Real world meaning of VLOS

[JohnChap]

I disagree. Looking at a screen that shows the FOV of a camera cannot give a better view of hazards. Hazards can appear quickly from above, below, behind or from the sides. There is no way a camera can compete with your eyesight that allows you to see the whole aircraft and everything that surrounds it when it is in VLOS.

Regulations exist to keep people and aircraft safe. More restrictions are being put in place because of attitudes like these.

Chris

When the drone is 1 km away looking at the screen provides a much better view than sight. If the regulations want to keep people and aircraft absolutely safe it could be said that drones must be kept in their box. Of course that would be ridiculous, but the reality is I'm sure 90% of forum members fly their drone by the screen, and beyond 300 ft and do so quite safely. I'm sure there are the occasional incidents too, but as a society we accept accidents and try to balance them against the joys the activity brings. That's why we accept skiing, football and cycling.

 

[JoeBoy]

Yea but if you convince me that you always drive the speed limit, you'll also convince of something else...

My Challenger or sport bike won't do quite 200 mph but I'm not going to claim that I always drive sub 70 mph on the freeway or sub 55 mph on back roads. Anymore than I'll swear that I NEVER have flown BLOS with my Mavic 2 Pro, Mavic Mini or even the Skydio 2. If that were the case, I could have kept flying my Parrot AR Drone 1.0 or GoPro Karma. Again, if you convince me that you spent around $2000 on a drone you basically fly in your backyard, you'll convince me of something else as well.

If I want to drive fast I take it to the track. It's legal there.

All of which is beside the point. The reason for the analogy was to say that people will always buy equipment that will exceed what is legally possible. Whether they stay within the legal domain is up to them, whether they are flying drones or driving cars. THAT is the point.

 

[JoeBoy]

Of course not!

Of course not

 

[JoeBoy]

as a society we accept accidents and try to balance them against the joys the activity brings. That's why we accept skiing, football and cycling.

That's a very good point.

 

[JoeBoy]

@Lon Denard To get the discussion back to reality I think it's all about what is 'acceptable' to society as @JohnChap says above. The fact is, if you are driving your car at 80mph on the motorway nobody is going to blink. If you are flying your drone and stray out of VLOS and then bring it back, nobody is going to blink.

Some of the idiots you see on YouTube flying drones out 5+ km or over built up areas or in no fly zones, then the rest of us suffer for the bad publicity.

 

[sirbadger]

Yea, I've heard that old chestnut on the sport bike forums over the years as well. I mean, if you see someone driving their Porsche 180 mph down the freeway, are you instantly concerned that they are going to take yours away? Because other people drink and drive, are you in fear of losing your license? That is basically what you all propose, if a guy gets caught flying 407' AGL, drones will be instantly banned worldwide!

It's not really comparable is it.. and is anyone suggesting a world wide ban? I wouldn't be surprised to see governments enforcing hardware/software locks to stop people going to far if it's deemed a problem.

 

[Lon Denard]

It's not really comparable is it.. and is anyone suggesting a world wide ban? I wouldn't be surprised to see governments enforcing hardware/software locks to stop people going to far if it's deemed a problem.

Yea just like they restrict our cars to go the speed limit... It would be incredibly easy to do but they don't. They could even have cars rattle on you if you speed, like remote id, but they don't. Millions have actually died in automobile accidents.

I'm not saying it's impossible that new regulations won't be introduced but it'll have more to do with corporate interests or in the aftermath of some disaster. Not because of a YouTube video of a guy flying a mile out. Just my opinion of course.

 

[JoeBoy]

Yea, I've heard that old chestnut on the sport bike forums over the years as well. I mean, if you see someone driving their Porsche 180 mph down the freeway, are you instantly concerned that they are going to take yours away? Because other people drink and drive, are you in fear of losing your license? That is basically what you all propose, if a guy gets caught flying 407' AGL, drones will be instantly banned worldwide!

No I am instantly concerned that they are far more likely too have an accident and hurt someone other than themselves..

 

[Lon Denard]

Lorries are limited here and Europe is due to have speed limiters on new vehicles from 2022

Taxi cabs? Hey that's because you allow it. Are they getting them in England?

 

[sirbadger]

Taxi cabs? Hey that's because you allow it. Are they getting them in England?

The last I heard it was coming to the UK in 2022 with or without Brexit, whether that changes or not.. ?‍ From what I've read you can override the system but it'll have black box that'll record the fact.

 

[Lon Denard]

The last I heard it was coming to the UK in 2022 with or without Brexit, whether that changes or not.. ?‍ From what I've read you can override the system but it'll have black box that'll record the fact.

Interesting... You know at least this makes some sense considering how many people die in accidents. However, considering countries without speed limits on the highways have less accidents...

 

[chriscuk]

My car had a speed limiter of 155. It doesn't now. I have taken that responsibility

 

[sirbadger]

Back on topic.. you'd get out of VLOS pretty quick at 155mph

 

[chriscuk]

Back on topic.. you'd get out of VLOS pretty quick at 155mph

depends whats chasing you :O

 

[Thomas B]

Back to drones please folks.

 

[svenmarbles]

It doesn’t matter because it’s unenforceable. Here’s the scenario, I’m out flying my drone and it’s way out there,... I’m challenged (by someone in some position of authority to do so), and they ask,... “Do you currently have VLOS of your drone?” My reply,.. “yes”. ??‍

Maybe they look again, squint and still can’t find it... Maybe they don’t believe me that I can see it,.. So what? Prove it... Maybe I just have freakish vision,... Not likely, but not disprovable...

After further questioning you could inform them that they’re interfering with the safe operation of an aircraft in flight, a federal crime. In other words “beat it nerd”..

 

[Thomas B]

It doesn’t matter because it’s unenforceable. Here’s the scenario, I’m out flying my drone and it’s way out there,... I’m challenged (by someone in some position of authority to do so), and they ask,... “Do you currently have VLOS of your drone?” My reply,.. “yes”. ??‍

Maybe they look again, squint and still can’t find it... Maybe they don’t believe me that I can see it,.. So what? Prove it... Maybe I just have freakish vision,... Not likely, but not disprovable...

After further questioning you could inform them that they’re interfering with the safe operation of an aircraft in flight, a federal crime. In other words “beat it nerd”..

Just be careful with the attitude. FAA has officially empowered local law enforcement agencies to enforce FAA rules... and most of all, giving an LEO static likely will get you arrested on several incidental charges which will ruin your day as they give you a ride, even if ultimately charges are dropped.

Be a good ambassador.

 

[svenmarbles]

Just be careful with the attitude. FAA has officially empowered local law enforcement agencies to enforce FAA rules... and most of all, giving an LEO static likely will get you arrested on several incidental charges which will ruin your day as they give you a ride, even if ultimately charges are dropped.

Be a good ambassador.

The truth is that if a cop sees you flying a drone somewhere, he likely doesn’t give a flying fart about it. I was flying in a field local to me that seems like a perfect area to fly a drone, only to find out after the fact that it was against the Forest preserve rules to have been flying there. The Forest preserve cop stopped and approached me, fully expecting to get shut down, and to my surprise he only really wanted to check it out and expressed interest in getting one himself.

I’ll tell you what though,.. I’m really not a fan of the sentiment that states that bending to the will of cops is what you should do because they may choose to invent a reason to give you a problem. It’s that type of thinking that erodes civil liberties and eventually results in living in some oppressive state. If things like that happen I’m more inclined to “take that ride” and then use proper channels to get it sorted out after. Cops are really not as untouchable as they like to carry themselves to be.

 

[Pontoon-pilot]

It would be interesting to see an "anonymous poll" of what percentage of people fly their drones within VLOS only.
Meaning, when you take your eyes off of the drone, look down to your remote's display, you look up and you actually see where your drone is and you can actually tell its orientation.
I've been flying RC helis for a while. The heli is bigger than my DJI M2P, I never take my eyes off it, flying it relatively close yet there are times when I can't tell its orientation for a second or two until I use a feedback correction- (move the control stick and see which way it goes.)
At distance, the orientation is much harder to tell on the drone because of its symmetrical shape (other than a small camera upfront), on a sunny day nearly impossible.
Run your poll:
1) VLOS only - all the time - I am a 100% rule follower.
2) Sometimes I break the rules - fly out of VLOS
3) Mostly let the drone fly away where I can't see it
4) My drone always flies out of sight.

5) If you own a pair of DJI goggles...mine as well turn your self in (I guess to FAA)

 

[Thomas B]

It would be interesting to see an "anonymous poll" of what percentage of people fly their drones within VLOS only.
Meaning, when you take your eyes off of the drone, look down to your remote's display, you look up and you actually see where your drone is and you can actually tell its orientation.
I've been flying RC helis for a while. The heli is bigger than my DJI M2P, I never take my eyes off it, flying it relatively close yet there are times when I can't tell its orientation for a second or two until I use a feedback correction- (move the control stick and see which way it goes.)
At distance, the orientation is much harder to tell on the drone because of its symmetrical shape (other than a small camera upfront), on a sunny day nearly impossible.
Run your poll:
1) VLOS only - all the time - I am a 100% rule follower.
2) Sometimes I break the rules - fly out of VLOS
3) Mostly let the drone fly away where I can't see it
4) My drone always flies out of sight.

5) If you own a pair of DJI goggles...mine as well turn your self in (I guess to FAA)

Interesting idea... please star a new thread for the poll so users encounter it.