Due to drone laws & restrictions, does anyone else feel it to be nearly impossible to legally fly anywhere other than their backyard...?

[GFields]

I do hope you find a way to enjoy flying your drone.

 

[BigAl07]

Because it's not the base preventing me its the faa I've had the conversation with them. Besides that my acre back yard is almost completely surrounded by tress at about 150 feet tall and I can't even get permission to take off.

What happens if you have a signal loss and the UAS goes to a preset RTH altitude higher than the trees? Lots of variables out of our control which is exactly why you don't get "Free Reign" over your backyard when it's WITHIN a restricted zone. Think BIGGER PICTURE than just yourself.

The FAA is preventing you BECAUSE of the base. There's some bigger reason why it's a restricted zone. Again I say, Big Picture here.

 

[Dozerb]

What happens if you have a signal loss and the UAS goes to a preset RTH altitude higher than the trees? Lots of variables out of our control which is exactly why you don't get "Free Reign" over your backyard when it's WITHIN a restricted zone. Think BIGGER PICTURE than just yourself.

The FAA is preventing you BECAUSE of the base. There's some bigger reason why it's a restricted zone. Again I say, Big Picture here.

Simple fix I set max height and rth height to maintain well under my tree line thats part of the reason we have those settings right and if they don't trust me to do so then they obviously don't trust me to follow any of the rules and that starts a whole other conversation.

 

[sancap]

With 11 National Forrests and massive amounts of BLM land in Colorado, I would never want to fly my back yard! You have it made out there in Colorado.

 

[BigAl07]

Simple fix I set max height and rth height to maintain well under my tree line thats part of the reason we have those settings right and if they don't trust me to do so then they obviously don't trust me to follow any of the rules and that starts a whole other conversation.

None-the-less the rules are clear and in full effect. If you choose to not obey them that falls on your shoulders and will fair very poorly for you if there is any type of incident.

 

[Dozerb]

None-the-less the rules are clear and in full effect. If you choose to not obey them that falls on your shoulders and will fair very poorly for you if there is any type of incident.

That comment sounds a little more commie than American oh those are the rules question and be punished. Besides I'm 2 miles from the red line not like I'm right on base at some point it dose become more about control than safety the part 107 is proof of that. The fact I can buy a drone with no training or license but soon as I try and make a dollar with it I have to have a 107 its kinda like how a gun in the pocket is some how more deadly and requires training over a gun on the hip.

 

[thispilothere]

That comment sounds a little more commie than American oh those are the rules question and be punished. Besides I'm 2 miles from the red line not like I'm right on base at some point it dose become more about control than safety the part 107 is proof of that.

Just be thankful daddy government lets you enjoy the sky at all.

 

[Dozerb]

Just be thankful daddy government lets you enjoy the sky at all.

Don't forget they are ment to represent use not command us.

 

[Dozerb]

It's pretty simple ill agree with safety above all but for the FAA to tell me that with a 107 I can get 100ft agl clearance but without I can't even launch makes it obvious it's more about profit than safety anyone that has driven a mile down the road knows that a license dose not mean safety.

 

[snowghost]

What profit? The whole registration and certification processes are very inexpensive.

 

[Dozerb]

What profit? The whole registration and certification processes are very inexpensive.

Ok maybe there's not a big profit to be made but that dose not void my point. Real life situation was on the river with my girlfriend we used the mini to get some pictures together on the rocks totally legit no 107 needed then another couple sees and offered a few bucks if I could take a few pictures of them if I were to accept the offer I'm now a criminal because I don't have a 107. If the license was about safety this would not be a problem as we would either be required to have the license to buy the drone or the license would not exist. I do agree that there are rules and safety guide lines that we should know and be held to but there seams to be a large control factor that takes the lead.

 

[sancap]

"Real life situation was on the river with my girlfriend we used the mini to get some pictures together on the rocks totally legit no 107 needed then another couple sees and offered a few bucks if I could take a few pictures of them if I were to accept the offer I'm now a criminal because I don't have a 107."

Actually, your statement is incorrect. If you originally took those images for recreational purposes with no intent to sell them and now someone wants to buy them, that is totally legal. Sell them, make lots of $$$$

 

[Don Testme]

I just get that feeling when i delve in to the local laws. my rationale is kind of like this-

- say you want to do an overhead of a reservoir, park or other public lands, well my state has specifically forbid flying of drones in state parks
- my county has forbid it

... say you then need to takeoff-land from outside of the park

- obviously you cannot takeoff / land from the road, so that is out of the questions
- you will be told no if you ask if you can roll up in someones front yard to takeoff and land, so private property is out of the question

so where are you left to fly, then....? within the short distance from your back yard (if you own the land/property, but what if you dont...?) and over some BLM lands, and that seems to be about it.

maybe some operators do fly outside those parameters and no one says anything, which is awesome, but still, feels like its basically illegal to fly anywhere other than above your back yard.

i recently started flying but the ONLY time it seems almost clear-cut is when you are hired specifically for drone work and have written permission to takeoff / land from said property, or you do it from your own property.

am not really one to "push it," even if some people wouldnt care. you still open yourself up to getting put on blast if you do literally anything wrong.

It's all about risk assessment. Risk, including laws that could be broken and the risk you take in getting disciplined and the risk taken in causing harm to people or property. Are you a gambler?

 

[Dozerb]

I believe you missed understood after taking the pics of me and my girlfriend I was offered money to take pictures of another couple if I would have accepted the offer I would have been in violation as I do not currently have a 107.

 

[snowghost]

It's all about risk assessment. Risk, including laws that could be broken and the risk you take in getting disciplined and the risk taken in causing harm to people or property. Are a gambler?

If you took pics before you got Part 107 you can't sell them legally even after you obtain it is my understanding.

 

[sancap]

I believe you missed understood after taking the pics of me and my girlfriend I was offered money to take pictures of another couple if I would have accepted the offer I would have been in violation as I do not currently have a 107.

I think it was your lack of punctuation that lead me to misunderstand your statement

 

[Dozerb]

If you took pics before you got Part 107 you can't sell them legally even after you obtain it is my understanding.

That's my understanding as well from some explanations I've been given on what is considered commercial use I can't even use my drone to take pics of my house to use for selling and as one person put it God forbid that picture ends up on a Christmas card now that maybe a stretch but there guidelines seem to be pretty out there

I think it was your lack of punctuation that lead me to misunderstand your statement

No problem I definitely acknowledge that I have a problem with run on sentences just be glad my auto correct works

 

[Don Testme]

That's my understanding as well from some explanations I've been given on what is considered commercial use I can't even use my drone to take pics of my house to use for selling and as one person put it God forbid that picture ends up on a Christmas card now that maybe a stretch but there guidelines seem to be pretty out there

No problem I definitely acknowledge that I have a problem with run on sentences just be glad my auto correct works

I recently read an article that stated over 50% of UAV comercial flights are being done by non 107 certified pilots. Once the photos are taken and the EXIF or Metadata is removed, the photos become untraceable. I doubt the FAA has a real estate photo task force looking at real estate agent aerial photography. The client isn't the one responsible for making sure the pilot is 107 certified, so once the client has possession of the imaging the FAA is stuck, unless they get tips on who these non-107 pilots are.

 

[Dozerb]

I recently read an article that stated over 50% of UAV comercial flights are being done by non 107 certified pilots. Once the photos are taken and the EXIF or Metadata is removed, the photos become untraceable. I doubt the FAA has a real estate photo task force looking at real estate agent aerial photography. The client isn't the one responsible for making sure the pilot is 107 certified, so once the client has possession of the imaging the FAA is stuck, unless they get tips on who these non-107 pilots are.

I totally understand with that it only takes one deal with the wrong person and there goes the drone. Reminds me of a dumb *** buddy of mine offers the wrong guy a joint and got a free ride to the joint what is that saying "everything is legal till you get caught "

 

[sar104]

If you took pics before you got Part 107 you can't sell them legally even after you obtain it is my understanding.

That depends. If you took them during a legitimately recreational flight then you could sell them both before and after you get your Part 107. If you were flying non-recreationally without a Part 107 when you took them then it was the flight that was conducted illegally. At that point, selling them or not selling them makes no difference except that it might provide evidence of the illegal flight.

The key point is that it's not the taking or selling of photos that is illegal - it the flight itself that is illegal without a Part 107 if it is not purely recreational.