No more FPV in the US!

[PeteDee]

So for all you people that have registered what are you doing with your gear now that the FAA has criminalised FPV?

 

[fengshuidrone]

Technically we can still do FPV if we have an observer to maintain the line of sight rule.

 

[JoeBob]

• Keep the aircraft within visual line of sight at all times

http://www.faa.gov/uas/model_aircraft/

Keeping it within line of sight does not mean you have to be looking at it, right? FPV all you want, as long as you can take off your goggles and find it in the sky.

 

[matwelli]

Fengshuidrone is correct....and has that not always been the rule...to FLY FPV you need an observer and they need to have sight of it at all times ?....so no change there ?

 

[fengshuidrone]

Fengshuidrone is correct....and has that not always been the rule...to FLY FPV you need an observer and they need to have sight of it at all times ?....so no change there ?

I always thought the observer inclusion was stupid anyway. When you are on board, as you are with FPV, you have the ultimate line of site. The nature of the beast is all about sight. Plus you don't need to do that crazy backward stick stuff and trying to remember orientation like when you are traditional line of sight flying. I think FPV could be a safer way to fly, until your signal drops. I guess that's why they have the line of sight observer rule........

 

[Carapau]

I think you guys are perhaps missing the point about maintaining line of sight. It has nothing to do with seeing the path your aircraft is taking directly but everything to do with what you are seeing around the craft. The purpose of maintaining line of sight is for the prevention of accidents with other air users thus you must be able to see left of the craft, right and behind. You should also be able to re-acquire the aircraft in an instant should you take your eyes off the craft eg looking at telemetry. The idea of being able to take your goggles off and instantly finding your aircraft is not particularly practical in reality. Having an observer is a very sensible thing. The only time I would say that an observer isnt needed for safety so much is FPV racing (and for that matter I dont see the need for maintaining line of sight for this although marshals required to keep people straying into the race track area).

 

[Twitch]

Where I'm from I highly doubt the police, FAA or anyone else for that matter will be going around checking out people flying. Unless they are curious and just want to watch.

 

[Blue Collar]

Hopefully the FAA will come to its senses and require full scale pilots to fly while being able to see 360 degrees around the aircraft. I know I would feel safer if the next time I'm on a commercial flight the pilot was actually following behind a 1000 feet so he or she could see the entire airspace around the craft.