FPV, Have you thought about it ?

[hghost]

Many articles have been out about the FAA wanting to ban FPV, but also wanting and talking about
limiting and banning RC flight in general here in the States.

Most are speculation and rumors, but there is a talk of banning FPV and the way the FAA defines model aircraft.

Here most every hobby is forced at some point to have to get a license or pay fee's and all sorts of things just to be able to do it.

Use to be fishing was a joy. Today it costs as much to go fishing than it is worth to go. Places that use to be great are now resorts and camping areas and you can't fish there anymore.
Hunting same way, costs a fortune just to hunt and have limited areas...it's just not worth it. same as many hobbies people have enjoyed.

I dare say RC Flight will be next. they will force you to get a license, pay taxes,charge you fee's and than limit the areas you can fly in.

But whatever happens like everything else will happen in some manner, no matter what.

BUT, even with all the hype and rumors and talk and challenges, would you consider FPV flight and the expense that comes with it ?

I have considered it for several reasons.

I own allot of planes and a couple quads and a heli. My field is limited and there are many challenges just to stay within it.

With my health issues, and limited abilities anyway, I would think FPV ( being on board so to speak ) would be easier and safer for me.
My eyesight is not what it use to be and I do not fly high due to that and also because I like flying lower in general.

Many sent their concerns to the FAA about their interpretation of the law, and I did as well. I have never flown FPV and I have no desire to fly miles away or thousands of feet
but I would love to be able to do so at my field and even in my own yard . To me and for me, it would be safer due to my ever changing health and judging distances and being able
to see in the distance . I actually see better at night, than the day time. ( Fly my planes ) The lights allow me to orient the plane, but also I fly closer to myself, as per the day
I fly further away and judging the tree line and the distances at times have been a challenge. I have placed poles with ribbons 25 feet from the tree line, so I know how far
I have from the pole to the tree's. I try and stay inside the poles or at them to stay away from the tree's, but even than at times in the excitement I have allowed them to
get into the treeline by mistake.

Horizon Hobby has came out with a kit for a Micro FPV bundle. It is small enough to use on micro's but it can be used on any model. But it is limited in distance which in my case
would be fine. Hobby King has a few bundles that have a system that will allow flying further away as well.I am sure other hobby shops do to.

FPV can be expensive, but I have been considering it due the reasons I have mentioned.

I would love to have one on my Super Cub . It is already fun to fly, and being in the "pilots seat" as it were to me would make it even better.( Especially in my limited space )
My Champ and Quads would be nice as well .

I have bought so many models in the past couple years, in fact way to many, some I can not even fly yet ( maybe never ) I spent most of my time trying different things
rather than just staying with what I know I can fly and mastering them, before moving on.

With poor weather, horrible wind and off and on Health issues, my flying time has been very limited . So my choices also have been put on hold about FPV.

But i ask has anyone thought about it or have wanted to do it ?

And what do you think about the FAA getting involved and maybe even banning FPV and maybe even RC Flying in general ?

I would like to sell several models , but I just like them so much, even if all I can do is look at them.....but that to is a decision I need to make.

That would allow some funds to pursue FPV equipment perhaps ??

[Knackered Sailor]

Pretty much the same here in the UK hghost, licences and restrictions on just about every d**n thing and yes, FPV and quads in particular have the politicians reaching for their quills to make even more bloody Laws. What the USA does one year the UK does a year or so later. We're almost the 51st State so I want the right to vote for President. So I'll be watching closely what happens on your side of the Atlantic.

Back to FPV; it doesn't appeal to me much at present but I suspect it will eventually particularly when it comes down in price as per key ring cams and so on. I like the idea of your poles to mark distance but I have to ask, have you ever hit a pole? :-)

[hghost]

Sailor, I have not hit one yet....They are made from PVC plastic pipe......hope I never do.

I try to stay inside of them, but on occasion I let my plane drift outside of them to close to the tree line.

The grass is almost as tall as they are in most places...so i know If I stay above the grass, I am above the poles .

Looking at this picture of my field....you can see some of those "Orange" colored poles sticking up...the ribbons are tied to them.

This picture is looking from where I stand looking left , the direction I normally take off towards.



As you see they are just high enough to see.....I try to keep the grass cut down around them.

FPV flying in my field I think may be easier and less chance of hitting anything....lol

[coupe1942]

To me, fpv is just too expensive and too little gain for that expense. For someone else, it may just be the bee's knees though. I spent a ton of money in making various mounts that could operate remotely to be used as pan-type devices. After a while, I basically decided the reeturn was never worth the investment and pretty well stopped at that point. I have discussed my thoughts on a few people ruining the sport when they use the quads and so forth wrecklessly. Since posting about that, I have seen complaints from airline pilots who said they had near misses by such. I have actually worked with real planes that have suffered bird strikes and the damage can be catostrophic. I believe the few bad actors who fly about airports and such hazardous areas will get enough attention at some point that the government politicisns will indeed do a knee-jerk reaction in their involvment. If there is money to be made, expect the government to come in and get their share. I believe that as Amazon and other companies take to the skys with drones, the days of free flight and fun may indeed get limited by government intervention and regulations.

I was amazed to find a fly field for all down here in which no license or club membership was required to fly at. Man, that is a great find for me, too. I am by no means a person who enjoys clubs and such with their rules and such, so being able to enjoy flying and not having to worry over all the restrictions and rules is truly a boon to my ego at this fly field.

One problem with fpv, is that if you ever lose the plane, then you lose the equipment with it, too. A deep hit in the pockebook when that happens. I've lost enough money on camers when a dip in the pond or even a crash resulted in the camera being broken in some manner. No thoughts on adding fpv due to that issue, alone. Our sport is not generally a cheap one to continue at length with, anyway. Just the start up costs for the sport are a bar to get past in order to enjoy the sport. If you have the money and desire, then the fpv may be the way to go for you. I am just too cheap these days, myself.

[Knackered Sailor]

Interesting couple of comments. Nice field you've got h and I see the poles, ideal but I thought they were 15' high or something, reckon you'd be in trouble anyway if you hit one of those. :-) I've had a look through the goggles of FPV while the pilot flew it by sight and to be honest I wasn't that impressed; go upwards a while and all you see are clouds with no idea really which way you're headed 'til you level out.

btw got over confident today at low level and nose dived the S Cub :-) indeed coupe our sport is not a cheap one although looking like my expense will only be Gorilla glue (lots) this time. lol

[coupe1942]

If the nose was hit, be sure to check the fuselage and the angle of that prop shaft just to make sure nothing got bent or broken. Heck, if your vision is as bad as mine, then get a pal to help check it out, as in the last photo. :-) Note how that prop is spinning at an angle in photo 2.... 

[hghost]

I fly low most of the time, just above that grass...sometimes even cutting it as I go.....sometimes for fun , mostly by mistake...lol

But staying within that field to me with a small FPV cam and plane would be neat to try. expensive yes, but geesh i have spent a ton the the last two
years alone just trying to get something to fly in the wind and in my area. Most does not do well....most of my flying has been at night this year when i did get to fly.

One reason why I did not by the Micro FPV bundle that Horizon Hobby came out with. The weather and my health issues have put a damper on everything this year.

I did come across a cam that actually works in the dark and not to expensive, But, i do not know how to set up all the electronics to make FPV work .
Now If i could get a night cam and use it here....that to me would be awesome.

www.surveilzone.com/0.00008lux-star-super-low-light-800tvl-1-2-cmos-wdr-fpv-camera-cc1564

Like Coupe said, Sailor make sure you check everything. Sometimes things can be bent or broke and never seen until you take off again, then it's to late.

I like the flight line Inspector Coupe......

[sham]

Wow, Sailor. You don't have a lot of luck with planes, do you?

Supercub lost, Spitfire crashed a couple of times (and presumably beyond repair since its not been mentioned since the last) and the Sportcub crashed and damaged twice now.

Hope you're up and flying soon.

Personally, I haven't flown in about 3 weeks due to weather not being suitable when I have time - but I may have given up entirely if I had your luck!

FPV - no, I'm not interested. Most of the fun for me is seeing the plane from the ground.

I'm also worried about new regulations, but I think the authorities here generally balance things quite well and I expect more restrictions in busy areas but not the countryside. Which is fine by me.

[Knackered Sailor]

Dec 7, 2014 8:57:40 GMT 1 sham said:

Wow, Sailor. You don't have a lot of luck with planes, do you?

rofl I guess not mate but bear in mind I'm retired so I fly just about every opportunity so I pack in quite a few trouble free hours. I am also impatient by nature so I often run before I can walk or should that be fly before I can taxi?  Every mishap has a lesson and repairing is interesting too.

Loving the Quality Control Inspector coupe and hghost Night FPV flying? Good luck with that my friend.