

[GadgetGuy]

That is essentially in my backyard and that is one of hundreds of canyons near me that are thousands of feet vertical. Don't think many planes get down in that canyon or many of the others I have and will fly. My wife had the HMZ-T3Ws on and loving every second of the flight. I had eyes on the bird and paying careful attention up and down the canyon. It was essentially straight out from me the whole time. I hate/love it when I know recovery is going to be a multi-day affair. May have been able to take the Snowmobile in along the side of the Railroad tracks through there. If anyone has rode Amtrak's Zephyr from California to the Mid-West they have been in that canyon.

To be clear, I wasn't judging. Just pointing out the inability of DJI GO and Phantoms to measure AGL, and the -200 meter and +500 meter restrictions artificially imposed in altitude changes from the launch point to try to compensate for that clearly are forcing you to exceed 400 feet AGL because of them. Obviously, in your situation, they are completely inappropriate. I am jealous of your backyard! Enjoy exploring it!

 

[GadgetGuy]

Note to self: Now that this is done, it's probably not a good idea posting videos of your P3 going beyond LOS...

Nothing from the FAA regarding drones flown by hobbyists prohibits flying beyond VLOS at this time. Enjoy FPV flying while you still can. Post away. It's still 100% legal, as long as you are not flying recklessly.

 

[Chuck Young]

To be clear, I wasn't judging. Just pointing out the inability of DJI GO and Phantoms to measure AGL, and the -200 meter and +500 meter restrictions artificially imposed in altitude changes from the launch point to try to compensate for that clearly are forcing you to exceed 400 feet AGL because of them. Obviously, in your situation, they are completely inappropriate. I am jealous of your backyard! Enjoy exploring it!

I had to go back and rethink the 1800 AGL foot thing. I had done that calculation using TOPO USA and figuring I my flight may take me directly over the river but it didn't. Looking at the video the trees directly below my flight path may have been pushing 400 AGL but that could be debatable. I would hate to admit to some violation I never actually committed. lol

The question I would like to pose to some of our in the seat pilots, Where can you fly in canyons and over tops of mountains? Do you need wingtip clearance or can you scrape the canyon walls on the way through? If I am at the top of El Capitan, launch from the top can I expect occupied aircraft to fly within 200 or 300 feet of a vertical cliff? How far out from a cliff can I feel safe I will not encounter a sight seeing group of airplane riders and pilot? I am sometimes concerned when I take off at 12,000 and go up 400 feet AGL, How much clearance do flyboys keep above a 12,000 foot summit?

Maybe @Gantech or @SportPilotAviation could help.

 

[DAP-UAV]

Wow this registration thing has really stirred up a bunch of "thinkers"! This is why the FAA is requiring some education for UAS pilots, all these questions demonstrate lack of knowledge and misunderstanding.

 

[Chuck Young]

Wow this registration thing has really stirred up a bunch of "thinkers"! This is why the FAA is requiring some education for UAS pilots, all these questions demonstrate lack of knowledge and misunderstanding.

I guess maybe it never dawned on you that this is uncharted territory?

Speaking of "lack of knowledge and misunderstanding".

 

[emederos]

Regulating how far you can fly a FPV designed uav will NEVER BE A MEANS FOR CIVIL ACTION......unless you are flying recklessly

 

[peter west nz]

It's above the home point.

 

[DAP-UAV]

As a manned aircraft pilot as well, I see flying a UAS FPV, at distance (out of visual site) and at altitudes above 200-300 ft as analogous to a helicopter pilot flying a passenger loaded aircraft at similar altitudes while looking through a cardboard paper towel tube with one eye, DANGEROUS! You cannot properly conduct see and avoid procedures if you cannot see on either your right or your left and certainly nothing from behind. As a pilot it is difficult enough to see other manned aircraft let alone a UAS. Imagine a UAS being operated at distance (out of site) at 300 ft AGL by FPV. Now imagine a Life-flight Helo taking off from an accident scene and he doesn't see the UAS at his 11 O'Clock. The UAS operator cannot see the helo. The UAS and the helo's tail rotor make contact and the tail rotor fails. The helo goes into auto-rotation and does a forced landing in a schoolyard. This is the first thing I thought of when I watched my first FPV You Tube video. Disclosure, I also follow and study aircraft accidents on a monthly basis for the past 15 years. I believe that a UAS/manned aircraft mishap is not matter of if but when. It's only "uncharted territory" to new UAS pilot's. It's well charted territory for manned aircraft pilots. If we are going to share the NAS, ALL PILOTS need to be up to speed. So it can be a long long time before "WHEN" happens. Just my perspective, I could be wrong. Some of us see these as toys. The FAA see's them as aircraft.

 

[RadRich]

Nothing from the FAA regarding drones flown by hobbyists prohibits flying beyond VLOS at this time. Enjoy FPV flying while you still can. Post away. It's still 100% legal, as long as you are not flying recklessly.

The comment was more towards the folks modifying the antennas making the P3S fly further than what was mandated by the FCC. Now that registration is in effect, I was thinking it's somewhat silly to post a video of your modifications and you going well beyond the stock limitation.

I saw this in my manual. It's in there for a reason, right?

 

[Jman44]

I think we need micro sized transponders for drones. Hopefully they develop them soon.