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Honestly... do you fly with a spotter?

JRB

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I've had a Mavic2 for a long time and recently got a new DJI FPV full kit. I love it. Really looking forward to more stick time and upping my skill.

I'm in a suburban metro area and am trying to scope ideal places to fly within a reasonable drive. I'm a lot more paranoid about flying the FPV around people as I have been with the Mavic.

The Mavic is MUCH quieter and gentle in how it flies, and I'm arguably within VLOS and completely legal. I regularly engage with people when flying the Mavic and it's always positive.

But the FPV sounds like a really loud angry hornet. I fly fast and aggressive over green spaces and try to stay away from people, but even I find the sound annoying when it's close by, and anyone that knows the law and sees me flying solo (cops or others) will know I'm breaking the law.

Is this a situation where we're all just "nudge nudge wink wink" saying we've got spotters, and that those spotters are VLOS on the drone while we're buzzing around? Or do others honestly have spotters?

When I go fly, I try and be completely be hidden/isolated when I launch and am flying. If someone sees the drone flying around, I don't want them to be able to see me as the pilot and have the opportunity to come bug me. I do my best to stay away from people. I keep an eye out from the drone, and if I spot anyone in the area that's walking towards me, I'll watch and I and do a quick landing and leave if they're coming towards me and I feel concerned.

If inclined, reply to these two questions:

  • I fly with a spotter: never, sometimes, always
  • I fly only within VLOS: always, mostly (only briefly dropping outside VLOS, maybe zipping behind a tree/structure), regularly/frequently, or do you long distance BVLOS

Please only reply if you're willing to reply honestly.

I very rarely fly with a spotter (and usually the spotter is looking at an attached Android tablet I carry, not at the drone), and I regularly/frequently fly BVLOS even if I had the spotter because I'm swooping low over trees out over a large green space typically, no ability to visually track, but always in clear/legal airspace and very few if any people around. I feel like I'm flying safely, but I'm pretty sure this is technically against the law?
 
+1
I never use a spotter, if someone is with me... they are just kickin around waiting on me.
Im always vlos, but as I get better trust in the equipment, it will likely change.
I currently live in a heavily populated urban enviroment, yet somehow... nobody to play with
 
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I "would" fly in our privately owned field without a spotter. I think many people don't fully obey all rules/regulations. People bugging you, not a great solution but you could have a sign saying you will be done in a minute and explaining the basics of what's happening (flying a drone remotely and seeing what it sees).
 
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the problem with trying to have an open discussion about this is your statements are memorialized in writing, and can be found with a Google search in the future if you find yourself under attack.

Bad idea to ever discuss breaking the law in writing.

As for spotters, of the millions of owners/pilots in the U.S., the proportion that follow the spotter rule is so vanishingly small as to be nonexistent for all practical purposes.

Further, enforcement is exceedingly rare, relative to the number of overall flights. IMO, this is one of those rules that gets used when someone is reckless, obnoxious, or basically uncivil with their behavior. Be a "good citizen" when you fly, treat others with respect, and you'll get curiosity rather than animosity from others. They won't be looking for "violations".

Me, spotter? See my signature. Personal information I don't discuss 😁
 
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the problem with trying to have an open discussion about this is your statements are memorialized in writing, and can be found with a Google search in the future if you find yourself under attack.

Bad idea to ever discuss breaking the law in writing.

As for spotters, of the millions of owners/pilots in the U.S., the proportion that follow the spotter rule is so vanishingly small as to be nonexistent for all practical purposes.

Further, enforcement is exceedingly rare, relative to the number of overall flights. IMO, this is one of those rules that gets used when someone is reckless, obnoxious, or basically uncivil with their behavior. Be a "good citizen" when you fly, treat others with respect, and you'll get curiosity rather than animosity from others. They won't be looking for "violations".

Me, spotter? See my signature. Personal information I don't discuss 😁

I hear you. I'm not young, and my profile is sufficiently anonymous that I don't fear the post being discoverable and linked to me as a real risk. I don't expect a lot of replies saying "yes, I routinely break this law" even if that's the truth for the majority of drone pilots. I honestly didn't think about it much though before I got the DJI FPV, as I was always arguably legal, even if in practice I was BVLOS. But with the FPV, if you don't have a spotter, then you're illegal the second you take off with your goggles on, until you land. That sucks. Makes me paranoid when I'm flying the DJI FPV given how LOUD it is when you're really cranking it.
 
Technically, you need a spotter (VO) when flying FPV. Do I always? No. Nor should I have to. Even the FAA is on record of this.

At the DAC meeting in July (I believe) Jay Merkel mentioned that someone needs to apply for a waiver to fly FPV w/o a VO. I did that very thing with what I thought was a well thought out set of safety mitigations. It was denied. But at least they told me why. I'll be reapplying this weekend.

The FAA needs to set rules about this. The issue is that Congress wrote the rules for the FAA, while listening very little to input from either the FAA or drone owners. Both 44809 and 107 have visual line of sight rules. And they are both over bearing and unnecessary for many FPV flights.

Hopefully this will be settled very soon.
 
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ALWAYS! he uses a jet pack which explains his ability to climb cliffs and what not.
 
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Does the reg say anything about the spotter being human?

Just askin', too lazy to look it up... 😁
 
Well, when charged, in court I'll argue the law sez what it sez... :cool:
 
A spotter is a must where I fly.
Standing blind folded in a public area?
I need the spotter to ward off muggers, pick pockets and other evil doers.
 
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I've got my 3 Rottweilers Shredder, Beelzebub, and Bloodbath to ward off any Hooligans while my goggles are on.

🤣🤣🤣🤣
 
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Came back to this thread...

Violating the law is always a risk, regardless the circumstances. A zealous administrator, prosecutor, judge has the power, legally, to nail you, if they so choose.

If they do, however, and the circumstances were harmless, they would likely be overturned on appeal. Less so more and more each year, but the increasingly overbearing nature of our Federal Government is a subject for another thread.

Most people, even LEOs, understand laws are there for the purpose of protecting the public. Not for harassing people. This is why if you're speeding on a freeway with no other cars in view, it's a near guarantee you will not be ticketed, and if you are, chances are good you'll get it thrown out.

I've had this happy outcome twice treating a stoplight like a stop sign at a broad intersection in the wee hours when the only cars around were me, and the hiding, bored cop (3am).

The officer didn't show in court for either incident, but the judge, in dismissing the ticket on the second case commented that she really wished the PD would stop wasting the court's time harassing the people they're sworn to serve.

That was a surprise 😲
 
Technically, you need a spotter (VO) when flying FPV. Do I always? No. Nor should I have to. Even the FAA is on record of this.

At the DAC meeting in July (I believe) Jay Merkel mentioned that someone needs to apply for a waiver to fly FPV w/o a VO. I did that very thing with what I thought was a well thought out set of safety mitigations. It was denied. But at least they told me why. I'll be reapplying this weekend.

The FAA needs to set rules about this. The issue is that Congress wrote the rules for the FAA, while listening very little to input from either the FAA or drone owners. Both 44809 and 107 have visual line of sight rules. And they are both over bearing and unnecessary for many FPV flights.

Hopefully this will be settled very soon.
15. The Community Owners strongly encourage users to obey all federal and local laws and regulations when flying. It is a helpful service to the community when members guide others in understanding and following the regulations. Meanwhile, fully understanding all international rules and regulations is complex and it is not the responsibility of the community owners, moderators or community members to police and enforce these rules and regulations. Any violation of another community rule, even if in the context of attempting to help enforce flying laws and regulations, is prohibited.
 
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@gfieldsr, absolutely right.

At the same time, discussing what actually occurs w.r.t. compliance doesn't constitute advice or encouragement, does it?

IMO, the spotter rule is probably the most ignored rule of all, including VLOS, at least as a proportion of the flights where it applies.

It is simply unreasonable in the extreme to expect a hobby drone pilot to be able to take a spotter a long all the time. Were such a rule even lightly enforced, it would absolutely kill FPV.

In my experience, the most important factor in safe flying is where you fly. While I'm not encouraging anyone to break rules, with the exception of altitude you can pretty much do about anything miles out in the countryside over grazing cattle without risking anything but your aircraft.

Fly FPV where it's safe to do so, and your very unlikely to hear from the FAA, even if you don't have a spotter. They really do have better things to do.
 

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