Any Drone Pilots Out There?

[SethB]

Down load the FAA App “Before You Fly”, Kitty Hawk is good too. Both give you the flight restrictions by geolocation. Also, learn how to read aviation charts so you can pick safe places to fly. I’ve found the obstacle avoidance to be tricky in trees. Its possible to get locked into a patch of trees and have to land. Blades guards help somewhat around obstacles. Practice, practice, practice and keep the drone in sight. Get a drone license for out of visual site flights.

All great info except that last. All recreational and commercial drone pilots, licensed or not, are required to fly *within* visual line of sight at all times. Beyond visual line of sight is only legally available if one is successful in obtaining a waiver from the FAA.

B4UFLY, Kitty Hawk, AirMap, etc. are indeed very helpful to all pilots. Learning to read aviation charts is perhaps one of the most challenging subjects in studying for a Part 107 commercial drone license. I’d highly recommend consulting vfrmap.com (link) to check out one’s local area to see if you’re in controlled airspace. There are some good guides to reading the charts, including the free FAA Chart Users’ Guide aka. CUG, VFR version (link).

A great first stop for anyone interested in rec/hobby or commercial drone piloting is dronezone.faa.gov (link).

 

[Ken & Peggy]

My Skydio arrived a couple months ago after almost a year of waiting, in time for me to go in for a surgery and then rehab, followed by a 'polar vortex' and 40+" of snow...
I've been able to get it up in the air a few times recently and am loving it! The perspective it adds is amazing. Here's one from Chicago's Soldier Field recently, on a hazy overcast day. But it's a start - I'll be bach...

Soldier Field 2021

 

[Jay & Valerie]

I would never feel comfortable flying it out of line of sight. I don't like to fly it that far away even when I can still see it. I fear it will come crashing down and be impossible to find.