Mavic Air 2 can see helicopters. But can helicopters see you?

ihavequestions · Apr 30, 2020

Just wondering if it goes both ways?

OurAngryBadger · Apr 30, 2020

I'm not expert, just someone with no life that is the first to reply to most threads. But I think, it depends on what equipment the helicopter has on-board.

bumper · Apr 30, 2020

I assume you are talking about ADS-B . . . no, it doesn't have ADS-B out, only ADS-B in, so other aircraft can only acquire it visually (see and avoid is often near impossible to do). One day was flying my Mooney over Los Angeles, three or four shiny Mylar party balloons went zipping by my wing - startled me as I only saw them in the last split second. I was doing about 190 mph. If it had of been a drone, wouldn't have seen it at all.

Ridgeflyer 32 · Apr 30, 2020

I concur, you as the drone pilot will be warned with their position only and not the other way around.

bumper · Apr 30, 2020

It should be noted that there will be many small aircraft that will not equip with ADS-B. In fact, where drones will commonly fly, aircraft won't be required to equip with ADS-B, so it's not a panacea.

"As to the airspace restrictions for other aircraft without ADS-B Out, again, operators must avoid Class A, B, and C airspace and not operate within 30 nautical miles of an airport listed in Appendix D. Also, pilots must not fly at or above 10,000 feet msl in Class E airspace, excluding the airspace at and below 2,500 feet above the surface (this is a carve-out for high altitude areas). Also, in Class E airspace, pilots must not fly at or above 3,000 feet over the Gulf of Mexico within 12 miles of the U.S. coastline."

J2ps · May 1, 2020

with firehouse arc 2 strobes they can see that. I have one on top and bottom

Tommy85 · May 1, 2020

I have a small airport about 2 miles from me that has skydivers flying out of it. So I put the firehouse white strobes on top so they can see my drone. I have 2 F.H. bright red on back legs so I can know which way it's flying.
Also, I have the airport & skydive plane in my scanner. So when the plane goes up I can see it as it circles around my farm. They go to 11,000 ft. then bailout. I hear that from the pilot.
So I bring my drone back home & land till they are all back on the ground.
I've had to haul some back to the airport that landed in my farm field.
So I have good relations with all of them.

DanMan32 · May 1, 2020

With planes flying over my house on approach to airport 4 miles away, I tried tracking them with flightradar and flightaware so I can get a sense how high they are overhead. Most never show up.

So if they don't show up in the radar apps, how are drones to pick them up?

sar104 · May 1, 2020

DanMan32 said:
With planes flying over my house on approach to airport 4 miles away, I tried tracking them with flightradar and flightaware so I can get a sense how high they are overhead. Most never show up.

So if they don't show up in the radar apps, how are drones to pick them up?

If they really are not showing up on those apps then that suggests that they are not using ADS-B-out, but that seems rather unlikely. What kind of airport? Is this small, local GA traffic?

wheelman1uk · May 2, 2020

I live in an area about 15 kms from a military helicopter training base. There is a "no fly" zone which extends approximately 8 kms out from the base but as the area in which I live has no other houses other than mine it is used regularly for low level training. I can guage how low the helicopters are as the pilots regularly use a wind turbine as a "marker" during flights. The top of the blades on the wind turbine are approximately 40 mts.
When ever I hear the helicopters around I stay grounded. Theoretically I could ask the base control tower to inform me of when they are flying but I fear that this will only prompt them to extend the "no fly" zone.
The wind turbine is approximately 600 mts away but often the pilots will line up my house and the turbine for a low level run. Most of the time this is fairly harmless but when a Chinook is used it can rattle my roof.
At least this morning the sun is shining with not much wind and as its a Saturday there will be no helicopters around so a foray following the river at low level is probably on the "list to do".