PatR
Premium Pilot
I can only relate based on my own experiences. Being one of those that has done what Mr. Garvin lamented about previously with car shows (with permission and controls) I can say that from my own experience the definition of "flying over people" is something that requires considerable thought, and even more restraint. There are situations where just flying near people but never over them can be extremely dangerous. There are times where passing over people at a reasonable height will generate, at most, minimal danger. Hovering over people at any height will always present unnecessary danger. Reflecting on my experiences shooting car shows and county fairs I can candidly say that I will never do another car show if the general public is moving freely among the cars. Without completely blocking the asile you will be flying through the risk is extremely high, and even if totally blocked there is still considerable risk if and when something goes wrong with the aircraft. If the public is actively moving about within 100' or so the risk is just too high. Far better to do the shoot before the public is allowed in or after they have gone.
What we do is heavily influenced by "unknowns". We are never 100% certain how our flight controllers will respond to input. We never know our drones are going to maintain the course and altitude they have been commanded to fly. We don't know that the radio frequencies we are using will remain unimpeded or free from interference. We don't know when or if a motor or ESC might fail, or a propeller break or separate in flight. So any time we are flying over, around, or near people there is doubt, and where there is doubt there should be concern.
I can tell you that even if your drone functions perfectly, people will either intentionally or accidentally do everything possible to interfere with your flight path. The only thing you can depend on is they will be unpredictable. They will deliberately walk under your aircraft while staring at it. They will be oblivious to anything other than what they are looking directly at and accidentally walk into the path of the aircraft. They will reach up and try to touch it. They will stand right in the middle of a well marked landing area that is cordoned off to prevent their access. Whatever you don't want them to do is precisely what they will do, and do it at the worst possible time. Your stress level is off the charts, and more time is spent aborting a picture or film run because of human interference than actually flying them.
I'm no prude either but using my personal experiences I've learned that things just work out a lot better when more distance from people is maintained rather than less. Just for giggles, I'm attaching a "Splat Calculator" as an interesting way to play with threat factors.
If anyone has a desire to play with the numbers, the Typhoon H weighs in the area of 2 kilos. If hovering at a height of 33 meters and the motors stopped it would fall at 25.43m/s (56.88mph), hit the ground in 2.6 seconds, with an impact force of 646.8 joules, or 477 foot pounds of force. The numbers get interesting as the altitude gets higher.
The Splat Calculator - A Free Fall Calculator
What we do is heavily influenced by "unknowns". We are never 100% certain how our flight controllers will respond to input. We never know our drones are going to maintain the course and altitude they have been commanded to fly. We don't know that the radio frequencies we are using will remain unimpeded or free from interference. We don't know when or if a motor or ESC might fail, or a propeller break or separate in flight. So any time we are flying over, around, or near people there is doubt, and where there is doubt there should be concern.
I can tell you that even if your drone functions perfectly, people will either intentionally or accidentally do everything possible to interfere with your flight path. The only thing you can depend on is they will be unpredictable. They will deliberately walk under your aircraft while staring at it. They will be oblivious to anything other than what they are looking directly at and accidentally walk into the path of the aircraft. They will reach up and try to touch it. They will stand right in the middle of a well marked landing area that is cordoned off to prevent their access. Whatever you don't want them to do is precisely what they will do, and do it at the worst possible time. Your stress level is off the charts, and more time is spent aborting a picture or film run because of human interference than actually flying them.
I'm no prude either but using my personal experiences I've learned that things just work out a lot better when more distance from people is maintained rather than less. Just for giggles, I'm attaching a "Splat Calculator" as an interesting way to play with threat factors.
If anyone has a desire to play with the numbers, the Typhoon H weighs in the area of 2 kilos. If hovering at a height of 33 meters and the motors stopped it would fall at 25.43m/s (56.88mph), hit the ground in 2.6 seconds, with an impact force of 646.8 joules, or 477 foot pounds of force. The numbers get interesting as the altitude gets higher.
The Splat Calculator - A Free Fall Calculator
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