Drones

[slowflyin]

Disclosure- I'm co-owner of an unmanned systems company.  We have been in the business in some shape or form since 1988.  Primarily DOD stuff with some pure commercial.  No hobbyist product.

 

Most of your hobbyist grade stuff is a challenge.  It's inexpensive.  Requires no flight training. The autopilot and flight control system is open source resulting in "fly-a-ways".    Quite often, the end user is not invested in the hobby like the typical AMA member.   It appears to be a different culture.    Modelers have operated off of airports for years with few issues.  My home field has RC jets flying tremendous speeds every Sunday that the weather allows.  They monitor the unicom and are very respectful.  It doesn't hurt that they have tons of time and money invested.  

 

All that being said, I don't consider the multi rotor consumer grade gear the press spends so much time talking about much of a threat.  Typically they are very lightweight, operate visual line of sight only, and have very limited endurance.  Quite frankly the buzzards stacked up off the end of every runway concern me more.  There are exceptions, but if you held one in your hand you probably wouldn't be as fearful.

 

This whole issue has the press spooled up and is a PITA for those of us doing this for a living.  They are salivating for a big story.   It's invaded tv shows, movies, and the press at every level and very little of it is based on facts.  Even this discussion.  The pilot said he couldn't tell if it was a balloon or a drone.   We are not talking about balloons.    

 

One thing I believe is certain, you can't legislate common sense.  The government will not save us from ourselves.   People flying on the Whitehouse lawn, on approach ends of runways.......are already breaking the law.   More laws probably will not help.   The guy flying an unmanned aircraft off the end of a runway probably has a laser in his pocket.

 

For the record, my company rarely operates in the NAS.  When we do it's with FAA approval, class two medicals, visual observers, private pilot minimum, redundant command and control transceivers, redundant GPS, backup magnetometers, lost  com failsafes, denied gps failsafes, mode C and/or ADSB...........the list goes on and on.    The bird(s) we are flying this week, in Restricted Airspace,  show up great via any ADSB solution.  Next time you fly by a big block of Restricted just look for something flying around at 30-40 knots.  It's probably a UAS.  All commercial operations of UAS in the US outside of Restricted Airspace require an FAA certificate of authorization or a 333 exemption (very limited).   The FAA is so restrictive we are rapidly loses our industry to other countries.  The jobs will leave and they will sell us their stuff on Amazon.

 

As I read my own post I realize the tone could be interpreted several ways.   So let me be clear.  I'm probably more irritated than most when someone does something irresponsible with an unmanned asset.  It's a stain on my profession, propels uninformed legislation and just generally pisses me off. However, in my opinion,  the media and Holywood are certainly painting an unrealistic picture.  It reminds me of the attitude toward those dang ultralight pilots (I was one) that were going to ruin GA.   Not so long ago the media had the target on the backs of GA aircraft.  Remember what a  huge terrorist threat we were?  Are?   Recently someone reported 400,000 hobbyist multi rotors were in use.   I'm sure not seeing a catastrophic result.  The AOPA usually reports GA at around 225,000.  That's everything...single, multi, exp.  Seems like just on this thread we discuss an accident every other week or so.  Maybe not, feels like it though.  

 

As Pilots and aviation enthusiast maybe we should show some leadership.   I've got guys coming back from the nasty parts of this world with 30K in training to fly small tactical UAS.   They are Pilots.  Ground School, Medicals...they just fly half million dollar birds from a FOB.  What would that add to the AOPA membership?   How could they help educate the hobbyist?  Just a thought.

 

Cheers!

[N201MKTurbo]

I think for hobbyists, a model aircraft license makes sense. I don't see it being much more then the written for a drivers license. Just a written test to prove you have a basic knowledge of airspace and the rules pertaining to your hobby. The license should be easy and cheap enough to get that there would be no reason not to get one. The penalty for operating without a license should be severe enough that people would not risk it. All model aircraft kits and major assembles should be required to contain information about licensing.

I hate to suggest this for a hobby that has operated safely for over a hundred years, but times have changed.

[aviatoreb]

Careful for voting for regulation or all the 3 ounce quadcopters from radio shack will be required to have an ADSB-compliant transponder.

[N201MKTurbo]

Careful for voting for regulation or all the 3 ounce quadcopters from radio shack will be required to have an ADSB-compliant transponder.

Well, maybe if that was the case, it would filter down and I could get ADS-B for my plane for less then $10,000!

[aviatoreb]

 

Well, maybe if that was the case, it would filter down and I could get ADS-B for my plane for less then $10,000!

 

Or a 10k quadcopter from radio shack.

[Hank]

The FAA is trying very hard to regulate all radio controlled model aircraft, and probably free flight models as well. RC pilots are supposed to check NOTAMS before flying . . . Really? As if the local open field has anything official in the system.

The AMA (www.modelaircraft.org) has been working hard to minimize the impact to their members. Visit their website for more information, there's an update in almost very magazine and newsletter.

"Hello, Flight Service? I'm going to takeoff from Floyd's pasture, and fly my model plane a few hundred feet high and maybe a quarter mile away. What can you tell me before I drive over there this evening?" YGBSM . . . . .

[aviatoreb]

The FAA is trying very hard to regulate all radio controlled model aircraft, and probably free flight models as well. RC pilots are supposed to check NOTAMS before flying . . . Really? As if the local open field has anything official in the system.

The AMA (www.modelaircraft.org) has been working hard to minimize the impact to their members. Visit their website for more information, there's an update in almost very magazine and newsletter.

"Hello, Flight Service? I'm going to takeoff from Floyd's pasture, and fly my model plane a few hundred feet high and maybe a quarter mile away. What can you tell me before I drive over there this evening?" YGBSM . . . . .

 

Too funny.

 

Someday we will need a UAV operators license and a ADSB transponder to "operate" a paper airplane.

 

How about baseballs?  Will a home run need to be checking for NOTAM"s first?

[jkhirsch]

I think there's a pretty good check in place for "nosy" or "annoying" drones.

[scottfromiowa]

I prefer an airsoft MP44. Plastic pellets...full auto...400FPS.

Drone wars....

Catch it.

I mean "hit it".

[bonal]

Remington 1187 excellent gun

[Hank]

My Remington 1200, modified choke, reaches high flying doves. Should do a number on a drone near the house.

Soft pellets at 400 fpm won't reach a 100 agl drone across the yard.