Sprucedeuce

I just received my issue of the May2016 Model Aviation Magazine from the AMA this afternoon and as I was giving it a quick once over I noticed on (page 57) an advertisement for the Parrot BEBOP 2, Aerial surveillance drone. On the page is a layout of seven photographs all presumably taken with the "BEBOP". Only one of the photographs appears to have been taken less than 400 feet off the ground, the rest have been taken at various altitudes all in excess of 400 feet and most certainly many many thousands of feet in altitude. In fact the photo in the upper right hand corner is in partial cloud concealment and it appears as though you can begin to see horizon curvature. I scoured the ad looking for disclaimers detailing the notifications and clearances that were obtained as well as the safety procedures that were used fly an object into airspace at the altitudes shown but I can't find any, nor can I find a paragraph or statement telling me where such information might be available for inspection. Was there an airport within 5 miles? Was Air traffic Control notified? Were there other full size aircraft in the area? I don't believe that its very responsible for the AMA to be accepting ads like this at a time when we are battling for the freedom to pursue our hobby.

JCOKEEFE

My Feedback: (2)

As far as I'm concerned, these things add NOTHING to our hobby. Many of you may disagree. Obviously, the companies who market them are a source of revenue to the AMA.

JollyPopper

My Feedback: (6)

One of the guys who flies with us and has a ton of money recently bought 40 acres of pasture land about six miles out of town to dedicate to us big boys with big boy toys. He has so far on this property a runway for fixed wing aircraft, a heli pad, an oval race track for cars, a winding course for multi rotor FPV stuff and a shooting range. When the guys get out there with their multi rotor stuff flying through the trees and gates, over hills that prevent line of sight to the drones, it is very exciting even for the spectators, like me, who are not interested in flying multi rotor stuff. These guys have a blast and are far enough away from everything that nobody is in any kind of jeopardy except us. This is using the multi rotor stuff the way God intended it to be used, and everyone has a really good time. And when they get tired of that or tear everything up, they race cars. These are all 1/5 scale stuff and go pretty fast. The track is oval but not flat. It has some pretty good hills and dips and these guys don't know how to use a throttle, so the cars spend a lot of time air borne and usually all broken by the time to go home. I understand we are very fortunate to have this place to play and not everyone is as lucky as we are, but this is how RC should be. No chance to hurt anyone except one of us but the guys fly and drive hard, usually breaking their toy before they go home and they spend the rest of the week trying to get the parts to fix the toys before next Saturday rolls around. This is the way it should be. But I also understand that many drones are flown in places they should not be flown and by people who should not be flying them. They will eventually cause the responsible ones everlasting harm.

And when everyone has torn up their cars and drones, there is always the heli pad or the fixed wing runway or the shooting range where you can burn up all the gun powder your heart desires. This long winded blurb is simply to point out that RC, including drones, can be done in a manner in which the participants can have a blast and no outsider is in any danger.

By the way, there is also a large BBQ pit in case someone is hungry.

And he is in the process of buying an adjoining 40 acres. There has been talk of a three or four acre pond to race boats on. Who knows?

tailskid

My Feedback: (34)

Sounds like a slice of heaven JollyPopper!

Sprucedeuce

Wow, that's the first thing I'd do if a chunk of money landed in my lap. Sounds wonderful, unfortunately the rest of us are having to scratch tooth and nail just to hold onto the sites we have and I'm sure that the Municipal variety will be going the way of the DoDo before too long if these new draconian regs get codified. am going to contact the Parrot co. and ask about the advertisement that I describe that's in Model Aviation Magazine. I have nothing against MR stuf other than the sh tstorm their misuse has brought down on an otherwise unmolested hobby.

DeferredDefect

Just so you know, the Bebop is capable of a few hundred -not thousands of- feet of range. It's more of a toy than most commercially available quadcopters, and I seriously doubt they were posing any kind of threat

The curvature you're seeing is just the inherent distortion from the wide angle lens of the camera.

Sprucedeuce

The Model they are showcasing in the AMA ad is called the BEBOP 2, and it has something called a WFI MIMO extended range 2 Kilometer skycontroller. Go to the magazine, page 57, LOOK AT THE AD! The Damn thing is in the clouds! and is looking waaaay down on some mountain peaks. The ad says 2 kilometer extended range.

Rob2160

Can you tell where the photos were taken? Is it possible they are of locations outside the USA?

Parrot is a French Company I beleive.

Most of the world does not have this 400 ft limit. Some countries only have it in certain areas. e.g. Australia, the 400 ft rule does not apply to 98% of the country and I can legally fly as high as I can see.

Being a USA publication though I agree it sends the wrong message to readers.

Just for fun. What do you estimate the height to be in these photos?

Rob2160

This will always be a matter of opinion and I totally respect that multicopters add nothing to your hobby.

But everybody is different and I love anything that flies. Fixed wing, helicopters and multirotors are all fun in different ways.

The variety of building, tuning and flying totally different machines has added greatly to "my" hobby.

Sprucedeuce

On the left 200 plus, the one on the right is higher I think. You have different circumstances in your country of Australia but right now we are in a fight for the existence Of RC here in the US and whether accidentally or by design people doing dumb things with MR's is putting our ability to fly anything in jeopardy.

Rob2160

Yes I am sorry to see what is happening to RC in the US. I have flown RC there many times and hope that can continue.

The photo on the left with buildings and the park was exactly 400ft. The highest building you can see is about 260 feet.

At the Marina it was 340ft - (100 meters).

porcia83

My Feedback: (8)

Ah yes, more blame for the AMA. Now they are responsible for what companies who market "drones". Why stop there though, how about the manufacturers?

Does the blame game ever stop?

porcia83

My Feedback: (8)

+1. Don't understand why people feel entitled to speak about "all" or "we" and other absolutes. It's really about "them". We have now entered the realm of total Drone/MR PC....looking at simluated pictures to criticize. I've yet to hear complaints on the car companies who's ads and drivers are speeding and "drifting" through streets here and there.

cessnaflyer54

My Feedback: (68)

I don't think i want to get the AMA magazine anymore. It keeps advertising the very thing that has gotten this hobby in the trouble it is in now. Tower Hobby is just as bad. I understand that Drones are big money, but when they will be the cause of shutting down the whole industry, nobody will be making any money. I don't think THESE GUYS in Congress know how much money this hobby generates for the economy and their pay check. They will when it's all gone.

Tiporarefun

Maybe 750' and 400'

Tiporarefun

OOppppsss, should have scrolled down......DAH

porcia83

My Feedback: (8)

Let the AMA know, or better yet donate the subscription to a local library or school.

Rob2160

Yeah the fisheye effect on the GoPro is deceiving (I never liked it) as things always look much further away.

Both times I was flying visually and could see the 50 cm quad copter very easily from the ground. Heights were verified by two separate GPS units on board.

mike1974

My Feedback: (1)

Not sure what to tell ya, other than to get used to it. People LOVE this technology and it is small, cheap and readily available. It is also getting smaller, cheaper and more available by the month. Tower Hobbies last monthly catalog had the first 15 pages (15 pages!!!) dedicated to quads and FPV. I have been flying RC for 27 years. Quads and FPV are a great part of the hobby! Not sure how one can argue otherwise, but ok. I love flying my Big Stik 40 just as much as I love flying my FPV glider and ripping my 250 fpv quad racer around.

Maybe if you tried some FPV or quad flying you would see why poeple like it so much.

Mike

CESSNA 421

My Feedback: (17)

Cessnaflyer54 stated: I don't think i want to get the AMA magazine anymore. It keeps advertising the very thing that has gotten this hobby in the trouble it is in now. Tower Hobby is just as bad. I understand that Drones are big money, but when they will be the cause of shutting down the whole industry, nobody will be making any money. I don't think THESE GUYS in Congress know how much money this hobby generates for the economy and their pay check. They will when it's all gone.

I have been trying to get my Model Aviation subscription cancelled for years for some of the reasons Cessnaflyer54 listed but the AMA will not do so.

porcia83

My Feedback: (8)

How have you tried? An e-mail or phone call should take care of that.

mike1974

My Feedback: (1)

Hey Porcia, did you get my PM?

Kevin East

My Feedback: (1)

The article headed"Going professional", bothered me more.
My thoughts are, the FAA regulates professional pilots, not pilots of model airplanes.{ I don't need
CDL's to drive my truck to work}
The AMA safety code is pretty clear on "line of sight", FPV is pretty gray in that area.
I agree with the thought that the AMA leaders are causing the problem they say they are fighting, they did the same thing with the "Park Pilot program", marketing the fly anywhere.
And yes the quads are great fun, but flying by GPS waypoints, professionally?

porcia83

My Feedback: (8)

No, lemme check!

CESSNA 421

My Feedback: (17)

I have tried both ways but they won't cancel my magazine. The AMA's suggestion was donate it to a library or reading room after I receive it. I expressed to them that I don't even want to receive it.