FAA Investigating Drone Crash at Celtics Party.

[GFields]

There’s two separate videos being discussed. We need to focus on the OP

 

[abeardo]

I believe the claim was something along the lines of "we were not flying over people."

Thanks for the clarification! I guess the main purpose of posting on this thread is to understand how a drone could be used to film an event like this legally. Does anyone here have experience trying to film an event like this or have any insights on a theorethical strategy one could pitch to a client that is asking for this type of work? I own a M3P but would be open to other ideas using a sub 250g drone.

 

[Droning on and on...]

Am I wrong in thinking that in order to obtain a FAA waiver the drone would be required to have prop guards and an automatic parachute system?

That's my understanding. Seems pretty clear in the regs.

Ultimately it's up to the FAA... they have the authority to pretty much waive anything.

 

[Droning on and on...]

Part 107 Waivers​

https://www.faa.gov/uas/commercial_operators/part_107_waivers

Operations Over People General Overview​

Reviewing that FAA page, this caught my eye:

Operation over Moving Vehicles​

In a change from the NPRM, the final rule permits operations over moving vehicles, provided the small unmanned aircraft operation meets the requirements of Category 1, 2 or 3 and either:​

• The small unmanned aircraft must remain within or over a closed- or restricted-access site, and all people inside a moving vehicle within the closed- or restricted-access site must be on notice that a small unmanned aircraft may fly over them; or
• The small unmanned aircraft does not maintain sustained flight over moving vehicles.

I have operated with the understanding that transitioning over a moving vehicle perpendicular to its direction of motion, i.e. crossing a road with traffic, is prohibited.

The narrative above seems to say that's okay, as of the 2021 published rule. So the routine crossing of roads with active traffic, flying from A to B, something that I violate all the time while VLOS (one of 2 rules I'm a scofflaw about), is okay in the US?

It appears I may have been compliant all these years.

If so, great news. I've always thought the idea that, flying over a moving vehicle at 100-200 feet for 30 milliseconds was risky, to be among the more hysterical restrictions.

 

[GFields]

I have operated with the understanding that transitioning over a moving vehicle perpendicular to its direction of motion, i.e. crossing a road with traffic, is prohibited.

This is incorrect. You are allowed to transition across a highway with moving traffic; however, you cannot follow the highway above moving traffic.