Our Crowded Skies

It'll work until they crash a couple of jetliners carrying people.

All it takes is hiring competant people to fly piggyback. There's a decade's worth of armed forces and spy agency drone pilots out there and I'm sure some are chosing to muster out. Hire them to opperate and train new pilots.

Until the FAA gets its head out of its backside it aint gonna happen, at least not without starting a firestorm. Any and all FPV flying is now Illegal according to them as of about two weeks ago. According to the new memo the pilot must have line of site vision of the craft. Period.

Also, given the tech available this is mostly a media stunt. By the time you make a quad big enough to carry more than on package at a time over any distance it is still cheaper to pay a guy driving a truck.

from my understanding those things are legal in nj right now. i assume they paid off the Governor.

http://www.nj.com/business/index.ssf/2013/12/unmanned_drones_to_take_to_nj_skies_as_faa_names_test_sites_for_drone_research.html

in the end i can't imagine how successful this will be. when i order, i get a bulk pack that might not fit on that thing. if it doesn't leave their warehouse you won't get it fast anyway. and the cost of lost drones, it will be in the red in no time. i would love to see where they test these things. and are they accounting for:

children
dogs, bird, other air craft?
trees, wires, even a cloud of insects.

what if it hit a house and either hurt the house, went through a window or set fire to something?
what if it distracted someone while they drove?

i can see so many accidents with this thing, along with invasion of privacy and of course, home terrorists. or something online with a stolen card, have it dropped off at the old abandoned factory. set new thing back into box, watch what happens to their factory on the news.


on the plus side it means that we will get packages really fast because the warehouse will already be in our state. and of course if it's in my state, do i really need to get something in an hour? i can wait a day. heck they drive it to my house in a few hours.


---Mike Savad

I love it. This is going to be great!


Dan Turner
Dan Turner's Seven Keys to Selling Art Online

Per this memo http://www.faa.gov/about/initiatives/uas/media/model_aircraft_spec_rule.pdf on June 18 from the FAA any and all remotely controlled aircraft can only be flow line of sight of the pilot. The news story Mike posted is from December.

The only way around it is to cut the FAA a big 'ol check like PB did further making this a money loosing position.

People resist change, but leaders are all about change. Cars, airplanes, the Beatles, computers, the internet -- people didn't want any of those things at first either.


Dan Turner
Dan Turner's Seven Keys to Selling Art Online

I want a real person delivering packages. Really don't want drones flying all over town. I get that it's a cool idea that it can be done, just not sure it will 'fly' in the long run and be cost effective.

.

"...all FPV flying is now Illegal according to them as of about two weeks ago. According to the new memo the pilot must have line of site vision of the craft. Period. ..."



Thank goodness for that, and as already mentioned, I can't see it being very cost effective either. Not all changes are actually wanted by people. The safety aspect and possibility of mishaps will be overwhelming. I fear that some have watched too many episodes of the "Jetsons". ;)

Now when they come out with little 'Jetson' vehicles I'm gonna get excited! lol

Joshua wrote, “Hire them to operate and train new pilots.”

I could be wrong, but as I understand it these delivery vehicles will be autonomous, relying only on gps technology.

“children, dogs, bird, other air craft?” Excellent considerations, Mike Savad.

Thank you, David S Reynolds for the timely and pertinent information.

This sort of thing may be coming sooner than you think, Melissa.

@ Dan Turner.

I think you may be confusing the Beetles with, Bill Haley and The Comets. The fab four certainly created a buzz, but they---along with many others were only---continuing a movement that began years before.



This is only part one of five. Make sure and watch the other four parts.


But lets get back on topic.

Who are these “leaders” you speak of, Dan? Have these so called “leaders” considered the many concerns regarding these flying bots buzzing above, around, through, every neighborhood in America? Have you?

As to the vehicles being cost effective? I have not seen any numbers yet. I would love to see numbers relating to the costs for a human driven delivery vehicle (truck) as apposed a drone like this.

Recently I ordered some 16 pieces of photography equipment from Adorama in NY. Four of these pieces I received via a program that UPS now uses in conjunction with the USPS.


When I called Adorama with questions regarding the four (what I thought were “missing pieces” I was told to check my mailbox! LOL.

I have no objection to change, Dan. Yet I think it would be rather foolish to blindly support a technology that is unproven.

its not about resisting change,it's about a danger in the sky that can hurt and maim. there are so many factors that i can't believe they can ever test for and probably aren't. they are probably more concerned with showing up at the right address rather than crashing into a building.

---Mike Savad

Using A Drone For Better BBQ

Thanks Guna. Yet another great use for these wonderful gadgets!

Delivery drones won't work for a variety of reasons.

They can't deliver to houses surrounded by trees.

They can't deliver to houses (like East-coast style row houses) that have no front yards to drop the package.

They can't deliver to apartment buildings with indoor corridors. Even apartment buildings with exterior corridors will be problematic.

Customers won't like it because they will drop the package in the front yard (as opposed to the front porch) where 1) passers-by can easily grab them and 2) they'll be exposed to hot sun or rain.

They'll be grounded on stormy or windy days.

Every company will want them, meaning that their sheer numbers will make them so annoying that many municipalities will ban them.

All it would take to bring public wrath against the whole idea is for one to crash into a person, pet, car, house, tree, or power line.

And such inevitable incidents will make delivery drone liability insurance very expensive.

Commercial drones will be well suited to monitoring large swaths of land like farms, remote power lines and gas pipelines, dusting crops, search and rescue, forest fire monitoring, etc, but these activities will be in rural areas, away from densely populated areas.

Sophisticated drones will go wherever people go; i.e., under trees, porches and power lines. There will be drone drop-off boxes/stations (possibly rooftop?) for inaccessible buildings -- similar to outside mailboxes.


Dan Turner
Dan Turner's Seven Keys to Selling Art Online

Dream on.

What could possibly go wrong with these “sophisticated” vehicles, Dan Turner?



As to: “There will be drone drop-off boxes/stations (possibly rooftop?) for inaccessible buildings -- similar to outside mailboxes.”: Really?

Is this speculation on your part, Dan? And even so it brings into play even more questions.

Who will have access to these “drop-off boxes/stations”? Dogs? Little children? Thieves? Most apartment dwellers have locked mailboxes. Will the more “sophisticated” vehicles---to come in the near future I presume---be capable of unlocking the “drop-off boxes/stations”?

In all seriousness, you bring up some valid concerns, James.

Especially, “1) passers-by can easily grab them and 2) they'll be exposed to hot sun or rain.” …...AND....”Every company will want them, meaning that their sheer numbers will make them so annoying that many municipalities will ban them.”

And the most significant ones as I see them....

“All it would take to bring public wrath against the whole idea is for one to crash into a person, pet, car, house, tree, or power line.

“And such inevitable incidents will make delivery drone liability insurance very expensive.”

Please feel free to expand on your thoughts regarding these concerns, Dan.

A municipality doesn't have the ability to ban them once they're fully regulated by the FAA

At least we wouldn't have to tip a drone!

i really can't believe that an unmanned device will be able to travel in tight cities, urban areas and suburban. we aren't talking military drones that stay in the air. we are talking tight yards, with dogs, and kids. people on sidewalks, people tanning themselves on the lawn, wires everywhere, roof top aerials, long grass lawns, etc. this thing is dangerous. i remember when Segway came out. and their claims were - cities will have to redesign to use these. and the fact is - they didn't. because they are dangerous. and you only see them if they are a cop. they are illegal to use in my state. and it was an idea that didn't at all work out. this is in line with that.

all it takes is one kid to lose an eye because he wanted to see the little flying robot. and it may not even be the kid to that house, just some kid on a sidewalk. a good gust of wind blowing down and into a car it goes. dry grass, gas based device, a spark and the lawn is on fire. a bird strike, and into a window of someone house it goes. imagine that thing running through your window?

these are all possible and likely to happen.

the only time these will be helpful and probably be used is when you need to drop something off in a location that is too hard to get to by person. an island, a mountain top, some place like that. where there aren't too many people. i can see that use. but not in a suburban/urban environment. further, everyone knows you just got a package.


---Mike Savad


---Mike Savad

"At least we wouldn't have to tip a drone!"


No need to worry about tipping, as I'm sure there will be some form of a tax initiated on the general public. I wonder how much a company will charge for return/restocking fees when they have to send the drone back to your house to retrieve a package. They'll probably have them flying and working.................then they'll read the operating limitation instructions to see what all is involved with the program. Sound familiar? ;)



"A municipality doesn't have the ability to ban them once they're fully regulated by the FAA "

I believe a municipality should be able to control their own airspace, especially if it comes down to the tree-top/street-level areas.

best i can say is - wear goggles, a helmet and do it away from everyone.


---Mike Savad
http://www.MikeSavad.com

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-3336366/Horrific-picture-shows-toddler-left-blind-one-eye-drone-propeller-sliced-eyeball-half.html

if this article doesn't convince people how dangerous these things are - nothing will


a neighbor using his drone for the first time, had it in the air for maybe 60 seconds, then it hit a tree, then it toppled down, only the spinning rotors hit an 18month year old in the eye - cutting it in half and blinding him. doctors could not save the child's eye - so now that kid will be blind in one side because people think these are toys.

later in the article the spoke about an RC helicopter that a guy was playing with in his room, instead of outside. he hit the joystick wrong and it went up into his face, cutting a 6" line up his face, blinding him as well.

we will see a lot more of these very soon.


---Mike Savad
http://www.MikeSavad.com

Doing a course and getting a license will not make having a drone/quadcopter any safer. It will just mean that an idiot user is just an idiot with a license. It's the same with cars.Just because you pass your test it does not always make you safe and responsible .They will always be those that ignore the rules and take risks.
If a license is made mandatory there will still be those that refuse to get one just like car drivers.
If users followed the rules as most do then it is a fun and safe hobby. Sadly the few that ignore the rules and have a crash get into the news not the thousands of flights that happen without trouble.
As for the noise most have only heard them on a video and as the camera is right next to the motors/props it picks up the noise and it does sound loud.Again if the flyer is following the rules the drone would be so far it would only just be able to be heard if at all.
The same goes for privacy.Most cameras are wide angle and so if flown correctly anyone in the picture or video would be very small. You can fly close to people if they are under your control ie it's your family friends that you are filming.

Anyway the news is of course all about the few bad things not very often all the thousand of good things that happen everyday.
How about a good news,News channel that only reports good news

Manned drones might be the next craze since it is only the natural progression of technology. But with them comes air space regulations and tragedy with the crashes with power lines and trees as well as buildings and weather relate tend things.

They would advance as four wheelers have in the past few years. In fact four wheelers could be flying with drone trackh power.

Mike these incidents are very unfortunate. Accidents happen with all types of objects and products out on the market. A child chokes on a gummy bear and almost dies, someone pokes themselves with a lead pencil, you cut you're finger with a knife, chicken wings frying in hot oil and splatter lands in your eye OUCH! it actually happened to me, we live in a dangerous world, but stupid or careless can not be outlawed and neither should drones.

sure accidents will happen, yet, because many of the people using these devices will probably be kids themselves, it will happen far more often then choking on gummy bears. most of these can be controlled by being careful - around sharp things, knives, hot oil, etc... but drones -- will end up in your backyard, while your walking by etc. all because of one slip up.

drones should be taken out of the market as fast as those hoverboards should be. or companies selling them should be just as liable as the person operating it, if it should go out of control and hurt someone. like if it had a detector (easy enough to install), that said - unit is falling, turn off props - that alone would save people. then it would just be a bump to the head. and not a slash to the face.

the first things this year to be hurt - will be cats. open it up and that's the first thing that will be hit most likely. there are dozens of stories of lacerated fingers with these things.

---Mike Savad
http://www.MikeSavad.com

http://petapixel.com/2015/02/08/man-crashes-camera-drone-live-fox-segment-talking-drone-safety/ they talk about the dangers, talk about licenses - then he crashes it into the camera guys on live tv.


---Mike Savad
http://www.MikeSavad.com

"there are dozens of stories of lacerated fingers with these things."
Mike there are thousands more stories where nothing at all has happened.
Don't try and ban something just because some idiots break the rules and people get hurt.
If we did that then think of all the things that should be banned.Cars and guns are just two that come to mind .
Fine the people that break the rules don't punish the ones that fly safe

its not even about idiots, its hard to control these things, children will be using them. and i can promise you this coming year, there with be A LOT of cases based on this issue. if you can't see where 4 or more spinning blades won't hurt someone, i just don't know what your looking at. these are starting to become common place and everyone will be playing with it and it only takes a split second to lose control. either the device hits me, or it hits a car that then hits me.

guns should be banned.

there are far fewer car accidents and not everyone can drive them.

RC planes and helicopters can only be flown in an airfield meant for them. there can't be a bunch of people around unless its a show of some kind, and i'm betting there are requirements for that as well. these devices - are being used in backyards and are being treated as remote control cars.

there are a great many that are doing worse things with these - bringing them near planes, or mounting guns on them. the rest of the regulations should carry over to children using these. because even if a parent buys it, the kid is still using it. if they created laws that stated the parents are totally libel if someone gets hurt, i think there would be far few of these things.


---Mike Savad
http://www.MikeSavad.com

The majority of people that fly them are sensible and follow the rules so no one can get hurt as the rules say that they must not be flown near people unless the people are under the control of the flyer.That means people that are there to be photgraphed or filmed. They should not be used in built up areas so that rules out back yards but of course they do.
Of course there will be those that are to stupid or ignorant and choose to ignore the rules and if anything should happen then they should get a fine or jail.
Some models have propguards as part of the design. That could be one way to make them all safer. Others have a built in no fly zone near airports.
I just don't think it is right the the thousands of people that use them correctly that you never hear or see about should because nothing bad ever happens should be penalised for the few morons.

“The majority of people that fly them are sensible and follow the rules so no one can get hurt as the rules say that they must not be flown near people...”

I agree, Roy.

I wonder if flying a drone from a hoverboard is a good idea.


http://www.tubechop.com/watch/7542980

that was fast... i just mentioned that combo earlier.


you can be super skilled in these, and i think the more skilled you are, the more likely you'll take chances doing it near people - like this guy did. most people never think it will happen to them - until it does. all it takes is a gust of wind, a bird strike or whatever and someone will have a bad day.

many people don't follow rules. children will be playing these, and they will hurt someone.

just look at the news footage of these things covering events. one fell in a running race. that guy was nearly killed by one while skiing. you wouldn't fly a kite over a crowd, i don't see why people are flying these things over people either. in an open field though - its not as much fun, which is why not many will do it, even if they have it.


---Mike Savad
http://www.MikeSavad.com

http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2014/12/tgifridays-mistletoe-drone-georgine-benvenuto.html this was last year. might have been mentioned. where a lady reporter was doing a story of drones carrying mistletoe. they mentioned two drones, but i don't know which one they were showing off as they landed it in her hand. this one had a wire attached to it, and the drone was marked as a toy. but something happened and it went out of control, and i assume its the one with the guards on it. it got caught in her hair and cut her nose and chin. it could have taken out her eye. the operator not only didn't help at all and might have still been trying to control it while tangled, but said - something like this can't hurt you it can't cut you... while she's bleeding.


---Mike Savad
http://www.MikeSavad.com

http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-pasadena-drone-flight-20150916-story.html here's a case where someone was doing something with some event, and it fell out of the sky, parts flew off and part of it hit an 11month old giving her a bump on the head and a cut. they didn't mention if he was fined, but fines are $1000-$25000

this guy was filming a large crowd, it got away from him and crashed a block away.


---Mike Savad
http://www.MikeSavad.com

http://gizmodo.com/how-to-get-hit-in-the-head-with-a-drone-1582272867 of course you can also use it for marketing - and they tell you the best ways to get hit in the head by a drone.

http://www.idg.tv/video/57308/snap-drone-has-4k-video-and-wont-cut-you-in-a-crash this one is a safe device, or at least there is safety in mind - so maybe it could be something safer. looking at it, its a neat designed, and light. not sure the price though. i'd like to see it in a crash test, see if those strings protecting the blade could get caught in there.

https://vantagerobotics.com/snap/specs so far its a better looking design. they crossed off the price of $1200, so maybe $1100? still pricey for the limited uses i could ever give it.


---Mike Savad
http://www.MikeSavad.com

Interesting stories, Mike.

I am suddenly reminded of my favorite Christmas movie: A Christmas Story.

“You'll shoot your eye out, kid!”.

Allow me to inject a bit of humor.

Meanwhile, I am much more concerned with the much heavier unmanned rotor craft, such as the one's planned by Amazon, and now Walmart to deliver packages that weigh as much, or perhaps more, than 5 pounds.

what will happen is -- the states that allow this, will quickly find their skies will be dotted by hundreds of drones from many places, and if the faa doesn't like the low clutter of these things, they will either ground them all, force them to follow flight plans like all other planes, or there will be a major accident in the air and someone will get hurt, or killed, or it will cause some other kind of damage and all plans will be halted everywhere.

right now the amazon thing is doable in some areas that are clear, but once you have dozens upon dozens around you, combine that with responsible people flying their drones in a careful manner around their house, something terrible will happen. its just a matter of time.

---Mike Savad
http://www.MikeSavad.com

How about launching and landing a large unmanned "drone" on a moving aircraft carrier:

http://www.cnet.com/pictures/x-47b-heads-to-sea-on-carrier-duty-pictures/?ftag=ACQ0249d8e&vndid=msn-msn

Go Navy! :)

“force them to follow flight plans like all other planes”?

Just to be clear.

As I understand it: As for general aviation (non commercial) In many, many cases, the FAA does NOT require the pilot to file a flight plan.

Not to say that NOT filing a flight plan is a good idea.

This is a good article regarding the subject.

Quote from the article:

“Recent statistics indicate that more than half of the pilots involved in mishaps did not file a flight plan before the accident flight.”

http://flighttraining.aopa.org/students/crosscountry/articles/4779.html

This is certainly an innovative use for a quad-copter. Does anyone see any concerns for safety here?

i was looking up something else (can silly string stop a drone) and found this:

http://www.popsci.com/drone-commits-vandalism mounting a spray can they can now send graffiti almost anywhere. it can also be a flame thrower, but they didn't say if that would melt props or not.

http://www.engadget.com/2015/03/15/tryone-drone-sprays-paint-silly-string-and-flames/ nope props are fine... oddly they seemed to show this off at shows like it was a good thing


http://theantimedia.org/new-crowd-control-drones-will-shoot-protesters-with-pepper-spray/ these drones will shoot pepper spray at the crowds for police. i'm sure that will go real well...

http://time.com/19929/watch-this-drone-taser-a-guy-until-he-collapses/ this was their first --- its shoots a taser



http://www.howtogeek.com/213159/what-you-need-to-know-before-flying-a-drone/ here are some rules and guides to follow


---Mike Savad
http://www.MikeSavad.com

http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/local/2014/04/15/man-charged-in-use-of-camera-drone-at-accident.html here is a story of a guy with a nice rig, does this professionally, filming an accident. the cops told him to remove the device from the sky. which he did, then he put it back, the cops said remove it - we need to land a medivac and its in the way. he claims he's no idiot and if someone told him the first time that this was the reason he would have complied... he was arrests and had like $500 bail. basically he got in the way because he thought it was his right to shoot the scene.


---Mike Savad
http://www.MikeSavad.com

Differing opinions on new drone regulations

This is an interesting article regarding drones. It is from the perspective of the insurance industry.

“Drone operators in the US have been warned that knowingly violating the stringent Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) regulations could result in their insurance policies being invalidated.
 
In recent months it has emerged that commercial drone usage is highly regulated by the FAA, to the point of being prohibitively expensive. The FAA defines “commercial” broadly, as including receiving anything of value in return for operating the drone.”

http://www.ibamag.com/news/many-drones-flown-in-violation-of-regulations-26559.aspx