POLL: Who flies beyond VLOS?

[Russ43Phantom]

Within VLOS, you lose your ability to see altitude, distance from other obstacles, YAW, and many other kinds of information needed for safe flying. Maybe when you get a VR camera and sensitive microphone you can act as though you are in your own aircraft ... but that is not now.

So safety is reason 1 to stay well within VLOS. Reason 2 is the cost of your drone. When flying at the drone's technological limit, your chance of fly-aways and battery shut-downs goes up as does the likely hood of a crash into an obstacle or the ground.

Reason 3 is our love of freedom when flying drones. Rules, regulations, and built-in technological GPS limits will soon, in a negative way, impact our freedom as drone pilots.

 

[Russ43Phantom]

I would not wanting to be piloting a plane though the narrow ravines and valleys where I live beneath the clouds. VLOS won't help.

In a recent trip to Alaska, small aircraft, with tourists aboard, routinely fly under the cloud layer and down long narrow valleys. During the flight, clouds move, rise up, and drift down. If you are flying beyond VLOS, you have no idea of the local cloud cover situation.

 

[blackcrusader]

In a recent trip to Alaska, small aircraft, with tourists aboard, routinely fly under the cloud layer and down long narrow valleys. During the flight, clouds move, rise up, and drift down. If you are flying beyond VLOS, you have no idea of the local cloud cover situation.

Well as I wrote, there are no private planes allowed in Taiwan, so there are no small aircraft with tourists aboard. The only aircraft is my drone in my valley, and sometimes I have a friend who brings his drone.

We make sure to pass each other on our many flights together. Watch to the end. I could VLOS his drone from over a mile from home point glistening in the sunrise.

 

[heavens above]

Every now and then I'll fly BVLOS and at night. I live in a semi rural area in Ventura County which is in California. I will carefully plan it out, setting way points to a few areas and my return area.I love this kind of flying and I do believe it makes me a better pilot. The key to this kind of flying is proper planning and perfect conditions.

 

[Prowler]

I always fly BVOLS and over homes, cars, people, animals, ect. I live in city with trees and 2 story homes surrounding me, so I have to fly via screen or I could never have any fun. I have two big antenna on top of house with two 35 db boosters hooked up. So I fly far in city.

 

[dgd3]

We all know FAA guidelines say we're all supposed to fly within VLOS (cannot use binoculars), which is usually 1500' at best to see our drones, maybe more with a black Inspire. But we have the ability to fly over 2mi away in most areas with the latest Lightbridge, and even with older Lightbridge (2015) 2 to 3mi is possible with Windsurfer.

That's why I fly, to expand my immediate view and enjoy FPV as far out as I can go.

 

[Russ43Phantom]

Well as I wrote, there are no private planes allowed in Taiwan, so there are no small aircraft with tourists aboard. The only aircraft is my drone in my valley, and sometimes I have a friend who brings his drone.

We make sure to pass each other on our many flights together. Watch to the end. I could VLOS his drone from over a mile from home point glistening in the sunrise.

Consider yourself very fortunate. I just returned from being turned down for drone flying in two national forests. To get around the FAA rulings, their local ordinance is no taking off or landing in their park. I did get the name of the senior authority for each park and hope, as in the past, to get specific permission for a time and date. But ... it can be frustrating. Especially this time of year when there are very few guests in the parks in NH. I also got a topographical map so that I can discuss several areas I'd like to schedule for specific photographs. Such effort!

 

[wa5tef]

Well, due to DJI DO constantly crashing, I switched to Litchi and fly mostly waypoint missions. I am surrounded by agricultural land with few interesting targets nearby. I also have a high voltage transmission line about 600 yards north of my takeoff point. Is I fly north, I have to go very high to clear the towers and power lines and there is an interesting creek crossing about a mile north of me plus old deserted farm structures that always need investigating. Then to the northwest is a shooting range just in my Phantom 4 range. I have not flown the shooting range target yet but with Litchi and the video I feel I am fully in control even though the drone is far out of sight! Also with Litchi's map of my area I feel I could quickly locate my drone should it go down during one of these beyond the VLOS missions. I would suppose if I lived in a city I would be very handicapped in flying LIS so I am lucky to be out in the sticks!
Jim
WA5TEF

 

[blackcrusader]

Consider yourself very fortunate.

I certainly do. Also I do live in an area where I do not fly over people or people's homes too much. I am lucky I fly in the mountains and National Parks where we are allowed to fly. I don't ever think about droning over a city area or where people are as they are not really what I want to film. I am lucky to live in the mountains at altitudes that give me access to some great areas to fly. I certainly appreciate the fact that we can fly with common sense. If I was to go to Taipei City there is a 60m AGL and several areas where you cannot drone. It's not that we do not have rules about where we can fly. By the way, fly near a military base here, they will shoot down your drone. No messing about.

 

[tevek]

That's fun mate. You must be from England haha.

Do you post any videos from down under?

Haven't as yet but I'm heading to the beach this week and might scrape something together and make all the city folk jealous. They deserve all the stick that we can dish out....

 

[Wibble]

I fly in huge open spaces - my record is 3 miles out with an unmodified P3P. The line of sight rules came out in the days when I used to fly RC planes. Nobody ever dreamt of this technology(except me) which is why we have such outdated rules. I know for a fact my P3P is far safer than some of the RC stuff I used to build and fly! Common sense is what it needs.

 

[skyacramer]

I've only gone beyond once with my P3S and it was fine, I wasn't....

 

[Ed Bradford]

I thought VLOS was about if I could see my drone. If there is nothing blocking the view, why would a flight be in conflict with FAA rules? Someone said 'no binoculars '. Is that in the FAA rules?

 

[ArmyVet]

Haven't as yet but I'm heading to the beach this week and might scrape something together and make all the city folk jealous. They deserve all the stick that we can dish out....

Have fun, look forward to seeing vids!

 

[FlashBuddy]

I thought VLOS was about if I could see my drone. If there is nothing blocking the view, why would a flight be in conflict with FAA rules? Someone said 'no binoculars '. Is that in the FAA rules?

No, not the rule. FAA says you can use binoculars, but not exclusively; rather for "see and avoid".

First few times since weather got nice enough to fly, , over farm fields to an old tower located on a derelict steel plant. Hardly a soul within 10-12 miles, an outstanding area to fly for now.
I;ve just flown back manually, following the mission as shown on litchi screen.
Only drawback are those darn ultra-light guys, who seem to fly at 100' or so

 

[John Locke]

Someone said 'no binoculars '. Is that in the FAA rules?

Yes, visual line is defined as being able to be seen unassisted without binoculars, telescope, monocular, etc. Only prescription eyeglasses are acceptable assistance in the FAA's definition of VLOS.

 

[skyacramer]

Yeah I need these to see [emoji437] there just my glasses

 

[A.L.E.X]

If DJI really cared about people flying beyond VLOS, they would put a distance limit in the app. If the FAA cared about it, they would force DJI to put a limit in the app. Bottom line is, most drones are designed to safely go beyond VLOS (hence RTH, 7km range etc.).

 

[stones]

If DJI really cared about people flying beyond VLOS, they would put a distance limit in the app. If the FAA cared about it, they would force DJI to put a limit in the app. Bottom line is, most drones are designed to safely go beyond VLOS (hence RTH, 7km range etc.).

I said something to this effect in another thread and was told that "just because the AC can do this, doesn't mean you should". I tend to agree with your thinking more than I believe the latter opinion. In the future, I think they will limit the distance by default, just to keep the peace, so to say.

 

[JB999]

We all know FAA guidelines say we're all supposed to fly within VLOS (cannot use binoculars), which is usually 1500' at best to see our drones, maybe more with a black Inspire. But we have the ability to fly over 2mi away in most areas with the latest Lightbridge, and even with older Lightbridge (2015) 2 to 3mi is possible with Windsurfer.

Let's just once an for all conclude that flying FPV (with goggles) is by far a safer way to fly then the ridiculous VLOS. At a few hundred meters you have no idea of you alltitude, direction, distance to home or to objects.
I would never try to fly VLOS further then perhaps 100 meters, it would be risking too much.
Cheers