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The fixation on maximum range

Nightbat2

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Given that legally we are restricted to flying VLOS in most countries, I continue to be amazed at the fixation of some fliers with pushing their aircraft beyond the limits—and in many cases showing surprise when it ends with loss of the kite. A low battery warning and a critical battery warning are there for a purpose. But given the vagaries of wind and weather, and possible signal interference, surely it makes sense to err on the side of caution. This video is a case in point. He got lucky...

A close thing
 
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I saw that video back in January, before I bought my Evo. When I saw it back then, and still now, don't have speakers, so I don't know what he said. I do think he flew downwind when he went out and that is why he ran out of juice before reaching the goal. As you probably read many many times, people go BVLOS just because they can. They believe that it's a small drone and it will not cause any harm and they know what they are doing. I've given up in trying to educate these people. As long as I do it correctly and keep it VLOS, I sleep well at night. I don't know about down in OZ, but here in the US, you can apply for a BVLOS waiver. I believe @Madhungarian once said he has one of these waivers.
 
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I totally agree about the fixation with distance. As I said in another thread I started a few months ago, nobody can see any drone past a mile if they’re completely honest. Heck, in many circumstances due to atmospherics, it can be hard to maintain VLOS past 1/2 mile. I have flown past 1.5 miles on my XSP, only because I couldn’t get closer to the mountain top I was trying to transverse. Evo is so much smaller than XSP, can you really see it on a consistent basis past 1/2 mile??
 
My Anafi which is way smaller then the EVO and only has a very tiny LED on the bottom I can see up to 1400 feet very easily standing on my deck but once it gets to the bush line near the water falls up the road I lose sight of it. This is at 200 foot Alt. If I was up higher I might lose sight of it sooner.
 
When I was doing my research prior to purchase I saw a video of a guy in Louisiana that took his Evo 4.1 miles away (22,000 ft)... and I was totally impressed. It was one of the big reasons I went with this drone.

Still, doesn't mean I'll ever have the opportunity to test it out living here in the PNW. He did his test on flat land with little to no trees... which is the exact opposite of how it is here with all the mountains and trees. I don't even think I could find a piece of land 4 miles flat in eastern Washington... LOL

I've gotten mine nearly a mile away and could barely see it and I had signal issues as well... and that's good enough for me.
 
My Anafi which is way smaller then the EVO and only has a very tiny LED on the bottom I can see up to 1400 feet very easily standing on my deck but once it gets to the bush line near the water falls up the road I lose sight of it. This is at 200 foot Alt. If I was up higher I might lose sight of it sooner.
Yes, I find it hard to see at further than 350-400 metres in some lighting conditions, particularly against a treeline. My Firestone strobes help in such situations.
 
VLOS is supposed to be the law and what we have to follow but you need to understand for instance if we want to fly for miles ahead, you can do it perfectly legal in open waters... Means if you go to the beach and there is not wind, the range is the limit. You can pretty much do whatever you want... You can't hit people, properties or anything at all. Unless you fly your drone very closed to a boat.
 
VLOS is supposed to be the law and what we have to follow but you need to understand for instance if we want to fly for miles ahead, you can do it perfectly legal in open waters... Means if you go to the beach and there is not wind, the range is the limit. You can pretty much do whatever you want... You can't hit people, properties or anything at all. Unless you fly your drone very closed to a boat.
I’m not talking about open waters. Many of these flights cross residential areas where there is more likely to be signal interference and where the pilot is essentially blind if the video link drops out. Not content with that, some of them push the distance to the point where, if there is a change in wind, they don’t have enough power left make it home. No doubt many of them will claim that it was the drone’s fault when it fact it is their own cavalier attitude.
 
I’m not talking about open waters. Many of these flights cross residential areas where there is more likely to be signal interference and where the pilot is essentially blind if the video link drops out. Not content with that, some of them push the distance to the point where, if there is a change in wind, they don’t have enough power left make it home. No doubt many of them will claim that it was the drone’s fault when it fact it is their own cavalier attitude.
Yea, the guy who does distance tests from a park in up-country Maui is a classic example of just that. Once, he barely made it back, literally flying over residential neighborhoods each way...
 
This guy never mentions VLOS in any of his range tests. Yea, the back half is uninhabited, but not the front half...
 
This guy never mentions VLOS in any of his range tests. Yea, the back half is uninhabited, but not the front half...
I love Dustin's range test... Most of his test are done on the mountain in Hawaii and if there are properties, it's probably a small neighborhood. Nothing illegal about it.
 
I love Dustin's range test... Most of his test are done on the mountain in Hawaii and if there are properties, it's probably a small neighborhood. Nothing illegal about it.
The park is in the Pukalani area, and he’s flying toward Kihei. It’s not a mountain, it’s up-country residential Maui, pricey b/c it’s cooler. After 100’s of homes, there’s scrub brush until you get to the coast. It’s a residential area, one of several up there. My point being, he looses VLOS quickly on each test.
 
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If your going to fly far, have a destination. The Evo was not designed with a 4.3 mile range with VLOS in mind.
 
No if you do it in a dessert, mountain or open waters. No civilization, people or properties around, which means you can test the range freely.

Sorry but you are very wrong with your statement. If you feel you are right then show us where the FAA has this written. You are flying in the N.A.S, be it in open water or on land it is all the same and the same rules apply.
 
Unless you have a waiver and are a Part 107 pilot any flight beyond VLOS is not legal no matter if you are flying over the desert, ocean or mountains you are breaking the law.

That makes it pretty clear.
 

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