61 replies to this topic

[Gundamnitpete]

jes1111, on 31 January 2012 - 10:05 PM, said:

Yes, I'm sure that's true - which is why the car has to be tested and approved by the government and you, the driver, have to prove your competency and hold compulsory insurance.

and yet none of that stops the 36,000 deaths per yer involving automobiles

a drunk driver kills with, or without a license and insurance.

[ahds]

I think, nothing stupid can be stopped by changing/restricting sw code. It will be hacked and foolishness goes on... I think, the only way to have a future with this nice technology is something like we have on sea: a kind of seamanship within the community using that technology (how to name it: ??? ). The community needs to build it around ecxisting laws (which of course vary from country to country) from the beginning, otherwise more and more will be regulated or forbidden. There are always people violating any rules (...look at the costa cruise ship disaster in italy). But the "community" of captains dissociated themselves from THAT captain at once. Copter-pilots should act similar, like many in this thread already did: disavowing from such wicked activities! I am with them!

[Rattler]

Hear's my fears… I have been a Hot air Balloon Pilot / Airplane Pilot for over 25 years.  In the early days of the sport it was self regulating.  There was a group like the AMA call BFA. (Balloon Federation of America) Some of the people running the BFA let the positions go to there heads and decided to that because a lot of the balloon pilots were members they should be the authority on everything balloons. Basically it was there way or the highway. Most of the older pilots that I knew then did not like the BFA dictating the rules as it was all about the BFA an $$$$$$$$. As the sport got bigger and bigger and people started to do commercial stuff with balloons the FAA wanted to make rule changes. (And we needed some)  Anyway when the FAA changed the rules they listen to the BFA and not the pilots.  Now I like the AMA and I don’t think the same of them as I do the BFA.  What I don’t think the AMA will do is speak for the UAV/FPV/ Multi-Roto people as they do not understand the sport or commercial us of the aircraft.  And you can bet what will happen is there is going to be some kind of licensing.  My real fear is that big business will come in and lobby with big $$$$$$ for the reg.’s they want and screw the rest of us.


Balloon Federation of America
http://www.bfa.net

Edited by Rattler, 01 February 2012 - 07:39 AM.

[Rattler]

dankers, on 29 January 2012 - 11:52 PM, said:

FPV is one of the coolest things to happen to the hobby and I love it. However, it is very accessible and it scares me as I know exactly the stupid things I would have done with it when I was 16 years old.

Dave night flying still scares me or IFR. The video is a good example of just how hard it is to see and be seen at night.

[Windbreaker]

I don't see the point of flying night FPV. Isn't the idea to see the landscape going by so you get the sense of being airborne?

Night FPV is little more than points of light against black and static.

[Ivan]

peabody124, on 29 January 2012 - 03:59 PM, said:

That being said, as we move more towards autonomous flight I'll be honest - just writing the code scares me.  As it is, there are quite a lot of checks that basically if something goes wrong, shit falls to the ground.  People might not love this default but it pretty much ensures we never escalate a problem.  My first test with altitude hold a few months back I watched as a small bug sent the quad at full speed to the sky.  Luckily I flipped back into a manual mode and never got above 100 feet - but I live in a large city.  This is hardly the place to be soaring into the sky out of control.

You just need to tie a rope to it!! (I did that when i was first learning, granted it was in the garage and i didnt want to hit the walls.

[dankers]

You know what would really help? A new rule that says: If you act like a dumbass and do something stupid, don't put it on youtube.

@Rattler  I will never get why night VFR is legal in the US, in the EU and Australia it is not. Having flown at night VFR, I would not do it again.

[D-OCHO]

dankers, on 03 February 2012 - 12:00 AM, said:

You know what would really help? A new rule that says: If you act like a dumbass and do something stupid, don't put it on youtube.

If that could be true. But some people still want the fame YouTube brings.
See that idiot here in my country driving his car at 250 Km/h and showing it of..........................including his license plate.
How stupid can you be!

dankers, on 03 February 2012 - 12:00 AM, said:

@Rattler  I will never get why night VFR is legal in the US, in the EU and Australia it is not. Having flown at night VFR, I would not do it again.

I learned to fly in the US.
There was one rule when flying at night.

When in an SEL and you have an engine failure you go through your procedures.
When the engine don't start you glide.
When close to the ground you switch on your landing lights.

If you don't like what you see you switch them of again.

[Ivan]

dankers, on 03 February 2012 - 12:00 AM, said:

You know what would really help? A new rule that says: If you act like a dumbass and do something stupid, don't put it on youtube.

That would be in violation of all known internet laws though...

[flitelab]

FAA Cracks Down on Real Estate Use of UAS Video


http://www.uasvision...28UAS+VISION%29

[Kenn Sebesta]

flitelab, on 06 February 2012 - 04:40 PM, said:

http://www.uasvision...28UAS+VISION%29

Oh, man, and it wasn't even well stabilized! Can't believe we're facing down an FAA crackdown, and it's not even for good vide.

[dankers]

I really don't see anything risky in that footage though, seems to be the commercial use that is the show stopper. Might not be a bad thing as when money gets involved it would cause the commercial guys to take many more risks.

[Kenn Sebesta]

dankers, on 07 February 2012 - 02:38 AM, said:

I really don't see anything risky in that footage though, seems to be the commercial use that is the show stopper. Might not be a bad thing as when money gets involved it would cause the commercial guys to take many more risks.

There is no doubt that the only issue here is that it's commercial. The FAA makes this very clear when it informs them that they are henceforth to use this equipment only for leisure purposes. You are absolutely right that when there's money involved people take more risks, and there are reams and reams of statistics and NTSB accident reports that show this.

[Aerhead]

Kenn Sebesta, on 07 February 2012 - 02:47 AM, said:

There is no doubt that the only issue here is that it's commercial. The FAA makes this very clear when it informs them that they are henceforth to use this equipment only for leisure purposes. You are absolutely right that when there's money involved people take more risks, and there are reams and reams of statistics and NTSB accident reports that show this.

Kenn

Do you think that commercial use includes use by companies that have UAVs for collecting data their own purposes?

Larry

[Kenn Sebesta]

Aerhead, on 07 February 2012 - 01:32 PM, said:

Do you think that commercial use includes use by companies that have UAVs for collecting data their own purposes?

"It depends" is probably the best answer I'm qualified to give. IIRC, there are research exemptions. So if you want to test a new flight control system, you can. However, it's not the same thing as flying UAVs in order to test for air pollution in a 10km radius around your chemical plant in order to satisfy EPA requirements.

However, if in doubt that this is anything other than a leisure flight, it's commercial. I'm not even sure if I'm allowed to fly my airplane for my own research projects, i.e. sticking an antenna out the window in order to track bats.

[elmuchacho]

Unfortunately now days things are much simpler then what we think I guess this apply to United Kingdom

- Do you invoice for your time flying yes/no
if yes then you need permission, permit and official licence to fly
if no then you are still an amateur and has long has you fly at a public or private flying field you are safe.

- Do you fly in public space yes/no
if yes you need a private insurance and you'll also need a permit to fly in public space given by the council/police/or the relevant authority failure to acquire this document will cancel any insurance that can cover you and the damage that you may cause.

if you fly FPV register to this FPVUK and buy the £10 insurance
http://www.fpvuk.org/fpv-law/

[dankers]

Quote

if you fly FPV register to this FPVUK and buy the £10 insurance

Whoever set that up, brilliant. That is exactly the kind of thing that is needed.

[Windbreaker]

Interesting regarding FAA regulations and photography.

For example, as a private pilot I could take a plane up and shoot photos for myself. It could even be used for publication. I just couldn't get compensated as a pilot.

[Pellicle]

Exemption for hobbyist passed both Congress and Senate.  Still need to see what the FAA comes up with but for non-commercial habby flying this is good news here.
http://www.modelairc...Senate-bill.pdf

[Spydmobile]

Pellicle, on 08 February 2012 - 03:01 PM, said:

Exemption for hobbyist passed both Congress and Senate.  Still need to see what the FAA comes up with but for non-commercial habby flying this is good news here.
http://www.modelairc...Senate-bill.pdf

Yay!
F