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ghost said:
Thx. Color me confused. What happened to the May ruling that said recreational drones were not under the faa?
Click to expand...

This is a good read. The UAS Rule came into effect August 2016.

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

Of specific interest is this:

Do I need permission from the FAA to fly a UAS for recreation or as a hobby?
There are two ways for recreational or hobby UAS fliers to operate in the National Airspace System in accordance with the law and/or FAA regulations. Each of the two options has specific requirements that the UAS operator must follow. The decision as to which option to follow is up to the individual operator.

Option #1. Fly in accordance with the Special Rule for Model Aircraft (Public Law 112-95 Section 336). Under this rule, operators must:

Fly for hobby or recreational purposes only
Follow a community-based set of safety guidelines
Fly the UAS within visual line-of-sight
Give way to manned aircraft
Provide prior notification to the airport and air traffic control tower, if one is present, when flying within 5 miles of an airport
Fly UAS that weigh no more than 55 lbs. unless certified by a community-based organization
Option #2. Fly under the FAA's Small UAS Rule (14 CFR part 107). Under this rule, operators must:

Register their UAS with the FAA as a "non-modeler"
Obtain an FAA Remote Pilot Certificate
Follow the operational requirements (PDF) of Part 107
 
menzies said:
This is a good read. The UAS Rule came into effect August 2016.



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



Of specific interest is this:



Do I need permission from the FAA to fly a UAS for recreation or as a hobby?

There are two ways for recreational or hobby UAS fliers to operate in the National Airspace System in accordance with the law and/or FAA regulations. Each of the two options has specific requirements that the UAS operator must follow. The decision as to which option to follow is up to the individual operator.



Option #1. Fly in accordance with the Special Rule for Model Aircraft (Public Law 112-95 Section 336). Under this rule, operators must:



Fly for hobby or recreational purposes only

Follow a community-based set of safety guidelines

Fly the UAS within visual line-of-sight

Give way to manned aircraft

Provide prior notification to the airport and air traffic control tower, if one is present, when flying within 5 miles of an airport

Fly UAS that weigh no more than 55 lbs. unless certified by a community-based organization

Option #2. Fly under the FAA's Small UAS Rule (14 CFR part 107). Under this rule, operators must:



Register their UAS with the FAA as a "non-modeler"

Obtain an FAA Remote Pilot Certificate

Follow the operational requirements (PDF) of Part 107
Click to expand...




Here is a brief article on the May 2017 ruling, wonder if congress passed something recently as otherwise the faa is not supposed to be registering recreational drones

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-new...down-faa-registry-recreational-drones-n763871
 
I've got a DJI Phantom Advanced and it's a hoot. I have not flown it off the boat yet, but will.

I've launched it and landed it from my hand. It's not horrible hard to launch and pretty safe, but landing can be tricky. I've got a welder's glove for the landings, however, I've never failed to do it successfully.

As for registration, right now it's not required for recreational users, and I'm all for no registration (or worse, a transponder). It's the old "honest people don't need gun control". Registration has not made aviation safer, it only makes the govt money and gives them control.

And you can file a form and get your registration cancelled and get your money back. My buddy did that last month.

There are some reasonable rules that aren't hard to do, and don't piss people off is one. I've seen folks throw rocks at them after they flew too close.

Also, they have a pretty good range. I know they will fly over 2 miles, easily. (Mine hasn't, however, I have no reason to set a record).

As for learning, it's not hard to learn and goes pretty quick, however, not hard to get confused and mess up. I've crashed twice. Once a prop came off and the battery came out, low altitude, flipped over and landed on its back. Dusted off, put new props on and kept going. They are surprisingly robust.

The first one I bought used, cheap and a good learning tool. Next one will be a bit better.
 
menzies said:
I have a Phantom 3 Advanced and fly it off the boat.

Hi Menzies,

I'm thinking about getting the Mavic Pro. What kind of software do you use to edit your videos? Do they have a basic and easy to use video software?

Thanks for the videos!
Click to expand...
 
I have the Cyberlink Suite of software - AudioDirector, PhotoDirector, PowerDirector and WaveEditor 2.

However I find that Windows Movie Maker is fine for editing drone movies, adding intros, credits, text, music etc. Very user friendly. Then upload to my TouTube Channel and voila!
 
Seevee said:
I've got a DJI Phantom Advanced and it's a hoot. I have not flown it off the boat yet, but will.

I've launched it and landed it from my hand. It's not horrible hard to launch and pretty safe, but landing can be tricky. I've got a welder's glove for the landings, however, I've never failed to do it successfully.

As for registration, right now it's not required for recreational users, and I'm all for no registration (or worse, a transponder). It's the old "honest people don't need gun control". Registration has not made aviation safer, it only makes the govt money and gives them control.

And you can file a form and get your registration cancelled and get your money back. My buddy did that last month.

There are some reasonable rules that aren't hard to do, and don't piss people off is one. I've seen folks throw rocks at them after they flew too close.

Also, they have a pretty good range. I know they will fly over 2 miles, easily. (Mine hasn't, however, I have no reason to set a record).

As for learning, it's not hard to learn and goes pretty quick, however, not hard to get confused and mess up. I've crashed twice. Once a prop came off and the battery came out, low altitude, flipped over and landed on its back. Dusted off, put new props on and kept going. They are surprisingly robust.

The first one I bought used, cheap and a good learning tool. Next one will be a bit better.
Click to expand...

SeeVee, you had better tell your buddy to get that that drone registered - it is now the law.

Also, re catching it being difficult. See story in link below. The issue is using one hand to catch it and the other to drop the throttle stick with a thumb as you hold the remote unit - very difficult, and much easier with two people. Some people have a neck holder for the remote control to make this easier.

The Exumas – The First Ten Days | AtAnchor.com
 
did I miss someone mentioning what the drone laws were in the Bahamas?

I think I would not take one to Cuba just yet.... :)
 
I'm torn. Part of me views them as flying jet skis, and part of me wants one really badly anyway. :D
 
I thought the registration requirement had been dropped?

I have a waterproof Splashdrone 3. It can take off and land in the water, eliminating the need to try to land on the boat and hit rigging. However, when the current is running landing in the water is not a panacea. You better have the dinghy ready.

IMG_2229.jpg

It can be fitted with a contraption that allows it to drop a fishing line or lightweight life jacket, so I told my wife it was a safety device. [emoji849]

https://youtu.be/S4KwgPyQ2OY
 
Regards flying in the Bahamas.

Need to be registered there.

If you go to Staniel Cays web site they advise that they do not allow them to be flown on their property plus give a link to the Bahamian rules.
 
psneeld said:
did I miss someone mentioning what the drone laws were in the Bahamas?

I think I would not take one to Cuba just yet.... :)
Click to expand...

Or Morocco. they asked me many times if I had a drone, I thought they were saying "drugs"
 
I like the idea.
I had been thinking of using one for the NW or NE passage, but one part me feels that would be cheating, but then again, i can't be stuck.

In any case a couple years in Alaska would give me practice.
 
In about 1980 I was a freshly minted MBA working as a portfolio manager for a small money mgt firm in Dallas. I was attending a 'roast' dinner to raise money for Dallas Boys/Girls Clubs. Remember this was shortly after EDS Corp (Ross Perot) had gotten it's employees out of an Iranian jail following the revolution (later made into a movie). Perot had started taking his helicopter from his home to his office (only a mile or two) as a security measure, and his neighbors had been complaining loudly. Perot was on the dais/head table at the roast - when he spoke he loudly said that since his company (EDS) made the software for Bell helicopters that he had every right to fly to work! The CEO of TX Instruments was the next speaker (and a neighbor of Perot) - he said Ross, my company makes software for surface to air missiles - then sat down to great applause. :thumb:
 
Had one about a week ago hovering outside saloon window, when it saw that I had seen it it flew off.
I went upstairs and found it looking in through the bedroom window. I grabbed a camera and confronted it and it took off at a great rate of knots back to a nearby boat.
Didn't get a pic of the drone but did of the boat and rego and warned others in the area of the pervert in our midst.
 
We had a case in the local news this past week where a fellow was being followed by one. He tracked down the owner, who of course denied it was flying low or following him, the fellow grabbed his drone and trashed it. Both reported it to the police, it all went away when the trasher payed the owner $300 for the damage. Probably they both learned something from it...

I think they are cool, but I don't want one getting into my space either around my house or around me on the water on any kind of a regular basis. They are kind of like bears... much better once in a while, and from a distance :)
 
Simi 60 said:
Had one about a week ago hovering outside saloon window, when it saw that I had seen it it flew off.
I went upstairs and found it looking in through the bedroom window. I grabbed a camera and confronted it and it took off at a great rate of knots back to a nearby boat.
Didn't get a pic of the drone but did of the boat and rego and warned others in the area of the pervert in our midst.
Click to expand...

So what do you do when you see someone in another boat training his binocukars on your boat or his 300mm camera lens?
 
menzies said:
So what do you do when you see someone in another boat training his binocukars on your boat or his 300mm camera lens?
Click to expand...
Never usually parked close enough for anyone to see anything.
Bins and camera from afar is very different to looking in through bedroom windows.
 
There is an expectation that people will respect your rights to privacy here. Do you let people who would look at you through binoculars into your home to wander the house so they can get a really good look at what you are doing?
 
Simi 60 said:
Had one about a week ago hovering outside saloon window, when it saw that I had seen it it flew off.
I went upstairs and found it looking in through the bedroom window. I grabbed a camera and confronted it and it took off at a great rate of knots back to a nearby boat.
Didn't get a pic of the drone but did of the boat and rego and warned others in the area of the pervert in our midst.
Click to expand...


Ok, that’s just crazy. I guess some drone owners are strange/idiots. But not all!
 
I highly, highly recommend against getting anything from DJI. I have a Phantom 2 Vision Plus and DJI bricked them with their final update. Literally made them unusable and then stopped all updates. Here is one of many threads on the subject.
 
Simi 60 said:
Had one about a week ago hovering outside saloon window, when it saw that I had seen it it flew off.
I went upstairs and found it looking in through the bedroom window. I grabbed a camera and confronted it and it took off at a great rate of knots back to a nearby boat.
Didn't get a pic of the drone but did of the boat and rego and warned others in the area of the pervert in our midst.
Click to expand...

If you keep a small fishing rod with mono line and a plastic practice plug, you can cast in its direction to entangle its rotors and immediately stop the intrusion.
 
FlyWright said:
If you keep a small fishing rod with mono line and a plastic practice plug, you can cast in its direction to entangle its rotors and immediately stop the intrusion.
Click to expand...

That's a more practical solution than my imaginations expecting the shock of a 10-gauge blackpowder charge from a small cannon to dispose of a large, annoying, man-made insect. Perhaps I need to get my 20-gauge, double-barrel shotgun repaired. Better yet, get lots of loose fishing line equipped with weights and entangle the insect.
 
I find it interesting that with everything going in the world at this moment in time, that middle/older age men are stressing over a Drone catching them in their underwear while they are shaving with their shirts off. There will always be people on the fringe of any hobby that do dumb stuff. Gents, I can assure you that 99.9% of the Drone operators out there are respectful, and trying to get away from people to take ocean and outdoor footage. In regards to the commercial aspect, they are being used extensively to monitor power plants, refineries, and their associated piping and systems. This use will continue to grow. Like them or not, they are part of our future.
 
menzies said:
SeeVee, you had better tell your buddy to get that that drone registered - it is now the law.

Also, re catching it being difficult. See story in link below. The issue is using one hand to catch it and the other to drop the throttle stick with a thumb as you hold the remote unit - very difficult, and much easier with two people. Some people have a neck holder for the remote control to make this easier.

The Exumas – The First Ten Days | AtAnchor.com
Click to expand...

Menzies,

I'll respectfully disagree on the registration. Why would they send the registration fee back, which they did last month? It's not the law for recreational drones at this time.

As for catching, yes, it requires a bit of skill, but very doable. You just hover it until it's stable and grab it and pull the the "lower" lever to cutoff. I've done it many times, and never missed a beat, as my friends have. However, I could make an argument for a glove in case of a goof up.

I don't see anything in your link that indicates otherwise.

If you're really concerned, get the prop guards... they work well. (I have them)
 
Seevee said:
Menzies,

I'll respectfully disagree on the registration. Why would they send the registration fee back, which they did last month? It's not the law for recreational drones at this time.

As for catching, yes, it requires a bit of skill, but very doable. You just hover it until it's stable and grab it and pull the the "lower" lever to cutoff. I've done it many times, and never missed a beat, as my friends have. However, I could make an argument for a glove in case of a goof up.

I don't see anything in your link that indicates otherwise.

If you're really concerned, get the prop guards... they work well. (I have them)
Click to expand...

www.cnet.com/google-amp/news/trump-signs-bill-reinstating-required-drone-registration/
 
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