In Australia the 400 feet rule only applies in controlled airspace and we have plenty of non controlled airspace - even over capital cities.

I live less than 20 miles from Sydney International Airport yet the airspace is non controlled up to 2500 feet - I can legally fly this high with no issue. See item 7.2.1 Para (c) below (highlighted in red)

These are the rules directly from the CASA website. (our version of the FAA)

FPV is technically prohibited by para (d) below.

Many local parks prohibit model aircraft with a sign clearly displayed - I am lucky that my local council allows it. I cannot fly if there is a sporting event in progress but common sense tells you that anyway.

These rules are generic for the hobby aspect of flying RC - there are other rules for certified UAV operations

If you buy a drone from a hobby store they will likely hand you one of these brochures also that gives a quick summary of the rules.




7. MODEL AIRCRAFT SAFETY CONSIDERATIONS

7.1 Model aircraft flying - all models

7.1.1 First,
choose an unobstructed site and at all times keep a safe distance from:
(a) persons;
(b) vessels;
(c) vehicles;
(d) structures.

7.1.2 Then,
only fly:
(a) in suitable weather;
(b) with regard for any other conditions such as local bylaws;
(c) with due consideration for other people and property.

7.2 Models weighing up to 25 kg

7.2.1
Unless approval has been obtained beforehand, model aircraft should only be flown:

(a) when the weather is suitable;
(b) clear of the movement areas or runways of an aerodrome;
(c) below 400ft above ground level unless:
(i) clear of controlled airspace, and
(ii) further than 3 nautical miles from any aerodrome:
(d) within sight of the operator at all times;
(e) well clear of populous areas;
(f) at least 30m clear of persons, vessels, vehicles or structures. This can be reduced for persons behind the direction of take off. Other model operators and any assistants or officials may be within this distance; as may vessels, vehicles or structures under their control.

7.2.2
The following factors should be considered:
(a) incorporation of an appropriate ‘fail-safe’ mechanism;
(b) ensure that any load carried on the model is secure;
(c) flights must comply with any other conditions such as bylaws.

Ok Guys lets go over it again. If you think all these commercial pilots cad ID a hex let go over the math ...... Again. The plane going 161mph on a landing, the slowest it can fly, a DJI hex is a visual pin dot in the air at 200 meters, so the Commercial pilot will see the hex for the max of 71ms. Ok that means if he sees the hex as soon as the human eye could see it.

a 400 size quad the time shrinks to 46ms. So please tell me who could tell if it's a quad, bird or a
balloon. Commercial Aircraft have onboard cameras pointing to the front windows. So far no videos
has been released. If there was then the FAA would have the needed smoking gun.

So get real guys! Use the common sense God gave you.

Crash99

A lack of common sense is one of the main reasons we're at this juncture.....sadly.

What commercial planes have cameras pointing to the front windows?

I will volunteer!

These are excellent points. I think the FAA would have a hard time proving, beyond a reasonable doubt, that an airline pilot spotted a small model aircraft. Any law student (not to mention an experienced attorney) could easily discredit a pilot "witness" on the stand.

That said, if the NTSB manages to recover the remains of a quad from an aircraft turbine after it makes an emergency landing (or crashes,) the FAA and NTSB will easily create a public outcry against UAVs. The changes of a collision such as this are less than remote, but planes hit smaller birds all the time.

How do you figure that? Why would a pilot need to be discredited? Pilot reports a sighting to the tower...pilot knows his altitude, tower knows his altitude..pretty simple.

And the camera on the front of the plane catches the image too........(just kidding, still waiting to hear which planes carry cameras pointing out the windows)

Almost all of these sightings are coming from the control tower, not the pilots. I understand that there are no or almost no reports of near miss's from pilots.

Where do you get your info.....haven't seen anything to indicate the towers are reporting those.

I agree with your point 100% but I can't follow your math.

161 Mph is 260 Kph

That is 260,000 meters per hour.

That equates to 72 meters per second.

If he spots it at just 100 meters that is over 1300 milliseconds not 71ms?

Academic really because 1.3 seconds is no time to react anyway but curious how you got the 71 and 46 ms?

Here are 3 Air Plane Bird strick. Now these wer collisions and it is very difficult to see the object that the plane hits. What are the chances that a Quad can be identified that is not hit and possibly not at the same altitude. It's just a flash. Out of out of 1700 hours I had one very close call (Bird Strik) but there were others that U thought U saw some thing but weren't really sure, becausr it was just a blur in your Peripheral vision.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qzpz261mU2A

[h=1]F-16C Crash/Ejection after Bird Strike[/h]
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K1ReT4_cF2U

[h=1]Camera Captures the Moment a Bird Strikes Cockpit [/h]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=--XhLJMzRB4

Man...did that ever drive the point home. Someone needs to do something about those pesky birds just autonomously flying around mindlessly like that, especially since they out number all remotely controlled models by a factor of millions or billions.

Gosh that would be a great point to drive home if only the comparisons were similar.

When did F-16's get digital voices that sound British? Gear knockdown....ha!

That particular videos has been poorly edited to make it appear to be a F-16, it's actually a British Hawk Trainer, accident was back in 2004 I believe. Still just as scary though.

uuuhhh crash,
i regularly fly my 900 mm Y-6 multi out to distances greater than 200 yards. i do not use FPV, line of sight only, and it is NOT at all hard to maintain orientation on it.
the smallest DJI hex is 800 mm, so ya might be a bit off on yer estimation of distance at which it can be made out.

Crash,
I don't know where you are getting your information but that is just not true for commercial aircraft, at least not at this time and it is certainly not a requirement for private aircraft.

http://usgovinfo.about.com/od/techno...ockpitcams.htm

Frank

Yeah, no video of cockpit or outside. But I have wondered why it is not a requirement for video that is recorded in the black box. Seems such a thing would have cleared up a lot of past mysteries, don't you think?

http://youtu.be/LfslRFhBItk wonder if they needed an exception to the NOTAM to fly in a congressional hearing?

I was told that I kicked the slats out of my crib the first time I heard tho old canard.

That was a horrific display of inconsideration of human life... Oh, wait...what was I thinking??? I guess I've become slightly brainwashed hanging out here. Oh well...

More bad news.

http://time.com/3678147/drone-meth-mexico/



Mike

You know after all the talk about Amazon using them for deliveries it dawned on me a few months ago that drugs were probably the thing that would be most feasible to deliver by drone.

Being on the border here in El Paso the "how much weight can it carry" question by "questionable" looking individuals is asked way to often.

Mike

I think for all public officials Especially the elected ones like the president VP and all of congress and their aids and white house staff be required to where self recording equipment that can be reviewed by any US citizen at any time anywhere. ie NO PRIVACY FOR ELECTED OFFICIALS. Fat chance of that but that's what they want for every one else.

Sporty:
Maybe every automobile and truck should be equipped with video and voice recorders and black boxes. Better yet all be equipped with GPS trackers so the vehicle reports any violations that a driver commits and assigns points to their License as needed.


"CAREFUL BIG BROTHER IS WATCHING"

Sporty, "GPS TRACKER" Progressive insurance already has this. It is an item you use in your car to track your movements to justify the mileage driven per month/year you report on your application for insurance.