Can I fly at night now?

[Weston Ney]

Beware on the forth. I know kids have threw rocks at mine for fun while I was filming. A bottle rocket would reach you!!!

Oh yeah, didn't think of that. It's sad that it is a lot of times deemed wrong to destroy someone's '92 Civic in their driveway, but acceptable to destroy a drone of similar value just because it's flying. Oh well.

 

[N017RW]

Oh yeah, didn't think of that. It's sad that it is a lot of times deemed wrong to destroy someone's '92 Civic in their driveway, but acceptable to destroy a drone of similar value just because it's flying. Oh well.

Who has told you it’s acceptable?

 

[Nightwolf]

Who has told you it’s acceptable?

A significant section of the population thinks it's ok to shoot down a drone over their property. Is it? No but people these days have weird thoughts about what is acceptable

 

[Weston Ney]

A significant section of the population thinks it's ok to shoot down a drone over their property. Is it? No but people these days have weird thoughts about what is acceptable

Exactly, some people think it's their duty, even though it is illegal.

 

[N017RW]

A significant section of the population thinks it's ok to shoot down a drone over their property.

Please cite your source for this.

 

[Sharpshooter7]

Not trying to muddy the waters, but a 107 certified quad operator can still make hobby flights, it depends on the intent at the time of takeoff.

If the intent is a hobby/recreational flight, 107 rules do not apply

Thank you for that clarification. So as a Part 107 pilot, if I'm just out having fun and practicing with no client involved, hobbyist rules apply? Obviously the leaves a great deal of gray area as far as enforcement, but it would be ridiculous to allow hobbyists such latitude while restricting commercially rated pilots so stringently in all operations. Actually, it's always seems ridiculous that pilots, ostensibly with less training and knowledge, would have less freedom of flight than the person who buys a drone, sticks a sticker on it and goes out to fly. One would think it would be just the opposite.

 

[ramone101]

Does this discussion relate only to the U.S?i

 

[N017RW]

Actually, it's always seems ridiculous that pilots, ostensibly with less training and knowledge, would have less freedom of flight than the person who buys a drone, sticks a sticker on it and goes out to fly. One would think it would be just the opposite.

Having flown model aircraft since the mid-70s let me turn that around on you:

Traditionally hobbyist model aircraft operations were nearly exclusively conducted by Clubs on remote or reserved public locations (State/County-Parrish, City parks, etc.) or private property designated for such use. (Some goverened or sanctioned by CBOs, others not).

As a result there was no need for any federal regulation of the hobbyist until...'the person who buys a drone, sticks a sticker on it and goes out to fly' started to appear.

 

[MPPilot]

Yip you can flight night,strobe up and away,the air is so much clearer and clean (well here anyway), good time like early morning,less people and aircraft can be seen further away due to their super strobes,I prefer almost better than the day,lol this pic below was my first p4.had 2 sets of phantom headlight sets and on side had lumb cube holders with pen light torch on each side,p4 never minded the extra weight including battery's, looked awsome in flight,,only downfall was coming into land.blinded can't see,oh that scary,,so had to come in on angle so I could see...now days I just use strobes,oh this pic makes me laugh now,,what was I thinking or drinkingView attachment 112511

How did the lights affect you videos or pictures?

 

[MPPilot]

Recreational flying as long as you have strobes which all DJI drone do.

I don't recall where I saw it but the lights must be visible to aircraft up to three miles away. OEM lights on a DJI drone do not meet this requirement.

 

[ealanger]

I know this has been mentioned on this forum before but if anyone is looking for strobes I got mine from firehousetechnology.
Here’s what mine look like...

 

[N017RW]

I don't recall where I saw it but the lights must be visible to aircraft up to three miles away. OEM lights on a DJI drone do not meet this requirement.

While U.S.A. UAS laws are ever changing, and this thread was started in the context of the hobbyist, that visibility requirement is for Commercial operations only (107.29).

 

[Deleted member 62848]

How did the lights affect you videos or pictures?

Um from memory these helped with taking night pictures of still objects almost like camera flash would do,if I was recording I just turn them off or remove 1 or 2 of them,they just clip on to proper holders,,,you don't want a forward strobe when recording or you get a flash in your clip,2 stores I use now just face out the back..this pic show store flash on props,wrecked my clip

 

[WoodlakeDrone]

I did not see anything that said a recreation flyer could fly at night.

Laws and rules don't tell us what we CAN do. They tell us what we CAN'T do.

 

[CharlieU]

Cool, thanks. So I guess it is the part 107 guys that have to get a waiver. But isn't that changing with the new rules?

Part 107 guys don't need a waiver if the flight is just for fun or hobby. 107 rules don't apply unless the flight is for commercial purposes.

 

[MPPilot]

While U.S.A. UAS laws are ever changing, and this thread was started in the context of the hobbyist, that visibility requirement is for Commercial operations only (107.29).

It doesn't make sense (and when do legislation and regulations ever make sense?) that a commercial pilot needs a waiver and 3 mile warning lights but a hobbyist can fly at night at will and be blind to all other pilots.