COMMERCIAL OPS AND OTHER DRONES SHOW UP

[AerialViewSolutions]

Good Evening,
I was working an event this past weekend taking shots of a large get together on a lake with my Mavic. About 3 hours in I was preparing to take off and had 2 other drones fly into the area. I missed getting a shot that I wanted because I refused to take off having these other aircraft in the same vicinity. They were being controlled from some unknown location around the lake. Has anyone ever encountered this type of scenario? It would be dangerous for me to take off because God only knows if they're aware I'm behind them. I'm not sure what I could even do if this happens again. Any thoughts?

 

[quick_dry]

I haven't had the situation while flying the Mavic, I'd have it while my Solo or Iris were out but they're so much bigger and more easily seen.

When I've had other operators in the area that we were within talking/yelling range we've tried to coordinate altitudes.

 

[Drone Master]

Good Evening,
I was working an event this past weekend taking shots of a large get together on a lake with my Mavic. About 3 hours in I was preparing to take off and had 2 other drones fly into the area. I missed getting a shot that I wanted because I refused to take off having these other aircraft in the same vicinity. They were being controlled from some unknown location around the lake. Has anyone ever encountered this type of scenario? It would be dangerous for me to take off because God only knows if they're aware I'm behind them. I'm not sure what I could even do if this happens again. Any thoughts?

Most likely you will be fine to fly. Just keep your distance from them and I am sure they will keep theirs if flying VLOS. If you feel they are not flying VLOS,
Then you will be to keep control of your flight and the situation.

 

[AerialViewSolutions]

Haha I don't think you all would have wanted to take off in this situation. There was another Mavic and a Phantom 3. But they were trying to show off for the crowd and making extremely abrupt maneuvers in sport mode. There was no way I was willing to fly anywhere around them.

I've thought about maybe printing up a banner roughly 4'x2' saying "Aerial Operations in progress, please leave vicinity" or something like that. Just so the operators can see the sign and realize there is something going on. But I'll likely not encounter this again so I'm probably wasting my time!

 

[Doecliff]

I was doing a volunteer shoot at a triathlon. I wasn't getting paid but I was an official sponsor of the race for charity because I was donating my services. There was another drone at the finish line and he was an amateur and could have interfered with my shots. I found him in the crowd and introduced myself and told him why I was there. I explained where I was flying and gave a suggestion on how we could share airspace. I wasn't about to try to run him off but if it would have been a paying job there could have been a conflict. He left within a few minutes so the problem solved itself.

 

[FatherXmas]

Good Evening,
I was working an event this past weekend taking shots of a large get together on a lake with my Mavic. About 3 hours in I was preparing to take off and had 2 other drones fly into the area. I missed getting a shot that I wanted because I refused to take off having these other aircraft in the same vicinity. They were being controlled from some unknown location around the lake. Has anyone ever encountered this type of scenario? It would be dangerous for me to take off because God only knows if they're aware I'm behind them. I'm not sure what I could even do if this happens again. Any thoughts?

Just one of the things that go along with photography of any kind. I've never had it happen with an aerial shoot, but have had scores of people walk into a shot on the ground.

 

[danman999]

Good Evening,
I was working an event this past weekend taking shots of a large get together on a lake with my Mavic. About 3 hours in I was preparing to take off and had 2 other drones fly into the area. I missed getting a shot that I wanted because I refused to take off having these other aircraft in the same vicinity. They were being controlled from some unknown location around the lake. Has anyone ever encountered this type of scenario? It would be dangerous for me to take off because God only knows if they're aware I'm behind them. I'm not sure what I could even do if this happens again. Any thoughts?

Ah, now you know what real aircraft pilots feel like with drones flown by uninformaed and inconsiderate people in the air.

 

[AerialViewSolutions]

Ah, now you know what real aircraft pilots feel like with drones flown by uninformaed and inconsiderate people in the air.

Oh man I know. I'm a student pilot working towards my private and I know what it's like to see a drone flying too close for comfort when you enter the pattern. I'm a supporter of ADS-B for these reasons.

 

[cobra46]

My son and I constantly fly together. We are always talking to each other calling out position, altitude and intentions.

Commercial pilots flying a paid gig don't automatically rule that airspace so it's best to make an attempt to locate the pilot and try to work together. Maybe take off and make a quick sweep of the sky to alert them of another drone in the vicinity.

If you're truly flying VLOS and have a competent spotter you should be able to avoid fly too close to others drones.

 

[gnirtS]

I'm a supporter of ADS-B for these reasons.

This would be by far the best solution to the cowboy drone idiots out there who violate all manner of airspace regulations and common sense and in addition provide a big safety boost to sensible drone operators and manned air traffic alike. In other words, you can be seen, identified and other users will be able to know where you are and identify any potential conflicts.

Id favour ADS-B over a proprietary system purely as it'll be compatible with existing technology at some airports, TCAS and so on. Provided it can be made cheap and small enough to not hamper the flight characteristics i cant see any legitimate operator being against it.
Personally, i WANT to be as visible as possible to other airspace users.

 

[Slayerstwin]

Just fly man don't worry about it

 

[quick_dry]

Id favour ADS-B over a proprietary system purely as it'll be compatible with existing technology at some airports, TCAS and so on. Provided it can be made cheap and small enough to not hamper the flight characteristics i cant see any legitimate operator being against it.
Personally, i WANT to be as visible as possible to other airspace users.

something _like_ ADS-B might work, but it won't be ADS-B itself, almost guaranteed. This was also coming from someone high up in design and implementation of air traffic control systems around the world. ADS-B doesn't have the spectrum to handle all the drones, and general aviation planes aren't required to have it.