How come we see many very popular Youtubers flying BVLOS if it's not allowed?

[maelstrom]

I'm probably not making myself clear, I KNOW WHERE THE DRONE IS IT ALL TIMES, I just can't see it all the time.

You may know approximately where your drone is but, because you couldn’t see it, you wouldn’t know its position relative to a passing aircraft (which you also may not be able to see for the same reason you can’t see your drone).

 

[ghjcmo]

It’s possible. Police helicopter searches and area surveys for example. No drone has ever had a flyaway where it’s inadvertently climbed? Can you guarantee this will never happen? The legislation is there to cover any possible risk so is automatically quite broad. Whether or not you think it applies in your case is basically irrelevant - it’s still the law.

How would being in VLOS prevent a flyaway?

 

[ghjcmo]

You may know approximately where your drone is but, becuase you couldn’t see it, you wouldn’t know its position relative to a passing aircraft (which you also may not be able to see for the same reason you can’t see your drone).

LOL, Dude I'm WAY MORE LIKELY to know where it is from looking at my feed than trying to eyeball it and judge distance to ground and position of the aircraft. IT's not even close.

EDIT TO ADD: BTW, the drone warns me if there are any aircraft in the area. Thanks for your responses. I asked the question thinking somebody would say something that would click with me, but I'm still looking. I can add lights and I plan on doing that. I can fly higher to make sure, combined with the lights that I'm in VLOS. But I don't see how flying higher is going to be more safe, but if that's the rule, that's the rule.

 

[maelstrom]

How would being in VLOS prevent a flyaway?

It wouldn’t. I was giving an example of why your drone may not always be at the height you want it to be.

LOL, Dude I'm WAY MORE LIKELY to know where it is from looking at my feed than trying to eyeball it and judge distance to ground and position of the aircraft. IT's not even close.

As I said, you may know where your drone is (ignoring flyaways), but unless your drone happened to be pointing it the right direction you wouldn’t necessarily know where a passing aircraft was relative to your drone.

In spite of me giving plenty of reasons for the legislation, you seem determined to justify why you don’t think it applies in your case (it does). I can’t stop you doing it, I’m just explaining why, like them or not, the laws exist and, ultimately, if you break them you have no excuse if you’re caught.

 

[ghjcmo]

It wouldn’t. I was giving an example of why your drone may not always be at the height you want it to be.


As I said, you may know where your drone is (ignoring flyaways), but unless your drone happened to be pointing it the right direction you wouldn’t necessarily know where a passing aircraft was relative to your drone.

In spite of me giving plenty of reasons for the legislation, you seem determined to justify why you don’t think it applies in your case (it does). I can’t stop you doing it, I’m just explaining why, like them or not, the laws exist and, ultimately, if you break them you have no excuse if you’re caught.

Well i appreciate you taking the time to answer my question, you have come the closest to explaining it, although I'm still skeptical that it is TRULY more safe to fly higher. As I said, I'm going to look for lights that will help me see the drone and I MAY be in VLOS now more than I realize, I just can't see it (Is that a contradiction? LOL, I mean it's too small to see as opposed to being behind an obstacle). But yeah I'm going to keep flying over the farm from time to time. I don't fly very often. IF I get caught, I get caught. But I didn't buy a $700 drone to fly around 10 feet off the ground in my backyard. Because if I stick strictly to the letter of the law, then that's about all I could do.

 

[maelstrom]

although I'm still skeptical that it is TRULY more safe to fly higher.

It’s not necessarily any safer to fly higher, it just makes you legal in your situation. Is there nowhere else on your farm that you could launch from that’s not close to trees?

 

[SpitFire]

I am not getting drawn into this conversation.
Check out the FAA information, call them if your not understanding the rules.
Or, need further clarification, they will also help you.

 

[ghjcmo]

It’s not necessarily any safer to fly higher, it just makes you legal in your situation. Is there nowhere else on your farm that you could launch from that’s not close to trees?

Well I wasn't asking about legal. I already know it's not legal. I'm not looking for absolution from the FAA. I'm looking for a practical explanation for why being unable to see my drone because it beyond the tree line at tree top level in rolling hills over uninhabited private property makes it any more unsafe than flying at 400 feet over the same terrain.

And yes there some open fields but if you go very far in any direction you're going to be faced with trees and rolling hills that will quickly take you out of LOS unless you increase your altitude dramatically. By adding lights (which I ordered today) and increasing altitude I should be in VLOS. Yay, Im legal! But am I MORE safe? That's the question I'm asking. I want to fly in a SAFE manner but more than just 10 feet off the ground in my backyard, in a way that doesn't endanger ANYBODY. That's why I'm pretty much limited to flying over my property. But so far nobody has been able to offer any practical comment, other than maybe there might be a plane flying by at treetop level. And that argument is not very compelling to me seeing how I've lived here 50+ years and that's never happened. But yes I guess it COULD happen, just like the drone COULD have a fly away and land God knows where and hit God knows who. Which of those two scenarios is more likely?

 

[Thomas B]

Well I wasn't asking about legal. I already know it's not legal. I'm not looking for absolution from the FAA. I'm looking for a practical explanation for why being unable to see my drone because it beyond the tree line at tree top level in rolling hills over uninhabited private property makes it any more unsafe than flying at 400 feet over the same terrain.

And yes there some open fields but if you go very far in any direction you're going to be faced with trees and rolling hills that will quickly take you out of LOS unless you increase your altitude dramatically. By adding lights (which I ordered today) and increasing altitude I should be in VLOS. Yay, Im legal! But am I MORE safe? That's the question I'm asking. I want to fly in a SAFE manner but more than just 10 feet off the ground in my backyard, in a way that doesn't endanger ANYBODY. That's why I'm pretty much limited to flying over my property. But so far nobody has been able to offer any practical comment, other than maybe there might be a plane flying by at treetop level. And that argument is not very compelling to me seeing how I've lived here 50+ years and that's never happened. But yes I guess it COULD happen, just like the drone COULD have a fly away and land God knows where and hit God knows who. Which of those two scenarios is more likely?

What lights did you order?

 

[ghjcmo]

What lights did you order?

I ordered some Firehouse ARC XL lights which I saw highly recommended in this thread. I'm not 100% sold it will completely solve my issue for visibility as this is a set of two that mounts to the front arms and faces forward. And that may not help me see it when it's flying away from me. So I may have to try to add something to the underside. But I'd thought I'd start there and see how it goes. I don't fly at night or even at dusk, so I'm little skeptical of being able to see it in bright sunlight, but I want to try it.

 

[wco81]

I ordered some Firehouse ARC XL lights which I saw highly recommended in this thread. I'm not 100% sold it will completely solve my issue for visibility as this is a set of two that mounts to the front arms and faces forward. And that may not help me see it when it's flying away from me. So I may have to try to add something to the underside. But I'd thought I'd start there and see how it goes. I don't fly at night or even at dusk, so I'm little skeptical of being able to see it in bright sunlight, but I want to try it.

Let us know how it works out.

In particular how much bulk it may add when folded because bags made for the drones may not be big enough for any additional things installed on it.

 

[DanMan32]

I doubt there would be any repercussions flying BVLOS within your property, especially if it is bordered by trees and you're below the treeline which would make overflight by MAS difficult.

Its just the law/regulations that fits in most cases. There are lots of those that apply, but not practical in many cases and usually not enforced in those situations.

 

[ghjcmo]

Let us know how it works out.

In particular how much bulk it may add when folded because bags made for the drones may not be big enough for any additional things installed on it.

Will do.

Well that's an issue too. It wasn't clear to me but I'm hoping the mounts are something I can install and uninstall because, yeah it's not going in my case with anything attached.

 

[ghjcmo]

I doubt there would be any repercussions flying BVLOS within your property, especially if it is bordered by trees and you're below the treeline which would make overflight by MAS difficult.

Its just the law/regulations that fits in most cases. There are lots of those that apply, but not practical in many cases and usually not enforced in those situations.

Well in fairness I'm usually a bit over treetop level, because of the rolling hills as I mentioned, I can be at 90 feet and at treetop level and then when I fly to the hill that's suddenly putting me in the trees. So I usually try to keep it somewhere in the 100 to 120 foot range. When I first got it and was more paranoid I set my RTH at something like 130 feet. But as I've grown more comfortable I fly lower, but again up over the trees, especially up over the power lines.

 

[Thomas B]

I ordered some Firehouse ARC XL lights which I saw highly recommended in this thread. I'm not 100% sold it will completely solve my issue for visibility as this is a set of two that mounts to the front arms and faces forward. And that may not help me see it when it's flying away from me. So I may have to try to add something to the underside. But I'd thought I'd start there and see how it goes. I don't fly at night or even at dusk, so I'm little skeptical of being able to see it in bright sunlight, but I want to try it.

Good choice. I have 4 on my M2P....check out the ground below the drone. Videos are 11 seconds each.

Very bright. Certified to 3.5 miles.... but in bright days I can’t see them beyond about 1/2 mile easily. Golden hour flights are better.

 

[ghjcmo]

Good choice. I have 4 on my M2P....check out the ground below the drone

Very bright. Certified to 3.5 miles.... but in bright days I can’t see them beyond about 1/2 mile easily. Golden hour flights are better.

Those are bright. If I can see them to a half mile on a bright day, I'll be good because I would rarely fly further than that.

EDIT. NEVER MIND, I see you said you had 4.

 

[Thomas B]

Those are bright. If I can see them to a half mile on a bright day, I'll be good because I would rarely fly further than that.

EDIT. NEVER MIND, I see you said you had 4.

Fixed the vids... lol again. I can see the colors at my max range... helps with orientation. Recommend or own @Aerial-Pixel for great mounts.

 

[ghjcmo]

Fixed the vids... lol again. I can see the colors at my max range... helps with orientation. Recommend or own @Aerial-Pixel for great mounts.

Is that considered "strobe" or "flashing" in your video? And what's the difference?

 

[Thomas B]

Is that considered "strobe" or "flashing" in your video? And what's the difference?

The strobes have 3 functions... the one in the video is called rapid strobe or something like that. There is an always on mode and a slower flash mode.
One useful function is the 96dB alarm that sounds continuously if the drone is still for like 2 minutes... it won’t sound inflight, even hovering.

 

[ghjcmo]

The strobes have 3 functions... the one in the video is called rapid strobe or something like that. There is an always on mode and a slower flash mode.
One useful function is the 96dB alarm that sounds continuously if the drone is still for like 2 minutes... it won’t sound inflight, even hovering.

Thanks for the info.

For a bit, I was sorry I'd gone down this rabbit hole with my question, LOL, but now I'm glad I did because it lead to me to investing in some lights and I should have done that already. Now I can't wait for them to get here, along with a warmer day to get out and try them out.