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Mavic Pro boring for me once I learned I can't fly out of LOS

blurred55

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I was having so much fun, flying responsibly (away from houses, people, roads, etc) and even got a Crystalsky Ultra so I can see much better. Its amazing how clear it is and how easy it is to fly without LOS with the CS. I'd mainly just fly out over trees and empty areas around 150-200 ft altitude and explore. Most I'd go is around 2,000 feet away. At that distance the Mavic is too small to see in the sky, but I have zero issue navigating or with orientation. Nothing crazy, the furthest I got was 3,000 feet away for a few minutes then turned around but still so fun to fly something by just navigating with the CS screen and tools.

After digging more I realized I was "ABSOLUTELY" not supposed to fly out of LOS. Since then I've only flown where I can see the drone (a few hundred feet away) and its just incredibly boring for me. I can only fly to what I can see and the CS is pretty much useless.

Anyone have any ideas for dealing with this or fun things to do while in LOS? I went out today and basically flew circles over a lake and then got bored in 10 minutes and went home.
 
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I was having so much fun, flying responsibly (away from houses, people, roads, etc) and even got a Crystalsky Ultra so I can see much better. Its amazing how clear it is and how easy it is to fly without LOS with the CS. I'd mainly just fly out over trees and empty areas around 150-200 ft altitude and explore. Most I'd go is around 2,000 feet away. At that distance the Mavic is too small to see in the sky, but I have zero issue navigating or with orientation.

After digging more I realized I was not supposed to fly out of LOS. Since then I've only flown where I can see the drone (a few hundred feet away) and its just incredibly boring for me. I can only fly to what I can see and the CS is pretty much useless.

Anyone have any ideas for dealing with this or fun things to do while in LOS? I went out today and basically flew circles over a lake and then got bored in 10 minutes and went home.
I would say that the majority of flyers stretch the rules a little, if you get my meaning. Don't do anything stupid and you should be ok.
 
I just got bored with my MA after 5 flights. Haven't flown it since March. I think I'll stick with airplanes.

Yeah its a shame I can't fly further with it because that seems to be the whole point and what it was designed for (why make it a 4 mile range if you can't go beyond a few hundred feet?)

Flying around in circles only 200 feet away and not being able to explore what I can't already see gets boring QUICK. Especially when the tech is right there in front me but I'm not "allowed" to use it.
 
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Flying beyond LOS is not illegal. It's just a recommendation from the FAA. It does not mean you can't do it. However, you need to remember to go far away in remote areas, where the possibility of damaging or hurting someone else is almost impossible. Do not do it in urban areas full of people, cars or buildings.
 
Flying beyond LOS is not illegal. It's just a recommendation from the FAA. It does not mean you can't do it. However, you need to remember to go far away in remote areas, where the possibility of damaging or hurting someone else is almost impossible. Do not do it in urban areas full of people, cars or buildings.
I believe that flying beyond VLOS is illegal, altitude is a suggestion.
 
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Flying beyond LOS is not illegal. It's just a recommendation from the FAA. It does not mean you can't do it.
This!!
“Illegal“ has a specific, and yes legal, definition. Is defined as an action that is in violation of a statute. There is no statute against flying beyond the line of sight. There is nothing in the US code either. We have plenty of actual statutes in our daily lives we must follow, there is no need to make up new ones.

Definition of statute:
“An act of a legislature that declares, proscribes, or commands something; a specific law, expressed in writing.

A statute is a written law passed by a legislature on the state or federal level. Statutes set forth general propositions of law that courts apply to specific situations. A statute may forbid a certain act, direct a certain act, make a declaration, or set forth governmental mechanisms to aid society.”
 
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Flying beyond LOS is not illegal. It's just a recommendation from the FAA. It does not mean you can't do it. However, you need to remember to go far away in remote areas, where the possibility of damaging or hurting someone else is almost impossible. Do not do it in urban areas full of people, cars or buildings.

Depends on country. In lots of places beyond VLOS is illegal.
The UK police guidance notes are if someone is wearing googles and is alone they are committing a criminal offence for example.

VLOS rules exist for a reason - you're sharing airspace with other vehicles. If you cant see it you cant adequately maintain all round lookout required for visual flight rules.
 
Cheers[/QUOTE]
Depends on country. In lots of places beyond VLOS is illegal.
The UK police guidance notes are if someone is wearing googles and is alone they are committing a criminal offence for example.

VLOS rules exist for a reason - you're sharing airspace with other vehicles. If you cant see it you cant adequately maintain all round lookout required for visual flight rules.

I can hear a chopper in the air 3+ miles out so I don't get what is the big deal about flying my drone 0.2 miles away. As soon as I heard a helicopter I would go low, sport mode back to land.

Hopefully someday the drone tech can exist to detect and alert of other vehicles near the same airspace so people can safely fly 10+ miles out.
 
Fly at night! With just the stock lighting on the Mavic you can get out to about 1.5 miles and maintain VLOS. Invest $50 or so in some strobes and you can get out 3+ and still see your Mavic.
 
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I think the rules about flying within VLOS is out-dated, when hobbyist were flying model aircrafts with no camera. So they need to see where they are flying or they are pretty much flying blind.
Wonder how long before rules are updated.
Also, in Australia, you are not allowed to fly at night.
 
Also, in Australia, you are not allowed to fly at night.

In the US, commercial UAV flights need an FAA waiver, but a hobbyist can fly at night as long as the lighting lets you see the position and orientation of the UAV. Most stock lighting on quads let you get pretty far out and maintain VLOS.

IMHO, night flying with proper lighting is much safer to other aircraft than daytime flying.
 
This!!
“Illegal“ has a specific, and yes legal, definition. Is defined as an action that is in violation of a statute. There is no statute against flying beyond the line of sight. There is nothing in the US code either. We have plenty of actual statutes in our daily lives we must follow, there is no need to make up new ones.

Actually, there is federal law on this (in the United Sates). 49 U.S.C. 40102; 14 CFR 1.1. and the FAA Modernization and Reform Act of 2012 (Section 336), to name the specific relevant federal law(s).

Technically, you must be flying within VLOS. If you're not, then the FAA does not consider you a model aircraft flying for recreational purposes, and you must then abide by FAA rules for unmanned aircraft (Part 107). Part 107 has strict rules (i.e. laws) that prohibit flying beyond VLOS under most circumstances.

Quoting the FAA:
"With respect to UAS used as model aircraft, the FAA reiterated the operating guidelines in AC 91-57, and further noted that to qualify as a model aircraft, the aircraft would need to be operated purely for recreational or hobby purposes, and within the visual line of sight of the operator. The policy statement also clarified that AC 91-57 applied only to modelers and “specifically excludes its use by persons or companies for business purposes.” 72 FR at 6690."

and..

"By definition, a model aircraft must be “flown within visual line of sight of the person operating the aircraft.” P.L. 112-95, section 336(c)(2). 1 Based on the plain language of the statute, the FAA interprets this requirement to mean that: (1) the aircraft must be visible at all times to the operator; (2) that the operator must use his or her own natural vision (which includes vision corrected by standard eyeglasses or contact lenses) to observe the aircraft; and (3) people other than the operator may not be used in lieu of the operator for maintaining visual line of sight."

Granted, legalistically it seems like a "ouroboros" (a circular symbol depicting a snake, or less commonly a dragon, swallowing its tail), due to the fact that in order to be determined as recreational and be exempt for Part 107 rules, you need to fly VLOS, but recreational flyers technically have no law promulgated that prohibits them from flying beyond VLOS. You could argue this of course if you end up hauled into Federal court, but it's a losing argument for sure with the FAA, and likely the same for the Federal judge.

If you want to read about this further, then dive into this:
https://www.faa.gov/uas/media/model_aircraft_spec_rule.pdf
 
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