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08-07-2013, 11:21 AM
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Join Date: Sep 2006
Posts: 47
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Commercial Unmanned Drones Approved by the FAA
One Giant Leap for Unmanned-kind
July 26? The Federal Aviation Administration has issued restricted category type certificates to a pair of unmanned aircraft systems (UAS), a milestone that will lead to the first approved commercial UAS operations later this summer.
http://www.faa.gov/news/updates/?newsId=73118
We all knew this was coming and where it is going but what does it mean for VFR pilots trying to see and avoid these things?
They say these drones are "small" being less than 55lbs with wingspans of 9 and 10 feet. That would definitely leave a mark in a collision!
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08-07-2013, 03:06 PM
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Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: Wichita Falls, TX
Posts: 2,182
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One of my biggest fears about them is I wonder when these things will next be approved for routine pipeline and powerline patrol flying... and you know they're gonna make it happen to save money too.
__________________
Neal Howard
Airplaneless once again...
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08-07-2013, 06:24 PM
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Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: AZ
Posts: 186
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I hate flying around these things. Anyone who has probably agrees. One of those necessary evils I guess. I am hopeful traffic awareness via adsb improves greatly as these come online. We certainly don't have any traffic in our helicopter and those things have scared me more than once. Not to mention the colossal trouble they cause on launch, recovery and sustained airspace closures while they are up. Even in small scale tightly controlled restricted areas they are cumbersome, don't talk, etc. I'll be interested to see how the integration goes!
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08-07-2013, 07:55 PM
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Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: Prather, CA
Posts: 191
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I developed a deep seated hatred for these things in Iraq. We were CONTINUALLY altering our flight paths to avoid them. Night after night we endured countless vectors for spacing to avoid them. It seems it's much easier and more reliable for the ATC guys to to maneuver the manned aircraft to avoid the drone. Where radar was unavailable we had to stay very vigilant to avoid them. We were flying NVG's which was great, but that's one of the reasons the C-23 community started using goggles in the first place - near misses with UAV's.
I've been dreading the day that UAV use becomes accepted/widespread in CONUS. I fear we'll find that GA traffic becomes subservient to the remote control toys. These little ones are very hard to see, but it will certainly take you down if you hit one.
Of course you'll already find the Predator, it's variants, and other types being operated by the Military in some areas. It's not been extensive - yet, and it's tightly controlled. I think the type certification of these things, while perhaps inevitable, is going to bring us some grief.
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08-07-2013, 08:34 PM
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Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: Marshall TX (KASL)
Posts: 1,783
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They are already available for pipeline patrol. Seen them at petrochemical trade shows. Very sophisticated. Live video feed. You can point/click waypoints using a Google Earth type interface, then it is all autopilot at a specified AGL. At any point you can hit "Circle here" or click on a point shown on the video feed and go there and circle, etc. Saw a fair sized one that was about 30 HP.
Here are a few. There are many more. There are fixed and rotary wing versions.
http://www.servovision.com/aeroscout...,VTOL/UAV.html
http://www.aeronautics-sys.com/?Cate...&ArticleID=188
http://www.barnardmicrosystems.com/L3_oil_pipeline.htm
Really small one:
http://www.marcusuav.com/
If they stay below 500AGL and away from airports maybe they won't be much of a problem for us. But for helicopters - big issue! Is the gov't overstepping its boundaries on these? Did you see the article about a Colorado town that is considering making it legal to shoot them down? FAA is warning that could be a federal offense.
Interesting question - if the EPA had a small track-wheeled device (think small Mars Rover) and sent it on your land to see if you were violating some regulation, and without a search warrant - would you be within your rights to either seize or destroy it? But it makes a difference if it flies? Very interesting issues...
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08-08-2013, 10:40 AM
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Join Date: Nov 2005
Location: KRTS
Posts: 1,798
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It's only going to take one mid-air and a massive lawsuit before people think twice about buying/operating these things.
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Next?, TBD
IAR-823, SOLD
RV-8, SOLD
RV-7, SOLD
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08-08-2013, 10:58 AM
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Join Date: Aug 2005
Posts: 845
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Sig600
It's only going to take one mid-air and a massive lawsuit before people think twice about buying/operating these things.
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Or allowing us to share the sky with them. Being there first doesn't count for much, anymore, but having deep corporate pockets certainly does. It could go either way.
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Dave Gamble
Grove City, OH
RV-6 N466PG Purchased already flying - SOLD!
The Book: The PapaGolf Chronicles
Built RV-12
http://www.schmetterlingaviation.com
The Book: Being written.
The above web blogs and any links provided thereto are not instructional or advisory in nature. They merely seek to share my experiences in building and flying Van's RV airplanes.
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08-08-2013, 11:00 AM
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Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: Mojave
Posts: 4,652
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Think of how that midair over the Grand Canyon all those years ago changed everything forever.
Interesting how there is never a problem
...Until there is one.
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WARNING! Incorrect design and/or fabrication of aircraft and/or components may result in injury or death. Information presented in this post is based on my own experience - Reader has sole responsibility for determining accuracy or suitability for use.
Michael Robinson
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Harmon Rocket II -SDS EFI
RV-8 - SDS CPI
1940 Taylorcraft BL-65
1984 L39C
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08-08-2013, 02:25 PM
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Join Date: Oct 2011
Location: Atlanta
Posts: 878
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Quote:
Originally Posted by FlyArmy
One of those necessary evils I guess.
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Gotta strongly disagree with this. I see no benefit other than minor coat savings in return for increased risk and an increasingly oppressive gov't
__________________
RV-8 IO-360 (Bought)
RV-6 O-360 C/S (Sold)
Walkman aka Flame Out
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