ORIGINAL: hook57
ORIGINAL: shannah
I should add in the definition for sUAS the capability of autonomous flight. Any of the capabilities (autonomous flight, sensors, cameras, external data communication would mean you are not operating a model.
That has all ready been spelled out in pretty much all of the documents available Shannah. When it comes down to two identical aircraft (sUAS), unique or not, how do you determine whether one is a ''model aircraft'' or a ''sUAS''? In my view it makes sense to ask what the intended purpose (use) of each is. Once the term commercial, surveillance, NAS, or cooperative aircraft come into the mix then the term model is not applicable. Just one way to look at it.
Mark
My point was that any aircraft which has a camera, or sensors, or autopilot or any equipment which transmits information from the airplane or allows information gathered external to the airplane to be downloaded is, by this definition, a sUAS. If a model has a camera, its a sUAS and must comply with the regs. If a model gathers outside air temp information and stores it in local flash memory then its a sUAS. If a model has an onboard RPM and battery voltage data logger then its a model, not a sUAS because it is only collecting information internal to the model. That is the definition which I was putting forth. By this definition it would be unfavorable for the guys flying with their taped on cameras, and for the glider guys containing thermal sensor transmitters. But at least it is quite clear. You would instantly know if something is a sUAS or a model.....