VegasFlyer
Active Member
It's funny that no one mentioned post #23. There are a lot of great comments in that thread, and that's one of them. I guess it doesn't warrant recognition because it doesn't follow the party line.
The problem I have with this topic is that there are some who would like everyone to believe that low-flying aircraft are an everyday occurrence and that that should be the #1 concern. It simply isn't true. It may be true for those living in rural or remote areas, but not for the majority who happen to live in cities. If I see a fixed wing aircraft at ~500 feet and it's not heading to the airport, I'm running for shelter! It's just that rare here. Unless I'm flying up against a very high ridge line or over a mountain, I rarely crack 200' AGL. I'm far more concerned with a bird strike than I am coming in proximity of a manned aircraft. I once had a flock of pigeons chase after my P3P. I was only ~20' up and ~50' away and it freaked me out! Pigeons!
Yes, I do take issue with the LOS requirement. I feel it's too restrictive and doesn't take into account the capabilities of modern drone systems. Ok, so you have a VO with you. How good is that person's sight? I don't care how many flights they may have watched, they will lose track of one. And so will you. And what about flying over people? I avoid people like the plague, but it's next to impossible to fly over any given area without flying over someone. I can show you video of a flight over a mountain where I thought certain no one would be walking and what do you think I saw? I still don't know how those two reached the path they were on.
The problem I have with this topic is that there are some who would like everyone to believe that low-flying aircraft are an everyday occurrence and that that should be the #1 concern. It simply isn't true. It may be true for those living in rural or remote areas, but not for the majority who happen to live in cities. If I see a fixed wing aircraft at ~500 feet and it's not heading to the airport, I'm running for shelter! It's just that rare here. Unless I'm flying up against a very high ridge line or over a mountain, I rarely crack 200' AGL. I'm far more concerned with a bird strike than I am coming in proximity of a manned aircraft. I once had a flock of pigeons chase after my P3P. I was only ~20' up and ~50' away and it freaked me out! Pigeons!
Yes, I do take issue with the LOS requirement. I feel it's too restrictive and doesn't take into account the capabilities of modern drone systems. Ok, so you have a VO with you. How good is that person's sight? I don't care how many flights they may have watched, they will lose track of one. And so will you. And what about flying over people? I avoid people like the plague, but it's next to impossible to fly over any given area without flying over someone. I can show you video of a flight over a mountain where I thought certain no one would be walking and what do you think I saw? I still don't know how those two reached the path they were on.