Yeah but if you’re flying at night and the lights fail (not that there’s any reason they should if you’ve charged them, leds are pretty reliable) or fall off (the more likely scenario), you don’t have VLO anything, just a vague recollection of where it was when you last had lights, ‘over there somewhere about 100 yards away, ish’. My default in a situation like that would actually be to abandon VLOS and fly from the screen by the map icon for heading relative to my position and screen info for height and speed, or RTH. Safest action must surely be to land the drone at the home point; attempting to land it where it is carries all sorts of risk that cannot be assesed at night.
If you are certain of the drone’s location and have full knowledge of the ground beneath it, a landing could be attempted but you don’t know who or what may be on the ground at the time. You would then rely on the screen to tell you the drone had landed and go into ‘find my drone’ mode. I’ve done this in the brambles in full daylight, good luck trying it in the dark!
How can you see what’s happening around the drone if you cannot see where it is?? That makes no sense? VLOS is a basic concept and if you fly your drone ignoring it, it’s your issue if something bad happens. We all understand the controller provides a ton of info and orientation is a pain (blah blah) but will leave it to you to argue with the barristers and CAA, and any fine or worse!!!
So basically everyone that has a camera linked to a phone or tablet ect needs a spotter and the image clearly shows that without the spotter they would be guilty of not following rules you’re Honours please don’t let the Ken/Karen know this or we’re all F#@£&D
There is a difference between flying by watching a video feed and occasionally glancing down at a screen to take a photo.
How will anyone be able to prove that there was no spotter by looking at the image/video produced?
It’s the same with maintaining VLOS on a long flight. Who can prove if you stood near the end of the flight route and flew the drone away from you, or stood in the middle of the route and flew the drone towards you, overhead and then away from you. That second option would give you VLOS over twice the flight distance.
Tell me about it🤣I find it funny when you’re spotter says I can’t see it and we then look at our little map on the screen for reference and know exactly the area it’s in I really do think the rules should be looked at and updated especially for folk that fly for a living whom pass all things thrown at them just to be referred back to theses basic rules that are broken most days by decent people who just want to fly and has so for very many years (rant over😁)
Playing devils advocate, in the worst case scenario when you’re summoned to court to answer for your crimes against airspace, your spotter would very likely be summoned to the same court. What would you do at that point?
Every single DJI AeroScope with a 10km radius of you will have logged your flight, take off point, the position of the operator (in real time, even if you move), altitude, speed, etc.
And coming back to the extreme court example, you’d probably be required to hand over your flight logs.
Basic skills we should all be able to know and show the police should they attend when Karen claims you’ve been filming her only for you to show them on the spot that it never pointed in her direction or flew over her house (trust me it happens)but if you haven’t got a spotter…and does this apply to sub 250g officer…
Bloody hell I have certainty let the cat out among the pigeons
Although I have had my drone for just 2 years, I am a novice and still learning, hence the questions. I do have a A1 & A3 Flyer ID.
Keep asking questions however silly they may seem, ignorance in a court of law is no defence!!!
But please remember to try and have fun at the same time
Maybe take some time to read the Drone Code. This hobby gets enough bad press and the least we can do is read the booklet which has all the basics written in it - don’t want to sound patronising in any way but it helps everyone if you do👍
please don’t let the Ken/Karen know this or we’re all F#@£&D
