Did some flying, dodged a couple of low fliers

..... I think the FAA should mandate ADS-B for all aircraft, not just current aircraft required to carry transponders, and require them to be on when the aircraft is in motion......

Are you also willing to pay the price, lost performance, and loss of payload to add this to each of your sUAS that you fly? It's not going to be cheap and it's going to affect us just as much as manned aviation.
 
Are you also willing to pay the price, lost performance, and loss of payload to add this to each of your sUAS that you fly? It's not going to be cheap and it's going to affect us just as much as manned aviation.
BigAl0u, It can be added for less than $300 to existing drones and probably $50 or less if added in manufacturing. I realize it would be an additional burden for small aircraft owners but having your own plane is already an expensive hobby. $2-3k for ADS-B transmitters shouldn't kill their bank, and on the bright side might be a lot of people dumping their planes so it will become a buyers market because many won't want to pay an upgrade on their avionics.

Having ADS-B on drones could also be a protection to over reach regulations put in place by local communities.

You seem to be very aware of what goes on... do you know of any site which might have materials for providing local communities a template for drone regulations for both recreational and Remote Pilots. Seems like there is just so much mis information and lack of knowledge by those inacting laws when the FAA already has regulations in place.
 
@BarryWilson I was talking about sUAS not manned aircraft. It's going to happen but it's going to increase the cost of purchase by a good bit at least for a few years.

Right now the whole "Regulatory System" is a mess and patchwork of legal and illegal ordinances across the nation. Until some of these are taken to court and proven we won't have any template to go by. Too many local law makers feel like they have the right to make laws contradictory to what the FAA has stated and until something happens to prove them wrong this is going to continue to happen. Our best hope is that more and more local groups will seek out competent AVIATION legal counsel to possibly get it right from the beginning.

DroneU has some very good "professionals" who can give good advice. You can pretty much take anything you read from Vic Moss to the bank. He's an industry leader and have provided a LOT of advice and sample letters which can be used to help "educate" local law makers.

I urge everyone to get involved at the local level if you have a solid understanding of LEGAL and ETHICAL sUAS operations. Start by being an ambassador for our industry and lead by example. Become a local Subject Matter Expert. It's a pretty good feeling to get paid to be the "Drone Guy" to your local departments :)
 
The reason they don’t show on Flightradar24 is they are conducting VFR operations without a set flight plan. It’s normal and no one is doing anything wrong. Flightradar24 only reflects those aircraft participating in the system. (national airspace system with atc)
 
I disagree. Any technology that helps situational awareness and helps prevent collisions whether in a manned aircraft or a remote pilot operating VLOS increases NAS Safety. I file flight plans every time I fly but that certainly doesn't stop manned aircraft pilots in my area flying within the airspace below 400' when 5 miles out from our Class D Airport. I think the FAA should mandate ADS-B for all aircraft, not just current aircraft required to carry transponders, and require them to be on when the aircraft is in motion. I think there are a lot of pilots which feel the airspace should only be for manned flight. I however feel they need to change their mindset and learn to share. We will soon be doing if not already in test markets the same with self navigating/driving vehicles on our roads. We don't individually own our space on the roadway any more than a pilot owns airspace we fly in. Future technology and awareness will make transportation safer.
I would suggest in the strongest possible way, that you do not have manned aircraft below 400' 5 miles out coming into your class D airport. No pilot in his right mind will fly cross country at an altitude that is below even the traffic pattern altitude at the airport. They would need to go into a climb just to enter the landing pattern. He would also will have no choices of landing areas in the event of an emergency. Not to mention the fact that they would be violating regulations that have nothing to do with drones.They just do not do that.
A football field, goal post to goal post is about 360 feet. If you have an app that shows aircraft at that level, you will be able to see your own drone on it.. If you do see your own drone, then I am obviously wrong about the app.
 
I carry a scanner that covers aviation and public service. Our LifeFlight EMS Helo's are dispatched over public service, EMS and other Helo's are usually checking with area ATC's and towers on one or another Unicom frequencies. Nothing compares to using ears and listening for approaching aircraft.
 
That said, until we have some sort of universal transponder system in place and EVERYBODY is using it, I don't see how we can have things like autonomous package deliveries or inspection flights sharing the same airspace as these low flying manned aircraft.

There is a lot of work being done to coordinate airspace with large volumes of UAS. Drones have become such a hot topic that they even had their own topic at the World Economic Forum in Davos last month.
Civil Drones for Tomorrow’s Commerce

One of the companies trying to find a solution for managing airspace is Airmap. No doubt there are others doing similar work that I haven't noticed yet.
Home - AirMap
 
I carry a scanner that covers aviation and public service. Our LifeFlight EMS Helo's are dispatched over public service, EMS and other Helo's are usually checking with area ATC's and towers on one or another Unicom frequencies. Nothing compares to using ears and listening for approaching aircraft.
Very nice.
 
I carry a scanner that covers aviation and public service. Our LifeFlight EMS Helo's are dispatched over public service, EMS and other Helo's are usually checking with area ATC's and towers on one or another Unicom frequencies. Nothing compares to using ears and listening for approaching aircraft.
Same here. I use an old Radio Shack Pro-106. I keep the local Fire and EMS dispatch freqs as well as Air Guard- 121.5 and 243.00 and Baton Rouge approach/departure- 120.3 and 126.5 as well as a couple of other common frequencies programmed and running like the Military approach/departure on - 278.30. I have yet to hear any aircraft mention seeing me flying my little Phantom around.
 
For anyone who is using or planning to use FlightRadar24 (or any such app) there has been a slight "set back" put into place recently:

FAA Extends ADS-B Mandate To 2040
 
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Things are changing very fast in this industry. I believe that in the very near future all of the inspection of power transmission facilities will be done by drones, not piloted aircraft. Just because of the difference in costs. When the investors learn that they can make more money by saving the outrageously high costs of manned aircraft, they will get the laws and regulations changed quickly. It is already happening in agriculture. The explosion in "drone" development is still in its infancy. We ain't seen nothing yet!
 
Things are changing very fast in this industry. I believe that in the very near future all of the inspection of power transmission facilities will be done by drones, not piloted aircraft. Just because of the difference in costs. When the investors learn that they can make more money by saving the outrageously high costs of manned aircraft, they will get the laws and regulations changed quickly. It is already happening in agriculture. The explosion in "drone" development is still in its infancy. We ain't seen nothing yet!
And most importantly, when the training and licensing catches up.
 
I would suggest in the strongest possible way, that you do not have manned aircraft below 400' 5 miles out coming into your class D airport. No pilot in his right mind will fly cross country at an altitude that is below even the traffic pattern altitude at the airport. They would need to go into a climb just to enter the landing pattern. He would also will have no choices of landing areas in the event of an emergency. Not to mention the fact that they would be violating regulations that have nothing to do with drones.They just do not do that.
A football field, goal post to goal post is about 360 feet. If you have an app that shows aircraft at that level, you will be able to see your own drone on it.. If you do see your own drone, then I am obviously wrong about the app.
Flockshot, I'm very aware of what 378' looks like. I served on two 378' Coast Guard cutters and quite familiar with their entire length. I also know what helicopters look like on approach to land on the deck calling out altimeter readings. Or spending years looking at tethered aerostats flying at various altitudes overhead. So when I compare flying my drone at 100, 200, 300 or even 396 AGL to the two separate occassions of these aircraft flying just above the tree tops which are about 65' and over homes I would have to then say these were crazy pilots. My assumption is they were both buzzing their own homes or that of friends, but regardless it scared the crap out of me because my drone was in the air but laterial distance was approx. 500' east of their flight path. I can also state as a matter of fact another small manned aircraft crashed in a field about a mile and a half east of my home killing the pilot. I know for a FACT he was at SFC level to have impacted the ground and no where near where he should have been. He was also very near some well marked AM Broadcast towers just to the south of the crash site. I live in a cooridore for VFR flights between KDEN (Class B) and KBJC (Class D) and typically fly in a small sliver of Class G Airspace which has open space around a gultch which flows into the South Platt River about 200' in elevation below me and approximately 2.5 miles east. So an aircraft flying 500'AGL over the Platt turning West toward KBJC is now 300' AGL in less than 15 seconds. In 60 seconds they are over my home. Possible they are within striking distance?
 
Flockshot, I'm very aware of what 378' looks like. I served on two 378' Coast Guard cutters and quite familiar with their entire length. I also know what helicopters look like on approach to land on the deck calling out altimeter readings. Or spending years looking at tethered aerostats flying at various altitudes overhead. So when I compare flying my drone at 100, 200, 300 or even 396 AGL to the two separate occassions of these aircraft flying just above the tree tops which are about 65' and over homes I would have to then say these were crazy pilots. My assumption is they were both buzzing their own homes or that of friends, but regardless it scared the crap out of me because my drone was in the air but laterial distance was approx. 500' east of their flight path. I can also state as a matter of fact another small manned aircraft crashed in a field about a mile and a half east of my home killing the pilot. I know for a FACT he was at SFC level to have impacted the ground and no where near where he should have been. He was also very near some well marked AM Broadcast towers just to the south of the crash site. I live in a cooridore for VFR flights between KDEN (Class B) and KBJC (Class D) and typically fly in a small sliver of Class G Airspace which has open space around a gultch which flows into the South Platt River about 200' in elevation below me and approximately 2.5 miles east. So an aircraft flying 500'AGL over the Platt turning West toward KBJC is now 300' AGL in less than 15 seconds. In 60 seconds they are over my home. Possible they are within striking distance?
Sounds like you live in a very dangerous place. I wish you all the best.
 
I use a Galaxy Tab E 9.6 inch tablet on my controller for running the DJI Go App when I fly. Additionally I will either run Flight Radar 24 on my phone which I keep within sight nearby or I plug an SDR dongle into a 7 inch android tablet and run the Avate ADSB Pro software app on it. View attachment 96875
Your little set up is awesome.. It looks great, is it really reliable. Just curious, but that is fantastic.. Sweet!
 
People rely far too much on Apps.

Some are no more than 3rd-party data miners with proximity errors and inherent latency.
I agree, but at least it is something. I think with using a flight tracker along with your eyes and ears is being responsible more so than some of these pilot cowboys that could care less and take chances on every one of their drone flights
 
Weston Ney, Thanks for the comment and Yes, I have had the same experience. While flying I see a manned aircraft and I begin to detour and move away only to find that the plane or chopper has turned toward my UAV and appears to fly toward, no, strike that, not toward it, At it. The Pipeline inspection plane today actually looked like it turned toward and down at my UAV as I was dropping down and pealing away to get clear of him. If I had the encounter on video I would file a complaint with the local FAA office. Sadly I didn't record it.

I'm sure the FAA would laugh and tell you to yield right-of-way to the manned aircraft, or risk being fined for explicitly showing your interfering with a manned aircraft. Ultimately, you have less right to be in the air than an aircraft.
 
All I know is that if an aircraft is within 20 miles of me and is transmitting out over ADS-B I can see them on my tablet with my SDR dongle and mag mount antenna. Those aircraft not transmitting ADS-B don't show up. Everyone is supposed to be using them by 2020 but with less than 18 months until the deadline I don't see things getting much better.
All I know is that if an aircraft is within 20 miles of me and is transmitting out over ADS-B I can see them on my tablet with my SDR dongle and mag mount antenna. Those aircraft not transmitting ADS-B don't show up. Everyone is supposed to be using them by 2020 but with less than 18 months until the deadline I don't see things getting much better.
There is an App for iPhone that is called "Planes Live" and it updates to the second.There is no delay when tracking flights in the area near my home & if there is a delay it's gotta be only 5-10 seconds.. My house is right in line with the runway at Green Airport in Rhode Island and I have tested numerous times..Never was there a delay more than seconds..I don't know if Planes Live App is available for Android but it is for apple devices.I can't remember if I paid for it or not. Having Planes Live compared to FlightRadar24 is like night and day.. I highly recommend it to anyone flying drones... Just trying to help some folks
I tried to leave a link here but Phantom Pilots won't let me for some reason. I get a pop up saying the link contains something inappropriate or spam.. It's a link to the Planes Live App.
 
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I'm sure the FAA would laugh and tell you to yield right-of-way to the manned aircraft, or risk being fined for explicitly showing your interfering with a manned aircraft. Ultimately, you have less right to be in the air than an aircraft.
Just_nick I just found part of your comment funny because according to the FAA a sUAS is rightfully an Aircraft by rule. He has to yield to manned aircraft, but he in fact is also an aircraft, thus the purpose of FAA Regulations for drones. From his description sounds like he chose the correct course of action.
 

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