so you want to fly drones

Brad HaydenRobotic Skies

So You Want To Fly DronesWhat’s safe, legal and practical

John ZimmermanSporty’s Pilot Shop

John Zimmerman• Active GA Pilot

Comm/Multi/Inst/Heli

• Vice President Sporty’s Pilot Shop

So You Want To Fly Drones

Brad Hayden• Private Pilot

• Avionics Technician

• President & CEO Robotic Skies

So You Want To Fly Drones

•What are UAS?•Rules for operation•Fitness for operation•UAS site selection•Preflight considerations•Additional resources

presentation overviewSo You Want To Fly Drones

1What are UAS?

•UA – Unmanned Aircraft•UAV – Unmanned Aerial Vehicle•RPA – Remotely Piloted Aircraft•UAS – Unmanned Aircraft System

BasicsA drone by any other name

• LOS – Line of Sight• BLOS – Beyond Line of Sight• sUAS – Small UAS weighing

under 55 pounds• FPV – First Person View• NASA UTM – Unmanned Traffic

Management System• OPA - Optionally Piloted Aircraft• Consumer Drones – UAS flown

for hobby purposes• Commercial Drones – flown for

pay or compensation

BasicsHelpful terminology

BasicsUAS components

FAA: Integration of Civil Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) in the National Airspace System

(NAS) Roadmap

BasicsFoundation technology

BasicsReally cool capabilities

BasicsNot just multirotors

BasicsSmart ideas

• Video/photography• Agriculture• Exploration• Inspection• Science• Survey• Disaster relief/rescue• Safety/law

enforcement

BasicsDumb ideas…

Basics…and predictable outcomes

BasicsPurchasing decisions

• Mission - what do you need it to do? Payload?

• Who will operate it? • Price - you get what

you pay for (mostly)• Ground controller

matters a lot! Screen or phone?

• Battery life

2Rules for sUAS operation

OperationsRules

• The FAA considers drones to be aircraft

• You must operate under an exemption

• Hobby, Public Entity, Commercial

• Ignorance of the rules is no excuse, especially for certificated pilots!

OperationsRestrictions

• Fly below 400 feet and remain clear of surrounding obstacles

• Keep the aircraft within visual line of sight at all times• Remain well clear of and do not interfere with manned

aircraft operations• Don't fly within 5 miles of an airport unless you contact

the airport and control tower before flying• Don't fly near people or stadiums• Don't fly an aircraft that weighs more than 55 lbs• Don't be careless or reckless with your unmanned

aircraft – you could be fined for endangering people or other aircraft

OperationsToDos

• Hobby – register your drone with the FAA

• Commercial – get a Section 333 exemption

• Public Entity – obtain a Certificate of Waiver or Authorization

• More commercial rules coming this year

3Pilot considerations

Airmanship applies to unmanned aviation just like it does to manned aviation

You ARE a pilot!

Airmanship mindsetFitness for operation

How are you feeling?Fitness for operation

Currency and proficiencyFitness for operation

•Yes, read the manual• Lost comm link?• Automation modes• Battery life

•Don’t be autopilot dependent. Be proficient “on the sticks”•When in doubt, downgrade automation

Automation managementFitness for operation

•FPV – you may need an observer• Important• Observer is to find other

aircraft or obstacles. • Doesn’t extend LOS.

Crew resource managementFitness for operation

4Site evaluation for UAS

•Regulatory considerations•Airports•TFRs•People•Stadiums

Most important step in your preflightSite evaluation for UAS

•Airport permission•Some airports have online forms

Contacting airportsSite evaluation for UAS

•B4UFly (FAA)•Hover•Drone Buddy•Airmap

Apps can help a lotSite evaluation for UAS

Screenshot it!

•Consider helicopters – they often operate below 500 ft. AGL

Not just airportsSite evaluation for UAS

•Obstacles - especially power lines!

Hazards beyond the mapSite evaluation for UAS

•Consider the location of the sun•You must be able to keep drone in sight at all times

What’s safe, not just what’s legalSite evaluation for UAS

It’s not about the law; be a good neighbor!

PrivacySite evaluation for UAS

•Community considerations• Local ordinances• State laws may be more

restrictive than FARs

Not just the FAASite evaluation for UAS

•Use Google Earth to get a sense of terrain, houses, etc.•Visit in person•Take notes/photos from previous flights

Inspect the siteSite evaluation for UAS

•Area clear? Consider cones or a tarp

Landing zoneSite evaluation for UAS

WindsObstaclesTerrain/turbulenceForced landing optionsEntry routeExit routeLanding spot condition

Checklist can helpSite evaluation for UAS

5Preflight procedures

If you don’t preflight, you will crash

Yes, you do need to do a preflightPreflight procedures

•Weather considerations

• Visibility• Temperature• Density altitude• Rain – bad for

electronics

Weather checkPreflight procedures

•Wind is particularly important - over 10 knots?

Wind is a limiting factorPreflight procedures

•Damaged or worn rotors, batteries or landing gear?•Registration visible?

Aircraft inspectionPreflight procedures

•Logbook can help prove you’re serious•For pilot and aircraft

Consider some CYAPreflight procedures

•Full charge on all systems•Swap out batteries and log it•LiPo battery considerations

Battery conditionPreflight procedures

•SD card empty?•Wiring secure?•Check settings on controller

Check camera systemPreflight procedures

•Verify AP mode•Verify GPS lock – essential for stable flight

Autopilot and GPSPreflight procedures

Do a runup/hover check

One last stepPreflight procedures

6Additional resources

•RegisterMyUAS.FAA.gov•B4UFLY app•KnowBeforeYouFly.org

Stay up to dateAdditional Resources

•Academy of Model Aeronautics (modelaircraft.org)•Local model airplane club

Stay up to dateAdditional Resources

•RoboticSkies.com/news•Sportys.com/drones

Stay up to dateAdditional Resources

John Zimmermanzimmerman@sportys.com

So You Want To Fly DronesWhat’s safe, legal and practical

Brad Haydenbrad.hayden@roboticskies.com