Discussion FPV Flying -- SAFETY!

[scrtsqrl]

Sounds like a plan. VERY IMPORTANT. Better to start good practices ourselves than have them imposed on us.

[twinturbostang]

Originally Posted by scrtsqrl

Sounds like a plan. VERY IMPORTANT. Better to start good practices ourselves than have them imposed on us.

Exactly. That's why I started this thread so early in the forum life.

[scrtsqrl]

I have a thread going on my blog under "Flight Rules & Good Practices". I'm collecting info and posting/editing as required. I wanted it just for my own reference but hopefully someone else will find it useful. I'll keep it going in my blog so I can edit out the static and stay to the point.

[typicalaimster]

Very cool, I PM'ed Mike, the person that created the group, and asked him if he could sticky a few of the threads. Hopefully some of that holiday dust is starting to settle and he'll answer back!

[typicalaimster]

Hey guys.. I'm making this thread a sticky.

[twinturbostang]

Thanks Scott.

[zaguruinzasky]

can u guys write down some link where to get "GPS return to home" device?

Thankx

[scrtsqrl]

PICOPILOT RTL

Hope this helps.

[rcrick]

3) Spotter
Wish I could follow this rule. but for me it's just not possible. My problem is when I get a chance to fly it’s just a quick trip out to the field. There is hardly any interest in RC in my small home town. When there is someone who is flying where I go to fly I can hardly hold their interest in the project for a few minuets. To make up for this, my plane is light and very slow. I fly in a location that I know very well so I can tell where I am easy form under the hood. I have been flying FPV for many years now and I have lost the video signal several times wile flying FPV. Since I know the site so well, I simply come out from under the hood and look in the direction that I last seen and heard was at that time. It a very scary feeling, but it's the best I have right now. I currently don't fly beyond visual range. Before I would try that, some things would need to improve. Such as, my plane has a six foot wingspan, so out of visual range would be nearly a mile.
I don't currently trust my RC rx and tx that well. So before I would try that, I think some kind of autopilot, plane retrieval device would be needed. I currently use a 10'' TV monitor for my viewing of the FPV flights. I hope to get some goggles soon, then I can use both the goggles and monitor and maybe some friends will find it interesting enough to a least fly along with me. One thing I like so much about flying video is that I don’t mind as much flying alone, because I come home and watch the video and it doesn’t seem such a shame that no one is watching me fly. I video tape all my flights. I have at least 20 full 2 hour vhs tapes and since I went digital 8, I have a least 10 full one hour 8 mm tapes. It’s pretty much all the same ole stuff but I can’t bring myself to tape over any of it. Every time I go out to fly FPV, within a hour of getting home I watch the tape. It’s like having gone out and flew a second time. Such fun! But bores the hell out of most people.

Ricky

[VRflyer]

Ricky
Your story look very similar to mine. Me too I always fly alone since long time due to few interest of peoples here to fly like me...
I stay in visual range, and (rarely) when I lost video, I removed the headset and was able to land safely. Effectively it's scary when it happens

[PeteSchug]

Hi rcrick and VRflier,

I belong to a very active club and it is the same story. After the first bit of curiosity where everyone looked at the monitor my clubmates seem to have very little interest. Most days that I fly at my home field there are at least ten members sometimes a lot more and nobody has anything more that mild curiosity unless I happen to get a shot of their airplane in flight.

If I show up with a new airplane everyone is interested. If I show up with new goggles nobody cares.

I really wonder if we have some kind of very different outlook. My local hobby shop owner sells inexpensive ($99) video setups. I will ask him who buys this stuff. I think kids with RC cars and they probably try to run it at home on the living room TV.

I have wanted to do this since I started flying RC. We talked then about getting a cheap Super8 movie camera and sticking it on a plane, but never did it. Video cameras still weighed a ton in those days.

VR it is interesting that you got attention from the news media and yet for most people it is a curiosity but for a few like us it becomes the most interesting way to fly.

I really don't understand it.

Pete

[typicalaimster]

Hmm I think we have a problem.... Under current proposed rules we'd have someone on a buddy box system. How exactly can we attach a head tracker AND a buddy box when there is only one buddy box plug?

[AnthonyRC]

Originally Posted by typicalaimster

Hmm I think we have a problem.... Under current proposed rules we'd have someone on a buddy box system. How exactly can we attach a head tracker AND a buddy box when there is only one buddy box plug?

Tricky... the only way I could imagine doing this would require a bit of electronics.
1) On the 'Trainer' Tx, enable all channels for Training, and enable the trainer switch
2) Take the PPM output from the 'Trainer' Tx, into an external microcontroller, along with the head-tracker PPM output, and the 'Student' transmitter PPM output.
3) With a switch on the external microcontroller, decide to do a) or b) below:
a) Decode the PPM stream from the trainer Tx, plus the PPM stream from the Headtracker, selectively mix the pan/tilt channels into their appropriate slots, then feed it back into the trainer Tx 'PPM In'.
b) Same as a), but mix the Student Tx PPM output with the Headtracker instead.

Hum, another possibility, the TrackR1 was designed to have a PPM input simultaneously with the PPM output. Using a simple switch, feed it either the Student PPM stream, or the Trainer PPM stream. The head tracker then does its selective mixing, overriding the pan/tilt channels, and feeds it back into the Trainer Tx.

Or even easier, but won't satisfy the AMA, equip both Trainer and Student transmitters with the same Crystal. When the goggle-equipped pilot looses control, turn off one Tx, and turn the other one on

[typicalaimster]

Blah that won't work. The TX can be out of trim or something might be reversed. That just makes a bad situation worse. Hmm at that point you'd might as well use two transmitters. One for the head tracker and one for the plane..

[typicalaimster]

Alright I'm throwing this out there.. Please add or add constructive criticism. Keep in mind these are bullet points in addition to what we already have posted..This should help get the ball rolling.


1) Equipment

- Equipment shall be at least 500mw and must be allowed to operate in the proper 2.4ghz or 900mhz range.
- User of the equipment must appropriate the proper FCC licenses required to operate. This usually is a Tech license in the US.
- List of approved equipment (document needed)
- Only one plane in operation for that given frequency range (2.4ghz / 900mhz)
- User of the equipment must not cause any other interference to other users of radio equipment (ie: Spektrum)
- Plane must be equipped with a leveling device such as a FMA CoPilot

2) Experience

- Pilot must have at least 20 documented hours of basic flight proficiency. These hours may be signed by that sites intro pilot instructor
- Pilot must have at least 10 hours of additional documented aerobatic flight. Pilot must show decent proficiency in the NSRCA Sportsman schedule. (http://www.nsrca.org/scheduleA.htm)
- Pilots may then begin basic Fly By Video training based on the Basic Flight Proficiency training


3) Spotter

- Spotter must be used during the beginning of Fly By Video training
- A spotter must be present when other aircraft are in the air in order to prevent possible collision.
- After the pilot has completed the Fly by Video proficiency course they must accrue an additional 5 hours of flight time before they are allowed to fly solo.


4) Location / Long Distance

- No flying at night
- No flying during times when the sun may hinder sight (Dawn / Dusk)
- Flying site safety officer may approve or deny of such flying.
- Flight location must adhere to the suggested AMA flying site in Form 706 - Section C (http://www.modelaircraft.org/PDF-files/706.pdf)
- Visual boundary markers must be placed in accordance with Form 706 – Section C which must be visible to the pilot at all times.
- Long distance should not be done and shall not be honored under any circumstance