Phantom 3 Drone Photos
 

OK, I know this category is for webcams, but I figured this was close enough. Had a lot of fun with our new toy this weekend (Phantom 3 drone). Grabbed some amazing photos. Thought I would share here.

First and second one is 200 feet above Smith's cove in Moultonborough. That's our boat in the second one. Third one is our house from 150 feet.

The message board reduced the size of the photos drastically. The higher resolution ones are even better. Enjoy.

Thanks for sharing. I'll bet you get some awesome photos during the foliage season!

Was just thinking how nice it would be to have a picture like this of our cove--if you, or someone else with a drone, is interested in doing it for a case of beer or something, please PM me!

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Awesome shots! Were these taken with the camera they option on the Phantom or a Gopro/other camera mounted on the gimbal?

Wow, you guys have a lot of rocks to navigate around. Drone photos really bring out the underwater layout. Nice.

Cool!
 

When the less humid, clearer weather arrives, you should put on your hiking boots and come visit me on Rattlesnake Island. I'll take you to the top where you can take some high, unobstructed pictures of the Lakes Region. :D Guessing it shouldn't be a windy day. ;)

Leaving Paugus Bay on Saturday around 2:30 we had a white drone following our boat, it was pretty impressive how well they were able to keep up and follow the boat, they stayed with us for a good minute or so. Would love to see the footage they got of us!!!

Mt shots from a drone
 

My cousin dropped by back in June and brought his drone. Here are a couple of the Mt when it came by.

Here's a photo of Varney Point I took over Labor Day weekend.

http://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/15/09...7e531037e7.jpg


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Speaking of drones, here's some nice video of Wolfeboro:

<iframe src="https://player.vimeo.com/video/132043834" width="500" height="281" frameborder="0" webkitallowfullscreen mozallowfullscreen allowfullscreen></iframe>

Thank You Don...
 

For sharing this Wonderful video!! I even loved the music!!

What a fabulous and peacefull video.:D

Fantastic!!
 

Awesome video Don!! Loved the music too!!

Thanks for sharing that!!

Dan

Thanks! They were taken by the STANDARD Phantom 3 camera which is amazing. Shoots 2k video and very high res pictures.

Cruising video from 200 feet high
 

https://youtu.be/Fa9BwYqxK-Q

Used the drone in GPS "follow me" mode during a boat ride today. Thought I would share the resulting video here. Awesome.

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Fa9BwYqxK-Q" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Incredible footage!

Just curious, how fast can you go approximately in the boat when in the follow me mode??

Thanks!!

dan

Hi Dan. Only about 15 mph before it starts getting behind. Plus I was very careful. Didn't want it to end up in the lake!


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Hanson Cove and surrounding area, Here you go. Enjoy!

These are GREAT! Heading to a campfire right now and will be sure to share with my fellow Arcadians.

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That was really cool, and you picked one of my all time favorite songs, all time favorite version! Thank you for sharing. Makes me homesick for the lake!

Gotta love the drone images, they are spectacular!

So, what's the elevation of the drone-camera for the last photos......is there a standard flying elevation for flying a drone like this over the lake.....and does the operator need to keep a line-of-sight with the drone....or can it be flown remotely from, say for example, one mile away?

The maximum elevation allowed by the FAA is 400 feet. I was about 175 feet up for these photos. It is always highly recommend to keep a line of sight with the drone for safety. However, it can be flown up to 1 mile away. I have a live view of the camera on my tablet and GPS coordinates and a map of where it is. Pilot just needs to be sure it is high enough to avoid obstacles like trees or buildings. Also, if it loses contact with the remote, it automatically returns to the point where you took off, at a predetermined height that you can configure.


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I was sitting in Cate Park watching the band that night when you filmed that with your drone. I think you hovered over a patrol boat for quite a while. I wondered if they would be unhappy about that??? It was fun to watch. I took pictures of your drone.

That wasn't me who posted the Wolfeboro video lol. I'm not experienced enough to try it that close to people yet :)


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Oh sorry, I thought you meant it was you. I did see the guy go after it at one point and he didn't look like you but thought maybe he was helping you out.

So... I did post all the pictures and the boating video above - from my drone. I didn't do the sophisticated Wolfeboro one. Credit goes to webmaster for that one I think.

I am looking to get a drone, first timer. What do you suggest?

It looks like the Phantom 3's have a few different camera options.

I have the Phantom 3 Standard, which is their entry-level model. It comes with absolutely everything you need (camera with 2K video, etc), and they just dropped the price from $799 to $699.

The Phantom 3 Advanced sells from $999, has a better remote control and about double the range (1.5 miles or so instead of 0.75 miles or so). The remote control also has some nicer features on it.

It's a tough call. I paid $800 for the standard, but if I had to do it again, I would have gotten the advanced for the extra $200. But now the Standard is only $700 so.... I would get the Standard for $700. If you love it and want to step up - you can always sell it and upgrade.

The nice thing is they both have all the same features and same video/photo resolution for the most part. The biggest difference is the range/distance - and some bells and whistles on the remote. Hope this helps. DJI's website has some great videos and descriptions of the differences.

I can't take credit. Someone named "Waterfront Agent" posted that video on Vimeo. I just embedded it in my post.

Some nice leaf-peeping photos this past weekend.http://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/15/10...050833e5ff.jpghttp://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/15/10...f83db56184.jpghttp://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/15/10...c4a4360187.jpg


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on the top of my Christmas list!
 

That just looks like too much fun, soooo jealous!!

Please Santa, bring me one for Christmas!!!

(but until then still enjoying this beautiful weather at the lake) -PIG

Lots of Fun!
 

Thanks to mas1992bc and the beautiful photos and videos he took with his Phantom drone, I just had to go out and get myself one!!

They are definitely a lot of fun and once you get by the learning curve and all the techy "updating firmware" downloads, etc, etc, you can certainly take some beautiful videos!! I am still learning all the features of the Phantom 3 as I am a slow learner when it comes to this stuff!!

Dan

MAS1992bc ........ my wife begs you -PLEASE stop posting those awesome shots ....

Every time you post, Phantom raises a drone higher up on his list of "Toys needed to play with" !! :D



Love the shots .......... is it as easy to operate as all the you tubes indicate?

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Haha! Yes, they are super easy to operate. However, I highly recommend you watch all the instructional videos if you decide to get one. You will want to know how to use all the features properly, and follow the proper safety guidelines. Also, there are lots of FAA regulations - like you can't fly within 5 miles of a major airport, etc. Feel free to reach out to me with any questions. We can have a Phantom flying party at the lake!

Mike

Is the Phantom 3 a go pro company. I can't understand why the go pro stock is down 60% when they produce such a great product.

Sounds Good!
 

I'm up for that!!

Dan

New Camera Not Selling
 

I believe GoPro stock is down because their newest release of their camera is not selling well and they dropped the price by $100 already. Also read that their traditional market of young enthusiasts is somewhat saturated and they are having issues selling beyond that demographic.

Rot Roh ...... I knew there was height regulations but now you just splashed COLD water on my hopes (Phantom will DEFINATELY not show this post to the wife) as our Condo is essentially in the shadows of Laconia Regional Airport !

Is there a website with all the rules & regulations or do you have to hunt around and get the info piece meal ?


.

DJI (who creates the Phantom) and GoPro are different companies. DJI's Phantoms comes with built in cameras - or you can attach your own GoPro camera to some of them as well

Well, the FAA regulations are very old, and congress has actually given the FAA a deadline of September 2015 to finalize their new guidelines (a deadline which they have already missed). The FAA needs to act VERY quickly.

http://qz.com/516790/the-faa-expects...egal-they-are/

The new guidelines are much better for the consumer but not in effect yet. There is a LOT of confusion and controversy around this topic. Take a look at these 2 pubications/articles. Remember you could just drive a few miles away from your condo so you are safely away from the airport. Also, I'm not sure Laconia regional would qualify as a "no-fly" zone. Here is a link to the "current" guidelines, but you'll find lots of "interpretations" of their legal authority if you search for opinion articles.

https://www.faa.gov/uas/model_aircraft/

I usually look for the top of a hill with a good view over the lake and launch from there. The DJI Phantoms are programmed to not go higher than 400 feet from where you launch in the US. But of course you can launch from the top of a 400 foot hill and then fly over the lake - and then you are 800 feet up :-).

So, the lake lover in me loves these pictures and unique new perspectives on the area I live in and love. The engineer/geek in me loves the technical aspects and would really like to play with one of these for awhile. But the private individual in me worries about where all this is going.

We had some renters in a house down the shore from us this summer. They had a drone. I have to admit that I found it quite disconcerting and invasive when it came hovering over our dock area and "watched" us for awhile (twice!). I'm sure it was innocent but it felt weird and violating all the same.

I don't have an answer to what to do about it, but I do believe that some new type of regulations will need to be developed as to who, how, and when these things can be used.

Sorry if this hijacks a a thread to be just about pictures and fun. Please feel free to move and start a new thread if needed.

The new gopro model is garbage in my opinion. I have owned most of them from the Hero original to this new Hero Session. The session is for people who "need" it to be that small. The video quality is subpar in compared to the Hero 3, 4 silver or black.

I want to get into drones badly however I bought a cheap one $89.99 to play with and now there is one hanging about 85 feet in a tree behind my house. I'm sure you can guess how it got there. I did hear the phantoms are much easier to fly and you can actually take your hands off the control and it will just hover right?

Laconia is not a towered airport. The software you use restricts 'blacked out' areas around airports. Laconia does not have that restriction on the app (due to reason above) and works fine in that area. There are plenty of low flying craft in that area, so you need to be careful and always fly line of sight.

I got the Phantom 3 professional after I saw a renter with a DJI Inspire 1 (same company, different drones, different price points). My wife (read: accounts payable dept) saw it and immediately green lighted the purchase. It's a cool toy that combines many hobbies - R/C aircraft and photography/videography.

As far as the intrusive nature of the drones - they do NOT have zoom on the cameras. I'd have to be flying directly overhead and close to get 'improper' footage (disclaimer: not why I bought a drone) and you'll certainly hear my drone before you even see it.

That is correct. You center the controls and it will hover in place (in GPS mode). The professional comes with lightbridge - which sends video back to a phone or tablet running the software with little to no lag - so you can watch your flightpath/images directly on the screen mounted to the controller. Pretty cool technology.

The P3 Advanced ($999) also comes with Lightbridge for extended range (2+ miles). Worth it to pay the extra $300 over the standard ("only" half mile range) if you are going to get into the hobby seriously. That being said, the P3 standard at $699 is a fantastic deal.

Merrymeeting,

You are absolutely right, and that's how lots of people feel. Because I really love the hobby and the photography, I go out of my way to explain how it works to people, and I also go out of my way to be respectful of people's privacy. I don't want a few irresponsible people out there to ruin the hobby for the rest of us who are trying to follow the rules.

For example, I wanted to so some pictures/filming at a local golf course. Instead of just flying, I first went into the club house and got permission and showed them what I would be doing (and offered to share the media). They REALLY appreciated me checking with them first, and allowed me to take whatever pictures and video I wanted to take.

As for neighbors, I try to alert my neighbors as well, and show them and explain my purpose (NOT to spy on people). A lot of people don't realize that once you get 100 feet up, since these cameras (at least my camera) do NOT have zoom capabilities, so you can't see anything meaningful that high anyways (unless you are buzzing 20 feet away from someone's face - which is obviously not cool).

It will be VERY interesting to see how this technology unfolds. Until then, I will continue to post pictures and videos here - and I hope you all continue to enjoy them!

Thanks for the thoughtful post!

Mike

Back to the Pics!
 

Sorry for all the posts, but after all the "drone" discussion, I felt compelled to share one of my favorite pictures I got of my kids and friends on the waverunner.

Very neat. However, these are inexpensive so what happens when there are 20 of them flying around Wolfeboro Bay, or a similar venue, on a hot summer night? It will be interesting to watch this unfold.

For those concerned with privacy and security:

http://www.alloutdoor.com/2015/10/16...ingle-bullet/#

And you will find yourself in a lot of trouble with the FCC.

Jamming devices are radio frequency transmitters that intentionally block, jam, or interfere with lawful communications, such as cell phone calls, text messages, GPS systems, and Wi-Fi networks.

Jammers are illegal to market, sell, or use in the United States.
A single violation of the jamming prohibition can result in tens of thousands of dollars in monetary penalties, seizure of the illegal device, and imprisonment.

Source: http://www.gps.gov/spectrum/jamming/

And an out of control drone would be a physical danger to all within it's flight range.

First I want to thank the OP for many beautiful videos. Yes, these drones have good purposes. I have several large tracts of land that are hard to get to, especially in the winter. These would be great for areal surveillance to see if something is wrong, or somebody in squatting where they shouldn't be, etc.

I can also see the bad side, where stalkers (yes, they do exist) can have their way, and there is little one can do about it. The purpose of the link on the jammer was to show that there is technology out there that could be used for to handle a bad situation, other than, say birdshot.


Peace, and tranquility, it is the will of Landru...

All I can say is the day someone hovers one of those around my yard for more than it minute it ain't gonna be pretty.

Add on one of these and birdshot will work just fine :D



https://silencerco.com/products/salvo-12/

I started this thread to share some beautiful pictures of the lake we all love. To assume all drone operators are stalkers is offensive and irresponsible. And, to suggest people start shooting them down is even worse. Like any technology and/or any hobby, people need to do it responsibly, and follow the rules and laws. But please don't group me into a stereotype because of a piece of technology I own. Like it or not, this technology is growing for photography enthusiasts and hobbyists and it is not going away any time soon. If a person is using them to fly near airports, or near the White House, or to peep in someone's windows, then they should be arrested just like any other crime is treated. How is it any different than people using a full zoom camera on the ground inappropriately? Because it happens to be able to fly? The bottom line is - as technology changes and improves, people need to learn how to use it responsibly, and we need to create new laws and rules to make sure those who don't are controlled and dealt with accordingly. I can assure you that "shooting them out of the sky" is not a solution, and if one happens to be flying 400 feet over your property, it is no different than a plane or glider flying 400 feet over your property. Would you shoot that down too?

Come on folks. Please be reasonable. "We" are not stalkers. We just like taking breathtaking pictures.

Mike


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I really enjoy seeing your drone footage Mike.Dont let a few sour grapes ruin your well intentioned thread.

I am not hating on you, honestly I want one! Kinda jealous Dan beat me to the punch.

I have been doing some research myself on what to get. I had a photographer come a few weeks ago to do some real estate pictures with his drone. He has a few different ones but took mine with a Phantom 3 (regular version I think, not the pro). Pretty impressive toy.

Nice Pics!

Codeman;

I went with the Phantom 3 Advanced. It's pretty easy to fly and takes very impressive photos / videos! The hardest part for me was the upfront downloading of updates which is not detailed very well in their online instructions. Once I got through that (thanks Mike! ;)) everything went well!

It has a lot of pretty cool features that I have not used yet. I'm still playing with the basic ones but it is a lot of fun!

I figure with a 1 1/2 mile range, I can easily buzz my camp when ice is not safe to check on things during ice in and out or to check on ice conditions. It has a lot of uses besides taking pretty pics and videos...

Hope all is well!

Dan

I am SERIOUSLY jealous now !


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That would be impressive! Totally jealous.

Hey I got no problem with them if they are used properly but...............you know they wont be by some. I'm with Merrymeeting privacy will be infringed because there are always a few bad apples in the bushel. Its a poorly regulated field at the moment just like the internet is/was when it was rolled out. Bad people capitalize on good things unfortunately.

As he said, he started this thread to share some amazing pictures, not to listen to word vomit. If you're that concerned about drones then go complain to your legislators, not this website. Your opinion is everything that is wrong with society, take the first chance you get to jump on a good thing for no reason because you have NOTHING better to do. When your privacy is actually infringed then complain, but that's hardly the case here.

oy
 

You can see where this is going from a mile away. Two years from now we'll be looking at a drone layer on the Bizer map.

At the moment it's a novelty, but $1k is a pretty small entry fee for this crowd.

Who's the negative one here? Geez chill out!

Once Again........

Different thread ....

Phantom simply shakes his head .........

I am forever amazed at how and/ or why people have to take a perfectly good thread and begin to (1) derail it & (2) turn it into a political football of "Rights"

Shameful ..... simply shameful and a perfect example of how a "few" can wreck the bushel !!

Get a life !!


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Shreddy you crack me up. Your post is is one with negative childish response. If you read my posts I said I had nothing against them just that they will be used in the wrong way by some and my first post was feeding off what was posted above by Merrymeeting. :laugh:

At least I know when life fails I'll have a shot at being a comedian? :D Just didn't like the whole when one comes close to my yard it isn't going to be pretty comment. Nothing in THIS THREAD gave intentions by any member that they'd be spying on anyone (that I don't think). Seemed like a foolish way to derail what was otherwise a cool topic, but I digress.

Back to cool drone pictures. I'd like one, but would find it hard to be doing something cool and capture the picture at the same time (snowmobiling, skiing, action boating, etc.)

I may pull the trigger on one (no, not shoot one down) this week. DJI is now selling the Phantom 3 Pro for $1159 with a free extra battery. That puts it inline with what the advanced goes for with an extra battery.

The base model is marked way down now too, $599!

Well .... we all knew it was coming

After Dec 21st all Drones are suppose to be registered

Good Luck with THAT !!

http://www.faa.gov/uas/registration/


From the "Flight Aware" website:

If you’re the proud owner of a drone—or are one of the thousands of shoppers who’ll purchase one this holiday season—the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) wants to know about it. And the agency has finally set a deadline.

Starting December 21, the FAA wants you to register any small, remote, aerial vehicle that weighs between 0.55 and 55 pounds with the government. It’ll cost you $5, but that fee will be waived during the first 30 days. Each registration is good for three years.

When’s your deadline? If you’ve owned your drone since before December 21, you’ve got until February 19, 2016, to complete registration. But weirdly, if you’ll own your drone after December 21, you’ll need to register before you take your UAV out for its first outdoor flight.

“Make no mistake: unmanned aircraft enthusiast are aviators, and with that title comes a great deal of responsibility,” US Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx said in the FAA press release announcing the deadline. “Registration gives us an opportunity to work with these users to operate their unmanned aircraft safely.”

The call for registration comes at a time when civilian drone use seems more complicated than ever. A recent study from Bard University found that there were over 300 “near-misses” between drones and piloted aircraft in 2015. And one YouTuber recently outfitted his drone with a flamethrower and posted footage of it incinerating a turkey on a spit.

Over 400,000 drones are expected to be sold this holiday season, so the FAA is going to have its work cut out for it—both in terms of wrangling registrations, and in nailing down clearer rules for hobbyists.






.

Charley Foxtrot

FAA: Registrants' Names To Be Made Public...
 

Forbes published an article saying the FAA will disclose drone registrants' names and addresses:

:eek2:

http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/2016...5849065ae9.jpg

Still no visible ice on Sunday....


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That photo has me thinking that we dont really need the services of Emerson for calling ice out.:laugh:

Heard today that the insurance industry is looking into liabilaty issues with dromes and insuring them.
http://www.nhbr.com/February-5-2016/...w+News+Browser
http://www.riskandinsurance.com/rise-drones/

Sure, you could have 500 drone owners arguing over the exact day and time of ice out!

Dave Emerson is fair, objective, and responsible and has always done a good job. I think it works just fine the way it is!

Did you not notice my smiley?It was a joke.:eek:

Here's a video I took mid summer when I first got the Phantom 3 Professional. It starts out looking across Wentworth Cove at Governors Island with Saunders Bay on the right. I then rotated it 180 degrees CCW viewing The Governor's Island bridge along the way. Then I brought it back and landed it on our deck. My biggest fear was that I was going to put it into the lake but it was actually fairly easy to fly. Every time I view it it reminds me of those wonderfully warm, still mornings on our beautiful Lake.

I posted it here on Youtube:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a4OatXZklNU

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/a4OatXZklNU" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

I'm so impressed by how stable that video is--thanks for sharing!

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The gimbles that the Phantoms use to hold the camera are a work of art! I was very impressed with how well they work to keep the camera steady!

Dan

Just a caution based on a lot of research I did about using a drone to shoot some videos for this site. My understanding is that you may use a drone for personal use if you register with the FAA ($5 fee) and stay within the restrictions. However, ANY monetization of those videos requires that you have a FAA commercial license. That includes adding ads to your Youtube video.

Since I run ads on my site I can not post drone videos that I made without being commercially licensed by the FAA. If this is wrong please correct me but it came from several good sources.

I believe that is correct.

However, if you had somebody else come shoot the video and they happened to charge you an 'editing' or 'transfer fee' it might be a way around that?

I am Soooooo jealous .......

Due to my proximity to the Laconia airport I don't dare get one

Also, loved the shadow of the Phantom3 on the grass & deck as you were landing.



.

Drone registration
 

I recently registered my drone. $5 for a 3 year registration. Here's the rules cut and pasted off of my registration form:

For U.S. citizens, permanent residents, and certain non-citizen U.S. corporations, this document constitutes a Certificate of Registration. For all others, this document represents a recognition of ownership.
For all holders, for all operations other than as a model aircraft under sec. 336 of Pub. L. 112-95, additional safety authority from FAA and economic authority from DOT may be required.
Safety guidelines for flying your unmanned aircraft:
• Fly below 400 feet
• Never fly near other aircraft
• Keep your UAS within visual line of sight
• Keep away from emergency responders
• Never fly over stadiums, sports events or groups of people
• Never fly under the influence of drugs or alcohol
• Never fly within 5 miles of an airport without first contacting air traffic control and airport authorities

This one is the rub for me !

I am about 500 FEET (or so it seems some days) from the runway


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The last guideline should really be clarified and say major airport as that is the law. For example, there is no air traffic control nor is there even a tower or anyone for that matter to direct planes landing and taking off at the Laconia airport. Planes come and go simply by self radio alert and nothing else. You can in fact fly a drone within 5 miles of the Laconia airport legally...

Dan

Reference
 

Here a good no fly reference chart for drones...

https://www.mapbox.com/drone/no-fly/

Dan

Great reference. I was worried I may be to close to Pease, but I am in the clear :cheers:

Actually, while there is no control tower at LCI, there is Air Traffic Service provided into and from LCI by Boston Approach Control. I wouldn't want to hang my hat on no tower, therefore no problem (hopefully ;) )

the map referenced in a second post seems to be not from an official cite, and it says you can add other locations that aren't on the map.

Also, a call to Laconia Airport Authority could also provide and answer, but not sure how helpful they would be.

Actually, the FAA does not appear to distinguish between large and small airports. They require you to get permission from the airport operator or control tower before flying within 5 miles of any airport. This seems to make sense since I can't imagine it is OK to endanger aircraft flying out of a small airport but not a large airport. The passage below is from the FAAs webpage on the special model aircraft operating rules:

According to the FAA Modernization and Reform Act of 2012 as (1) the aircraft is flown strictly for hobby or recreational use; (2) the aircraft is operated in accordance with a community-based set of safety guidelines and within the programming of a nationwide community-based organization; (3) the aircraft is limited to not more than 55 pounds unless otherwise certified through a design, construction, inspection, flight test, and operational safety program administered by a community-based organization; (4) the aircraft is operated in a manner that does not interfere with and gives way to any manned aircraft; (5) when flown within 5 miles of an airport, the operator of the aircraft provides the airport operator and the airport air traffic control tower…with prior notice of the operation; and (6) the aircraft is flown within visual line sight of the operator.

Denis D

Not technical, but . . . .
 

Actually Dennis they do. What you have quoted is a very broad overview of the actual law. The words that are missing are "where applicable" And "if the airport has a tower". If an airport does not have a tower to contact the rule is not applicable.

If the rule meant every airport there would be no place to fly a drone or any model / hobby airplane. Heck even Alton Bay would be off limits. That simply is just not the case.

Dan

Being a very long time R/C modeler having flown aerobatic competition for many years, and being a very long time full scale pilot and aircraft owner, I have dogs in both sides of this fight.

I wanted to get the definitive answer to this issue so that if I am wrong, I will have the correct information and if I am right we can correct any misinformation and help people avoid any potential problems.

As many of you may know, The Academy of Aeronautics (AMA) is the governing body in the U.S. for Model Aviation and has been intimately involved with the FAA in these matters. So I contacted my long time acquaintance, Dave Mathewson who is the Executive Director of the AMA and asked him to provide a definitive answer to this question. I have posted his reply below:

So below is the exact language in 336 relative to notification requirements when operating within 5 miles of an airport. The requirement is that you notify both the airport operator AND the tower IF the airport is a towered facility. If there is not tower you still have to notify the airport authority. We were involved in drafting the language in 336 so I know that this was the intent.

(5) when flown within 5 miles of an airport, the operator of the aircraft provides the airport operator and the airport air traffic control tower (when an air traffic facility is located at the airport) with prior notice of the operation (model aircraft operators flying from a permanent location within 5 miles of an airport should establish a mutually-agreed upon operating procedure with the airport operator and the airport air traffic
control tower (when an air traffic facility is located at the airport)).


The new reauth bill is being introduced in Congress probably in the next 2 to 3 weeks and we hope to clarify this a bit with some minor language edits.

Hope this helps.
Dave


Dave Mathewson
Executive Director
Academy of Model Aeronautics

I hope this helps clarify the issue. Happy flying:)

Denis D

I normally fly into Laconia at least once, if not several times a week. They may not have a tower, but they do have an airport operator.

I think (and hope) the FAA's intent is to require notification to fly drones within 5 miles of both towered and non-towered airports.


I also fly what the FAA considers "drones" and while phantom, myself and many others may have the maturity and judgement to keep our drones clear of actual aircraft - there are probably others who do not.

Thanks for the somewhat clarification....however just out of curiosity why doesn't the rule (5) state what you say above in your personal statement above that??...What you quoted in section (5) is exactly what I have read and as stated... "When an air traffic facility is located at the airport". Why doesn't it say if no air traffic facility is located at the airport you must somehow contact the airport manager even though there is no phone number to the airport tower or a tower for that matter no matter what! It doesn't say that and anyone who reads this would never comprehend it that way.

So can you fly a drone near Alton Bay?? It is considered an airport even if seasonal? The guideline does not distinguish between seasonal and non seasonal airports?? So what's the deal there? Confusing or what??

As far as I am concerned until section (5) is clarified there is no legal issue at least not one that would ever hold up in court, with using common sense and flying your model airplane / drone / whatever at reasonable heights for personal fun / enjoyment 4 miles away from Laconia or Alton Bay.

Sheesh, how come you can parasail in Paugus Bay, fly ultralights all within 1/2 mile from the airport but heaven forbid you fly a drone 4 miles away....ridiculous! Trust me when I tell you that local ultralight users do NOT contact Laconia airport for permission to fly. I know a couple of them and they take off and fly when they want! They are well below any height that would ever affect any plane coming or going.

Thanks for the info and please share any further clarifying guidelines.

Dan

One More Question
 

Denis D,

One other question I have...when you do call any airport tower are you simply informing them you are flying your model plane / drone or are you asking them for their permission??...

Thanks!

Dan

To reiterate my previous comment...charlie foxtrot!

A UAV flown in the wrong place at the wrong time could kill my passenger and me!

The FAA has left this too wide open. I can imagine the call...

"Hello LCI? I intend to fly my toy within five miles of the airport today."

Tell me, what in the hell happens next that mitigates the potential unsafe situation?

LCI's weather broadcast is automated, thus there is no warning there. Do we expect one of the FBO's to give us a warning about UAV traffic when we call in our position reports (which are not required anyway)? Even if a warning is given, what is the pilot going to do?

There is ZERO chance of a pilot seeing a tiny UAV and any last second maneauvering to avoid one could cause a crash.

Keeping these hazards to aviation below 400' is only half the solution. A no fly zone around ALL airports needs to be instituted.

Looking at the "No Fly map" it seems that, in addition to the DC SFRA there are restrictions around towered airports. LCI has no tower. A look at the ramp areas on a race weekend or most summer weekends will tell you that there are some decent sized jets with many passenger seats parked there. LCI is not a "little airport".

Pilots' lives matter!

If you go to the FAA website and look up HR 658-67, section 336 titled Special Rule for Model Aircraft, you will see that Dave's reply to me included the exact wording the rule contains. I don't see any ambiguity as it clearly states that you are required to notify the Airport Operator in all cases, and the Control Tower if there is one.

The rest of my responses below are my opinions based on my knowledge and understanding of the issues.

Regarding Alton Bay, it is only an FAA recognized airport when it is opened by NOTAM (Notice To Airmen) which is done by the airport operator when the ice is thick enough.

Since the rule specifies that you must NOTIFY the airport operator and does not mention seeking permission, then I would not expect permission is necessary. I don't know how much latitude the operator has in imposing some time requirement on you. I plan on calling my Airport Manager this week to find out what if any guidance they have received in this matter.

8GV - I agree with your sentiment, I do not want my life endangered by someone not following the rules. I suspect that everyone on this forum is sensible and intelligent enough to not put anyone in danger, but it is the yahoos who don't educate themselves and could care less that worry me.

Regarding how pilots are notified, that is a good question. I would expect that NOTAMs would be issued where possible. At a non-towered field, it could be recorded in the comments section on the AWOS (Automated Weather Observation System) and could be posted at the FBO.

As I said, I will be contacting my Airport Manager to see if he has answers to questions like:

Is there a minimum time between notifying the airport and when you can start flying your model?

Do you need to notify them when finished the Model activity?

How are full scale pilots notified?

Can they deny permission to operate the models?

One last comment, in the approximately 80 years we have been flying Model Aircraft, it has never been a significant problem with invasion of privacy, interference with full scale operations, operating over populated areas and other problems that have occurred since the introduction of multi rotors. If you abide by the rules of the FAA and the AMA safety rules, you won't have to worry.

Safe Flying,

Denis D

The FAA released an App for Iphones and Ipads last month called B4UFLY. I have posted a link to an article about it below. The app lets you know if it is OK to fly based on your location at the time. Great information and a good start by the FAA. The app will be available for Android devices later in the year.

http://ipadpilotnews.com/2016/01/han...Essential+Tips

Cheers,

Denis D