I wonder if "detect, sense and avoid capability" applies to the millions of biological UAS's that already
"create a hazard to users of the national airspace system". I am of course talking about bird strikes - ie US Airways flight 1549. Perhaps the Forest Service needs to be more responsible. I've actually had a bird strike at night with my Cessna 182.
But seriously, it occurs to me that amateur rocketry is not included in the discussion of UAS's. They have been around for many years, and the way they work with the FAA is to request (and seldomly are denied) a temporary Airspace NOTAM. For example:
Greeley CO (Greeley-Weld County) [GXY]: February NOTAM #16
Airspace see GLL 02/363 unmanned aircraft effective from February 28th, 2009 at 09:00 AM MST (0902281600) - February 28th, 2009 at 03:00 PM MST (0902282200)
Certainly the DIY Drone folks ought to be able to do the same thing. And commercial/research folks ought to be able to do that as well until the new regs are in place. Being a pilot and having had DIY UAS experience, it does seem logical to add a collision avoidance light system for night or out-of-visual range flights. The currrent LED technology should offer light-weight and low power options.
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"create a hazard to users of the national airspace system". I am of course talking about bird strikes - ie US Airways flight 1549. Perhaps the Forest Service needs to be more responsible. I've actually had a bird strike at night with my Cessna 182.
But seriously, it occurs to me that amateur rocketry is not included in the discussion of UAS's. They have been around for many years, and the way they work with the FAA is to request (and seldomly are denied) a temporary Airspace NOTAM. For example:
Greeley CO (Greeley-Weld County) [GXY]: February NOTAM #16
Airspace see GLL 02/363 unmanned aircraft effective from February 28th, 2009 at 09:00 AM MST (0902281600) - February 28th, 2009 at 03:00 PM MST (0902282200)
Certainly the DIY Drone folks ought to be able to do the same thing. And commercial/research folks ought to be able to do that as well until the new regs are in place. Being a pilot and having had DIY UAS experience, it does seem logical to add a collision avoidance light system for night or out-of-visual range flights. The currrent LED technology should offer light-weight and low power options.