I must be living in the wrong place!

[Merstham Flyer]

I must be living in the wrong place. One of the rules here in Australia is strictly VLOS, another is don’t fly over highways and people. Do you not have these same limitations where you are? If you don’t, that’s fine but I have an idea you do.... so I have question.... in most of the drone vids I see online, people break these rules regularly, so how do you respond to the problem of less capable, impressionable newer pilots that see you do these things and think it’s fine to copy. I’m assuming also that people that buy “range extenders” are all using them to give them “better reception in built up areas” and clearly don’t use them to fly long distance. That would then give the media and authorities more ammunition to show how “dangerous” our hobby is. Any thoughts please

 

[Recoveryone]

Drones are flown worldwide, so you have to take into account where they are flying. Yes, you are right that some do violate the rules in several places that forbid that type of flying. Just as with driving a car, you have to take it all with a grain of salt and be informed and obey the laws that govern your country.

 

[MAvic_South_Oz]

Yes, most countries with any sort of airspace authority generally has the VLOS rule and other such.
I'm surprised the US doesn't have a lateral buffer to fly over people, like 30m in Oz, 50m in UK, and not simply to avoid flying directly over people.

You can fly over highways / roads, CASA drone rules state "you must not operate your drone in a way that creates a hazard to another aircraft, person or property", and they have a little diagram with heli, house, car.
Define create a hazard though, and yes one could argue just being in the sky is a hazard.
I feel getting somewhere, ok to overfly, keep altitude, don't loiter, just get over to the landscape you want to film and back with little risk.

Yes, people break the VLOS and other rules ALL the time, often out of sheer ignorance of the rules . . . though you wonder how long one can fly as a newbie, and not see reference to rules at some point, faceache, forums, news etc.
Some don't care at all for the rules, and of course, some try and be responsible and occasionally do something outside the rules before noticing and rectifying (much like correcting if you go over the speed limit in a car by a few km/hr).

Range extenders will extend range / distance of course, but also give better signal in urban, when the rules allow urban flight.
I feel the Titan type range extenders are more likely to assist than parabolic dish things, which can focus (concentrate) signal perhaps, but reduce coverage so make orientation (aim) more important.
Don't have either, but mentally note others experiences.

Flying BVLOS is so (so) easy, and I admit myself, quite exciting in the right environment . . . once used to FPV on device with telemetry, understand LOS and limitations etc of each model drone, you can easily fly safely in regards to flight itself . . . it's just the further away you are, you can't really have that spacial awareness of other (manned) aircraft coming into play, and risks from other such things, birds, transmission lines, etc.

I'm sure CASA will be watching the US FAA outcome with the remote id proposals.
Hopefully, our market here isn't quite big enough to warrant such a thing, we really have minimal problems here with drones and other aircraft / crashes in traffic etc. A handful of minor things.
That said, the US and its market size hasn't really had a bad record either, though a heli or two down is not good.

I try and fly safe all the time, putting thought into every flight beforehand.
Most times this is all good, sometimes I'll see people nearby that have come into an area I'm flying, and have to avoid them.
Usually I keep in reasonable VLOS (strobes) and like to be close, only once have I flown 1 km or so away, that was very remote central WA.

Edit- fixed typo (yes, I'm a bit pedantic, glad edit later has been restored it seems ?)

 

[bushie]

Must admit that VLOS is difficult at times. I have on occasions been able to see my bird, looked at the controller for a moment and then had trouble finding the bird again

 

[Jetdriver100]

Everyone wants to test their drone and maybe push it once or twice. Always flying it 50 meters away isn't really testing your limits.
There is certainly a time and more importantly a place. I have nothing but woods behind my house. No roads. No houses. No airports.
Any aircraft by law should be 1000 feet over the highest obstacle unless for the purpose of taking off or landing. Certainly no place to land behind our house and at 80 meters, you most certainly would not want an engine failure in an airplane.
I will fly mine up to 500 meters away over the back bush and just cruise around normally at 70 - 80 meters. Not something I would ever do in a town or even near other people's home's. At 100 meters, you cannot see your drone as it has gone past the tree tops.
Obviously, laws are to be obeyed. But many of them are created for obvious hazards and from the stupidity of others
Flying my Mavic into a tree in the woods will only hurt me lots. No one else.

 

[Ty Pilot]

I must be living in the wrong place. One of the rules here in Australia is strictly VLOS, another is don’t fly over highways and people. Do you not have these same limitations where you are? If you don’t, that’s fine but I have an idea you do.... so I have question.... in most of the drone vids I see online, people break these rules regularly, so how do you respond to the problem of less capable, impressionable newer pilots that see you do these things and think it’s fine to copy. I’m assuming also that people that buy “range extenders” are all using them to give them “better reception in built up areas” and clearly don’t use them to fly long distance. That would then give the media and authorities more ammunition to show how “dangerous” our hobby is. Any thoughts please

We do have rules like those in the US but many pilots find the rules too confusing to follow - especially if you are flying for recreation; either that or they do a lot of mental gymnastics to get around them. This is because some of the rules being found (rightfully so) at the FAA's website but the remainder of the rules that hobby flyers are required to fly under are found in the 'community-based' organization known as the AMA.

The 2018 Reauthorization Act specifically mentions the following:

(2) The aircraft is operated in accordance with or within the programming of a community-based organization’s set of safety guidelines that are developed in coordination with the Federal Aviation Administration.

I doubt very seriously that too many hobby drone pilots here in the states have ever even been to the AMA website, much less clicked on the tab for the AMA safety Guide. But yes, things like VLOS are clearly defined as is not flying over people and moving vehicles.

 

[theDRONEranger]

We do have rules like those in the US but many pilots find the rules too confusing to follow - especially if you are flying for recreation; either that or they do a lot of mental gymnastics to get around them. This is because some of the rules being found (rightfully so) at the FAA's website but the remainder of the rules that hobby flyers are required to fly under are found in the 'community-based' organization known as the AMA.

The 2018 Reauthorization Act specifically mentions the following:

(2) The aircraft is operated in accordance with or within the programming of a community-based organization’s set of safety guidelines that are developed in coordination with the Federal Aviation Administration.

I doubt very seriously that too many hobby drone pilots here in the states have ever even been to the AMA website, much less clicked on the tab for the AMA safety Guide. But yes, things like VLOS are clearly defined as is not flying over people and moving vehicles.

The AMA does have offerings available to the drone community. If one is not familiar with the AMA, check them out on the WWW.

 

[theDRONEranger]

Crossing a motorway/highway is not an impossible task. Timing plays a role, as does safety. It can be safely accomplished.

 

[lookout]

Crossing a motorway/highway is not an impossible task. Timing plays a role, as does safety. It can be safely accomplished.

Frogger!

 

[theDRONEranger]

Frogger!

I was waiting for it. Thanks for not letting me down,

 

[ChrisOutdoors]

Plenty of VLOS debates threads on here, better off searching the forum and you'll get your own sense of the communities thoughts on the matter, which is mixed. What matters is what you do, not others.

Some folks speed in their car, others drive too slow, and some are sticklers for the rules. No different in this topic.

 

[Jetdriver100]

 

[FoxhallGH]

I'm a member of several UK Drone-related Facebook groups - and we get members who post pictures that blatantly show rules being broken. Anything in the UK that is drone footage over a town or City - without professional assent that a PfCO (Permission for Commercial Operation) was involved - is pretty much guaranteed to be rule-breaking. I politely point out that this person is reinforcing the FCC/NATS view of drone operators being the 3-C's (Clueless, Careless & Criminal), and thank them for killing my hobby ... I then get my tin-hat out because I've taken the bait and called them out ... They - and a gang of pal's - will generally zoom in like Pirana onto a wounded river-crossing Goat! - and call me all sorts of names, as well as post 'drone-police' pictures. I've made my point though, so I just leave them to it ...
Someday soon, the Police here are going to realise that they don't need to patrol to catch drone operators in the act - they just need to get some kid in on work experience to browse the drone forums and YouTube, and record the misuse from there ...

 

[Jetdriver100]

Man. I sure enjoy Northern Canada. Flying over 1000's of acre's of crown land. No people. No houses.
Honestly, I can't believe they can even sell a drone over there if you can't use it at all?

 

[MAvic_South_Oz]

I'm a member of several UK Drone-related Facebook groups

In my 2 brief stints on FB, I joined a couple of DJI drone groups.
I saw ones that had statements on their blurb page 'no sheriffs' etc, avoided those, ended up on a couple of good ones, where people seemed sensible.

Eventually though, idiots would filter into these from other groups, and the whole group would fall down.
It's a crappy place to be anyway, been FB clean now for well over 18 months ?

 

[Jetdriver100]

It's all common sense really. I fly real airplanes. Do not fly below 1000 feet from the highest obstacle unless for the purpose of takeoff or landing.
When you cruise in a float plane or on ski's out in the boonies..... We will sometimes fly at 50 feet over the water / ice and cruise along the shorelines of islands and rocks etc. The beauty is just astonishing. Some see it. Some don't.

Cruising at 50 feet threw buildings and people?? ya. Don't think so. But, I'm sure some have tried... That's why we have laws.

 

[FoxhallGH]

In my 2 brief stints on FB, I joined a couple of DJI drone groups.
I saw ones that had statements on their blurb page 'no sheriffs' etc, avoided those, ended up on a couple of good ones, where people seemed sensible.

Eventually though, idiots would filter into these from other groups, and the whole group would fall down.
It's a crappy place to be anyway, been FB clean now for well over 18 months ?

It is a shame to see genuine requests for help on these FB groups that are ridiculed ... If group members don't want to support their peers, then why bother? I got a lot of help from the likes of this forum when I started flying my Mavic, and I'm happy to give where I can - but it does become a bit wearing! - yes.

 

[Merstham Flyer]

Plenty of VLOS debates threads on here, better off searching the forum and you'll get your own sense of the communities thoughts on the matter, which is mixed. What matters is what you do, not others.

Some folks speed in their car, others drive too slow, and some are sticklers for the rules. No different in this topic.

“What matters is what you do, not others”?
Just remember that little gem when authorities make flying more and more restrictive because of people doing the wrong thing.

 

[ChrisOutdoors]

“What matters is what you do, not others”?
Just remember that little gem when authorities make flying more and more restrictive because of people doing the wrong thing.

Point was the forum internet police have 0 power. It's up to you the individual to use good sense when flying. I clearly made my point when I compared flying a UAS to driving a car.

 

[Jetdriver100]

A Corona anyone?