Hey all, I am normally more of a reader on here than a writer but I can see that we Have a Problem here with drone (hate that word) safety and reckless pilots.
I had an idea to create a website purely informational on drone safety, the do's and dont's. No spam, no blog posts, just the info that people need to know.
- Don't fly over people
- Don't fly over 400ft.
- ......
You get the idea.
Fact is there are too many people buying ready to fly quads that have no idea on the risks, or are just reckless pilots. Just look at some of the recent stories on here, the FAA ban on FPV........
In my opinion there is enough man power on here to build a website where people can go and check the general rules and Laws in there country and get flying responsibly.
We could get in contact with some of the big manufacturers and ask them to put a link on their purchase page to get the info where it needs to be.
This needs to be a group effort, we need to get the ball back in our court. I have built basic websites before but im not the best, at the moment it is just an idea.
Who's interested and how can you help?
So there it is, my idea. let see if we can get the ball rolling.
____Edit: 14.07.2014
Main Rules to be On webite:
1. Dont fly over Crowded or urban areas
2. Allways fly within visual line of sight (VLOS)
3. Dont Fly above 400ft. or 120Meters, normal air traffic starts at 500ft.
4. Dont fly near airports, flying withing 8km or 5 miles of an airport is extremely dangerous.
Comments
We need to have a functional and practical website (perhaps integrated with droneshare or even better, inside the missionplanner or APM planner software apps).
In fact why not have a screen appear before the missionplanner allows you to arm that pops up with a safety checklist briefing that is mandatory?
I know that I would make good use of the checklist and maintenance schedule. If this can become a part of the DIY Drones culture then we have a better chance of surviving any regulations that will kill off the phantom crowd and wannabes...
Unfortunately I agree with Steve on this...most people go to their local hobby store looking around wind up buying the new cool thing out there and don't know how to fly it. Why should they I mean it has GPS and position lock all they have to do is plug the battery in and push that left stick forward and off they go if they get into trouble all they have to do is flick a switch and then all of a sudden it flies away and they jiggle those switches and it keeps going going gone. Guess what they filmed it from the ground and now they post it to YT and there is another fly away video...That is when they go and look for the information they should have looked for in the first place before ever buying one. I think everyone should have to fly a manual mode aircraft first! This will either stop them from advancing in the sport due to expensive repairs or make them really good pilots. For two years I have flown a kk2.0 board and have never used GPS RTL or any of the sorts. When I go to a LHS or flying field and fly with them the first time they are always like holy crap that is awesome...how do you do that do you have GPS RTL no nothing really wow you have such good control and you can do figure eights and you have very good orientation of the aircraft....I always respond that is what flying for two years gets you when you don't have high dollar flight control boards! You actually learn to fly the platform! You are not pressing a few buttons and a mouse click on your computer and then flicking a switch at the field and watch it do its thing! I am the master of my aircraft not the flight controller!
By all means build put up a website and put a visitor tracker on it and see how many hits it gets...the first month doesn't count cause all of us will be going to it......
I've been wondering what to do with it, but that may not be the best. Something Thai contains drone would get normal people's attention.
I agree that this is a major issue that has so far been handled inadequately by everybody, (myself included).
Luke's idea of a website that has all the info on local regulations is certainly a good one.
And Jethro's concept for an online interactive checklist (perhaps customizable for individual circumstance) is also excellent.
I would be more than happy to donate some pages on my drones - quadcopters - multicopters are fun web sites to help with this.
Best Regards,
Gary
As a community we also have the responsibility to ensure that when we get a friend to join our hobby that they know the rules and help teach them good flying habits...
I know some may not agree, but I like everyone else here has one goal... Safety and the continuation of our fantastic hobby. As I tell my wife there are worse thing we could be doing....
John and I have discussed safety and procedural practices often when trying to frame up ideas for the dronespeak website.
We have a situation now that, in my mind, is comparable to the CB craze of the 1970's. Cheap technology put in the hands of the populace, motivated by the need for a new visual experience, over-lorded by government restrictions.
Jesse makes a good point. A rebuttal is that unlike radio talk, a poorly controlled aircraft can cause damage to property and persons.
-=Doug
Most of the major safety issues truly do revolve around what should be common sense... don't fly over populated areas, etc. If someone doesn't posses such a basic set of common sense, they're probably not going to seek out a website to learn about it.
Nice, I like the idea for sure. That and some serious checklists and maintenance schedules. If we set the precedent very high then we will have a better chance of surviving any regulations. I particularly see potential for maintenance schedules with websites like droneshare. It should ideally be an online interactive procedural list of key parts that need a regular check.
Preflight
1 – Charge your batteries
a - Take your Lipo Battery and put it inside of the lipo safe charger
b – Plug in the charger to the wall port
c – Take the smaller battery out of the back of your transmitter.
2 – Perform a visual inspection of the Drone.
a – Make sure all screws are secure
b – Check all cables are properly connected
c – Check that the motors are secure to their mounts and spin freely
d – Make sure the frame is structurally sound, no stress cracks.
3 - Make sure the camera and gimbal is securely attached
Make sure camera has battery
3 – Perform a compass calibration
4 – Chose an open space that is clear of people and passersby and on level ground (this will be your RTL location)!
A - Stay at least 2 miles away from any airports.
B – Do not fly over built up areas
C – Do not fly over water
5 – Make certain that the wind is not above xm/s
6 – Remove the drone hood and unfold the arms until they click into their x-position.
4 – Attach the propellers making certain that they are correctly oriented
5 – Switch on the Transmitter
a - Make sure all switches are in the 'up' position and that throttle is down
b – Check the battery voltage displayed on the screen and make sure there is enough power.
c – Make sure that the transmitter is in stabilize mode.
D – Make certain that the transmitter aerial is perpendicular to the drone
5 – attach the battery tightly to the drone using velcro straps
6 – Plug the battery to the drone using XT60 connectors, make sure the connection is secure.
7 – Wait for GPS lock (blue flashing light)
8 – Press the arm button on the top of the drone until the led is solid red
8 – Orient the drone so that the forward direction is facing into any wind
9 – Turn on camera recording
8 – Take 10 paces back so that you are facing the back of the drone and into any wind.
8 -
8 – Wait for prearm safety checks
6 – Hold the throttle stick down and right for 5 seconds until you hear a long tone indicating the system is armed. The Props should start spinning.
7 – Quickly push the throttle up to just above half way so that the drone reached 2 meters in the air so that the drone climbs above the prop wash
Landing
1 – Lower your throttle so that the drone gently lands
2 – As soon as the landing gear touches the ground move throttle to minimum immediately.
3 – Hold the throttle stick down and to the left until you hear two beeps indicating the drone is disarmed.
4 – Approach the drone and press the arming switch until it starts flashing.
5 – Unplug your battery from the drone.
6 – Switch off the transmitter.
Here is my very rough draft, not even numbered correctly!
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