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Flying your drone 1 to 2 miles away during the day ! : The Trick

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cgmaxed

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Using a 3000 lumen rated spot light (1500 lumen constant output), in my case the FENIX G35, 5oz, cost 70 U.S dollars. Feel free to buy other lights, this is no ad for fenix. You can achieve VLOS at distances up to 1 mile in total sunlight and 2 miles on overcast days. The experiment was repeatable and duplicated several times. You will have to fly from a place that is high enough to reduce the angle you will need to keep a visual on the drone's light. Also, the light you use must be able to maintain a minimum of 1500 lumens. Some have heat sensors, that drop a light's lumens well below 1500 lumens when they get too hot. Anyway, I Fly from a 2nd and or 3rd story balcony, above the local tree line, so I only need 2-4 degrees of an angle to see the drone 2 miles away on an overcast day. I attach the light to the side of my M2Pro and attach it to the underside of my EVO2Pro. I use 10lb rated velcro to attach the lights. I had to use a stronger adhesive to attach the velcro to the lights because their aluminum housing is kinda slick. I face the lights backwards toward my home point at all times when flying to my destination, then fly home backwards to maintain a visual on the light and drone. This technique is just for those who want to check out stuff further away, it's not for cinematographers who will need to constantly change the position of their drones while in flight. I have also done it with an MAV AIR 2 and AIR 2 S. These two drones can lift the light, but it's weight will reduce the flight time a bit more than the larger M2P and E2P drones. Happy long distance flying. Please attach your lights securely.

Included is a pic from a cell phone (poor quality), eyesight is better to see the light. You can see the light orb in the center of the sky. It's 1 mile away in broad daylight, noon.
 

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But can you tell the orientation of your drone?
I mean other than you can see it .
Know you can tell by looking at your screen on the app but if not
mistaken your still not legal. @BigAl07 can tell you he’s our expert
on such.
 
But can you tell the orientation of your drone?
I mean other than you can see it .
Know you can tell by looking at your screen on the app but if not
mistaken your still not legal. @BigAl07 can tell you he’s our expert
on such.

The simple answer is no. But it's worse than that. One of the primary reasons for VLOS is actually to keep the drone close enough that you have situational awareness of the airspace around it. You might be able to hear a helicopter one mile away, but you certainly would not be able to tell where it was relative to the drone, and so you have no way to figure out appropriate evasive action.
 
  1. Fly only for recreational purposes (enjoyment).
  2. Follow the safety guidelines of an FAA-recognized Community Based Organization (CBO).
    Note: We have not yet begun officially recognizing CBOs. Recreational flyers are directed to follow the safety guidelines of existing aeromodeling organizations or use the FAA provided safety guidelines per Advisory Circular 91-57B.
  3. Keep your drone within the visual line of sight or use a visual observer who is co-located (physically next to) and in direct communication with you.
  4. Give way to and do not interfere with manned aircraft.
  5. Fly at or below 400' in controlled airspace (Class B, C, D, and E) only with prior authorization by using LAANC or DroneZone.
  6. Fly at or below 400 feet in Class G (uncontrolled) airspace.
    Note: Flying drones in certain airspace is not allowed. Classes of airspace and flying restrictions can be found on our B4UFLY app or the UAS Facility Maps webpage.
  7. Take The Recreational UAS Safety Test (TRUST) and carry proof of test passage (coming soon).
  8. Have a current registration, mark (PDF) your drones on the outside with the registration number, and carry proof of registration with you.
  9. Do not operate your drone in a dangerous manner. For example:
    1. Do not interfere with emergency response or law enforcement activities.
    2. Do not fly under the influence of drugs or alcohol.

Just my take and a observation of the actual "rules", excluding what ifs and all that, but as he is flying within guidelines as they are presented as of now IMHO. But will be informed and corrected if someone can show any exclusion or incite with fact. ;) I will also state that I find no reason why one would want to conduct such "tests" or sight seeing flight, nor do I condone them :)
 
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The simple answer is no. But it's worse than that. One of the primary reasons for VLOS is actually to keep the drone close enough that you have situational awareness of the airspace around it. You might be able to hear a helicopter one mile away, but you certainly would not be able to tell where it was relative to the drone, and so you have no way to figure out appropriate evasive action.
But can you tell the orientation of your drone?
I mean other than you can see it .
Know you can tell by looking at your screen on the app but if not
mistaken your still not legal. @BigAl07 can tell you he’s our expert
on such.
I can tell the exact orientation of the drone. For me to see the light, it is absolutely facing forward with its camera pointing directly away from the home point. It is exactly 180 degrees pointing away from me. The light is a spot light, like a laser from that distance. The angle can't really be changed, so I have to fly in exact way. No rotating the drone. It must awlays face in the same direction relative to myself. So, I know exactly which way is right, left, backward and forward. As far as situational awareness, I'm looking right at the drone and surrounding sky almost 100% of the time. I never have to look at the controller except when checking altitude or looking at instrument data that may cause a malfunction. Most drone operators are always looking at their controller, camera or app. I only fly in areas where I am extremely familiar with the air traffic patterns, including helicopters. If anything goes awry, I descend and yield ASAP. But I can understand the concerns about flying that far away. I wouldn't do it, if I was in an unfamiliar area and especially if I wasn't extremely familiar with the local air traffic patterns. Because I don't need to look at the controller, i am always looking at the sky around the drones area. I look even more the further away I am. You really need to watch the skies like a hawk when your that far away.

P.S. After reading others comments, I suggest most of you not do this. Maybe only experts who are extremely familiar with their surroundings and air traffic environment.
 
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P.S. After reading others comments, I suggest most of you not do this. Maybe only experts who are extremely familiar with their surroundings and air traffic environment.
Experts ya say
C94E117F-40FB-4481-B11A-C62055F73800.gif
You havn’t a clue.
Sorry but havn’t time to converse with ignorance
or trolling threads.
Im out ?​
 
Naughty comment. Expert comes from the word experience. If you got it, you got it.
Maybe I have way more than you know.
Now as i said before I’m out of this sar pretty much said in his post
what I was driving for.
Your ..PS..you edited in after you posted is why I posted again.
Now without me cleaning this let’s just get back on track .?
 
Maybe I have way more than you know.
Now as i said before I’m out of this sar pretty much said in his post
what I was driving for.
Your ..PS..you edited in after you posted is why I posted again.
Now without me cleaning this let’s just get back on track .?
I'll leave the thread as well. We'll just let the community discuss it.
 
Yeah, not legal. Lights don’t extend VLOS. You still need situational awareness of the airspace around you.

I strongly suggest no one do this. You will be in violation of VLOS rules, whether you are recreational or non-recreational.

And yes, that is my professional opinion.
 
Also it would stick out like a sore thumb to everybody below..
 
Yeah, not legal. Lights don’t extend VLOS. You still need situational awareness of the airspace around you.

I strongly suggest no one do this. You will be in violation of VLOS rules, whether you are recreational or non-recreational.

And yes, that is my professional opinion.
107.31 Visual line of sight aircraft operation.

(a) With vision that is unaided by any device other than corrective lenses, the remote pilot in command, the visual observer (if one is used), and the person manipulating the flight control of the small unmanned aircraft system must be able to see the unmanned aircraft throughout the entire flight in order to:

(1) Know the unmanned aircraft’s location;

(2) Determine the unmanned aircraft’s attitude, altitude, and direction of flight;

(3) Observe the airspace for other air traffic or hazards; and

(4) Determine that the unmanned aircraft does not endanger the life or property of another.

(b) Throughout the entire flight of the small unmanned aircraft, the ability described in paragraph (a) of this section must be exercised by either:

(1) The remote pilot in command and the person manipulating the flight controls of the small unmanned aircraft system; or

(2) A visual observer.
 
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SIMILAR THREAD: MAVIC AT 3 MILES !?

 
The simple answer is no. But it's worse than that. One of the primary reasons for VLOS is actually to keep the drone close enough that you have situational awareness of the airspace around it. You might be able to hear a helicopter one mile away, but you certainly would not be able to tell where it was relative to the drone, and so you have no way to figure out appropriate evasive action.
Correct. I have tested this out at my farm, where I have unlimited distance (not really, but easily a mile). I’m a relatively young guy with good eyesight, and I lost it just short of a mile. I got the BigAl recommended strobes and they help, but still, beyond about a mile, I can’t see it. And even though there’s no real danger flying BVLOS where I am (my farm is literally in the middle of nowhere), there are a lot of birds who are way too curious. Anyone claiming they can see beyond a mile in daytime is lying. My cousin, who was an F14 pilot (the rules have changed but at that time you had to have perfect uncorrected eyesight to fly for the Navy), was with me and confirmed about a mile was as far as he could see it.

(If it wasn’t clear I always follow FAA rules. I don’t fly BVLOS and this was a test so I knew what my limit was.)
 
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