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I’m currently working on a project to determine the real limits for FAR 107.31 in the real world when it comes to public safety flying.
14 CFR § 107.31 – Visual line of sight aircraft operation.
(a) With vision that is unaided by any device other than corrective lenses, the remote pilot in command, the visual observer (if one is used), and the person manipulating the flight control of the small unmanned aircraft system must be able to see the unmanned aircraft throughout the entire flight to:
- Know the unmanned aircraft’s location;
- Determine the unmanned aircraft’s attitude, altitude, and direction of flight;
- Observe the airspace for other air traffic or hazards; and
- Determine that the unmanned aircraft does not endanger the life or property of another.
(b) Throughout the entire flight of the small unmanned aircraft, the ability described in paragraph (a) of this section must be exercised by either:
- The remote pilot in command and the person manipulating the flight controls of the small unmanned aircraft system; or
- A visual observer.
Become a Drone Test Pilot
If you can volunteer a small amount of time to do some flight testing, please click here.
You will be prompted to add your information, and then you will have access to the data gathering for you can download.
The flight testing requirements are on the form you will download.
Testing is very straightforward. You will conduct 5 observations with a Visual Observer (VO) to measure the controller’s data versus what the VO estimates. The results will help to determine the flight distance at which VO estimations become significantly inaccurate.
LAASDON
To make the measurements easier to gather the information has been broken down into the following categories:
L– location;
A– altitude;
A– attitude;
S– speed;
D– direction of flight;
O– obstacle clearance;
N– not creating a hazard to other aircraft or persons or property on the ground.
It Will Make a Difference
Your flight testing will help to make a positive difference in the field of public safety drone flying. It will also gather data that can improve the level of safety for all pilots.