FAA tests it's new Drone Safety App

[PHugger]

A closed beta of around 1000 iPhone users....
http://www.engadget.com/2015/08/28/...d_Classic&utm_campaign=Engadget&ncid=rss_semi


What about Android and Windows Phone?




Best regards,
PCH

 

[razor02097]

Great! I'm sure the control tower wants to know anytime I fly my Syma X12 in my front yard huh?



Not like they have important things to do like advising pilots how not to crash into each other.

 

[bhursey]

I bet they are going to go by there suposid guideline of no flying within 5 miles of an airport and not ama's

 

[RAM]

Is anyone here on the list of beta testers?

 

[Snarls]

Saw on flashgangster's instagram (he flies wings) that you are warned not to fly within 5 miles of an 'airport' and an 'airport' can just be a hospital, fire station, etc - anything that has a place for a helicopter to land I guess. In his case there are 8 'airports' within 5 miles of his house.

 

[BridgeInspector]

I am a beta tester. All my sites are within a 5 mile radius of something, mostly hospitals with helicopter pads. There is no contact information in the app to be able to notify them as it suggests.

 

[bhursey]

AMA guide lines:
(c) Not fly higher than approximately 400 feet above ground level within three (3) miles of an airport without notifying the airport operator.
(d) Not interfere with operations and traffic patterns at any airport, heliport or seaplane base except where there is a mixed use agreement.

FAA over bering guidelines.. Bs time basicly 90% of populated areas will be no fly zones
Fly below 400 feet and remain clear of surrounding obstacles

Don't fly within 5 miles of an airport unless you contact the airport and control tower before flying

 

[RAM]

I am a beta tester. All my sites are within a 5 mile radius of something, mostly hospitals with helicopter pads. There is no contact information in the app to be able to notify them as it suggests.

That's depressing.

 

[bhursey]

I fly RC fixed wing but i would guess 30+ % of AMA flying sights are within 5 miles of an airport near me. I have an airport 4 miles away. Iv never seen one lower than 500. My ga friednd says over my town they are above 500. Im ignoring the FAA guidelines and follow the longstanding AMA safty code. The FAA is getting a tad out if hand. Counting any helo capibul location as an airport is rediculouse.

 

[Raptortech]

Is anyone here on the list of beta testers?

I'm also a beta tester. I've always known that I was well clear of airports, but apparently I'm hitting 5 heliports!!!

 

[Raptortech]

I think it would be sweet if users could mark sites where they've been flying safely, and then the app would mark those on the map so that RC pilots can build up a vetted database of nearby flying locations. Flying sites that are deemed unsafe can be removed from the list, and then new pilots won't go there because they don't know about them.

 

[Flynn]

I'll try to be optimistic but somehow I see becoming more rules for us that want to do the right thing. We all know about the distance to fly from an airport and we still have knuckleheads right now that break that rule. I would like to check this app out.

 

[bhursey]

I think it would be sweet if users could mark sites where they've been flying safely, and then the app would mark those on the map so that RC pilots can build up a vetted database of nearby flying locations. Flying sites that are deemed unsafe can be removed from the list, and then new pilots won't go there because they don't know about them.

That would be nice to have also. However to me this almost seems like gun control. Those who follow the rules suffer overberring and ristrictive rules. However peaople who break the rules still will. Those are the offenders overberring regulations that are more ristrictive than long standing AMA safty code is a tad on the rediculouse side.

This is why im following the AMA rules.. I go off of the special 2012 referandum by congress.. It states..

In accordance with the Special Rule for Model Aircraft (the AMA amendment) established by Congress in the FAA Modernization and Reform Act of 2012 (P.L. 112-95), the new regulations would not apply to model aircraft operated within the safety programming of a nationwide community-based organization. This is good news for AMA members; however, the FAA has said that to be exempt from regulations, model aircraft operators must operate within the parameters of the Special Rule set out by Congress in 2012.


http://www.modelaircraft.org/aboutama/AMA_sUAS_NPRM_Response.aspx


I started in RC in the 90s have been an AMA member in all my active flying years. Iv followed the safty code. Im not putting up with the overberring guidelines. Im sticking with the 3 mile rules..

 

[razor02097]

It's no different than gun control. They are trying to push regulations that isn't going to solve the issue. We don't need drone control. These things aren't weapons. How is restricting me flying below the treeline at a park or field within 5 miles of an airport going to make full scale pilots safer?

 

[ZoomNBoom]

How is restricting me flying below the treeline at a park or field within 5 miles of an airport going to make full scale pilots safer?

Thats sort of obvious to anyone who's flown full scale and encountered an RC plane mid air. I know I have a few times, and its not fun. Once a large 3-4 meter span rc glider above 300 meter altitude close to the airfield (there is a club there, but they are supposed to remain below 120m), once a hexacopter around 500m in the middle of nowhere. Passing that by at 300 KmH does not make you feel good.

Personally, I dont care if they/we are allowed to fly up to around 120m, Im not supposed to fly that low in a full scale away from the airfield, but helicopter pilots may feel different about that. And when flying in a glider I may not like it either although chances of an actual encouter while doing an outlanding may seem remote. But if the drone market is going to explode like everyone expects, something has to be done, like it or not. You cant turn the airspace in to a minefield of invisible drones.

 

[razor02097]

Thats sort of obvious to anyone who's flown full scale and encountered an RC plane mid air. I know I have a few times, and its not fun. Once a large 3-4 meter span rc glider above 300 meter altitude close to the airfield (there is a club there, but they are supposed to remain below 120m), once a hexacopter around 500m in the middle of nowhere. Passing that by at 300 KmH does not make you feel good.

Personally, I dont care if they/we are allowed to fly up to around 120m, Im not supposed to fly that low in a full scale away from the airfield, but helicopter pilots may feel different about that. And when flying in a glider I may not like it either although chances of an actual encouter while doing an outlanding may seem remote. But if the drone market is going to explode like everyone expects, something has to be done, like it or not. You cant turn the airspace in to a minefield of invisible drones.

You missed my point. If you are flying below the treeline in a full scale aircraft you will hit the trees before you hit my quad.

People that are ignorant to the rules or people that do not follow the rules are the ones that are going to break the rules therefore not going to be affected by all of the regulations the FCC wants to push out. Same with guns. Making new gun laws isn't going to make a criminal follow them any more than the old laws.

Do you think little timmy and his dad with a model piper cub safely flying at a park 4 miles away from the local hospital helipad should be fined 10 grand? Or the guy with a phantom flying at the gate of an airport filming jetliners landing? How will the proposed regulations tell them apart? Short answer is it won't.


I agree something should be done but the blanket statements and shotgun approach IMO isn't it.

 

[bhursey]

I don't suggest breaking the 400 feet guideline. Technicly is within 3 miles in ama. However the general consensus is to stay below 500 feet or 140M. Gliders can be difficult especially if you get caught in a strong thermal. I have once got stuck in a insanely strong thermal . It quickly became a dot so i had to invert the glider and try and think i was diving until it was big enough to tell which way its going.. I almost lost the aircraft. It was only a matter of 2 mon or so that it must of gained 300+ feet. So some times it may be out of control of the pilot..This was in the 90s. Telimity alarms and altitude alarms need to be cheaper. Also same for OSD's for fpv they are crazy expensive. Some have altitude alarms. I want to get an OSD for my FPV setup when I finish so I can make sure I stay low enough.. However it is a big investment on $ I don't have. I would not mind knowing what that altitude looks like from my POV from the ground or while in FPV. I have seen it in some OSD videos and it is definitely higher than I fly.

 

[ZoomNBoom]

You missed my point. If you are flying below the treeline in a full scale aircraft you will hit the trees before you hit my quad.

Yep, my bad, I missed that point. I thought the proposed regulations actually said that you where allowed to fly below the height of the highest object in a x meter radius, so what you said, flying below tree height, would have been allowed. But that might have been elsewhere, I think Bruce talked about that in New Zeeland, and it struck me as a sensible idea.

That said, if you are flying in a large open field, I might just want to outland my glider there. I know, odds are small, but I still wouldnt mind some mechanism that alerts you or me.

People that are ignorant to the rules or people that do not follow the rules are the ones that are going to break the rules therefore not going to be affected by all of the regulations the FCC wants to push out.

Maybe so, but its not because rules are going to be broken or ignored that its a bad idea to put rules in place. People break the speedlimit and ignore red lights, doesnt mean we'd be better off without traffic rules.

Of course the rules have to be sensible, but thats easier said than done, with drones development evolving at an incredible pace and ranging from palm sized micro devices to 10+Kg heavy multirotors.

Do you think little timmy and his dad with a model piper cub safely flying at a park 4 miles away from the local hospital helipad should be fined 10 grand? Or the guy with a phantom flying at the gate of an airport filming jetliners landing? How will the proposed regulations tell them apart? Short answer is it won't.

I agree something should be done but the blanket statements and shotgun approach IMO isn't it.

Im not familiar enough with the proposed rules in US to comment on them specifically, but Id expect initial regulation to be overbearing. After all, RC pilots are a tiny minority and no politician will want to vote a law that 'allowed' your phantom pilot to bring down a hospital helicopter.

 

[razor02097]

Yep, my bad, I missed that point. I thought the proposed regulations actually said that you where allowed to fly below the height of the highest object in a x meter radius, so what you said, flying below tree height, would have been allowed. But that might have been elsewhere, I think Bruce talked about that in New Zeeland, and it struck me as a sensible idea.

That said, if you are flying in a large open field, I might just want to outland my glider there. I know, odds are small, but I still wouldnt mind some mechanism that alerts you or me.

I agree but if I see a full sized aircraft wanting to land where I'm flying I not only would land to allow them a safe means to land in an emergency but also to protect my model.

Bruce was talking about a "sheltered environment" which to my knowledge isn't on the FAA's agenda. The way the FAA wants it if you are within 5 miles of an airport you are essentially breathing restricted airspace. If you take your RC car off a jump technically they can fine you because you might have hit a full scale aircraft. This is why all of the youtube videos that explain the ridiculousness exist. A paper airplane is considered a UAV under the FAA guidelines. How long before throwing a paper airplane in the airport terminal is illegal?

Maybe so, but its not because rules are going to be broken or ignored that its a bad idea to put rules in place. People break the speedlimit and ignore red lights, doesnt mean we'd be better off without traffic rules.

Of course the rules have to be sensible, but thats easier said than done, with drones development evolving at an incredible pace and ranging from palm sized micro devices to 10+Kg heavy multirotors.

The traffic laws are already in place. It is illegal to run a red light. But it would be like saying because you "might" run a red light we want you to stop at a green light too. But wouldn't that make it so you can't drive though at all? Yes just like you wouldn't be able to fly within 5 miles of an airfield.

People break the speed limit but the answer is not to ban all sports cars. You can break the speed limit in a Prius. Just like you could crash a kite into a full sized aircraft. It isn't RC models that are the problem.

US politicians are never sensible. Many are easily influenced by lobbyists that have an agenda. Most of them are not to do what is right for the people but to get elected again.

Im not familiar enough with the proposed rules in US to comment on them specifically, but Id expect initial regulation to be overbearing. After all, RC pilots are a tiny minority and no politician will want to vote a law that 'allowed' your phantom pilot to bring down a hospital helicopter.

I seriously doubt a phantom could bring down a modern air care heli. They design those to be able to cut through cables and land at the most harsh scenes you can imagine. Even so unless the person was specifically flying around a helicopter or chasing it what would be the chances of one randomly striking a helicopter?



I get what you are saying and I'm not trying to be argumentative... mostly venting how whenever politics enter stupidness and ridiculousness ensues.

 

[ZoomNBoom]

Even so unless the person was specifically flying around a helicopter or chasing it what would be the chances of one randomly striking a helicopter?

Non zero and increasing rapidly.
You look at it from your perspective, "what the are the odds of a (sports) airplane or helicopter flying in to my rc plane". They are remote. But put yourself in the seat of a helicopter pilot who is ferrying patients from and to a hospital every single day. What are the chances someone is flying a drone near him at any given moment? Id say they are substantial and growing.

Now I do agree that a blanket 5 mile exclusion zone sounds seriously exaggerated. But I can understand it. If you allow flying below x meter near airports, how many pilots have telemetry to be able to tell their altitude? How many will think if its legal to fly at, say 100m, then 200m cant be all that bad? How is anyone going to enforce the rule if they catch you flying, is a cop going to judge your altitude? Its a non trivial problem.