This morning, I had a 12 minute flight at the park and ride with one of my planks; one with snow skis fitted to the ship's undercarriage, so I could take off and land off the foot of snow covering everything. There is another storm starting around noon, so I wanted to get some stick time in. Any way, I had just started my take off roll on ground, er, slide on ground :-), and I hear someone say, "that's really cool," I get the ship in the air, climb out, set the trim, and then look over him, and there standing standing behind my flight line, is a cop. I asked him if he needed me to land, and he said no, so I showed him what the ship could do. I knew I was legal, and could prove it, but it turns out that cop, and other ones on the force, had been watching me fly there for years and I didn't know it!

Advocacy through safe, recreational flying...

Sweet afternoon of flying today with no prior authorization at an established AMA-club-associated field in the Class D airspace of a military airfield with no blue-dot status. The FAA is very aware and doesn't care. We still expect to get blue-dot status eventually, and we're on the list to get approved for > 400'. At least 10 fliers showed up, and multiple planes were in the air most of the time from about 2:30 pm till sunset. Everthing from scale EDF jets to motorgliders to fast V900's to 3-D planes to little UMX planes to scratch-built semi-scale foamboard planes to Spitfire and Do-335 warbirds, plus at least one helicopter. The wind dropped off to almost nil in the last couple of hours of daylight, and the sunset colors were spectacular.

Steve

This morning at sunrise, the wind was calm, the temp was 35F. So I booked over the the park and ride and flew three packs on my 500 sized heli, aggressive sport flying and big air way, way up high and then a nice flight on a plank. Advocacy through safe flying, out there in the community...

Met a guy today who got all set up to fly his EDF jet, then had to bail because the batteries in his FPV goggles were dead. He said "I can't fly LOS because I'm basically blind." He had a friend with him who presumably was going to act as a spotter, but wouldn't have been able to take over flying under any circumstances.

Of course, I suppose it is very rare anyway for a spotter to successfully take over flying after FPV goggle failure-- or for a FPV pilot to remove goggles and successfully switch to visual flying after FPV goggle failure. I would expect that in most cases the plane would crash first, especially if it is an EDF jet rather than, say, a Radian.

So, a new avenue for opposing the RID NPRM -- the ADA act?

Steve

Originally Posted by aeronaut999

Met a guy today who got all set up to fly his EDF jet, then had to bail because the batteries in his FPV goggles were dead. He said "I can't fly FPV because I'm basically blind." He had a friend with him who presumably was going to act as a spotter, but wouldn't have been able to take over flying under any circumstances.

Of course, I suppose it is very rare anyway for a spotter to successfully take over flying after FPV goggle failure-- or for a FPV pilot to remove goggles and successfully switch to visual flying after FPV goggle failure. I would expect that in most cases the plane would crash first, especially if it is an EDF jet rather than, say, a Radian.

So, a new avenue for opposing the RID NPRM -- the ADA act?

Steve

I can speak to this...

It is possible to recover after goggle failure, have seen it. Someone will accidentally power up another video transmitter on or near yours and swamp your goggles, making them useless. Recovery is not guaranteed, but better than 50-50. I have had mine power off, accidentally pulled power cord, and I was able to transition to my secondary video monitor and land safely.

Not directing this at aeronaut99, but many here are making wild assumptions about activities they don't necessarily know about.

Obvious typo in my previous post, now fixed. The quote should have been "I can't fly LOS because I'm basically blind."

Anyway, I made him a standing offer to be his spotter, with a willingness to try to take over in the event of failure of the FPV system, any time he came back to the field with functioning equipment. Steve

A couple days ago a Radian, a Conscendo, and an adult Bald Eagle were all circling directly over the local rc flying field in close proximity, climbing in a thermal. Unbelievable that the lady with the fancy camera with the long zoom lens, who had earlier been taking long-range photos of a couple of eagles perching in a very distant treeline, didn't notice. (How could she miss it considering that they were, of course, only 399' up?) Running that shot in the local paper might have been a nice version of "advocacy through safe recreational flying". Or not; I guess someone in the local Audobon club would probably manage to take it the wrong way. Guess it will forever be one of those "had to be there" moments.

I think there were a few non-flier spectators present who did see it and were able to appreciate it. Was a busy day with at least 15 folks flying, so was hard to keep track of everyone. What a great flying day for January a few days before a snow storm.

Steve

I also can't fly LOS anymore due to poor eyesight. FPV is the only way I can safely fly. If there's ever and issue I just disarm and let it fall. Since I'm not near anyone the only risk would be for it to fall on me.

Until I see dozens of pilots getting fines per year, I'll keep flying how I already do.

I don't see how being a chicken little about all this really helps, but to each their own.

I made three trips to the park and ride today and got a bunch of flights in on a 30" STOL plank, and also ripped it up in my back yard with a B130s micro heli. A good day of flying and boy, it sure felt good. Happy Flying fellas, and you and your families stay healthy. I had a flying buddy recently remark, "with covid and all, I guess it's either cry or fly..."

I just had a nice flight at the local park and ride, between rain drops. As I was packing up to go home, I had a fellow give me a thumbs up from across the parking lot. I had seen him there before, watching me fly...

THEY said "voluntary" stay at home for 2 weeks. That was 4 weeks ago.
Half my work had rona in January! -I am done sitting on my ass inside.
Toss me in jail if needed.
Turn on the (CC) closed captioning, no really.

Crosseyed and Painless. (Turn on the subtitles) (4 min 47 sec)

Nice flight, prefer these types of flight compared to the flippy/floppy schizophrenic flying some pilots like. What frame?

ps, the lyrics seem appropriate for our current situation......

pss, been home for 42 days, no end in sight...

Originally Posted by Rusty105

Nice flight, prefer these types of flight compared to the flippy/floppy schizophrenic flying some pilots like. What frame?

ps, the lyrics seem appropriate for our current situation......

pss, been home for 42 days, no end in sight...

How you been?
Yeah. Fitting lyrics.
Frame is a funky FlexRC one called zues. It only takes 2.5". I've got a cage I just printed that should make 3" fit.
I also have a frame design on my PC I need to have cut

I had five real nice flights today at the park and ride on a STOL plank- four this morning a half hour after dawn, and one, late this afternoon. On the last flight I had three folks watching me fly, smiling and being friendly, so I showed off a bit; advocacy through safe recreational flying...

Originally Posted by xanuser

How you been?
Yeah. Fitting lyrics.
Frame is a funky FlexRC one called zues. It only takes 2.5". I've got a cage I just printed that should make 3" fit.
I also have a frame design on my PC I need to have cut

Been well, you?

Just hanging out working from home.

I have a Emax Babyhawk R. I think it is that size as well, 2.5" Haven't really flown it much, yet. It only has a FPV camera, no HD recording.... Wonder if I can fit a split?