This doesn't help put drones in a good light.

Stinky Linky

A big thank you to all these idiots.

Even the plane and heli guys at the flying club I've been flying with for years look at me like I'm a skateboarder now, and ask if I'm on the FBI watch list.  I feel like a criminal, and have to keep defending myself.

Quad flying is not a crime!

Quads have become the dirtbikes and jetskis of the sky, they get no love.

Jamie Hellmich Posted at 2015-2-10 08:06
A big thank you to all these idiots.

Even the plane and heli guys at the flying club I've been flyi ...

A couple of guys in my club have gotten into drones. Even they refer to them as "those hobby killing drones"

The goverment is terrified of drones because they started killing and spying on people with them as soon as they were available. Anyone dumb enough to not realize who (if anyone) is violating manned aircraft airspace at this point in our history is one brain  cell ahead of being too dumb to breath. For the rest of us, it's quite apparent that when one of these "news" stories breaks now in the propaganda media, it's just the Ministry of Truth culturally conditioning the lemmings. Anyone who believes anything that comes out of the government's national media propaganda machine deserves to be duped.

I would not be against location beacons like what ships and planes have. Sounds like they are to small for radar and there is no accountability for these things. I am not perfect, before I knew there was a 400' altitude limit I was taking it up to 1000' without thinking twice about it. I am not one to break the rules I just didn't take the time to read the full manual and had heard/read phantoms were "smart" and knew what the restrictions were. The best thing I did was join this forum and get advice from people who know the ins and outs of the hobby.

O.k,
So maybe a stupid question.
If they're not allowed to fly above 400 feet then why does the program allow them to be adjusted so that they can fly above 400 feet?
Personally I have no reason to be higher than that because I can't see the damn thing then anyways.
I just want to buzz around my yard and the forest when out camping or duning...
Oh, and I know, you can buy a gun but you can't take it into a bank and you can buy a car that will do 180 mph and the speed limit on the highway is 75 mph.

It comes down to being responsible..if these idiots cannot demonstrate responsible droning then there will be more restrictions and limits on these as they are far more likely to cause something far more catastrophic than a speeding car or a gun wielding idiot. I sure as hell hope not but the idiots are making a good case to take the fun away from this hobby.

And for the record Ron, two wrongs do not make a right!, this is supposed to be a fun hobby!!

the 400 ft limit is a US FAA restriction and the drone is sold worldwide so there could be places that you could take your bird that allow for flying higher than 400ft.

Unfortunately, an airplane or helicopter with people on board will crash some day when a quad or other RC aircraft hits it.

Up until the past few years, most hobby aircraft were flown at organized clubs with runways and rules.  You had to usually put some construction effort out building an aircraft, setting up the controls, installing the engine(s), and the radio receiver.  You had to set up the receiver and radio.  You had to learn to fly, usually with help from an instructor and/or friends.  And you had to follow the club and FAA rules.

With the electric helicopters and multi-copters available now, the technical advancements in flight control nowadays, you don't need much training, you don't do any building, you don't need a runway and can fly from anywhere, and rules don't mean anything to a lot of folks.

So, enjoy it.  But be safe, smart, and be courteous.  Or we won't be flying them around at all the places we can now, for long.

And you can think what you want about the "Government", etc..., but there bloody well is a need for rules, regulations, and legislation.  Because the fact is, some people are idiots, and put others and themselves at risk...everyday.  Just read or watch the news.

Need to start making examples of these reckless pilots, not punish us all.

kjkisatsky Posted at 2015-2-10 11:02
Need to start making examples of these reckless pilots, not punish us all.

You've got that right.

kjkisatsky Posted at 2015-2-10 11:02
Need to start making examples of these reckless pilots, not punish us all.

Agreed but how do you find them?
Unfortunately if someone's drone does collide with an aircraft or something it will likely be destroyed In the process thereby eliminate any evidence.,.how do you go after these irresponsible morons?

Jamie Hellmich Posted at 2015-2-10 11:01
Unfortunately, an airplane or helicopter with people on board will crash some day when a quad or oth ...

Let's play a game Jamie. I'll count all the people goverment has killed in the last year, and you count up all the people hobby drones have killed. High score wins. You in?

Americans are thousands of times more likely to be killed or injured by government than by a hobby drone. Bring them under control first, then come talk to me about a small machine that I peacefully fly around and take pictures with. I understand that government is terrified of drones. If I was a pathological liar, thief, and the greatest murderer of humanity in history, I would probably be terrified of them also.

Jamie Hellmich Posted at 2015-2-10 11:01
Unfortunately, an airplane or helicopter with people on board will crash some day when a quad or oth ...

Jamie I agree with you but I don't think the Chinese give Jack $__t about any FAA rules or teaching pilots about developing responzible flying skills. We're all Beta testers for DJI and their race to capture revenue and make quads for the masses has nothing to do with ethics, QC, or safety.
JMHO

I did not know it was the law to stay below 400 feet, I know they recommend that you fly below 400 feet. And yes, you can adjust the limit to anything you want, it just maybe dumb to do so. What I think will happen and maybe it should, is that every drone or model plan has something that will transmit that they are there. That would not take much add.

But, if we want the government in any county to stay out of our business, then we all need to make sure we(Each of us) are doing the right thing. Teach the new guy what is the safe thing to do. Don't just jump on them but is a nice way, let them know that is not a cool thing to do. It has to start with someone, and why not you, or you, or you, or ME.

One thing would be nice, if DJI could come out with an obstacle avoidance system, that could be added to the current drones, without having to buy a new one. If if a company can make one that could be added to any drone. "Who wants to make some money?

Just as an added note, I am not sure the drones they were talking about are all Phantom, but still it's an issue.

teedo757 Posted at 2015-2-10 09:00
I would not be against location beacons like what ships and planes have. Sounds like they are to sma ...

The media definitely isn't helping by sensationalizing every "incident" that occurs.

Some process for registration as well as an ADSB or similar location beacon is a fine idea.  However, I suspect the people flying their quads irresponsibly will be the same ones who don't fly with the required gear.

You could conceivably create a training / licensing program and require vendors to sell only to licensed pilots, but who's going to fund it?  It costs money to develop the program, training materials, administer testing, etc, etc.  Even then you're only going to restrict access to off-the-shelf aircraft.  Nothing prevents someone from building their own and flying it like a dummy.  I suspect the Venn diagram of people who build their own and people who fly illegally doesn't have much overlap.

To me, there is no clear cut answer to the problem.  How do we ensure our freedom to own and operate R/C aircraft in a responsible and courteous manner while maintaining the safety of the NAS?

I think it is our responsibility as members of the community to educate new pilots as well as discourage illegal / unsafe activity when we see it.  I've seen a large number of videos online where someone is congratulated repeatedly for their great footage that was clearly in violation of the spirit if not the letter of the FAA rules, let alone common sense.

The drones in the news story were flying as high as 8000 feet. Makes me suspect they were fly-always.

I really don't think its flyaways. I think it's idiots.

skymaker6 Posted at 2015-2-10 14:00
I did not know it was the law to stay below 400 feet, I know they recommend that you fly below 400 f ...

It not a law it's a recommendation. This is from the FAA site:
Individuals flying for hobby or recreation are strongly encouraged to follow safety guidelines, which include:
Fly below 400 feet and remain clear of surrounding obstacles
Keep the aircraft within visual line of sight at all times
Remain well clear of and do not interfere with manned aircraft operations
Don't fly within 5 miles of an airport unless you contact the airport and control tower before flying
Don't fly near people or stadiums
Don't fly an aircraft that weighs more than 55 lbs
Don't be careless or reckless with your unmanned aircraft – you could be fined for endangering people or other aircraft

It is also interesting that the FAA has a DJI Phantom on their site:
FAA UAS site

teedo757 Posted at 2015-2-10 09:00
I would not be against location beacons like what ships and planes have. Sounds like they are to sma ...

I would not support that.
How much would that cost?
How much would it weigh?
What would the freq be?
How much power would it require?

I have no problem with responsible flying but I would not want to be required to fly with a FAA mandated beacon unless it was required on EVERY aircraft, glider, hang glider, ultra-lite, balloon etc. Also how would they decide which drones it would be required  to be it on? Ones that weigh 10 lbs, 5 lbs, 2 lbs, less than a pound?

I'm generally against legislation. If you had to register your drone, would that mean it would need tail numbers? How big? How much would the registration cost? If my son flies his $50 helicopter outside would that mean it would have to be registered, with tail numbers and a beacon.

I know it sounds like I am over reacting but my point here is be careful what you ask for, or say you'll agree to. Rules or actions like those above still won't stop people from doing stuff they shouldn't. People shouldn't drive drunk but should cars have breathalyzers on them before you can start it?

JATO Posted at 2015-2-11 07:36
I would not support that.
How much would that cost?
How much would it weigh?

The only reason I think of a beacon is because I live by a river and there are several small planes that fly low and land in it during the summer. They are well under 400' and I would have little time to react if one flew over the tree line and into my drone. I want something that would clear my butt from any wrong doing and hold the other plane operator responsible. My drone is harder to see in the sky then the airplane and I guarantee if one flew into it at a low altitude in the public's eye I would be the one at fault.

I'm just saying if I could put a lightweight beacon that allows other aircraft to see my drone within a 1/2 mile or so I would be just fine with that.

i see both sides.

on jato's side, i agree that there is a limit to how far restrictions should go to protect every single bit of risk.  that is unreasonable (even tho i would tend to put myself in the more risk averse and more accomodating to following rules, laws OR guidelines just because i like to see everyone generally safe and happy and if i have to give up some...key word there... i find that to be an ok middle ground FOR ME).  but you dont sound unreasonable at all jato.

on the other side, this weekend i was flying up about 300ft above my house which is what one could argue is as much flying on private property as one could.  it was definitively the case example that most people (even the crazies) wouldnt want to control or limit me from doing.  about 15mins later when i was standing in the front yard changing batteries, a medivac helicopter flew over my house on its way to a hospital that is about 3 or 4 miles from me).  was he flying too low?  it sure looked like it.  would i want my hobby and the fun i feel i have a god given right to TO END SOMEONE'S CHILD'S LIFE in some freak accident above my house that wasnt my fault and could be avoided with regulation or a beacon that the heli would have known i was there.  you bet so.  why?   because it could be my child and i can envision myself in that situation, likely or not.

so while on the fence, i think it comes down to just like most anything.  those of us that care and use common sense will always do the right thing and those that are complete morons will do their best to ruin things for everyone else.  you cant legislate that problem away.  hopefully we can end up somewhere reasonable (balancing VOLUNTARY responsibility and MANDATORY compliance) that we can all have fun.

as rod would say, cheers...

Drone at 8,000FT? I didn't think they had enough battery to get them that high anyways.

The ascent rate of a Phantom is 6 meters/second so it might get that high even from sea level . Other quads with more battery power and faster ascent rates might do it easily

If I see a drunk driver on the roads, I call 911. If I see a vehicle speeding and / or driving in a manner that can endanger or hurt others, I call 911. All of these drone pilots must know the potential danger of their every action. These are adults. Even if you're below the recommended 400 feet, you can still fly irresponsibly.

Our job is to act responsibly and educate and unfortunately report those that break the rules. If we don't, we are contributing to the demise of our hobby.

I have been in rc for over 30 years and I truly love flying my drones over any other hobby activity. It's an incredible privelage to be able to launch our drones from almost anywhere and take amazing photo and video of our amazing planet. I can't wait for spring to come around to take trips just to fly my drones to  capture footage from vantage points never before possible. I'm sure many of you feel the same passion, so it's worth protecting our hobby. Agreed?

my 2 cents.

kevin, this part sounds like you were inside my head as ive had these exact thoughts reading things that have been going on:

"It's an incredible privelage to be able to launch our drones from almost anywhere and take amazing photo and video of our amazing planet. I can't wait for spring to come around to take trips just to fly my drones to  capture footage from vantage points never before possible. "

steadystickrick Posted at 2015-2-10 11:56
Jamie I agree with you but I don't think the Chinese give Jack $__t about any FAA rules or teachin ...

I disagree. DJI is likely to take a keen interest in safety... If quadcopter are banned then DJI's business is seriously threatened... It pays everyone to pay attention to safety and responsible flying.

You know, if a FAA beacon meant no one lost their drones any more, I would be all for it. Mass produce them so they are cheap and build them into new drones. Win win.

the main reason i like a beacon idea is because it would give manned aircraft some kind of ability to AVOID drones in teh first place or at least know they were approaching on their flight path.  that way aircraft that fly low (like medivac choppers, etc) could have indicators in their cockpit that warned of an object ahead.  this way, all the dumbass quad pilots that either dont know they shouldnt fly in certain airspace or dumberass quad pilots that know and dont care (like some we've seen on here) wont have the ability to ruin things as badly for the rest of us.  sort of allows for a way of 'defensive flying' by everyone to avoid drones.  for that, i would certainly be willing to give up a bit of flight time due to the added weight of a beacon of some kind.  my 2 cents...