I try to follow the rules but occasionally you get caught out - who hasn't broken the speed limit when driving a car

I always fly using common sense and I take precautions where necessary.

RocketChap Posted at 2017-8-25 07:37
I try to follow the rules but occasionally you get caught out - who hasn't broken the speed limit when driving a car

So far we have 21 guys here....

Everchanging regulations in Ontario Canada want my name and adddress on my drone.. ummm nope not doing that.. "The owner of a model aircraft shall not operate or permit a person to operate the aircraft unless the name, address and telephone number of the owner are clearly made visible on the aircraft."

wglovett Posted at 2017-8-25 12:52
Everchanging regulations in Ontario Canada want my name and adddress on my drone.. ummm nope not doing that.. "The owner of a model aircraft shall not operate or permit a person to operate the aircraft unless the name, address and telephone number of the owner are clearly made visible on the aircraft."

Soon you won't be able to fly a paper plane in Canada... :-(

I do my best to follow the rules. I don't generally fly around my neighborhood or populated places. I have lost visual site a few times but have no concern of it falling out of the sky and hurting anything but some sage brush.

One rule I have been trying to follow is the line of sight rule. In the US I have no problem not going above 400 feet. That is pretty darn high. But I could easily break the line of sight rule. I try not to. Maybe it is because I am scared to lose my drone if suddenly I lose transmission. I have lost transmission with my spark and am glad I could still see it. I might have panicked otherwise.

I have a Mavic...I didn't registered yet,so i guess I'm an outlaw.
I don't fly over populated areas...never higher than 120meters...almost always in sight of view...around my house is just open field and a forest...

This is a hard question to honestly  answer I think.  "Common sense" seems the best way to go, but like everyone is saying, common sense varies from person to person.  One of the largest selling features of this drone is the shots you see others making, that are all illegal.  A shot 5 feet off the ground in someones own backyard with no other people around seems quite boring.  On the other hand a shot 400+ feet up in the middle of somewhere you can't get to yourself, out over half a mile or more away into a beautiful scene, is pretty much exactly what got me hooked on drones.  I don't think flying into a stadium full of people is a good idea, not even a neat one if you get away with it.  On the other hand, when say, hiking up out of in the middle of nowhere, and see a huge landscape overlooking a mile or more, maybe even a long ways more, sure i'll fly out past my los, and above 400 feet.  I'm not sure anyone can honestly say they fly 100% by the rules all the time.  If they do, I don't believe it.

Bill in Ohio Posted at 2017-8-18 13:17
1 and 2 present a false choice.  I plan to fly by the rules, but sometimes my eyes fail me when I check the display and then back to the drone and crap I can't see it.  At which point I start bringing it back or climb to get rid of a background it blended in with.  Number 2 implies number 1 is stupid and not using common sense.  How about 1 "Yes. Plan to follow rules, and adjust to comply if unintentionally unable"  Like loss of VLOS due to conditions (ie glance down to check screen, look up and no drone visible).  I use common sense means, I do what I want if I think it is OK.  That's scary.  Most of the losses most people post are because their drone is off somewhere out of line of sight and they have a problem.  Some think that having an 85 degree field of view will let them see other aircraft.  I am near an airport, but not in control zone and I see aircraft large in the air and are almost impossible to see on display or goggles.

Well put! I always try to follow the rules, but like Bill said, glance down to the screen and back up, sometimes hard to find it in the sky. My wife goes with me and watches it too, so between the two of us, it's always in sight.

ro_flyer Posted at 2017-8-19 09:17
I WOULD LOVE TO HEAR FROM THE "YES ALL THE TIME" GUYS...

They only fly in the desert?

I follow the rules all the time. My wife goes with me and she watches it too, so between the two of us, it's always in sight and having a visual observer is legal. We live in the country so pretty much the only thing I fly over are trees and cows. When I'm doing real estate work, there's just me, the wife and the real estate agent. And yes, it is a lot of fun to fly.
I really do not appreciate the implication that I'm a liar - totally uncalled for.

mhb112 Posted at 2017-8-26 04:08
This is a hard question to honestly  answer I think.  "Common sense" seems the best way to go, but like everyone is saying, common sense varies from person to person.  One of the largest selling features of this drone is the shots you see others making, that are all illegal.  A shot 5 feet off the ground in someones own backyard with no other people around seems quite boring.  On the other hand a shot 400+ feet up in the middle of somewhere you can't get to yourself, out over half a mile or more away into a beautiful scene, is pretty much exactly what got me hooked on drones.  I don't think flying into a stadium full of people is a good idea, not even a neat one if you get away with it.  On the other hand, when say, hiking up out of in the middle of nowhere, and see a huge landscape overlooking a mile or more, maybe even a long ways more, sure i'll fly out past my los, and above 400 feet.  I'm not sure anyone can honestly say they fly 100% by the rules all the time.  If they do, I don't believe it.

Nice point of view... Your last sentence says it all!

FatherXmas Posted at 2017-8-26 08:35
I follow the rules all the time. My wife goes with me and she watches it too, so between the two of us, it's always in sight and having a visual observer is legal. We live in the country so pretty much the only thing I fly over are trees and cows. When I'm doing real estate work, there's just me, the wife and the real estate agent. And yes, it is a lot of fun to fly.
I really do not appreciate the implication that I'm a liar - totally uncalled for.

The fact that I don't believe you doesn't implicate you're a liar...

ro_flyer Posted at 2017-8-26 09:20
The fact that I don't believe you doesn't implicate you're a liar...

And why wouldn't you believe me? It's really not that difficult to fly within the rules. And saying you don't believe me DOES implicate that you're calling me a liar.

FatherXmas Posted at 2017-8-26 09:44
And why wouldn't you believe me? It's really not that difficult to fly within the rules. And saying you don't believe me DOES implicate that you're calling me a liar.

Ok you are not a liar... but I don't believe you...
moving on....

ro_flyer Posted at 2017-8-27 11:15
Ok you are not a liar... but I don't believe you...
moving on....

When flying for real (F-4 Phantom), we always planned and tried to fly by the rules.  Sometimes you can't, but you flew to stay safe and not endanger the public.  In wartime you fly to accomplish the mission within certain guidelines.  The important thing is if you plan to violate the rules when you launch, then you are the one many of us worry about.  You will be the ones that end up causing increased regulation, maybe the requirement to have a transponder in the drone (with the increased cost and weight associated with that, maybe a black box.  

I flew a day ago I videotaped a construction site, with permission.  I chose my spot to be able to keep my Mavic in sight, glancing down to line up shots and maintained situation awareness.  As I did a point of interest orbit, I went behind some trees ( I thought I was high enough - I kept going and moved to more quickly gain VLOS.   That's different from flying from my house a half mile away to fly there an do the same shot knowing.  I will have no real situational awareness of my surrounding - except for 85 degrees the camera provides.  That would have been stupid.

An A-10 experienced pilot after an exiting an exercise area decided to fly by his parents and do a little airshow (against the rules) and impressed his parents - right up to the moment he plowed into the field next to his parents house and killed himself.  He was just using "comon sense".

I don't want arrests tickets or fines. Everyone has expectations of privacy. No launch without landowner ok, and use common sense.

Bill in Ohio Posted at 2017-8-27 12:00
When flying for real (F-4 Phantom), we always planned and tried to fly by the rules.  Sometimes you can't, but you flew to stay safe and not endanger the public.  In wartime you fly to accomplish the mission within certain guidelines.  The important thing is if you plan to violate the rules when you launch, then you are the one many of us worry about.  You will be the ones that end up causing increased regulation, maybe the requirement to have a transponder in the drone (with the increased cost and weight associated with that, maybe a black box.  

I flew a day ago I videotaped a construction site, with permission.  I chose my spot to be able to keep my Mavic in sight, glancing down to line up shots and maintained situation awareness.  As I did a point of interest orbit, I went behind some trees ( I thought I was high enough - I kept going and moved to more quickly gain VLOS.   That's different from flying from my house a half mile away to fly there an do the same shot knowing.  I will have no real situational awareness of my surrounding - except for 85 degrees the camera provides.  That would have been stupid.

Just remembering that bad things also  happen when you fly respecting all rules...

Impossible to follow the rules in my country: I should stick to my garden, not higher than 10 meters and ask the permission to fly in my area.

I could pass the license but it's very expensive (several thousands of euros).

So no, I don't follow the rules. Of course, I stay away from towns, roads, airports,...

no never have never will

My answer would include:  It depends.  If I'm flying for recreation (in the US), then I fly within those rules most of the time.  If I'm flying commercially for my own business, I try very hard to stay within the rules.  If I'm flying commercially for my "real" job, I absolutely follow the rules (i.e., FAA Part 107 rules).

CAAirborne Posted at 2017-9-2 11:09
My answer would include:  It depends.  If I'm flying for recreation (in the US), then I fly within those rules most of the time.  If I'm flying commercially for my own business, I try very hard to stay within the rules.  If I'm flying commercially for my "real" job, I absolutely follow the rules (i.e., FAA Part 107 rules).

Nice one!!!!!!!!!!!

The whole "it can go wrong even when you follow the rules" point is a bit mute.

If things go wrong when you break the rules - for whatever reason - then you have no comeback. You are responsible. If you've caused a problem that leads to the damage of property or endangering life, then you're looking at a rough ride from a legal perspective.

Now, if you're flying out over deserted countryside, there are no overhead lines, no roads, no other aircraft - the risks are limited to non-existstent - then that's one thing. If you go out of site and are flying over a road and your drone drops and causes an accident... Then there's going to be consequences. Whether right or wrong, if you broke the rules that will be a major consideration.

If you've followed the rules, then you're going to be looked on much more favourably if something does go wrong... The argument is also that if you follow the rules, then things are less likely to go wrong therefore the risk is reduced in any case.

I'm not saying that people should or shouldn't follow the rules here - just pointing out that the argument "things can go wrong when you follow the rules" isn't really an effective reason to do so. It's a choice for each of us, but I think the principle of the rules is to allow flying to happen in a safe way that respects privacy of others, and I think that's also the aim of most flyers too (whether they strictly adhere to the rules or not). I think some of the rules in some places are over-zealous and that is counter-productive for the idea of the rules, the line has to be drawn somewhere though and we will all have different ideas of where that line should be?

IainWB Posted at 2017-9-18 00:21
The whole "it can go wrong even when you follow the rules" point is a bit mute.

If things go wrong when you break the rules - for whatever reason - then you have no comeback. You are responsible. If you've caused a problem that leads to the damage of property or endangering life, then you're looking at a rough ride from a legal perspective.

I do agree with you... So let's search for the nearest desert to fly our quads...

Just so you know guys drone police is taking notes while reading this forum :/

stratosHD Posted at 2017-9-19 01:26
Just so you know guys drone police is taking notes while reading this forum :/

Yes they are!! An so do #droneparanoids !!

ErstO Posted at 2017-8-23 18:43
I cant help myself,  I have been flying RC aircraft for more years then I want to admit,  every time I take the Mavic out I tell myself “I can fly over those houses and cruse the beach by camera and GPS”

But then I chicken out,  too many years of “keep the aircraft in sight” “don't fly over populated areas”

I live within the range of an airport and i do not fly when it is open (i live in Sweden) - that is one rule that i always obey, Height - Range - LOS .... on those topics i am not always the most legal person  

I generally try to follow the rules but will always use common sense.

I don't fly anywhere near NFZ's/airports, never exceed 400' AGL, never fly near residential/congested areas/landmarks or busy roads and I don't use the camera for any other purpose than to take and record stunning footage rather than to annoy others by encroaching on their privacy. I don't take off from private land or public land that has banned drones/model aircraft. With all of that ticked the rest is down to my common sense,  experience and judgement. I've never crashed, been asked to land or caused a public complaint in over a thousand flights! I have confidence in my drones and know how to fly them - enough said! Do you ever drive your car faster than 70MPH on a motorway?

I try to stay away from people and traffic, but occasionally do fly over.

Dirty Bird Posted at 2017-8-22 16:45
Ummm....

https://youtu.be/WVi3yaWadxM

... impressive! Am intrigued how you managed to fly that track and not lose signal - presuming your control point was from a rooftop rather than the ground?

I have to say three things: 1, that's probably the most regs like flying over people and probably busting the KBAL airspace, etc., blown up all at one time in one video I think I've ever seen and 2, that is totally awesome! And finally 3, did I say that was awesome? Very very cool... Makes you wish it was all legal....

As for the poll, I answered "common sense" though I would say I use common sense as guided as much as possible by the rules. It's always disingenuous to say "I follow the rules all the time, no exceptions", since there's just no such thing. But I also try not to take "common sense" into my own hands and try to define it only for myself.  I understand the need for the rules of flight and follow them as closely as I can, but I'm also not so uptight about them that I lose the enjoyment of flying.

I don't finger-wag at others either (I wasn't doing that to dirty bird above, by the way, I was being tongue-in-cheek) unless someone does something really dangerous, etc. We want to be safe and rules are the way we do that, but we also don't want to be shackled by them to the point that we stop flying because of them. The rules serve no purpose if nobody participates at all.

Occassionally I leave the lid up on purpose.

I am sure I have broken a rule or three every once in a while. And having any sense, in our Soceity today,  is not necessarily common, I believe that is why rules are required and rules are made, because of those few without any sense nor respect for themselves and others. And I think it would be ok for some of you over 40 to be allowed in this group of wise old men, because I believe that with age comes wisdom, although that is not a guarantee.  So...for me I always TRY to fly safe, sane, respectful of others privacy and property, while at the same time having fun and enjoying this hobby.

Common sense is crap. Fly as safely as possible all the time. Safety is learned behavior.

Glenn Goodlett Posted at 2017-12-17 10:04
Common sense is crap. Fly as safely as possible all the time. Safety is learned behavior.

"Fly as safely as possible all the time" : that's common sense....

i bought it 2 months ago and still in beginner mode lol

ro_flyer Posted at 2017-8-19 09:17
I WOULD LOVE TO HEAR FROM THE "YES ALL THE TIME" GUYS...

They only fly in the desert?

I'm a "YES ALL THE TIME" but I have only made 15 flights
I think you need another option in the poll.

YES ALL THE TIME, AT PRESENT.

Eventually, I may push the envelope, and follow guidance with some common sense.

If you look at the numbers of:

Birdstrikes on Planes
People hit by Lightning

How much of an issue are small drones..??