Quadcopter use OK?

[rddvet]

So last Saturday my wife and her friend were staying in a hotel on Pompano Beach. Just as her friend was stepping out of the shower they noticed a drone hovering by the balcony railing looking in their 3rd floor room sliding glass door. As the women approached the door the drone moved up to the next floor. They spotted what they believe were two men and a woman down on the beach operating the drone and it was obvious to my wife that they were using the thing to look into the hotel rooms. They notified the hotel security but did not follow up as they chalked it up to loser clowns being voyeurs.

I am a big fan of letting people use public lands for their preferred recreational use. But like hunting and off road vehicles, some parks are better suited for remotes than others. I am sure that some people find the noise that the drones make annoying, but I can not see how it can be any worse than a horde of rowdy tubers.

As usual the government feels it has to step in to regulate and monitor another hobby like drones because a large number of people cannot be trusted to use the toys/tools in a responsible and courteous manner. The FAA claims that they are getting about 2 commercial aircraft drone sighting reports a day. If the drone hobby folks do not get a better handle on self regulation I see the FAA slamming the door on this hobby sooner or later.

http://www.govtech.com/dc/articles/I...py-Medium.html

The police were called and threatened a man with arrest at KSPG last year because he flew his quadcopter through the approach of runway 7 two days in a row. The first day he was gone by the time anybody got to him. The second day they were able to get a hold of him. He believed that because he was across the street from the airport property that he couldn't be causing any harm.

[curtschu]

I have been into flying model rockets and RC aircraft since I was a teenager in the mid-80s. Trying to figure out a way to mount a camera was always fascinating. It was never really practical until the fairly recent introduction of small digital cameras and the new electric powerplants that really improve payload and flight times for RC aircraft.

I have built plenty of glow fuel and electric RC planes and have built a 'Quad Copter" as a father/son project. (I hate the term 'drone') No camera on it yet, but thats just because we are still working on tweaking the build and are frankly, just not that determined at this point. Just flying it around the yard is plenty fun for now.

Much of the current "anti drone" narative is pretty disturbing to me. I know a lot of RC enthusiests, and have really not run into the stereotypical techno-perv that seems to be what everyone is afraid of. Are you guys equally as upset by gov't video watching you at every turn? Look at other countrys that have a camera on every corner! Most of you folks probably have a webcam or iphone cam nearby you right now as well, that is succeptable to hackers.

Most RC folks are really not all that different from tech divers. They like to build and play around with techical gear. An RC flight is not all that different from a dive. You build skill, test out and improve your gear and configuration. Sometimes people get annoyed.. Heck, I get annoyed by people in traffic all the time! Boom boxes blasting, disturbing my peacefull drive. (off topic)..

Anyway, I humbly suggest that people just chill out a bit on this topic. OFG: I get your point about the view from the tree-tops.. but consider this.. Havn't we all heard a similar POV on cave diving? "whats to see down there?", "I did not loose anything down there!", "Nothing in there worth dying for".. etc. Who are you to judge what somebody else wants to invest their time and efforts to go see, as long as its not hurting anyone.

I am all for safety. There is the AMA that insures modelers, and I think its a pretty good idea for RC pilots to get this coverage. Many flying clubs offer training, but not really any "certification". Many state parks in IL allow (and encourage) the flying of RC airplanes, but require AMA membership to fly. Maybe its time for organized training and safety rules such as exist in diving.

Would you feel better about an RC pilot flying at your state park if they were required to prove training, and adherance to rules and standards?

Just wondering...

Mark

Here is the issue. The cost of entry and the skill set required for Radio Control has greatly changed. I have been flying model aircraft NOT DRONES!!!! for over 40 years. Always at a sanctioned AMA field. I have raced Pylon, Flown Helicopters, Been a Manufacturer, Worked for Bob Violet and flown 200+MPH jets. Never in the history has there been this hysteria and it is all because the Media calls them Drones and the Middle east wars showed the public what ROVs can do. Now the Quad has created a whole new group of people that are not paying the price of admission to the world of R/C, they can walk into a toy store and buy a Gyro stabilized quad they can control with an iPhone. They don't have AMA, they fly in front of their house and freak out the neighborhood. Then when they get yelled at they move to the school yard. We live in such a freaking NANNY state society, Everyone wants to stop EVERYONE from doing IT. It doesn't matter what IT is. but if IT is not something YOU want to do the you want me to stop do IT. I have a friend that is a commercial airline pilot. I asked him if he had really ever talked to anyone who really saw a model aircraft. There have been reports of seeing them at altitude of 5000 ft. I call that total BS. could some dumb a$$ fly near an airport and be seen by an approaching aircraft...? MAYBE. What he has seen MANY TIMES at altitude is a bunch of Mylar Balloons. Why are we not hearing about the danger to aviation from the Thousands of Mylar balloons released, how about the hundreds of sea turtles killed every year by latex balloons released on the beach at some yahoo's sunrise wedding? Because it ain't Sexy. People need to stop being Sheep, and Quit whining about everything!

[Kelly Jessop]

. We live in such a freaking NANNY state society, Everyone wants to stop EVERYONE from doing IT. It doesn't matter what IT is. but if IT is not something YOU want to do the you want me to stop do IT.

I don't know if the "nanny state" really applies,but you have to look at the reality of the quadcopters, and how this would put people on alert. We had an issue of one crashing into a hot spring in Yellowstone, which is bad,but doesn't present a security issue. But remember the headlines of one landing on the White House lawn, or invading commercial airspace. These present security issues, and in the grand scheme of things, entering commercial airspace does effect my personal safety. If you look at You tube you will see someone mounted Roman candles to one, and was chasing after their friends shooting flaming balls at them. I am sure things like this don't lead to a lot of comfort. I have a lot of respect for the R/C world, and really enjoy watching the aircraft, and their respect of the rules,but sadly you have something occurring that will put your activity at risk.

[curtschu]

Like I said Kelly Quads make it too easy. If you needed to spend hundreds or thousands of dollars buying radios models and motors gas or battery, hours of practice just learning to fly toward yourself and time fixing bad landings, one would be far less inclined to do stupid crap. There was a report on CBS Sunday morning where the reporter was able to fly one.

[JahJahwarrior]

Lots of us on rc forums are working to prevent the stupid people from causing issues, but over reactions from the media don't help.

I'd be that most pilot reported drones, aren't really drones....

[RB Havens]

And here you go. Mandatory registration of recreational remote aircraft.


https://www.washingtonpost.com/world...1dc_story.html

[curtschu]

Lots of us on rc forums are working to prevent the stupid people from causing issues, but over reactions from the media don't help.

I'd be that most pilot reported drones, aren't really drones....

Like I said Mylar Balloons are reported at Altitude more than Drones or Models but it is not new until a bunch get sucked into an engine and cause an emergency landing.

[OutOfTest]

The impression I get of this thread is you guys would hate English National Parks. I can think of one area of about a square mile, 30 minutes from my house that has climbers, walkers, drones, 4x4, hang gliders, motocross bikes, bushcraft people and cavers all in one spot! Nobody minds, cos we're just doing our own thing, we get along. Hell, sometimes a climber will get a go on a hang glider, or a hang glider will have his gear taken up in a 4x4 or a drone pilot will take pictures of the 4x4 guys for them, or the climbers will pose for drone pictures...

Over there you all sound like this kind of co-operation is forbidden, but then again, so is everything else in the State and National Parks, a place designed for freedom, in 'Murica, land of the free.


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[MarkR]

.. People need to stop being Sheep, and Quit whining about everything!

^^right on the money!

.. But remember the headlines of one landing on the White House lawn,.. .

Yea, and they made a bigger deal out of this, than the guy who jumped the fence and overpowered the secret service and actually got into the Whitehouse! Which one actually presented a greater threat to national security?

Dirtbags flying near airports or near hotel window should be introduced to the legal system. I have not had a chance to read up on the new regulations, but I hope it applies a logical , and sensible perspective on things.

Mark

[rddvet]

, so is everything else in the State and National Parks, a place designed for freedom, in 'Murica, land of the free.


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National parks are set up to preserve areas considered important or beautiful which need to be kept up and maintained for future generations to enjoy. They're not set up for every person to do anything they want.

And ps we make fun of our country, but we don't like it when people from other countries do. Don't make us bring your queen mother into this. Cuz we got lots of your mama jokes.