Flying over people and what is considered modification?

[AH-1G]

This video came from Commercial Drones Pilots Forum.
Very interesting rules coming out, a must watch for those who build drones or think about doing modifications, new rules for flying over people.

 

[Rogerson]

Really useful, thanks

 

[Jagerbomb52]

FAA Issues Waiver for Drones With Parachutes to Fly Over People – and Indicates a Way Forward for New Drone Technologies

FAA Issues Waiver for Drones With Parachutes to Fly Over People – and Indicates a Way Forward for New Drone Technologies

In a significant move towards making flight over people more available to companies with commercial drone applications, the FAA has announced that they have issued the Hensel Phelps Construction Compa

dronelife.com

 

[Jagerbomb52]

Your Amazon prime packages are one step closer to being delivered by drones.

Amazon just got FAA approval to fly drones for deliveries

Amazon has become the second company to be allowed to use drones for commercial package delivery.

finance.yahoo.com

 

[Mrgs1]

Your Amazon prime packages are one step closer to being delivered by drones.

Amazon just got FAA approval to fly drones for deliveries

Amazon has become the second company to be allowed to use drones for commercial package delivery.

finance.yahoo.com

Possibly! Depends on location I suspect that will be the stumbling block.

 

[AZflyer83]

I honestly can't see that lasting to many people dislike drones and the complaints would stack up forcing them to shut it down all it would also take is one falling out of the sky hitting a car or something and its over probably. I like the idea just don't see it surviving our easily butt hurt world we live in now.

 

[AZflyer83]

Other thing to consider what happens when people employ anti drone software in the neighborhood and then your package never arrives i could see an HOA do something stupid like that.

 

[AH-1G]

@AZflyer83 HOA's have no jurisdiction who can or cannot fly a drone. Florida Law.
I'm also on the committee of our HOA.

 

[AZflyer83]

HOA's have no jurisdiction who can or cannot fly a drone. Florida Law.
I'm also on the committee of our HOA.

But if enough people in the neighborhood complained or got together and funded it it could still happen just simply saying that to many people these days have it out for drones that this will never be able to take off im wandering how Amazon and the faa are working together on this cause there wouldn't be a way for the drones to avoid flying over people, interstates, side roads, national parks, accidents where emergency services are responding, and restricted air space then also does the average recreational flyer have to worry about now amazon airspace just curious how Amazon is going to beat all the current issues that rec flyers and licensed flyers deal with all ready. Im all for this happening just wandering how it would even be possible do vlos rules go out the window plenty of questions came to mind when i saw this post on the forum right after seeing this on the news.

 

[AH-1G]

They can complain all they want. It's not that easy. A bill would have to come to the State floor first, then go through the State Senate to be approved. But then it can be contested and wind up in state courts.

 

[AZflyer83]

They can complain all they want. It's not that easy. A bill would have to come to the State floor first, then go through the State Senate to be approved. But then it can be contested and wind up in state courts.

Thats true its at least going to be interesting to see all this unfold soon as long as the hobby doesn't get worse with all the restrictions and bad press im kool with it

 

[FlushVision]

FAA Issues Waiver for Drones With Parachutes to Fly Over People – and Indicates a Way Forward for New Drone Technologies

FAA Issues Waiver for Drones With Parachutes to Fly Over People – and Indicates a Way Forward for New Drone Technologies

In a significant move towards making flight over people more available to companies with commercial drone applications, the FAA has announced that they have issued the Hensel Phelps Construction Compa

dronelife.com

Parachutes on drones, IMHO, are a waste of time. The aircraft, more often than not, would be lying on the ground in a crumpled heap well before a parachute could be successfully deployed.

Just an FYI. In the U.K. it is quite legal for a hobby flyer to fly over individuals or small group of people (2 or 3 people, say) so long as the pilot maintains a 50 mtrs bubble from them (this may change, though). Also, under PfCO exceptions to the ANO, a commercial pilot may fly over larger groups of people (a congested area) so long as he is at least 50 mtrs above them.

This is why you can occasionally see me flying over people in some of my videos. I try to avoid flying over people but when I do, i'm not breaking the law as it stands at the moment in the U.K.

 

[Uneek_Pilot]

One of the webinars from the FAA said that flying over people means buzzing over their heads or flying just a few feet above them, more or less in an intimidating or an annoying way. If I misunderstood, then I might need to watch it again.

 

[PatR]

Watch again. The FAA rules clearly state when and how you can fly over people. Unless people are directly involved in the shoot, briefed about the flight and safety factors, under your control, we cannot fly directly over people. Offsetting by a few inches is a different story. There’s no altitude references qualifying vertical separation in the regs. If you are over any part of a person not directly involved and under your control in the shoot you would be in violation.

An enforcement action would be based on what the written law states, not individual, personal interpretations.

 

[Uneek_Pilot]

Re-watched the webinar and cut out this piece......let me know what everyone thinks.

 

[PatR]

Seems pretty clear to me. As he used the word “cylinder” he pretty well defined the space encompassing the person or persons. No vertical limits were placed on the height of the cylinder. Violating that cylinder at any height for any reason would be a violation.

 

[AH-1G]

That's such BS!? I may be at 400' or 200' and now I cannot fly over a person? ?To bad, in my opinion I never saw them, my eyes are to be clearly looking at my drone, not spectators!?

 

[Fred Garvin]

I think this is really a Letter of the Law vs. a Sprit of the Law issue.

The Letter of the Law states, as they were cornered to do so, the “cylinder” of space around the body, blah blah blah, don’t fly over it, blah, blah blah. Yeah, so you’re out at the park flying, 150’ up and enjoying the day, you happen to fly over someone walking their dog on the hiking trail.....anyone gonna care? How can they know if you actually violated the Cylinder of Doom? Non-issue I think.

Spirit of the Law, is to prevent idiots flying over a crowd at a concert to get a shot of the band....idiots flying over crowds at their kid’s soccer game.....idiots flying over a crowded parking lot at a car show.....etc...etc...etc.

 

[PatR]

I tend to agree with Fred. The prudent operator would maintain some level of safe separation. I’ll freely admit there were a couple instances where I’ve flown a lot closer than I should have, in environments that should have been avoided. I was lucky, nothing went wrong, where had anything gone wrong the repercussions could have been deadly. Insurance will pay medical bills but it won’t change what happens to the person you hit.

Immediately afterwards the experience left me seriously reviewing my safety standards, vowing to never, ever do anything even remotely similar again. If I can’t maintain at least 30’ of clear lateral space between my aircraft and people I won’t fly. That clear space includes “over the top” lateral separation.

 

[Uneek_Pilot]

I'm not trying to be a prude here, but I was just trying to see what everyone thinks "flying over people" means. Videos abound where you see drones barely above someone's head, or flying at a beach an what not. I hardly ever fly lower than 100ft.