So.. Now that we all have our Inspires, how are we going to increase range to 20 miles?
- Thread starter Diirk
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Its just a matter of time until people feel comfortable enough with the new platform to do modifications. .I'm pleased to hear the stock range is substantial,up to two miles ..that's awesome! !
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Please edit the title - "Now that a small and random group of people have our Inspires..."
Just want to point out that at 20 miles the minimum altitude the Inspire would have to fly at to receive a LOS signal is 300+ ft. That's ideally, with no obstructions of any kind, like trees, buildings, etc.
What you're hoping to be able to do is fly your drone way beyond visual contact. Hell, even at 1/2 mile, the Inspire will be a tiny dot in the sky, and you'll be relying on the video feed to orient yourself. You'll also be breaking every FAA regulation in the book (at least in the US; most other countries have similar rules).
This not a toy that you can use without worrying about dangerous consequences if you lose control of it. Thoughtless use will eventually result in someone getting hurt or worse, and I fear for all of us if that happens, because the public will demand that the FAA shut us down, period.
To quote Spiderman's uncle: "With great power comes great responsibility."
What you're hoping to be able to do is fly your drone way beyond visual contact. Hell, even at 1/2 mile, the Inspire will be a tiny dot in the sky, and you'll be relying on the video feed to orient yourself. You'll also be breaking every FAA regulation in the book (at least in the US; most other countries have similar rules).
This not a toy that you can use without worrying about dangerous consequences if you lose control of it. Thoughtless use will eventually result in someone getting hurt or worse, and I fear for all of us if that happens, because the public will demand that the FAA shut us down, period.
To quote Spiderman's uncle: "With great power comes great responsibility."
I would like to know one single regulation that is being broken by flying at 1/2 mile, let alone 'every FAA regulation in the book'. I am aware of a *recommendation* for maintaining LOS, that needless to say was written decades before the idea of flying FPV came about, let alone the high-reliability long-range HD signal feeds we have today. In addition, the GPS return-to-home feature is a game-changer -- in the past if your aircraft went behind a hill and you lost orientation, it was almost certainly gone.
Do you not agree that with these two critical new technologies available in each of these aircaft, that flying out of LOS is no longer to be considered an irresponsible behaviour? I have been flying RC airplanes since the mid 90's and would never dream of flying out of sight back then, but the technologies available today have changed all that.
Do you not agree that with these two critical new technologies available in each of these aircaft, that flying out of LOS is no longer to be considered an irresponsible behaviour? I have been flying RC airplanes since the mid 90's and would never dream of flying out of sight back then, but the technologies available today have changed all that.
This is the topic heading of this thread:
So.. Now that we all have our Inspires, how are we going to increase range to 20 miles?
So yeah, I think that's an issue. I went a little hyperbolic with my FAA regs statement, but that's because I'm a retired airline pilot who also happens to like multi-rotors. I have a reasonable appreciation of the damage that can be caused by an aircraft with live people on it colliding with one of them. While the loss to you of no longer having your distant MR is monetary, the loss to those pilots and passengers may be the ultimate.
If you can't see your MR you can't avoid other aircraft. It's that simple. FPV flying is not able to clear the airspace all around you, and therefore is not capable of "See and Avoid." Just because you can doesn't mean you always should. The recommendation to not fly above 400 feet doesn't mean that there is no possible way you can collide with other aircraft, since aircraft are only enjoined to avoid people and structures by 500 ft, not to stay above 500 AGL at all times. Helicopters and crop dusters fly below 500 routinely, so keeping you MR in sight is a must to avoid those potential collisions.
Please explain to me what it is about flying beyond visual contact that is so imperative that you risk endangering other aircraft?
You can see my post from earlier today in another thread here: Max flight altitude Inspire1. A primary purpose I had when buying a P2 was to recon existing and new canyons on mountainsides for the sport of canyoning. For my purposes, the flights are in the wilderness, within a few hundred feet AGL but much higher than take off point, and also a long ways from take off point. In addition to those flights, I live in rural California and routinely fly over the sparsely populated land near my house.
I commonly see the two issues of AGL height and presence of LOS amalgamated, but they are not one and the same. My post earlier in this thread was discussing the topic of LOS, and long range flights can be completed without ever encroaching on the 400' ceiling recommendation.
As far as clearing the airspace for other aircraft, I would think that the risk for any aircraft flying at low levels would be similar to a birdstrike (although Inspire1 class MR's are starting to get a lot heavier than the 3lb P2). But honestly, I think the real safety issues aren't about the ability for the MR to clear airspace around it (or be seen and subsequently avoided by manned aircraft), but from a hardware failure causing it to crash on people on the ground. Those who fly over sporting events and other large crowds are causing a much higher risk of incident or injury to others, than those who fly to 5000'. (I am not saying I condone the latter, but that type of activity seems to be where most of the discussion is focused).
I commonly see the two issues of AGL height and presence of LOS amalgamated, but they are not one and the same. My post earlier in this thread was discussing the topic of LOS, and long range flights can be completed without ever encroaching on the 400' ceiling recommendation.
As far as clearing the airspace for other aircraft, I would think that the risk for any aircraft flying at low levels would be similar to a birdstrike (although Inspire1 class MR's are starting to get a lot heavier than the 3lb P2). But honestly, I think the real safety issues aren't about the ability for the MR to clear airspace around it (or be seen and subsequently avoided by manned aircraft), but from a hardware failure causing it to crash on people on the ground. Those who fly over sporting events and other large crowds are causing a much higher risk of incident or injury to others, than those who fly to 5000'. (I am not saying I condone the latter, but that type of activity seems to be where most of the discussion is focused).
I have read your post about max altitude, and I understand what you are saying about flying in vertical, unpopulated environments. There is always a trade off between getting the shot/footage and pushing the boundary of safety. I could care less about damage to property, but when the exercise of getting dramatic footage impinges on the privacy or safety of others, there is a price to pay for all of us involved in this (what? hobby? avocation? profession? take your pick). Flying beyond line of sight (both visual and radio transmission) is bound to entail greater risk of eventual mishap than keeping the drone in sight and being able to react to a potential collision with another aircraft, manned or otherwise. With literally hundreds of thousands if not eventually millions of UAVs in the hands of inexperienced owners, the odds of an unintended consequence increase exponentially. Self restraint is difficult, but if we don't do everything in our power to educate and restrain those who would unreasonably push the limits of this technology, who will? I hope it's not the FAA.
Edit: I re-read your comments, and I have additional concerns. When you dismiss the danger of collision by an aircraft with an UAV as comparable to a birdstrike, it strikes me that you have no idea what damage a 6 pound drone (like a 6 lb bird) can do to an aircraft flying at 120 - 200+ Knots. The damage can be catastrophic. Just consider the USAir flight out of Laguardia that flew into a flock of geese on takeoff and only due to the superior airmanship of the crew landed engines-out in the Hudson River. And as far as flying it over crowds at sporting events, the FAA has banned flying over open air stadiums with UAVs for a while now, so that is a straw argument. Yes, technology has improved and has made drones more capable, but it has not at the same time made humans less error prone, or possessed of better judgement. If that were the case, the next time you board a flight, your captain might greet you on the PA while sitting in his underwear a thousand miles away in front of a computer screen. Feel any safer?
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To clarify, AGL is Above Ground Level, or the terrain directly below the aircraft (not buildings, not trees, but terra firma). This means that if you take off, and fly up a canyon embankment till reaching the ridge, though you may be 3000 feet above where you as the operator is stationed, so long as you remain within 400 feet of terra firma you are 400 feet AGL.
Feel free to push the limits, fly it out beyond eyesight, and fly it up to 10,000 feet MSL, bust Alpha if you really want to. Then complain incessantly when the FAA requires a recreational pilots cert as a minimum to operate UASs for hobby or recreation. Many on here who are cautioning against OBVIOUS unsafe ideals are asking you and other pilots rather nicely not to screw everything up. I share information because I want everyone to have the opportunity to enjoy the fun of UASs and flight, I'm a certified commercial heli pilot, I'll most likely lose the ability to operate my UASs last, and probably long after someone screws it up for everyone else.
Don't make a topic that discusses flying out to 20 SM and then come back with any type of comment that pretends that ideal has any fragment of safety in mind. When piloting a manned aircraft, that has a HUGE advantage over any UAS in the case of an emergency, it is difficult enough to select and land a suitable and safe landing area in the case of an emergency, let alone a UAS with a fixed, or slow panning, FPV camera. Your UAS is not communicating with other aircraft, let alone you cannot hear other aircraft out at those distances. Do you have any idea how difficult it is to spot a cessna 152 at a mere 2 miles when flying a manned aircraft at speeds in excess of 120 KIAS, which is slow for aviation, let alone a 2ft inspire 1? How do you plan to use your FPV equipment to clear all airspace around you, how fast can you turn and scan the skies, while flying, while trying to get video, while ensuring you have a safe LZ selected. Even if the title to this thread was in fun and jest you still might incite some other, less well purposed pilot, to try to attempt it because you posted it here.
Look, the FAA is being nice, whether you want to believe it or not. Furthermore the FAA controls the airspace. Let me restate this; the FAA controls airspace. Period. Now if you want to discuss if they should or not, or whatever else, that is fine. It won't do you much good. Regardless of anything the FAA controls airspace and they will have say over UASs. So, bemoan it all, curse it, and fly however you want... and just watch what happens when the FAA has had enough and feels like safety is becoming challenged. Or just be appreciative that, right now, you can fly in the skies without any type of pilot cert, and that given time, and willing safe actions from UAS operators, it will get better for the UAS enthusiast.
Feel free to push the limits, fly it out beyond eyesight, and fly it up to 10,000 feet MSL, bust Alpha if you really want to. Then complain incessantly when the FAA requires a recreational pilots cert as a minimum to operate UASs for hobby or recreation. Many on here who are cautioning against OBVIOUS unsafe ideals are asking you and other pilots rather nicely not to screw everything up. I share information because I want everyone to have the opportunity to enjoy the fun of UASs and flight, I'm a certified commercial heli pilot, I'll most likely lose the ability to operate my UASs last, and probably long after someone screws it up for everyone else.
Don't make a topic that discusses flying out to 20 SM and then come back with any type of comment that pretends that ideal has any fragment of safety in mind. When piloting a manned aircraft, that has a HUGE advantage over any UAS in the case of an emergency, it is difficult enough to select and land a suitable and safe landing area in the case of an emergency, let alone a UAS with a fixed, or slow panning, FPV camera. Your UAS is not communicating with other aircraft, let alone you cannot hear other aircraft out at those distances. Do you have any idea how difficult it is to spot a cessna 152 at a mere 2 miles when flying a manned aircraft at speeds in excess of 120 KIAS, which is slow for aviation, let alone a 2ft inspire 1? How do you plan to use your FPV equipment to clear all airspace around you, how fast can you turn and scan the skies, while flying, while trying to get video, while ensuring you have a safe LZ selected. Even if the title to this thread was in fun and jest you still might incite some other, less well purposed pilot, to try to attempt it because you posted it here.
Look, the FAA is being nice, whether you want to believe it or not. Furthermore the FAA controls the airspace. Let me restate this; the FAA controls airspace. Period. Now if you want to discuss if they should or not, or whatever else, that is fine. It won't do you much good. Regardless of anything the FAA controls airspace and they will have say over UASs. So, bemoan it all, curse it, and fly however you want... and just watch what happens when the FAA has had enough and feels like safety is becoming challenged. Or just be appreciative that, right now, you can fly in the skies without any type of pilot cert, and that given time, and willing safe actions from UAS operators, it will get better for the UAS enthusiast.
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That's scary!! I wonder if the Inspire 1 pilot spotted the phantom as it was circling it. Imagine a mid air collision?
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Allthough I like the video,wonder why people doint things like this above populated area's.All I see is houses with people in gardens and cars going arpond.If I would do this where I'm living,cops will show up after complaining people.For sure.
Btw I think these pilots can fly,but these kind of things will not help to get our hobby going on.
Btw I think these pilots can fly,but these kind of things will not help to get our hobby going on.
I fail to see the "need" or even the desire (unless fueled by excess testosterone) to fly higher and farther. Stretching the limits is a) foolhardy, b) looking to give regulatory bodies reason to shut us all down, and c) Just Plain Stupid and a sop to your evidently suffering ego. Please Fly Safe, Fly Sensibly.
And to quote Dr. Suess: "Don't let children play with adult toys." There's aways somebody that has to push the limits and screw it for everybody else. That's how Preparation H stays in business. Freaking Inspire 1 hasn't been out a month yet, rather than just enjoying it for what it does do (which is totally amazing in and of itself), people already want to push it past its limits.
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