AMA and Multirotors

[WMcNabb]

Simple question for the groups' consideration...

In the full scale aviation world, minimum safe altitudes are defined for aircraft and helicopters under FAR Part 91. If you will allow me to paraphrase....with the exception of takeoff and landing, the minimum altitude in a congested area is 1,000 ft above the highest obstacle within a 2,000 ft horizontal distance. In other than congested, the minimum is 500 ft above and 500 ft horizontal. Additionally, airspeed is limited to 250 kts. below 10,ooo ft.

This seems to open an envelope of airspace which is not governed by the FAA and should not conflict with full scale aircraft.

If the above makes sense, then why would anyone propose a private pilot's license as a requirement to operate a multirotor, commercially or not? Would it not be possible to complete a filming mission within a confined space?

Also common sense and self certification apply to full scale which presents greater risk than aero modeling - giant scale, multirotor, FPV, turbine, etc., and certainly should be applicable here as well.

 

[njswede]

Gents help me out here, what is the difference (dumb it down for me) between Commercial and "LIGHT" Commercial?

@njswede could I get your reply to post #116

@bigblueswope I've been trying to get some numbers from AMA for some time now, could I get you to see if you could get AMA to provide these numbers. I'm not sure why these numbers are a super secret.

1) Total # full paying members
2)Total # parkflyer paying members
3) Total # Free members ( Kids or students )
4) Total # members who attended AMA meeting at Nall for 2013 and 2014.

Ehm... Sure. I've been away dealing with a bit of a family emergency, so I haven't been able to check in here for a while. But I agree with you for the most part. What I REALLY have a problem with is being lumped together with all the morons flying FPV under the Brooklyn Bridge and other places where it's definitely a bad idea.

I recommend having a really shitty health-related family emergency every once in a while. It makes drones and RC-related issues seem a lot smaller...

 

[ChickenBalls]

Ehm... Sure. I've been away dealing with a bit of a family emergency, so I haven't been able to check in here for a while. But I agree with you for the most part. What I REALLY have a problem with is being lumped together with all the morons flying FPV under the Brooklyn Bridge and other places where it's definitely a bad idea.

I recommend having a really shitty health-related family emergency every once in a while. It makes drones and RC-related issues seem a lot smaller...

@njswede I hope everything works out, and things get back to normal quickly. This past week an half, my wife and I been traveling 4 hour round trips daily to Baptist for her mother.

 

[combat chicken]

Ehm... Sure. I've been away dealing with a bit of a family emergency, so I haven't been able to check in here for a while. But I agree with you for the most part. What I REALLY have a problem with is being lumped together with all the morons flying FPV under the Brooklyn Bridge and other places where it's definitely a bad idea.

I recommend having a really shitty health-related family emergency every once in a while. It makes drones and RC-related issues seem a lot smaller...

Hope everything turns out well for you family.

 

[Bartman]

Simple question for the groups' consideration...

In the full scale aviation world, minimum safe altitudes are defined for aircraft and helicopters under FAR Part 91. If you will allow me to paraphrase....with the exception of takeoff and landing, the minimum altitude in a congested area is 1,000 ft above the highest obstacle within a 2,000 ft horizontal distance. In other than congested, the minimum is 500 ft above and 500 ft horizontal. Additionally, airspeed is limited to 250 kts. below 10,ooo ft.

This seems to open an envelope of airspace which is not governed by the FAA and should not conflict with full scale aircraft.

If the above makes sense, then why would anyone propose a private pilot's license as a requirement to operate a multirotor, commercially or not? Would it not be possible to complete a filming mission within a confined space?

Also common sense and self certification apply to full scale which presents greater risk than aero modeling - giant scale, multirotor, FPV, turbine, etc., and certainly should be applicable here as well.

those altitudes are correct but the regs go further to say that in other areas minimum safe altitude is the altitude that allows to you make a safe landing in the event of power loss. so with that even 100' or 200' could be deemed safe provided a landing could be made.

also, a big thing to keep in mind is that helicopters have airways and different rules allowing them to operate lower than 500' in most areas.

it's complicated, i like the rule i heard somewhere that the sUAS stuff needs to stay below the tops of man-made structures in the immediate vicinity, that seems to make the most sense and still lets the business activity happen.

 

[BarracudaHockey]

We fly float planes (foamies, not the one in my profile picture!) within the 5mi circle of a business airport BUT we religiously stay below the tree line and power line height and have never had a problem. One idiot flying something bigger and higher out of the parking lot got a visit from the local PD but he was flying too high and spooked a guy in a Piper.

The next time we were out there and the cop showed up, watched a while and said if we stayed below the power lines he had no plans on hassling us.

 

[njswede]

Hope everything turns out well for you family.

Thanks! My 7 y/o son got diagnosed with type 1 diabetes. It was quite a shock, but once we got into the new routine, things have been going really well. The kid is a trooper. Back on topic...

 

[CatalinaWOW]

This may be the only hope on this topic--an outbreak of common sense.

 

[Do-rag]

Saw this in an add on non R/C website yesterday.

 

[Islandflyer]

Digging a bigger hole for us all!