I don't know if the drone was illegally in restricted airspace (you can get altitude waivers to fly higher than 400 feet). I'm going to dig further regarding the issue of overtaking aircraft. In my mind if I'm flying (I'm a private pilot with instrument rating) and I have a drone in front of me I am NOT relying on the drone pilot to avoid my overtaking aircraft.
Drone knucklehead . . . very UNCOOL stunt flying over HELICOPTER
- Thread starter BigAl07
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I don't know if the drone was illegally in restricted airspace (you can get altitude waivers to fly higher than 400 feet). I'm going to dig further regarding the issue of overtaking aircraft. In my mind if I'm flying (I'm a private pilot with instrument rating) and I have a drone in front of me I am NOT relying on the drone pilot to avoid my overtaking aircraft.
Just wanted to add something to me earlier comment. While I know the right of way regulations those regulations do not absolve the pilot of a man aircraft of his responsibility to see and avoid. Someone asked how difficult would in be for the helicopter pilot to see a small drone? The answer is pretty difficult. It's sometimes difficult to spot a small aircraft in the pattern even with ATC pointing out its location. That said making an accurate judgement about height, distance, size and speed and then moving the drone in a direct to avoid an overtaking aircraft may also be challenging and hoping you move in a direction that doesn't turn out to be a direction the overtaking aircraft decides to move in if they move in an attempt to avoid what's in front of them. With respect to man airplanes the plane being overtaken has the right of way and the overtaking aircraft is required to fly to the right of the aircraft being overtaken with wide separation.
If you are flying your sUAS within VLOS then you should be able to see and hear an approaching aircraft and determine its height in relation to your aircraft and the direction it is moving and be able to react safely by getting your bird out of the way.
If the maned aircraft pilot happens to see your bird he will not have time to process right of way rules as he takes evasive action to avoid hitting your drone.
sUAS Pilot’s have to give way to all maned aircraft as well as any airborne vehicle. That includes the a flying bathtub or go-cart.
If the maned aircraft pilot happens to see your bird he will not have time to process right of way rules as he takes evasive action to avoid hitting your drone.
sUAS Pilot’s have to give way to all maned aircraft as well as any airborne vehicle. That includes the a flying bathtub or go-cart.
This is a crazy video of a very close call!!! Looks real to me. Clearly he was flying where he shouldn't have been. Legally or otherwise. That could have been very bad!!!
Well technically you are correct in that you "can" get a waiver for flying higher than 400'AGL (it's called 107.51b).
Up until today 2/25/2019 there have been a grand totdal of (16) 107.51b granted.
I think it's a stretch even remotely assuming the operator in this video would be one of the entities granted 107.51b
I tried to avoid making assumptions when trying to ascertain blame. I'm given the pilot of the drone the benefit of a doubt.
Maybe, maybe not. There could be all sorts of environmental factors that could hinder hearing or seeing another aircraft and making an accurate determination of size, speed, direction of flight, etc. Whether or not the manned aircraft can see and avoid the UAV will also be somewhat dependent on size, shape, closure rate, what else the pilot has going on in the aircraft, etc. The bottom line is whatever you are flying, if you're flying under visual flight rules, everyone has an obligation to see and avoid.
N017RW
Premium Pilot
Actually as of last week they were up to 32
.ROW doesn't do you much good if you're dead but your surviving relatives will have the advantage in a lawsuit.
Actually as of last week they were up to 32
Where did you find this information? I just did a query and and it returned 16 only. Maybe I'm looking in the wrong place
"Showing 1 to 16 of 16 entries (filtered from 2,441 total entries) "
Maybe hearing but definitely not seeing. A Phantom 4 is about 1/50th the size of a Cessna 172. So if you have your 3 mile visibility and maintain VLOS with your bird you should be able to see the aircraft with plenty of time to safely get out of the way.
As you stated that at times it is hard to see another aircraft in the pattern even when ATC is telling you it’s position in relation to you, altitude, and direction of travel. If you were approaching the drone not knowing it is there you most likely will see it with just enough time to avoid it or hit it directly.
Everyone has the obligation of see and avoid and sUAS PIC’s have the duty to yield the right of way to ALL Aircraft.
Agreed and on that point let's agree to this. Clearly this pilot was NOT flying VLOS which regardless of all other arguments so far, means he's not only flying illegally, but more importantly and relevant, he was NOT able to see and avoid which ALL aircraft manned or not must comply with. He clearly should not have been there and regardless of all else, the fault is solely on him. Just my opinion anyway.
According to AC107-2 (5.12) the sUAS PIC must maneuver his/hers aircraft to prevent other aircraft from having to take action to avoid the sUAS.
https://www.faa.gov/documentLibrary/media/Advisory_Circular/AC_107-2.pdf
14 CFR 91.113 (b)General. When weather conditions permit, regardless of whether an operation is conducted under instrument flight rules or visual flight rules, vigilance shall be maintained by each person operating an aircraft so as to see and avoid other aircraft. When a rule of this section gives another aircraft the right-of-way, the pilot shall give way to that aircraft and may not pass over, under, or ahead of it unless well clear.
Sorry BigAl07, you are correct. the 32 includes all the 107.51a, b, c, d... waivers.
Yes I’ve known about this since the early 80’s. I too have a private single and multi-engine land with an instrument rating. We are talking about part 107 sUAS. Please don’t confuse them.
When you are flying under part 91 you are above part 107 and you should expect that all sUAS PIC’s give way to you and for the ones that don’t follow the rules it is in your best interest to try to SEE and avoid if you can. But when you are flying part 107 you are at the very bottom of the food chain and you must give way to every flying apparatus in the NAS.
That drone operator could have killed every one onbord. He's lucky the down wash from the chopper didn't suck the drone into it's rotor.
The people in the hello were most likely looking down. The hello pilot would have NEVER flown under it had the pilot had known it was there.
I'm not confusing anything or excusing breaking any regulation. But ALL pilots have a responsibility to see and avoid. The helicopter pilot overtook what looked to be a stationary drone. Did he see and avoid it or did he just get lucky? I don't know and my guess is you don't know. I know what the sUAS is expected to do but I'm not going totally rely on what he is expected to do. I'm going to do what I can do regardless of whether or not I technically have the right of way. Where the 107 pilot may be on the food chain is going to matter very little when he is looking up from the ground watching my aircraft is spinning out of control into the ground.
You are correct I don’t know, and like I said, if you are able to see the sUAS it is in your best interest to see and avoid regardless of who is breaking the rules.
I don’t fly part 91 anymore, but if I did, being a sUAS pilot, I would definitely stay away or be very cautious when flying low and around coastal and scenic views.
You are better prepared than other part 91 pilots that don’t have part 107.
All the best to you,
Alex
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