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The FAA will test drone detecting technologies in airports this year
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) will soon be evaluating several drone detecting systems for airports, the agency has announced. It will be testing at least 10 technologies and systems developed not just to detect unmanned aerial systems, but also to mitigate the potential safety risks they pose. The tests are part of the agency’s Airport Unmanned Aircraft Systems Detection and Mitigation Research Program and are expected to begin later this year. (www.engadget.com) More...Sort type: [Top] [Newest]
Good idea since there'll be plenty of commercial delivery drones flying up and down the streets delivering lunches to warmunders everywhere.
On 1/22/2019 pilots of a Southwest flight and a United flight reported seeing a drone around 3,500 feet above Teterboro, New Jersey, about 9 miles from the EWR. Perhaps drones capable of that altitude should be equipped with GPS that prohibits flights above a fixed altitude AGL.
They are the dumb asses that we model aircraft pilots hate they are causing problems with our operations. I dont think there has ever been a problem on our side but the drone/quad copter people have been. Now the FAA wants everyone to have some transponder set up on our models and for the most part would not be seen on radar due to our less than 200ft flights many are under 100ft.
This is baloney. There are no consumer options for this altitude. If it was up there, it was DOD or other classified event. You're disparaging an age old hobby that is passed down from generation to generation and from which, many serious and talented pilots come from.
Agreed. Model Airplane Flying for over a century in the US has been operated by responsible model airplane pilots safely. It is a great hobby. Many, including a few friends of mine, have become commercial airline pilots.
The difference is that model aircraft pilots fly for the challenge and enjoyment of the flight experience, whereas drone pilots fly for the unique perspective that the videos and still images produce. Drones also allow easy flight in any direction, including straight up (the drone will even hold the horizontal position unless to give it stick input to move). It is therefore easy to try to answer the question of “I wonder what things look like up there?”, leading to irresponsible and dangerous behavior.
NO drone can fly up to 3500. There are no hobby radios with that control or fpv range. PERIOD. Do your research before disparaging people. Amazon and others are fighting for our hobby airspace and the hobby is under duress. Please don't fall for this hype and defend what's been a mainstay of flying for over a century for heaven's sake!
There are plenty of examples of hobbyist equipment doing this. Here are just 2:
2003 altitude record for a RC glider going to 8400ft above launch point: http://www.ctie.monash.edu.au/hargrave/cooper_fai_altrec_2004.html
And a DJI Phantom going 4500ft up: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=npFrWINNAxo
I also have worked with hobbyist radios and RC aircraft that are fully capable of 3500ft+ ranges. The technology has been there for years and a select few will abuse it with the "easy to fly" equipment that requires next to no training/practice while the rest who developed the stick skills and are responsible enough to stay in the right places fight to keep it.
2003 altitude record for a RC glider going to 8400ft above launch point: http://www.ctie.monash.edu.au/hargrave/cooper_fai_altrec_2004.html
And a DJI Phantom going 4500ft up: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=npFrWINNAxo
I also have worked with hobbyist radios and RC aircraft that are fully capable of 3500ft+ ranges. The technology has been there for years and a select few will abuse it with the "easy to fly" equipment that requires next to no training/practice while the rest who developed the stick skills and are responsible enough to stay in the right places fight to keep it.
It would be better if the software could work with the GPS topography and recognize the altitude of the land it is flying over and retain a hard upper limit so that idiots like me don't turn off the limits and fly to 8000 feet. It might be complicated but I think it's possible.