Cool video ... also potentially a dangerous one - probably not - but this is depending on where this was shot and a number of other potentials.
First as a fellow Drone Pilot, again it is a cool vid.
But then also as a rated Commerical and Instrument rated pilot I have to cringe a bit. I understand the regs and how these regs have been established to try to allow both to coexist. My concern here is twofold - both “what ifs” - but very valid points regardless...
1st I have personally flown many approaches to minimum in mountainous areas and loved the thrill of doing over 120Kts through the clouds knowing that there were mountains on each side of the plane - more or less boxing me in and forcing me to rely on my GPS or VOR navigation (would never do a mountainous IFR approach using just NDB - but this is another discussion). Regardless I am sure anyone can see where I am going with this - the airport is typically at least 5 miles away when you are descending from the OM to MAP and the MAP in mountainous areas s typically at LEAST 400 feet (ALTHOUGH THIS GOES DOWN TO 200 ft in non-mountainous areas) - Anyway - point is that although I am 99% sure you were NOT anywhere near an approach path and am also 99% sure that most aircraft pilots would not even attempt an approach with ground fog creating 0 viz - I am also sure that I wouldn’t want to test the limits when its also doing the same with another persons life.
Also as a student I would look for these conditions to do my IFR training in - knowing that I would never be able to go visual at minimums (read FAR/AIM cover to cover for more sleepy bedtime reading)
2nd and just as important - if not MORE important is the fact that other eyes are always on here taking notes and thinking to themselves - “oh cool, well if he did it to HERE/This Point,,, then I think I can do a much better shot WAY UP HERE - above the clouds.- whats the harm right? And I am not rated pt 107 so why do I care?.... and this is where the danger lies.
Just because you have the sense not to push the envelope beyond what you know (assuming you know you have no airport close by and wouldn’t have done this if you had (which again is what I would assume - to be fair) - this does not mean that another individual on here is not going to see this that lives remotely outside of a major AFB located around some lower mountainous hills (not too unlike the ones picturd here - Tennessee has a couple so does Georgia, NC and SC). So in this regard - it maks it worth a mention as well. \\
So in summary I would say that the FAA does NOT care whether you know a rule or not (they are not happy until you are not happy
- they still have the powers to fine or confiscate your drone or worse if it involves the crash of a piloted aircraft, then you are potentially looking at minimum of manslaughter charges - worse if they can prove it was with intent.
This is a new and uncharted privilage we all have to share the skies - just need to make sure we dont mess it up for all of us. It only takes one unfortunate near miss or worse to change this freedom for us all forever.
Just food for thought - maybe a little overdone - but still rich in what matters.
Happy flying, pics and future posts! Looking forward to adding a few in the future as well