Maps primer...

[Dr Dave]

I'm still a noob with UAV flying (dronage) and have logged in maybe 10 hours. Up to this point, everything I read points to a flight rule of maintaining a line of direct sight for RC. But yet I have read stories about folks flying their drone over a mile away. Don't know about you but it's hard to see mine 1/8th of a mile away much less further.

Which leads me to the question of maps. I am lead to believe it is possible to fly a drone while maintaining RC well beyond visual contact. I assume that when a drone is beyond this point, maps become important - kinda like flying IFR it seems.

So, I searched this site for info about a maps intro or primer. Also looked on MavicHelp. Can't find much.

Any suggestions, insight?

 

[Ed_2020]

I'm still a noob with UAV flying (dronage) and have logged in maybe 10 hours. Up to this point, everything I read points to a flight rule of maintaining a line of direct sight for RC. But yet I have read stories about folks flying their drone over a mile away. Don't know about you but it's hard to see mine 1/8th of a mile away much less further.

Which leads me to the question of maps. I am lead to believe it is possible to fly a drone while maintaining RC well beyond visual contact. I assume that when a drone is beyond this point, maps become important - kinda like flying IFR it seems.

So, I searched this site for info about a maps intro or primer. Also looked on MavicHelp. Can't find much.

Any suggestions, insight?

That's something I think about.. Line Of Sight does not necessarily implies you are actually seeing the object, just that there is no obstruction considering a straight line from you to the object.

If you need to keep visual contact with the drone, all the goggles people want so much now should be outlawed.

Maps help, but if you loose direct sight of your Mavic, the video feed for FPV flying is more important in my opinion (and some planning / knowledge of the area you are going to fly, of course).

In case you want to fly longer, waypoint based missions, try this app: Mission Hub - Litchi

 

[Mr. Salty]

That's something I think about.. Line Of Sight does not necessarily implies you are actually seeing the object, just that there is no obstruction considering a straight line from you to the object.

But, the wording on the FAA website for hobby flyers is not 'line of sight," it's this:

• Keep your UAS within sight

But those are guidelines, not laws.

 

[Dr Dave]

Thanks for the responses folks.

I figured the line of sight maxim was that if you could see the drone, theoretically you would still have RC.

But if you have RC, then how do maps figure in?