Visual Line of Site

[slimcobra]

I'm still fairly new to the Mavic, but It seems like I loose VLS at 1200 feet out, and even just before that the Mavic just looks like a spec. There is no way of knowing which way the thing is pointing beyond 1000 feet, yet all day long I see post and videos of drones further out. As I read post here I see members bashing other members that don't keep VSL.
That being said it's the same premise as driving a car. A car can go faster than the speed limit but it's illegal to do so, yet I bet the same people that get on here and bash members for going beyond VLS don't give their friends and family crap for speeding or maybe even speed themselves. It's a choice people make to break the rules. You might not condone it but that doesn't mean you have to give someone **** for it.

 

[Smecky]

You can see exactly where the drone is pointing in the go4 app in the bottom left hand corner.
That’s the radar indicating the direction your quad is travelling.

 

[51 Drones]

It's just one of those things . . . I "NEVER" go over the speed limit, I only drink "1 beer a week", I exercise "quite often", I "always" fly within VLOS.

 

[Howcroft22]

I'm still fairly new to the Mavic, but It seems like I loose VLS at 1200 feet out, and even just before that the Mavic just looks like a spec. There is no way of knowing which way the thing is pointing beyond 1000 feet, yet all day long I see post and videos of drones further out. As I read post here I see members bashing other members that don't keep VSL.
That being said it's the same premise as driving a car. A car can go faster than the speed limit but it's illegal to do so, yet I bet the same people that get on here and bash members for going beyond VLS don't give their friends and family crap for speeding or maybe even speed themselves. It's a choice people make to break the rules. You might not condone it but that doesn't mean you have to give someone s*** for it.

I think this is the one rule most of us brake. At least the guys who buy drones because they enjoy flying. Not just for the purpose of making films.

 

[Jayfdee]

Surprised you can even see it at all at1200ft. I can see my P4 much better, and sadly hear it as well.
I will often lose sight less than 1000ft,look down at your App, look up and it has gone.
As others have said just use the radar and green line map trail.
Yes I have flown beyond VLOS, but only out across deserted mud flats where it is impossible for anyone to be.

 

[msinger]

Check out these videos for more information on how to use the attitude indicator in DJI GO:

 

[slimcobra]

I think to point of my post is being over looked. I'm not to scared to fly out beyond VLS, been there done that. The reason for bringing it up is I'm so tired of members bashing other members for going beyond VLS. If you don't agree with how someone flies their drone then stop reading the thread. No one wants to read your soap box posting. We are all grow *** adults and if someone decides to fly their drone in ways not permitted by the F.A.A. then that's on them! I also don't want to hear that members will screw it up for everyone else. If this was really an issue I can pretty much guarantee the media would have made a bigger deal of it. Sorry to rant, but it's a new year and I would love to see everyone put that kind of negativity behind us.

 

[2nckayakers]

I can see mine out to about 2100' if I keep my eyes flight following on it all the way out. If I glance away or down at the screen though, I usually can't pick it back up during daylight. I did put a safety yellow skin on mine though and it really helped me to see it better in daylight. During Twilight, I don't have a problem at all picking it up that far out as long as it is not headed towards me. The flashing light is much easier to see than the red ones. I put a 2mi flashing strobe on it though and I can see it out half a mile easy and still pick it up if I take my eyes off of it, but I usually don't fly that far away at twilight, I have a lot of open fields around my house though and from my house to the back of the furthest one away is more than a mile.

 

[dbyantis]

I'm still fairly new to the Mavic, but It seems like I loose VLS at 1200 feet out, and even just before that the Mavic just looks like a spec. There is no way of knowing which way the thing is pointing beyond 1000 feet, yet all day long I see post and videos of drones further out. As I read post here I see members bashing other members that don't keep VSL.
That being said it's the same premise as driving a car. A car can go faster than the speed limit but it's illegal to do so, yet I bet the same people that get on here and bash members for going beyond VLS don't give their friends and family crap for speeding or maybe even speed themselves. It's a choice people make to break the rules. You might not condone it but that doesn't mean you have to give someone s*** for it.

VLOS also implies the ability to be aware of other craft in the sky, so although you may not see the orientation(the screen radar display can show it) you know when to yield. I agree about the flying out of sight, I do not want to rely on the technology getting the bird home, by it self.

 

[Ron_Dog]

Anyone that flys with a app ends up breaking the LOS rule! I don't care if your 50 feet away or 2 miles away, when you look down at the screen to set, adjust,or look at something, you have broken the LOS between you and the drone. I had a local law officer ask "How can you look at the screen and the drone at the same time?" I had no answer! A friend was on a long range flight, and a Sheriffs Deputy pulled up and said,"Are you flying a drone? I don't see it?" My friend replied,"it's right over there",pointing in the direction it was at! The Deputy couldn't see it, and my friend repeated "See, it's comming right at us, can't you see it? The deputy still couldn't see it as it was too far out to see, but my friend glanced over at the Deputy and said " To the UNTRAINED Drone Pilot it would be hard to see, but with much practice it can be seen at great Distances. The drone then came into view, and as he was landing it, the Deputy got back into the patrol car, muttering to himself, and left ! LOL!

 

[Robert Mitchell]

I think to point of my post is being over looked. I'm not to scared to fly out beyond VLS, been there done that. The reason for bringing it up is I'm so tired of members bashing other members for going beyond VLS. If you don't agree with how someone flies their drone then stop reading the thread. No one wants to read your soap box posting. We are all grow *** adults and if someone decides to fly their drone in ways not permitted by the F.A.A. then that's on them! I also don't want to hear that members will screw it up for everyone else. If this was really an issue I can pretty much guarantee the media would have made a bigger deal of it. Sorry to rant, but it's a new year and I would love to see everyone put that kind of negativity behind us.

Your point isn’t being overlooked, at least by me, but you might be overlooking some things yourself. I’m not going to lecture anyone, but are you aware that the first collision with a helicopter was admittedly by a guy in NY doing just that? He was so far out that he had no idea a helo was even around.

Like you said, you wanna be that guy, then that’s on you. He might be facing fines or jail time.

I’m the last one who will condemn someone for getting out there a ways and losing sight of your craft but somewhere between that and going out miles is a huge grey area that no one likes to talk about.

 

[Ron_Dog]

Picking the area you fly at will decide, if you are flying in a high risk area. In a dense populated area, you are subjecting yourself to a higher ratio of chances for a problem, should the drone go down. The odds of drones colliding with aircraft at low altitudes (200 feet or less) is very low, unless you are flying up and down the approach, or runway at a airport. Infact if a aircraft collides with your drone flying at 200 feet over a residential area, the FAA is going to have a few questions for the pilot flying the aircraft also! Long range flying is like anything else, if you use some common sense, pick a large open area away from airports, and public,ect. The areas we fly long range at, will result in nothing more than the loss of the drone, should something happen. There are always going to be idiots, doing stupid things. The drone hitting the helicopter is one example. As far as safety is concerned,a few weeks back we had planes running into each other at major airports! ON THE GROUND! Just pick a remote location and fly using common sense, to your hearts content. You might go down and hit a squirrel, or raccoon in a tree, but that's about it!