Loooooooong Range Night Flight P4P

[Providian623]

I get really annoyed by the "self appointed drone police" and their "you could cause this, and you could cause that" scenarios. I don't care what someone posts about distance, there's always one or two lurking about waiting for their chance to pounce.

 

[GadgetGuy]

I get really annoyed by the "self appointed drone police" and their "you could cause this, and you could cause that" scenarios. I don't care what someone posts about distance, there's always one or two lurking about waiting for their chance to pounce.

They are kind of like reformed smokers, lecturing everyone else, especially if they are new to the hobby, or just completed their 107, and think they are now experts, and somehow smarter and better than everyone else. They become self appointed drone police, citing chapter and verse, even though they usually still have no idea what they are talking about.

 

[bdooley]

I get really annoyed by the "self appointed drone police" and their "you could cause this, and you could cause that" scenarios. I don't care what someone posts about distance, there's always one or two lurking about waiting for their chance to pounce.

It seems to me that, for the most part, this thread has been a pretty friendly and meaningful discussion on both sides of the coin. It is posts like this that bring lurkers (from both sides) into the discussion to take it down the same ugly path as so many other threads here. Spewing animosities does nothing to help us learn anthing.

 

[bdooley]

I am a reformed smoker and have never lectured anyone. I have been in the RC hobby for 18+ years and have had my Remote Pilot License for only a few months. I don't claim to know everything about either topic. But it makes it hard to learn when people take good threads like this with a good exchange of information and turn it into a pissing match.

Admittedly, I am on the side of the coin that is concerned about long distance flights that are beyond VLOS. Perhaps because I am too much of a conformist. But I do like reading about guys that do these long range flights and put a lot of thought into mitigating the risks of the "What if" scenarios that always get brought up.

Please stay on topic and keep the good information coming - from both sides of the coin.

 

[GadgetGuy]

I am a reformed smoker and have never lectured anyone. I have been in the RC hobby for 18+ years and have had my Remote Pilot License for only a few months. I don't claim to know everything about either topic. But it makes it hard to learn when people take good threads like this with a good exchange of information and turn it into a pissing match.

Admittedly, I am on the side of the coin that is concerned about long distance flights that are beyond VLOS. Perhaps because I am too much of a conformist. But I do like reading about guys that do these long range flights and put a lot of thought into mitigating the risks of the "What if" scenarios that always get brought up.

Please stay on topic and keep the good information coming - from both sides of the coin.

Amen.

 

[dranders]

Great discussion about the distance capabilities of these incredible machines. Maybe a little defensive though, about criticism from those who try to stay within the rules. The guy who flew his drone over a parked firefighting helicopter at the Santa Rosa, CA airport now faces a FAA fine up to 20 grand and maybe some fed criminal charges. Which side would you prefer to be on?

 

[lil boss]

Life is full of rules, laws, should do this, don't do this, etc... Lets be honest... at some point we all have broken a rule or law, and continue to do so... who has come to a complete stop at a stop sign, etc? The only reason I have stopped flying long distance is not because of the rules... it's because if my bird was to get a glitch I might be endangering someone well being, or their property.
I would hope I will have the discipline to fly LD only when out in the middle of nowhere.... desert, ocean, etc. In the meantime I'm bored not flying, and relying on my other hobby to keep me occupied. Cheers Everyone !!

 

[GadgetGuy]

Great discussion about the distance capabilities of these incredible machines. Maybe a little defensive though, about criticism from those who try to stay within the rules. The guy who flew his drone over a parked firefighting helicopter at the Santa Rosa, CA airport now faces a FAA fine up to 20 grand and maybe some fed criminal charges. Which side would you prefer to be on?

I'd need to see the video first....

 

[GadgetGuy]

Life is full of rules, laws, should do this, don't do this, etc... Lets be honest... at some point we all have broken a rule or law, and continue to do so... who has come to a complete stop at a stop sign, etc? The only reason I have stopped flying long distance is not because of the rules... it's because if my bird was to get a glitch I might be endangering someone well being, or their property.
I would hope I will have the discipline to fly LD only when out in the middle of nowhere.... desert, ocean, etc. In the meantime I'm bored not flying, and relying on my other hobby to keep me occupied. Cheers Everyone !!

So called "glitches" resulting in the aircraft plummeting to the ground can happen anywhere, even close in. Now, you are more likely to be endangering yourself and your neighbors, in a residential area, rather than no one, in a remote area LD. Statistically, you are more likely to have a car accident within a few miles of home than further away. You spend more time driving close to home than far away. The more time flying far away from home, the safer your neighbors are!

 

[bdooley]

Great discussion about the distance capabilities of these incredible machines. Maybe a little defensive though, about criticism from those who try to stay within the rules. The guy who flew his drone over a parked firefighting helicopter at the Santa Rosa, CA airport now faces a FAA fine up to 20 grand and maybe some fed criminal charges. Which side would you prefer to be on?

I would rather spend that 20 grand on quads!

 

[bdooley]

Life is full of rules, laws, should do this, don't do this, etc... Lets be honest... at some point we all have broken a rule or law, and continue to do so... who has come to a complete stop at a stop sign, etc? The only reason I have stopped flying long distance is not because of the rules... it's because if my bird was to get a glitch I might be endangering someone well being, or their property.
I would hope I will have the discipline to fly LD only when out in the middle of nowhere.... desert, ocean, etc. In the meantime I'm bored not flying, and relying on my other hobby to keep me occupied. Cheers Everyone !!

Totally agree with you!

 

[GadgetGuy]

I would rather spend that 20 grand on quads!

Maybe the video got 5,000,000 views on YouTube, and helped him earn $50,000 in affiliate commissions. Worked for Casey Neistat for a very long time!

 

[Golgo69]

Also, this was not stock. The modified controller is shown in my profile pic. The battery was stock. I also launched from an elevated plane and flew when interference is low.

Yeah, but again what was the battery percentage????

 

[Golgo69]

Yeah, but again what was the battery percentage????

Disregard. Already answered

 

[Darian Trotter]

I have a video of a longer flight
It’s 5 miles. There and back, and it landed with 18% battery left. So it really depends on the wind.

 

[Darian Trotter]

I have a video of a longer flight
It’s 5 miles. There and back, and it landed with 18% battery left. So it really depends on the wind.

I just don’t know how to post the video here

 

[KykPhantom]

For DJI is very easy to put a distance limiter in their software - maximum flight distance from the home point. Would you like such limitation?

 

[VegasFlyer]

Generally speaking if your more than 5 miles out from an airport air traffic is supposed to stay up higher than 400 feet. Generally speaking. You can buy flashing beacons for the top of your drone that makes it visible. People are ridiculously paranoid due to government propaganda. A P4 is a very low threat to most aircraft anyway its just not heavy enough to cause a problem. There are tons of 10lb. canadian geese flying where ever they **** will please. The truth is they do not like you having a flying camera.. that's all. Personally I try to stay under 250 ft. but 400 is okay if your not on the glide path for an airport.

** Rant On **

I could NOT agree more vis a vis the ridiculously paranoid idiots who get their panties in a bunch because we have a flying camera! Back in July I was flying within 200 feet of a 600 foot high mound at an altitude of about 160 feet when some a-hole on a 4-wheel ATV drives up from out of nowhere. He starts tracking my vision until he sees my P3P and says "Oh, a drone. I LIKE drones!". Then he takes out his pistol and starts waving it at my bird! When I told him not to shoot at my drone, he had the nerve to give me an indignant look and said "What did you say??". I hit RTH so I could keep my eye on him and avoid the side of the hill. To say I wasn't happy would be the mother of all understatements! Of course he accused me of spying on his property and as well as his neighbors'. It was 106 degrees, I was HOT, and I seriously considered buzzing by 6 feet over his head at full throttle before landing. He calmed down and I let him flap his gums about his rights and other BS. He then tried to play Mr. NiceGuy by telling me about a "great spot" that I should go check out. Of course it just so happened to be about a mile down the road -- in the opposite direction. I was P***ED!!! After I got home I mapped out exactly where I was at:

Waypoints 1,3, and 6 are the property lines. Waypoint #5 is my location and #4 is the position of my bird when he drove up. As you can tell by the distances I was nowhere close to anyone's property. I went back 3 more times but I never saw him again. I was ready for anymore of his S***! I didn't bother to tell him that he was on video. Must have slipped my mind...

If you ask me, I think when people see the video taken from thousands of feet up of some building being blown to pieces they believe the camera on our birds can zoom in just as close too and nothing you can say will change their tiny little minds.

** Rant Off **

Sizzle...

 

[VegasFlyer]

For DJI is very easy to put a distance limiter in their software - maximum flight distance from the home point. Would you like such limitation?

One already exists but its use is optional.

 

[VegasFlyer]

When you make statements regarding what is legal where are you finding your information?
To be legal a helicopter has no required lowest altitude that it must be flown unless carrying passengers under FAR Part 135. For flights under FAA Part 91 the regs actually state:
(1) A helicopter may be operated at less than the minimums prescribed in paragraph (b) or (c) of this section, provided each person operating the helicopter complies with any routes or altitudes specifically prescribed for helicopters by the FAA.

Well, if we're shooting for absolute clarity:

(d) Helicopters – Helicopters may be operated at less than the minimums prescribed In paragraph (b) or (c) of this section if the operation is conducted without hazard to persons or property on the surface. In addition, each person operating a helicopter shall comply with routes or altitudes specifically prescribed for helicopters by the Administrator. Helicopter operations may be conducted below the minimum altitudes set for fixed-wing aircraft. The reason: they have unique operating characteristics, the most important of which is their ability to execute pinpoint emergency landings during power-out emergencies. Furthermore, the helicopter's increased use by law enforcement and emergency medical service agencies requires added flexibility.

https://www.faa.gov/about/office_or...re/media/FAA_Guide_to_Low-Flying_Aircraft.pdf