71–80 of 143 posts
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Capture, hell - I'd enjoy shooting them down with my Remington 877 Express (with gooseload), or maybe my .243 Ruger rifle....but only if they are hovering.
So you go around randomly destroying other people's property?
It's not quite so big as the headline, but it's still good. Here's the scoop: The FAA has long had rules for model aircraft, which would include many small "drones", and under which you can personally operate them now. You're supposed to stay low and away from stuff you could damage. They also (as of fairly recently) have some rules for UAS (unmanned aerial systems) that are more like the rules for real aircraft, and…
What's the difference between model aircraft and UAS? Is it line of sight flying?
In Federal Register Notice 14 CFR Part 91 (http://www.faa.gov/about/initiatives/uas/reg/media/frnotice_...), they attempt some clarification, adding a line about "expecting line of sight" control, and leaning heavily on the "hobby" part as a clear distinction. This ruling kinda makes a hash of that, leaving undefined physical characteristics.
So in general it's fairly unclear. Another result of technology moving well faster than the speed of government. The FAA notes at the end of the CFR that it may in the future issue an authorization for unmanned vehicle "operations which do not qualify as sport and recreation, but also may not require a certificate of airworthiness". They may be encouraged to do this faster now.
(The fact that the clarification is in a policy notice is a major part of the ruling discussed here. Judge didn't think that was a good enough basis for the fine.)
In the UK, there is a restriction against flying out of line of sight. Most operators will fly using a GPS lock for stability but will not be using video streams from the aircraft for anything other than framing shots. Here, commercial UAS are often used as a low-cost, faster alternative to scaffolding; I recently got up a 4am to help an operator survey the exterior of an old hotel in the centre of a large city, looking for damaged pipes. He did the entire hotel in the course of three 3 hour sessions.
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Out of curiosity, how do you power them? I'm assuming solar isn't enough. Do they have to continually come down to re-charge?
Well, I do have a vision where solar power is actually enough, but that's certainly not possible today. This might work in 3-4 years, depending on what happens in battery tech and solar efficiency. Otherwise, I think you might have to build a network similar to Matternet [1] / Tesla Supercharger; making a ground-based charging infrastructure investment might be necessary to get started, even if that tech isn't necess…
Earlier quoted context omitted.
Well, I do have a vision where solar power is actually enough, but that's certainly not possible today. This might work in 3-4 years, depending on what happens in battery tech and solar efficiency. Otherwise, I think you might have to build a network similar to Matternet [1] / Tesla Supercharger; making a ground-based charging infrastructure investment might be necessary to get started, even if that tech isn't necess…
I know I am way over simplifying this but I always thought integrating something similar to the Roomba's ability to find "home," land, recharge and resume would be a nice solution.
So as a pilot of a manned aircraft what does this mean for the safety of my flights? Do I need to start trying to avoid unlicensed, unlit, and unannounced drone aircraft whenever I'm below 400ft AGL? Edit: Thanks to everyone below for your thoughtful comments. My replies are as follows: 1) Regarding model aircraft - I would argue that the low density of these operations at the moment is what has prevented an incident…
As for "will all drone operators in populated areas be made aware of local air traffic patterns?", it seems unlikely that someone wouldn't notice the local air traffic pattern if it includes aircraft at < 500ft AGL.
So as a pilot of a manned aircraft what does this mean for the safety of my flights? Do I need to start trying to avoid unlicensed, unlit, and unannounced drone aircraft whenever I'm below 400ft AGL? Edit: Thanks to everyone below for your thoughtful comments. My replies are as follows: 1) Regarding model aircraft - I would argue that the low density of these operations at the moment is what has prevented an incident…
It does marginally increase the chances that you'll meet a crop/herd surveying drone when flying at low altitude above a farm, but only very marginally (the US is still a very large area). And you should not be flying low over land unless you have explicit permission in any case! It's dangerous and rude for reasons that have nothing to do with commercial drone operators.
There is a legitimate concern that kids will fly RC planes in controlled airspace or otherwise do dangerous things with them. Fair enough. But that has nothing to do with commercially operated drones and commercial operators should not be limited just because you're worried about kids. Commercial operators in the public eye will give people a good role model and help with UAV education, so it's actually safest to encourage them.
- The FAA is responsible for the safety of U.S. airspace from the ground up. This misperception may originate with the idea that manned aircraft generally must stay at least 500 feet above the ground.
- There are no shades of gray in FAA regulations. Anyone who wants to fly an aircraft—manned or unmanned—in U.S. airspace needs some level of FAA approval. Private sector (civil) users can obtain an experimental airworthiness certificate to conduct research and development, training and flight demonstrations. Commercial UAS operations are limited and require the operator to have certified aircraft and pilots, as well as operating approval. ... The FAA reviews and approves UAS operations over densely-populated areas on a case-by-case basis.
- In the 2012 FAA reauthorization legislation, Congress told the FAA to come up with a plan for 'safe integration' of UAS by September 30, 2015. Safe integration will be incremental.
So don't get too excited your drones won't be taking the skies anytime soon.