Seeing a Drone from an aircraft in a real world application

Here is the problem that makes the experiment and message difficult to understand. Perspective aside, assuming the first two statement are true AND the second two statements are also true, the experiment says nothing about the visibility of drones since by the experimenter's own statement, he would not expect the pilots to be aware of the drones since they were above the pilot's focus line.

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The message itself, be aware of and careful around low flying aircraft is immensely important BUT the vehicle used to educate the public seems to be flawed.
 
........... he would not expect the pilots to be aware of the drones since they were above the pilot's focus line.............


Huh?

The pilots knew there was going to be a drone out there... somewhere.... in one of the fields. And that it would be flying below him.
 
Huh?

The pilots knew there was going to be a drone out there... somewhere.... in one of the fields. And that it would be flying below him.


OK now I get it..... They are saying it is more difficult to pick out a drone flying below you with the cluttered ground as a backdrop than it is to pick out a drone flying above you with the clear sky above you.

Not sure I agree with the premise but I understand.
 
I'm thinking maybe it's easier to see a drone against the ground than against the sky.
 
I'm thinking maybe it's easier to see a drone against the ground than against the sky.

That's what I meant when I said I don't agree with the premise. White drone against brown and green ground much more contrast.
 
That's what I meant when I said I don't agree with the premise. White drone against brown and green ground much more contrast.

True. But it doesn't look like a phantom in some of the scenes used in the video. A black drone may be hard to spot against the ground, but easy against the sky.
 
btw .. no-one ever shot frozen birds at anything.
Why would they?
It is a myth that started as a joke.

I assume you are kidding but if not please see the following:
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I assume you are kidding but if not please see the following:
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Ya beat me to it! :D
 
The statement "thaw your chickens" may indeed be an urban legend HOWEVER the results of the Mythbusters' experiments follow.

"After firing both frozen and thawed chickens at Piper Cherokee windshields and later at a metal plate with a high-speed camera (to measure time of impact), they declared the myth busted, but later overturned their verdict and confirmed the myth when they found that frozen chickens still penetrated further."

I guess you feel that the Mythbusters are not "serious researchers".

Why is any of this important? Because a LiPo battery is closer to the consistency of a frozen chicken than it is to a thawed chicken.

My $.02
 
Imagine the damage a frozen LiPo would do.

Be sure and thaw your batteries, people.
 
The comparison of a Phantom to frozen & thawed chickens is meaningless.

Once the NTSB picks the pieces of a drone out of the engine from a passenger airliner, we're gonna be up a chit creek without a paddle.
 
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I live in the US near the border with Mexico. There is an Army station nearby that fly helicopters at low altitudes over my property all the time. I always listen before flying my drone. I have also been in small planes and helicopters and know you can't see other airplanes while in the air. Good video and important message!
 
I'm thinking maybe it's easier to see a drone against the ground than against the sky.
When flying my Cessna and the tower or center calls out a traffic alert, I spot the other aircraft above me within seconds. If the alert is below me, I only actually see it half of the time. And that is Cessna or Piper sized aircraft that I am looking for.
 
If I was in the unfortunate position of being deaf I wouldn't fly a "drone". When I hear an aircraft, even at 1000 or more feet, I just make sure I go away from their heading. Eyes only? I couldn't imagine how to do that.
 

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