Quick question for you experienced pilots…

[Peter Brennan Photography]

When flying your drone, how much time do you estimate where your eyes are focused? Do you watch you drone, or your screen more? What percentage do you think for each?

70% watching drone and 30% watching screen?

Did this change as you got more hours and experience under your belt.

I feel like I’m watching the drone way to much.

Thanks,

Pete

 

[mavic3usa]

Depends on what you are doing and which drone. If you are flying around and you're enjoying flying and have no reason to take videos or pictures, then you watch the drone more than 75% of the time which you obviously cannot do if you are flying around composing great shots and awesome footage based on what you can see on your $1000 RC Pro controller or super bright Tripltek tablet; you'll never be able to do that while watching your drone from 1000 feet away. If you fly FPV, you're 99% into your gear (minus maybe takeoff and landing).

Probably won't admit it but spending more time on average 50% or more looking at the screen. I've seen enough of drones flying around.....besides the Mavic 3 is not very elegant and isn't much fun to watch.

 

[Bob in Savannah]

Interesting... Honestly, Im more like 70% total time watching the screen. I'm trying to maneuver into photographic positions. Im barley moving but spending a majority of my "flight time" this way Most of my time is spent this way.

Now, saying that nearly 100% of my "travel time" is spent watching the drone..But once I'm "on site," I'm studying that screen like the frozen caveman.

 

[thispilothere]

It took around a week or two to get comfortable flying, then it went to 99% screen - 1% drone.

If I'm in an area with a lot of obstacles (trees, buildings, etc), I might watch the drone more but it's never more than 20%.

 

[360 Guy]

98% screen, only watch the bird when shes about to land @ 30 foot height.

 

[DVPOWERS]

I spend more time on the drone, but always glancing at the screen. If I'm positioning the drone for a particular shot, my eyes are more on the screen. When flying in an unfamiliar spot, I try to do a walk through, being super aware of trees, power lines, and anything else that could be in the way (situational awareness). Then I feel more safe spending more time on the screen. Very interesting here - when training apprentices, folks my age will have their eyes on the drone and younger people spend more time on the screen. I have to keep telling the young people to get their eyes off the screen and on the drone.

 

[DARKSeifer]

I only watch the screen unless I'm doing some close stuff, like photogrammetry of a roof, which is not the usual.

 

[kalimah]

When flying your drone, how much time do you estimate where your eyes are focused? Do you watch you drone, or your screen more? What percentage do you think for each?

70% watching drone and 30% watching screen?

Did this change as you got more hours and experience under your belt.

I feel like I’m watching the drone way to much.

Thanks,

Pete

Been watching drone much more lately as I experiment with how far I can go before VLOS becomes an issue.

 

[Droning on and on...]

Having an FPV hybrid like the DJI FPV or the Avata changes this equation significantly.

Unless you end up not taking to FPV, flying camera drones for simply the fun of flying gets rare.

As such, I pretty much only fly my camera models for purpose, so when using them of course I'm very focused on the screen, as that's what I'm framing.

Most of my flying is just for fun, 3-4 days a week, and that means the Avata, and occasionally the DJI FPV if I want more muscle. And of course FPV is 100% screen time.

Those of you who have flown your Mavic 3 or mini 3 with the Motion Controller have no idea how much fun that thing is with one of the FPV models.

 

[Daytona500]

I watch the drone as it flys to the spot I'm going to shoot then the screen to compose the shots then watch the drone return. Sometimes I just fly around for fun and just watch the drone.

 

[Dbez1]

My response to your question is situational. If I’m doing figure eights around the tree trunks in my immediate front yard, then I can watch the drone. If it’s the field beyond that (even though it’s VLOS) depth perception will fail and it’s far safer to watch the screen, especially when challenging yourself around or between obstacles. I should mention that, in challenging situations, it helps to keep the camera at 0 degrees (straight forward) without any zoom, have the crosshairs on in the settings, and avoid flying sideways, making turns with a light touch of yaw. My simple answer is probably 90/10 in favor of screen time. Best wishes.

 

[Droning on and on...]

My response to your question is situational. If I’m doing figure eights around the tree trunks in my immediate front yard, then I can watch the drone. If it’s the field beyond that (even though it’s VLOS) depth perception will fail and it’s far safer to watch the screen,

This is the elephant in the room that the FAA, all the Dudley Do-rights here ignore in all the BVLOS discussions: The camera view is more informative w.r.t. collision avoidance beyond a few hundred feet than visual observation from the takeoff point.

Otherwise, private pilots would trust fly IFR in congested areas and rely on a network of visual observers on the ground.

Instead, we count on pilot's own eyes observing from the plane. Because it's far superior. Duh.

 

[3rdof5]

Interesting points in this thread. Specifically regarding VLOS. Does maintaining VLOS mean you actually have to be looking at your aircraft? Or does it mean it has to remain visible should you decide to look at it?
It comes down to situational awareness and safety. Flying with the screen gives far better visibility of close objects when the aircraft is some distance away, even though it's still in VLOS, even more so with FPV goggles with head tracking enabled.
My answer to the OP is: when flying in close quarters and particularly when people are close by my eyes are 95% on the aircraft. Otherwise, 100% on the screen.

 

[Robert Prior]

When in motion, I fly rather like I drive: mostly looking at the sky (drone and surroundings) with frequent instrument checks.

If I'm basically hovering moving slightly to compose a shot it's the reverse: mostly looking at the camera view with frequent scans of the sky.

Video is a problem: I don't feel comfortable looking at the screen for long periods of time when the drone is moving, but I need to in order to get the shots I want. The ideal solution would be a visual observer, but absent one I've been relying mostly on QuickShots.

 

[Droning on and on...]

Interesting points in this thread. Specifically regarding VLOS. Does maintaining VLOS mean you actually have to be looking at your aircraft?

This^^

You must be watching your aircraft at all times.

 

[mavic3usa]

My answer to the OP is: when flying in close quarters and particularly when people are close by my eyes are 95% on the aircraft. Otherwise, 100% on the screen.

But don't you often just look up and around across the sky to see if you can spot a small plane or helicopter before you actually hear it? It's summer, perhaps a balloon is sneaking up on your position or maybe you should be aware of one lurking on the horizon? For me 75% is closer than "almost constantly" unless my drone has left "range" and I'm somewhere I need to be for quite a few minutes....then, I find myself concentrating mostly on the screen to make sure I see as much around the drone's current position as possible.

 

[Dbez1]

This^^

You must be watching your aircraft at all times.

Not according to my understanding from Pilot Institute. You must be able to look up, see the aircraft, and see which direction it’s going, not watching it 100% of the time. If I’m wrong, someone please correct me.

 

[Droning on and on...]

Not according to my understanding from Pilot Institute. You must be able to look up, see the aircraft, and see which direction it’s going, not watching it 100% of the time. If I’m wrong, someone please correct me.

NOTE: This is US-specific, and doesn't represent the requirements in other countries.

See 14 CFR § 107.3. It's not possible to satisfy the requirements of (a) if not directly observing the aircraft, especially if it's moving. This is why FPV requires a VO even if the drone is always within VLOS were they to take their goggles off.

14 CFR § 107.31 - Visual line of sight aircraft operation.​

CFR​

§ 107.31 Visual line of sight aircraft operation.​

(a) With vision that is unaided by any device other than corrective lenses, the remote pilot in command, the visual observer (if one is used), and the person manipulating the flight control of the small unmanned aircraft system must be able to see the unmanned aircraft throughout the entire flight in order to:​

​

(1) Know the unmanned aircraft's location;​

​

(2) Determine the unmanned aircraft's attitude, altitude, and direction of flight;​

​

(3) Observe the airspace for other air traffic or hazards; and​

​

(4) Determine that the unmanned aircraft does not endanger the life or property of another.​

​

(b) Throughout the entire flight of the small unmanned aircraft, the ability described in paragraph (a) of this section must be exercised by either:​

​

(1) The remote pilot in command and the person manipulating the flight controls of the small unmanned aircraft system; or​

​

(2) A visual observer.​

 

[Dbez1]

I respectfully disagree with your interpretation Mightypilot. In section a), there’s the word “able”, and in section b), there’s the word “ability”. Maybe one of our FAA connected contributors will clarify this issue for both of us, understanding that FPV is a completely different ball game that requires a VO. If not, I’ll call the FAA-UAShelp line tomorrow and report back.

 

[Droning on and on...]

I respectfully disagree with your interpretation Mightypilot. In section a), there’s the word “able”, and in section b), there’s the word “ability”. Maybe one of our FAA connected contributors will clarify this issue for both of us, understanding that FPV is a completely different ball game that requires a VO.

Then why do I have to have one flying FPV? According to your interpretation, I don't need one.

It's that section, and the reading I've put forth, that is the VO requirement for FPV flight. There's not a separate section that addresses FPV specifically.