How does 10Km range qualify as VLOS?

[dronerdave]

Yes, in the US, as long as your and the VO's observational ranges overlap by just that much....s/he can radio back to the pilot.

I've never read about radio contact. Perhaps for 107 folks but the rec rules state:
Keep your drone within your visual line of sight, or within the visual line-of-sight of a visual observer who is co-located (physically next to) and in direct communication with you.

Can you link to the rules that allow radio contact for recreational fliers?

 

[Chip]

While all the answers here are quite correct, we all know that it is a selling point and that buyers will always push the limits and fly as far as they possibly can. DJI (and other manufacturers) specifically market the range as a feature. If it's more about signal strength then why market it as "10 Km range" ? They could market it as some indication of signal strength at 300 meters for instance.

There is one aspect though that would come into play and that is if/when the BVLOS regulations do change here in the USA. At some point the FAA will more easily allow BVLOS flight due to the economic and business pressures of today's society, when they can do so and still assure a reasonable level of safety. When that day comes, it is nice to have the hardware already that can fly farther than VLOS.

Yes, I agree with you that commercial BVLOS exemptions will likely become more common and it makes good sense to develop the capability for safe and secure distance BVLOS regardless of current restrictions on one type of use or pilot.

 

[gnirtS]

Who can actually see a drone that size from 10Km away with their unaided eyes? I would guess no one can unless the drone has had decent strobes added to it.

Nobody can. Simple as that. In CE or whatever mode on Occusync the maximum range is *significantly* over what anyone can legally fly the drone at.
People who demand 10km range know full well they intend to break the law.
Im not aware of any country that allows BVLOS recreationally and most countries state VLOS has to be unaided naked eye. Lots of places also say you cannot extend with a spotter. So realistically, in good conditions people might be able to justify VLOS out to 600m or so for a mavic. Maybe.


As others have said though the REAL reason occusync is good is for a much more reliable signal, data rate and video quality *within legal range*. Its a stunningly good transmission protocol for data rate vs transmission power. Possibly the best innovation from DJI.

 

[gnirtS]

In the UK, at least, it is perfectly legal to fly a drone beyond line of sight if you have the right licence. It is only untrained/unlicensed operators that are restricted to line-of-sight, daylight operations only, etc.

Certain drones. Which the mavic is certainly not certified.
BVLOS issues also require things such as NOTAMs and so on.

Its simply not an option for a recreational OR PfCO holder on a consumer type drone.

 

[Juggler]

only ppl that have eaten lots of carrots can fly that far

 

[jagraphics]

Yes, in the US, as long as your and the VO's observational ranges overlap by just that much....s/he can radio back to the pilot.

Most of the time the questions will be:
Why isn't the pilot where the observer is?
Why take off so far away?

There are rarely any serious reasons to fly a long distance with a MAVIC.

 

[Nostris]

Like speed limits, I guess most people exceed the rule from time to time. Looking through the posts on this forum, there are hundreds of complaints that someone's drone doesn’t fly as far as claimed by DJI. There are endless ‘Range’ tests on YouTube etc. So the whole VLOS thing is pretty much ignored by very many people. I fly a Mavic Air, as soon as it is more that a 200 metres away it starts to become difficult to see, particularly agains a backdrop of trees or mountains. At 400 meters, even in a clear blue sky, it would be too small to see. Like most, I have flown it out of my line of sight, but most of the time I want to get as close to my subject as I can before I start to fly.

 

[jagraphics]

Like speed limits, I guess most people exceed the rule from time to time. Looking through the posts on this forum, there are hundreds of complaints that someone's drone doesn’t fly as far as claimed by DJI. There are endless ‘Range’ tests on YouTube etc. So the whole VLOS thing is pretty much ignored by very many people.

Which is why the regulations coming in around the world include are starting to require registration of all drone and flyers, License numbers on Drones, IFF, tracking etc

It is a known fact that "Drone flyers are irresponsible" as you say the the evidence is all over YouTube, so the authorities are justified in legislating most drone flying out of existence. A difficult argument to counter especially give the posts by some on this forum.

 

[Winston Bull]

I've never read about radio contact. Perhaps for 107 folks but the rec rules state:
Keep your drone within your visual line of sight, or within the visual line-of-sight of a visual observer who is co-located (physically next to) and in direct communication with you.

Can you link to the rules that allow radio contact for recreational fliers?

Ah. Yes. You got me on that one--I was only speaking for 107--I fly everything under that as A) I am lazy..., B) If I find something down the line that I want to use commercially I am covered/cleared to "receive compensation' for that footage without fear of FAA reprisal.

 

[PhantomFandom]

If I find something down the line that I want to use commercially I am covered/cleared to "receive compensation' for that footage without fear of FAA reprisal.

Actually you would be fine either way. If the original intent of the flight was recreational then you could still sell something later on and be fine.

This even applies to pilots who are not Part 107 licensed. If they are flying within the recreational regulations and have no intent of commercial activity they are good. If they later find an opportunity to sell pictures from that flight it is fine because the original intent of the flight was not commercial in nature.

 

[Rcthethird]

I thought that the line of site relates to you seeing something bigger hitting your drone and damaging itself rather than seeing the drone itself. Imagine flying along a ten mile long cliff, you know no planes are going to fly there as say your only fifty feet away from cliff filming, but you need to be able to see the Virtual line of sight incase by any strange circumstance a rescue heli is doing just that, rescuing someone from a cliff, you need to be able to see that and land, return home or just kill the props.
I have probably not made myself clear here but this is the way I understand it.

 

[old man mavic]

I thought that the line of site relates to you seeing something bigger hitting your drone and damaging itself rather than seeing the drone itself. Imagine flying along a ten mile long cliff, you know no planes are going to fly there as say your only fifty feet away from cliff filming, but you need to be able to see the Virtual line of sight incase by any strange circumstance a rescue heli is doing just that, rescuing someone from a cliff, you need to be able to see that and land, return home or just kill the props.
I have probably not made myself clear here but this is the way I understand it.

VLOS is the ability to see your drone ,in relation to obstacles and other aircraft ,so as to be able to take evasive action so as not to collide with them
if you cant see where your drone is, then you have no idea of its relationship to what is going on around it ,and dont forget the field of view from the camera, is only in front of the drone so you would be unaware if something was flying towards you out of the camera's view

 

[gnirtS]

The intent of the rule is to see any hazards, obstacles, objects that might cause a safety issue.
In a real plane, at low altitude/VFR flight your head is on a swivel. You're constantly looking around in all directions for conflicting traffic amongst other things. Thats what this rule is about.

You need to be able to SEE the drone but also well enough to judge depth/space around it, the orientation and clearly see anything that might come into conflict with it from the far side as well.

Thats NOT the same as seeing a tiny black dot on the horizon a long way off with no 3d spacial awarenes because of the distance.

 

[Rcthethird]

VLOS is the ability to see your drone ,in relation to obstacles and other aircraft ,so as to be able to take evasive action so as not to collide with them
if you cant see where your drone is, then you have no idea of its relationship to what is going on around it ,and dont forget the field of view from the camera, is only in front of the drone so you would be unaware if something was flying towards you out of the camera's view

But you will see something coming up behind as your flying line of sight. Six miles distance is nothing really, i've been on boats 6 miles out and you have a good veiw at that distance, granted you can't see a small drone it will be a dot but other things you can see clearly.

 

[gnirtS]

Good luck having ANY depth perception at 6 miles.

If your drone is 2 miles away and a tiny dot, good luck seeing a helicopter or aircraft heading towards it at 120kts from another 3 miles away again AND judging all that.

 

[Rcthethird]

Good luck having ANY depth perception at 6 miles.

If your drone is 2 miles away and a tiny dot, good luck seeing a helicopter or aircraft heading towards it at 120kts from another 3 miles away again AND judging all that.

I did't say I would do that i'm just explaining my understanding of line of sight.

 

[old man mavic]

it really amazes me that people can say that they can see their drone 6 miles away and see other objects flying towards it,do they realise that their drone would be 31680 feet away ,not only would you not be able to see the ruddy thing you would not have enough battery to fly out 6 miles and get back again

 

[PhantomFandom]

But you will see something coming up behind as your flying line of sight. Six miles distance is nothing really, i've been on boats 6 miles out and you have a good veiw at that distance, granted you can't see a small drone it will be a dot but other things you can see clearly.

At 6 miles your drone will not even be a dot. It will be completely invisible. You will not be able to see it at all. Even if you could, there is no way you could tell how close other objects are to it. In fact I would challenge anyone to be able to see a Mavic Pro (and its orientation) at even 1 mile out. At that distance even if you could see it, when you look away momentarily it is near certainty that you won't be able to reacquire it when you look back up.

I did't say I would do that i'm just explaining my understanding of line of sight.

Your understanding of LOS is not correct. You must not only be able to see the drone, but also its orientation. Without that ability, you won't be able to take immediate corrective action if something is approaching.

 

[mfc]

Your understanding of LOS is not correct. You must not only be able to see the drone, but also its orientation. Without that ability, you won't be able to take immediate corrective action if something is approaching.

That's not the rule in the UK. Depends on the drone and the pilot, of course, but if you are flying a drone you know which way it is travelling and hence its orientation (or, more specifically, its trajectory). Hence the control input you need to move it away from some other object is relative to that trajectory, not the orientation of the drone. [And, in any case, a rapid descent is almost always the best thing to do because any other flying object is at or above the drone's altitude -- unless it's another drone .]

 

[Motorcycle Rider]

Well, you need to know the whole story, to truly understand.
It all started with a terrible accident, he nearly died, but they had the technology, the technology to make him better, stronger, faster, and give him a bionic eye. For the low low price of only 6 million dollars, he could now spot his drone at 10 kms...his name was Steve Austin.