So the TRUST test says that you cannot fly the drone beyond line of sight.


So, serious question, can anyone actually see the drone at say 2 miles at 300 ft of altitude?

Or does the LoS requirment mean that there cannot be any obstructions between you and the drone, i.e. hill or building?

LoS means seeing the craft with your eyes and/or a spotter using binocs.

Line of sight might be better.

That said I doubt anyone can see a Mavic 2 Pro beyond 800m, 2600ft, and that's a guess based on my extreme limit for a Mavic Mini is around 600m.

KLRSKIR Posted at 12-22 10:14
LoS means seeing the craft with your eyes and/or a spotter using binocs.

Binoculars are not acceptable as far as I know.
I believe the ONLY visual aids that are permitted are spectacles

Sean-bumble-bee Posted at 12-22 11:23
Line of sight might be better.

That said I doubt anyone can see a Mavic 2 Pro beyond 800m, 2600ft, and that's a guess based on my extreme limit for a Mavic Mini is around 600m.

Shoot, I didn't even catch that.  I fixed it.

Thanks for the catch!  

So the TRUST test says that you cannot fly the drone beyond line of site.  
It doesn't.

Or does the LoS requirment mean that there cannot be any obstructions between you and the drone, i.e. hill or building?
Line of sight means a clear, unobstructed path between your drone and controller.
That's required by the laws of physics (but it's not what you are asking about.

What you are asking about is VLOS, which means the drone is within visual range.

djiuser_xk5PdX1sbhlS Posted at 12-22 12:06
Shoot, I didn't even catch that.  I fixed it.

Thanks for the catch!

Labroides Posted at 12-22 12:07
So the TRUST test says that you cannot fly the drone beyond line of site.  
It doesn't.

I guess I'm confused now.

https://www.faa.gov/newsroom/small-unmanned-aircraft-systems-uas-regulations-part-107

It clearly says:
Keep your drone within sight. If you use First Person View or similar technology, you must have a visual observer always keep your drone within unaided sight (for example, no binoculars).

What am I missing?  If you are being pedantic betwen LoS and VLoS, i get that.  LoS meeans yet another thing to a Ham radio operator.  Because you can contact a station just over the horizon (technically beyond Visual Line of Sight) on VHF, for example.

KLRSKIR Posted at 12-22 10:14
LoS means seeing the craft with your eyes and/or a spotter using binocs.

WRONG!!! No optical aids allowed, other than correctional lenses. You must be able to see the craft, but discern altitude, heading and surroundings.

djiuser_xk5PdX1sbhlS Posted at 12-22 12:14
I guess I'm confused now.

https://www.faa.gov/newsroom/small-unmanned-aircraft-systems-uas-regulations-part-107

What am I missing?
You're just confusing yourself and over-thinking.
You started by saying: So the TRUST test says that you cannot fly the drone beyond line of sight. (it doesn't say that at all)
And now you say that it says: Keep your drone within sight.

Those are two different things.
Stick with what the FAA actually says, rather than what you think they say.

AFAIK in most of the countries around the world VLOS is always requirement - so If you don't see it you are breaking the law, simple as that. Never really understood this because that is basically the reason why you have the camera on it, to see around it and if necessary record that. Beeing honest I don't see mine after few hundred meters, but it doesn't mean that I'm not aware of mine and drone surrounding at all times.

Sean-bumble-bee Posted at 12-22 11:25
Binoculars are not acceptable as far as I know.
I believe the ONLY visual aids that are permitted are spectacles

You are correct, Apparently that has changed over the last several years. It was a question on the 107 exam and stipulated that the Visual Observer (not Pilot In Command) could use binocs as an aid. No longer!

§ 107.31 Visual line of sight aircraft operation.

KLRSKIR Posted at 12-25 05:52
You are correct, Apparently that has changed over the last several years. It was a question on the 107 exam and stipulated that the Visual Observer (not Pilot In Command) could use binocs as an aid. No longer!

§ 107.31 Visual line of sight aircraft operation.

indeed

Sean-bumble-bee Posted at 12-22 11:23
Line of sight might be better.

That said I doubt anyone can see a Mavic 2 Pro beyond 800m, 2600ft, and that's a guess based on my extreme limit for a Mavic Mini is around 600m.

My best ever with my P4P was only 600m but as soon as i took my eyes off it, it was gone, couldn't get it back in sight, this was on an overcast day.

Over here in the UK its not just about seeing it, i wonder if its the same in the US where you must be able to tell the orientation of the drone without using the screen?

We over here have one thing in our favor and that is we can use navigational lights as an aid, they may take it just over 250g mind but if you have the A2 CofC then you can do all that a sub 250g can do up to 500g i think it is, the only restriction is that we cannot fly over uninvolved persons. I can see mine at just over 1km in the day and easily 3km at night (thats as far as i went) and still know the orientation