Common Sense

Recently there has been much media attention given to the arrival of hobby drones (UAV) in our skies. These stories usually start off with some goofball claiming to have been photographed naked in a bedroom window by another goofball flying a 'drone'. Bullshit! No one wants to look at Goofball #1 naked, in the bedroom or anywhere else on earth. (That is what the Internet is for!)

That said, pilots of remote controlled aircraft have a responsibility to abide by all evolving FAA regulations protecting no-fly zones, people and property. Among, the many FAA regs is to always fly where you keep constant visual contact with the aircraft. (This is a real challenge for the emerging free flight waypoint to waypoint capabilities.)

Additionally, always have a spotter when flying FPV, especially using goggles. There have been flying times when in the process of transitioning from using the goggles back to using my glasses where I had no idea as to the location of the Phantom. In fact, flying using FPV is like driving you’re car with a 12”x12” windshield. You are going to crash into something sooner than later, so have a wingwoman or facsimile.

For all of us enjoying the opportunities offered by these new and rapidly advancing technologies, we need to use COMMON SENSE in making sure that our right to enjoy the freedom of flight does not encroach on other’s rights to safety, privacy and the right to enjoy the air space above them.