I received an email from a drone manufacturer linked to this video below to look at their new product.
This is a perfect example of the type of incorrect assumptions and misinformation I’ve been talking about regarding flight at night.
The pilot talks about the drone strobe is needed so you can see your drone at great distances. He says that the beacon is for, which is as wrong as any statement can be. That is not what the strobe is for.
Our pilot here even includes a video segment showing the drone at 581 meters (1,906 feet) at night, far beyond CFR 107 compliant flight. It’s probably far beyond his day-compliant flight given the size of the drone and the fact he is looking away from it and then trying to recapture it.
See my previous posts How Far Can I Fly at Night Using My Strobe Lights? – Ask Steve and How Far Can I Legally Fly My Drone and Maintain VLOS? – Ask Steve.
I contacted the creator of the video and considered this a teaching opportunity rather than calling him out.
The video demonstrates how wrong people get the requirements for night flights based on whispers and assumptions. There was a time I got this wrong, and I wrote about it at Why We All Get UAS Night Flight So Unbelievably Wrong.