POLL: Who flies beyond VLOS?
- Thread starter John Locke
- Start date
Seeing my Phantom beyond 1500' is difficult for me, but if I could install super bright LED strobe array, with a parabolic reflector pointing to the rear, I could likely keep track of it much farther as it flies away from me. So I wonder if seeing my drone light blink, when oriented flying away is acceptable in the FAA's mind, for being visible, and within their guidelines. If the answer is yes, then maybe DJI could consider this feature in future designs, since the cost and weight of including this feature isn't very much. I can just imagine, a miniature light bar in the back with 4 CREE super bright XM-LT6 LEDs, built into the battery housing. If they blinked very 5 seconds when the craft is more than 1000' away from the pilot, I don't think that would impact battery life much. Something like this below, but omitting the sharp edges. This is just an illustration of the concept.
This might come in handy for finding a lost craft at night also, detecting a crash and automatically blinking every 5 seconds.
This might come in handy for finding a lost craft at night also, detecting a crash and automatically blinking every 5 seconds.
Last edited:
lol.....
Remember this peeps. No matter how safe you THINK it is to fly BVLOS, when the turd hits the fan, YOU and only YOU are going to be held responsible for ALL damages occurred. Even those of you below 400 feet. Any near miss or crash between a human piloted craft and a UAV will automatically fall on the UAV pilot. Even if your in the middle of the desert @ 100 feet.
And this is not an assumption....
Remember this peeps. No matter how safe you THINK it is to fly BVLOS, when the turd hits the fan, YOU and only YOU are going to be held responsible for ALL damages occurred. Even those of you below 400 feet. Any near miss or crash between a human piloted craft and a UAV will automatically fall on the UAV pilot. Even if your in the middle of the desert @ 100 feet.
And this is not an assumption....
It is important to note that vlos is so varied and the rules usefulness is questionable in many instances. For example, if you are flying at 250' above ground level and are about 300' away, and you fly towards the sunset, if you are blinded when trying to look at your bird but can see through the camera because you can turn down exposure...
Does that mean you lost VLOS? since you can NO longer see the bird? Must you RTH?
What about bad eyesight? Does that mean you can only fly 100' away?
IDK but having VLOS doesn't guarantee safety.
Does that mean you lost VLOS? since you can NO longer see the bird? Must you RTH?
What about bad eyesight? Does that mean you can only fly 100' away?
IDK but having VLOS doesn't guarantee safety.
Yes that is exactly what it means, you've lost VLOS and need to take immediate action to regain VLOS, per FAA rules. Bad eyesight is allowed to be corrected using eyeglasses or contact lenses, also per FAA rules.
Let me add this to the pot. There are rules and regulations and there is RESPONSIBILITY. Imho, responsibility takes precedence, period. You can follow the rules all day long but, once you're not responsible for your own actions, that is where the trouble really begins. I'm not saying to not follow the rules, just use common sense and know your actions have a consequence.
I think you are getting total distance traveled confused with distance away from remote controller. What I am seeing here is you travel half of 3.6 miles away and then back to you. Looks like by your flight record here you traveled 1.8 miles there and 1.8 back.
- Joined
- Feb 10, 2017
- Messages
- 291
- Reaction score
- 126
- Age
- 64
Yup some people get confused with distance and total mileage for a flight. This is from my P3S using Argtek Antenna.
- Joined
- Sep 7, 2016
- Messages
- 33
- Reaction score
- 23
- Age
- 65
captainmilehigh
Premium Pilot
- Joined
- Sep 7, 2016
- Messages
- 33
- Reaction score
- 23
- Age
- 65
This is what common sense tells you, but as you can see....
People are more concerned with how cool they look while drinking their favorite beverage.
This is what common sense tells you, but as you can see....
People are more concerned with how cool they look while drinking their favorite beverage.
Coke [emoji837] or Pepsi [emoji838] ?
dirkclod
Premium Pilot
- Joined
- Sep 7, 2016
- Messages
- 33
- Reaction score
- 23
- Age
- 65
When I am outside the USA and in a Country without similar FAA rules I DO fly beyond VLOS.
But I still keep the drone within my field of vision even when I can't see it, but knowing where it is via telemetry. I only do this over ocean, lakes or a land area that can give me that wide field of view. That way if I see any full sized traffic coming into my field of vision I can take evasive action.
So the short answer is yes.
“Never write if you can speak; never speak if you can nod; never nod if you can wink”.
But I still keep the drone within my field of vision even when I can't see it, but knowing where it is via telemetry. I only do this over ocean, lakes or a land area that can give me that wide field of view. That way if I see any full sized traffic coming into my field of vision I can take evasive action.
So the short answer is yes.
“Never write if you can speak; never speak if you can nod; never nod if you can wink”.
Last edited:
If you can see your drone at 1500 feet, that is truly amazing! I have 20/20 corrected vision and that is impossible for me. I might be able to see the lights (barely) but could not verify orientation alone
