Peter wrote:
at some half reasonable resolution it is several GB (looking at e.g. the database in X-Plane) which is simply not going to be in a drone.
Why not!? It fits easily on a SD card. (Ok, SDHC.) Modern aviation GPS systems like G1000 and GTN do that…
height above the point at which the drone is turned on.
I was just about to ask: any implementation of “height above ground” would require a whole earth terrain map to be stored, which is possible but at some half reasonable resolution it is several GB (looking at e.g. the database in X-Plane) which is simply not going to be in a drone.
So they have done the simple solution. They grab the GPS altitude when it is turned on.
500m is 1600ft and the most common UK PPL cruise altitude (regardless of terrain 
) is 1500-2000ft which most sensible pilots fly above anyway 
But yes this is obviously a problem if operated around airports, both little ones and big ones – depending how well the geofencing works.
However even 500ft is a problem in some places e.g. the place where they fly from the hill near Shoreham Airport, where SFC+500ft places you into the left base for 20. That spot has always been a problem, with all kinds of model aircraft over the years. One is relying on the flyers being at least a bit smart. Actually IIRC they are not supposed to fly above where they are, only into the valley below.
Yes, my bad. It’s actually height.
More specifically, height above the point at which the drone is turned on.
I was also wrong on another account, I double checked and the limit is 500 metres, not 400. Not that it makes too much difference…
Out of the box, it is set to 120m so that’s close enough to 400ft. This value can be changed very easily within the app you use to control the drone, no hacking or anything is required. It’s just there in the menu.
I can’t speak for other drone brands, however DJI is by far the biggest player in the drone world so it’s most likely that you’ll encounter a DJI product.
Thanks for clarifying that IO390. If that’s correct, then it’s an outrageous situation that needs to be closed down by the EU as expediently as possible. GA, with no effective collision avoidance technology, relies on these things being operated below 500’ and many people believe that they are, but this revelation may explain why some pilots are reporting encounters at higher levels.
If they really are programmed out of the box to operate up to 1300’ (is that AGL – you said ‘altitude’ but that means some users would have to fly them underground), they constitute a real danger to life in our crowded skies, not just GA but military and of course CAT.
It would be a simple matter to detain the shipping containers until the devices are modified, or pushed off the quay in order to float back to China. (Oh no, that would be a hazard to shipping).
@Peter_Mundy – yes, good idea to remain anonymous if one wishes to criticise their customer base!
DJI set the max altitude limit to 400 metres regardless of local regulation, which for most of Europe is 400ft to the best of my knowledge.
IO390 shows no personal detail in his profile so it is difficult to know in which country he is located. Certainly in aal European countries I know of the max altitude is around 400 FEET.
IO390 wrote:
fly up to 400 metres altitude
Is that 400 metres, or feet? Big difference!
IO390 wrote:
With R/C planes and helicopters, a lot of time and money is required to develop the skills required to fly properly. Most people take at least a year of regular flying to become at all competent, so generally people take it a bit more seriously and don’t really do stupid stuff
And also the people who do the stupid stuff generally start finding that it gets far too expensive and either quit doing stupid stuff, or quit RC.
I own a DJI repair centre, so I have a good amount of first-hand experience with how reckless drone operators (some of them like to be called “pilots”) can be.
For starters, most drones costing $700+ are absolute marvels of technology and are immensely capable photography platforms. Above all, they are very easy to fly and anyone can operate them with absolutely no knowledge, and that is precisely the problem.
With R/C planes and helicopters, a lot of time and money is required to develop the skills required to fly properly. Most people take at least a year of regular flying to become at all competent, so generally people take it a bit more seriously and don’t really do stupid stuff. That FPV video from a Spitfire on page #1, for example, is a totally custom built setup and people that do this kind of flying are careful with where they fly and monitor for traffic.
On the other hand, you can buy a drone, plug in your phone and off you go. DJI drones allow you to fly up to 400 metres altitude and as far away as you can go before running out of battery/range. Most drones can fly at least a couple of miles away, at which point you have no idea what is going on around the actual drone. Some people even fit range extenders (amplifiers/higher gain antennas), though we make a point of not offering services to people who do this sort of thing. This sort of capability allows users to fly recklessly without having to learn anything, including laws and regulations. DJI include a safety leaflet with every drone, but this will rarely be read. People rarely even read the instruction manual.
I’m painting with a broad brush here, however there are many drone users around who hold poor attitudes towards safety and regulation compliance, and it will only take one bad accident before drone laws tighten.
Drones are also pretty substantial. Some of the larger ones, such as Inspires, are quite robust and heavy, being made from magnesium alloy and carbon fibre. They would do a lot of damage to a light aircraft. In fact, I’m willing to bet that anything Phantom sized and upwards could easily make it through a GA aircraft windscreen and injure/kill occupants. If a bird can make it through a windshield, a drone sure as hell will.
In fact, I don’t understand why there is any debate at all as to whether a drone will cause damage to an aircraft. Of course a drone will cause damage, there is simply no question. Whether it will cause enough damage to bring down an aircraft depends on the drone, the aircraft and the nature of the incident. My take on this is that the accident shouldn’t happen in the first place! Bird strikes can’t always be avoided, since you can’t tell birds where to go. However, someone is in complete control of a drone, and the are on the ground and can easily observe for traffic, provided they aren’t flying like a dick. So there’s no excuse. DJI’s geofencing does work to a degree and is much better than having no protection at all. It’s still far from foolproof though and it’s only a matter of time before a bad accident happens.
Mooney_Driver wrote:
I grant you that drones are here to stay but how they will be used in the future is very much subject to debate.
“By default, DJI’s GEO System limits flights into or taking off around locations such as airports, power plants, and prisons. They are also implemented temporarily around major stadium events, forest fires, or other emergency situations. If a flight within one of these locations has been authorized, GEO allows users with verified DJI accounts to temporarily unlock or self-authorize their flights. This unlock function is not available for sensitive national-security locations.”
Technology to the rescue (link)
