Amateur Professionals and Amateur Advanced users

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I did a small antenna relocation mod to my P2V+ and was able to reach 800m. I don't usually fly distance and for many it's as normal as coffee in the morning. As an experienced flyer I was comfortable as I "believe" I had "control" and I had "LOS".

Distance flying has always existed but that involved some tinkering, boosters, knowledge so there hasn't been many concerns as these users are hobbyist and have some sort of idea on how to fly range and increase day by day.

The P2V+ introduced the RTF package. Some of us, launched the RTF P2V+ straight of the box and to the moon without reading the manual. Fortunately it was at a distance where it could come back. Some didn't and they called this the "flyaway".

Now with the P3+Lightbridge, the noob user can now crack the 2km mark without trying. I'm concerned that the P3's simplicity, accessibility and range will raise some eyebrows. "Here are the keys to my Lan EVO 10, see how fast you can go on the public roads". It never ends well.

DJI has seen and filmed the future - I fear that soon, the only places we can fly will be on pink lakes, erupting volcanos and over the ocean.
 
Good points. Once the FAA comes out with certification, I will feel alot better. If I see someone flying, I can quickly check to make sure they know what they are doing.
 
Once the FAA comes out with certification, I will feel alot better. If I see someone flying, I can quickly check to make sure they know what they are doing.
When they get around to sorting out certification, I don't think it's so you can play policeman and go checking anyone you see out flying.
 
Mako you are spot on, you are the first person to correctly predict the cause of the next wave of new fliers "flyaways" wait till you see them flood up this page. "it was only blowing 40mph and I was only flying downwind 2km away and I didn't think I needed a sat lock because it now works of Glonass too and it's supposed to fly home anyway and bring me home a beer while it's at it" etc etc etc....
Mark my words ;)
 
Well said @Mako79, you hit the nail on the head. As Jacob mentioned, I think all of us are going to feel a lot more comfortable once the FAA does implement a certification. We'll just have to wait and see...
 
Good points. Once the FAA comes out with certification, I will feel alot better. If I see someone flying, I can quickly check to make sure they know what they are doing.

So who's going to police this, it's crazy. I can see if your flying in the national parks etc, they won't want you there whether you have a certification or not. Unless you pay a fee like we movie producers. But c'mon your at your local park, when no one is around and some dingbat is going to ask for your certification? The cops have far more important things to do.
I can also understand if your being a nuisance, flying too close to people etc, but we have laws for that already. You don't shoot a loaded gun in the air, that's disturbing the peace or discharging a weapon in public. The same would apply to the quad.

Too many idiots, flying these things irresponsibility have raised the bar of awareness far beyond where it needs to be.
 
Jimmykjimmy, you are spot on, I for one would like to see a somewhat stiffer cert process than what the FCC is going to implement. If they did perhaps it would weed out some of the operators who are flying with their gonads and not their brains. I witnessed a guy in the park today chasing a dog with his quad (not a phantom). I had words with him.
 
Be side me is anyone else here a lic ham radio operator? They have their act together and it would be a great form of regulation. Testing 3 lic levels and enforcement. If you are a ham radio operator you can't deny its world wide roll in managing the air waves.

It could easily be structured for RC drones.
Just a thought...
Tim
 
No idea about the US, but Australia has certification that you can do to fly one, and allows you to be paid by someone else to fly, but not work for yourself to fly it.
I start mine tomorrow. It cost me $3850 to do it.
The next step another $2000 to do the next step and get a UAV Operator's Certificate to be a business using drones.
 
The certification that the FAA talked about is for commercial use. It won't do anything to reduce idiot activities.

Same here, I'm a case in point, I'll be certified, and I'll still be an idiot :D LOL.

Well, maybe not ... I'm actually almost TOO responsible with how I fly and what I do with the quad, to the point that I won't do some things that I'd really love to do, and that I know others have done illegally (yet perfectly safely) - such as take some aerial shots of the tourist sites on the lake closer to town. I'd be over water, I'd be away from people, and I'd be under the maximum 120m limit we have, but because I know it's within the 5.5km radius of our airport it's illegal and I won't do it, even though I'd love to, and even though I know that if there's ever a plane coming over those areas at the 50-100m I'd be flying at, then it has far more things to worry about than my drone!!!

But you're absolutely correct in that having certification will stop the idiots about as much as having a driver's licence stops idiots being on the roads. There will be certified idiots, and there will be amateurs that behave impeccably.
 
In Ireland we have regulations too that many disregard. I did my Rpas flight safety course a few weeks back and I have to apply to the IAA to do a flying test/exam. It involves map reading , knowing of by heart the different classes of airspace, any restricted zones and more or less a bit of common sense and at the end a flying test, to demo your handling of the aircraft. Then public liability must be got. This is all for commercial use of course .
 
But it's only for commercial use. No effect on 99% of flyers.

This is my 2 cents speaking and I don't want to sound like a pooper-police. I just want to ensure that the future of multi-rotors will find balance in the community.

Now lets just ignore the authorities for a minute and just simply ask DJI about social responsibilities. DJI will shoot themselves in the foot due the ridiculous distances the P3 is able to achieve. I'm in love with Lightbridge, but I know it will only take 1 pilot to ruin it all for us. The authorities are aware and us pilots aren't painting a pretty picture. I know the Inspire 1 is capable of this, but due to the entry price and fragility, not many risk distance flying; hence you don't here about an idiot inspire 1 owner (not unless they bought it after the P3 release - no offense). This sounds drastic, but If I was working at DJI and I knew that the P3 was Skynet, I'd be sending my naked self back in time and sticking the half remaining blown 2.0 esc in the furnace.

Anyways, in the Gran Tourismo series, before you could enter in certain cups/races, you needed to do certain licenses. DJI can adopt this into the simulator built in the new P3 Pilot App and apply restrictions on the user until these "licenses" are met. As the more licenses are completed and more virtual hours practiced, real distances and heights become unlocked.
 

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