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Just Ordered My First Drone (DJI Phantom 4)!


Youthman

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Just curious, do you have your 333 Exemption?

I'm VERY interested in this. I've been trying to understand all the rules regarding using one of these for business. This indicates the need for a pilots license:

 

Do I need a pilot's license to petition for exemption under Section 333?

A. By law, the FAA cannot authorize an aircraft operation in the National Airspace without a certificated pilot in command of the aircraft (Title 49 of United States Code § 44711). Exemptions granted in accordance with Section 333 carry the following requirement regarding the pilot in command (PIC) of the aircraft:

Under this grant of exemption, a PIC must hold either an airline transport, commercial, private, recreational, or sport pilot certificate. The PIC must also hold a current FAA airman medical certificate or a valid U.S. driver's license issued by a state, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, a territory, a possession, or the Federal government. The PIC must also meet the flight review requirements specified in 14 CFR § 61.56 in an aircraft in which the PIC is rated on his or her pilot certificate.

 

However, it looks like the FAA is about to have new rules for commercial use drone pilots, and this requirement would no longer be required.

 

The FAA is expected to finalize a new regulatory framework for small unmanned aerial systems (sUAS) in late spring / June 2016. Titled Part 107, these new regulations will effectively create a new drone certification process, where for the majority of low-risk, commercial sUAS flight operations, the Section 333 Exemption will no longer be required by commercial drone operators.

Edited by Marvel
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From what I see, it's all a mess right now.  Main reason is the guidelines were written something like 20 years ago.  They are working on a new proposal that called 107 that is hoping to be passed sometime in the Spring that will have guidelines that are designed around drone operators.  Take a look at this article - LINK.

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Cool! I had also found the info about the 107 proposal.

 

Interesting, as the construction company doing all the renovation on an old building where I was working had a guy with them who did video every so often while the work was going on. I would be willing to bet he isn't a pilot.

 

Bruce

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I would be willing to bet there are plenty of people doing commercial work that do not even have a 333, much less a pilot's license.  Hopefully the 107 will help resolve some of the frustration.

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Today I decided to make an unboxing  and initial setup video of the DJI Phantom 4.  I can certainly appreciate the changes DJI has made from it's predecessor, the Phantom 3.  Stay tuned for more videos.

 

Edited by Youthman
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This morning, I decided to get up at 6am (way early for me) to catch the early morning sun.

 

looks to me like your pretty good controlling that drone already , makes me want buy another one . I had one a couple years ago and it ended up getting ran over a few times when it landed on a busy road .

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looks to me like your pretty good controlling that drone already

Thanks. When I was a kid, I always was into RC cars (nothing fancy or expensive).  I tried to convince my parents to buy me an RC Plane but they thought I would crash it (most definitely would have).  Just a few weeks ago when I borrowed my friend's Phantom 3 Advanced, I had never flown one....just watched a lot of Youtube videos on them.  I've got a lot to learn but I'm getting the hang of it. 

 

I did notice there are some shots where the horizon isn't level.  I just found out how to calibrate the IMU (Internal Measurement Units) and I calibrated the Gimbal so hopefully that will fix it. 

 

Tonight I was brave and decided to put it into Sport Mode.  Sport Mode disables Obstacle Avoidance cameras in the front of the copter and increases the speed from 22mph to 45mph.  It was a bit windy today so I was travelling around 30mph in P (GPS) Mode.  When I turned on Sport Mode and flew with the wind behind me, I hit 52mph!  I was a bit nervous because of how responsive and fast it handles.

 

makes me want buy another one

You should.  The P4 is a blast!

 

I had one a couple years ago and it ended up getting ran over a few times when it landed on a busy road .

Ouch!  I've watched a ton of crash videos.  I hope I don't do anything stupid with it.  LOL

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Youth, have you had previous experience flying these things?

Nope, zero.  As mentioned, my first time flying any RC aircraft was the DJI Phantom 3 (1st three videos I posted).  Unfortunately, during the Submerged VBS Video that I did, I was filming by the pool and somehow panned too close to the Pool House and hit the blades hit the side of the building and it sent it spiraling to the ground.  Fortunately, no damage other than 1 broken propeller and 3 scuffed up propellers.  I replaced the propellers for $14 and it was good as new.  I told my friend about it. 

 

Would a beginner want to practice on a less expensive one before flying these? What cha think?

I'm not sure.  Some suggest buying a micro copter (think they are around $100) and practice flying it inside.  They say it will help you become a good pilot.  One of the main reasons I opted for the Phantom 4 over the Phantom 3 Professional is the Obstacle Avoidance.  I'm not going to depend on it, but it's just one extra measure to help you not to crash it.  I've seen a few videos of the P4 where guys lost signal, the Phantom engages into RTH (Return To Home) and because they id not set a high RTH Minimum Altitude, on the way back it was flying right towards a bridge and because of the obstacle avoidance, the P4 saw the bridge, ascended upwards and over the bridge.  The guy was REALLY fortunate because it was REALLY close to the bridge cables on the way up (no upward sensors).  I'll see if I can find the video.

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The great thing about the DJI copters is they have GPS to help it to be stable.  Whenever you let go of the sticks, the GPS holds the aircraft at a hover.  It barely moves while hovering.

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I think these things are going to soar (pun) in sales for a long time coming. What stinks is how electronics get outdated so soon these days but I think I'll be asking the Wardon (wife) for one soon. Looks fun for the whole family.

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I think these things are going to soar (pun) in sales for a long time coming.

It definitely seems like there are a lot of guys buying them.  The mass population won't buy them due to the high cost but still many will.

 

What stinks is how electronics get outdated so soon these days but I think I'll be asking the Wardon (wife) for one soon. Looks fun for the whole family.

I take my GoPro on every family trip.  This will add a whole new perspective to capturing those moments.

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Today my son and I tested out the Active Tracking feature on the Phantom 4.  By simply drawing a rectangle around my son and hitting "Go", the Phantom 4 flies autonomously behind my son while riding his ripstick through our community!  You can see in the video how the Phantom 4 not only follows him, but you can see the camera pan up and down as well as pan left and right to keep him centered in the frame.  It definitely has it's limitations.  I believe it can only track up to 24mph and if he were to turn around and come directly towards the Phantom, it would lose him as he goes underneath the copter.  But overall, it's a pretty sweet feature.  Can't wait to try this out wakeboarding.

 

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