Episode 16 of the Podcast Released - UAVs (Drones) and pilots

[recflyer]

Has anyone heard of any close calls between UAVs (Drones) and aircraft in Australia?

 

 

 

Are any pilots on the forum concerned about UAVs and their impact on private flying in the future?

 

[MEDIA=audio]http://traffic.libsyn.com/goflying/Go_Flying_Australia_Podcast_016.mp3[/MEDIA]

 

Click here for the show notes

 

Summary: I talk with Max Flight about all things related to UAVs (drones) and how the increase in UAVs could impact pilots. Max Flight is the host of both the Airplane Geeks Podcast and the UAV Digest Podcast.

 

Previous Published Episodes (click here)

 

 

I would love to hear some feedback.

 

I would love to hear any feed back (both good/bad) by the following means:

 

- Comments below this post

 

- Direct Message on the forum

 

- Comments function on my website www.goflying.net

 

- Contact form on my website

 

- twitter

 

Thanks for taking the time to read this!

 

Cheers,

 

Adam

 

 

[Teckair]

There have been reports in Aus but I find them hard to believe.

 

Most drones are small and hard to see.

 

I think it would be unlikely you would spot one from a passenger jet it is not easy to spot a full size aircraft at times.

 

 

[facthunter]

Have to be a looming problem with the large numbers sold. Nev

 

 

[ayavner]

when is it a drone, and when is it just an RC model? Is there a distinction?

 

 

[Teckair]

when is it a drone, and when is it just an RC model? Is there a distinction?

There are many rc models flying at much greater heights than 400 ft. My guess is they should be a greater concern than UAVs at this point in time.

 

 

[ayavner]

right but my question was just on the definitions. are they the same thing?

 

 

[Teckair]

right but my question was just on the definitions. are they the same thing?

I think so, unless they are commercial.

 

 

[Ultralights]

i find these reports of pilots almost hitting drones to be BS, from the ground, a drone at 300 ft is very difficult to see, even when you know where it is, and your not moving in reference to it, so how is someone doing 150Kts or more, capable of distinguishing a drone from 300 ft away.. it seams the paranoia over drones leads people to assume everything they see in the sky is now a drone.

 

I have heaps of ballons fly past my wing over liverpool coming back into Bankstow, the average ballon at that height is about the same size or bigger than a drone, and yet i cannot see them until you pretty much hit them. or as they fly past your canopy. so i have no idea how they can be spotted from 100 mtrs of 300 ft..

 

 

[recflyer]

There have been reports in Aus but I find them hard to believe.Most drones are small and hard to see.

 

I think it would be unlikely you would spot one from a passenger jet it is not easy to spot a full size aircraft at times.

Good point!, they would be difficult to see from an airliner (at their speeds) but I think it may be within the realm of possibility to spot one from a small GA or RA aircraft or from a helicopter. I also guess it depends upon lots of different factors (colour of drone, speed, direction its moving (directly towards/away or from left to right etc), lights on the drone).

 

 

 

[recflyer]

[/url]

 

[/url]when is it a drone, and when is it just an RC model? Is there a distinction?

 

  

 

 

Yes there is lots of uncertainty about what actually is a UAV (UAS)

 

 

 

.

 

Also the NPRM from the FAA for UAS does muddy the water (full summary in the link below):

 

 

 

 

https://www.faa.gov/regulations_policies/rulemaking/media/021515_sUAS_Summary.pdf

 

 

• Unmanned aircraft must weigh less than 55 lbs. (25 kg).
   
   
  
  
   
   
  
•  Visual line-of-sight (VLOS) only; the unmanned aircraft must remain
   
  
  within VLOS of the operator or visual observer.
   
   
  
  
   
   
  
•  At all times the small unmanned aircraft must remain close enough to
   
  
  the operator for the operator to be capable of seeing the aircraft with
   
  
  vision unaided by any device other than corrective lenses.
   
   
  
  
   
   
  
•  Small unmanned aircraft may not operate over any persons not directly
   
  
  involved in the operation.
   
   
  
  
   
   
  
•  Daylight-only operations (official sunrise to official sunset, local time).
   
   
  
  
   
   
  
•  Must yield right-of-way to other aircraft, manned or unmanned.
   
   
  
  
   
   
  
•  May use visual observer (VO) but not required.
   
   
  
  
   
   
  
•  First-person view camera cannot satisfy “see-and-avoid” requirement
   
  
  but can be used as long as requirement is satisfied in other ways.
   
   
  
  
   
   
  
•  Maximum airspeed of 100 mph (87 knots).
   
   
  
  
   
   
  
•  Maximum altitude of 500 feet above ground level.
   
   
  
  
   
   
  
•  Minimum weather visibility of 3 miles from control station.
   
   
  
  
   
   
  
•  No operations are allowed in Class A (18,000 feet & above) airspace.
   
   
  
  
   
   
  
•  Operations in Class B, C, D and E airspace are allowed with the
   
  
  required ATC permission.
   
   
  
  
   
   
  
•  Operations in Class G airspace are allowed without ATC permission
   
   
  
  
   
   
  
•  No person may act as an operator or VO for more than one unmanned
   
  
  aircraft operation at one time.
   
   
  
  
   
   
  
•  No careless or reckless operations.
   
   
  
  
   
   
  
•  Requires preflight inspection by the operator.
   
   
  
  
   
   
  
•  A person may not operate a small unmanned aircraft if he or she knows
   
  
  or has reason to know of any physical or mental condition that would
   
  
  interfere with the safe operation of a small UAS.
   
   
  
  
   
   
  
•  Proposes a microUAS option that would allow operations in Class G
   
  
  airspace, over people not involved in the operation, provided the operator certifies he or she has the requisite aeronautical knowledge to perform the operation.
   
  
  Also some clarification from the FAA[/url] re model aircraft:
  
  
  
  [url=https://www.faa.gov/uas/model_aircraft/]
  
  https://www.faa.gov/uas/model_aircraft/
  
   
   
  
  
   
  

 

 

 

 

 

 

[recflyer]

Have to be a looming problem with the large numbers sold. Nev

I would tend to agree that it is not an issue yet but the numbers and capabilities of these drones are rising. Nothing to panic about yet though...its still a big sky.

 

http://dronelife.com/2015/04/16/drone-sales-numbers-nobody-knows-so-we-venture-a-guess/

 

 

 

[Teckair]

Good point!, they would be difficult to see from an airliner (at their speeds) but I think it may be within the realm of possibility to spot one from a small GA or RA aircraft or from a helicopter. I also guess it depends upon lots of different factors (colour of drone, speed, direction its moving (directly towards/away or from left to right etc), lights on the drone).

 

I think the only way a drone would be spotted from the air would be from a helicopter which would be hovering and the drone would have to be close to it, like within 100 ft and even then it would not be easy.

 

 

[Teckair]

Good point!, they would be difficult to see from an airliner (at their speeds) but I think it may be within the realm of possibility to spot one from a small GA or RA aircraft or from a helicopter. I also guess it depends upon lots of different factors (colour of drone, speed, direction its moving (directly towards/away or from left to right etc), lights on the drone).

 

That story is a joke, a load of BS, not real, they saw it from 800ft?? released without bail?? it was near the bridge at 2000ft?? followed it at night??