These boneheads don't realize just how much they could have screwed things up for models and full scale had they crashed and hurt someone/something or caused a midair.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M9cSxEqKQ78

I have flown r/c airplanes since I was a kid.  This is one of the dumbest things I have ever seen anyone do with an r/c airplane.  The sole reason we have retained autonomy is by keeping our fellow modelers in check and every "under radar".  Now I fear we are screwed.  I guess we can go back to control line.  

I don’t get it. If there isn't a law stoping them from flying what's the big deal? My god you could use the same argument for driving a car. It's not like this guy was in other aircrafts flight paths.

I don't see the big deal.  It's a foam wing.  I have one and I think it would be very unlikely to cause major damage.  I actually catch mine in my hand sometimes when I bring it in.

Have you ever seen what happens when you toss a metal engine and lipo battery into a turbine disk spinning at 45,000 rpm?

While it's a cool concept, it was a really dump fuck in idea.  There is a good reason the FAA blocks even the .gov from doing this.

From the author:



However, I would be concerned over the thing losing the radios. I'm surprised New Yorkers weren't flipping out over this. I've heard that they run from low-flying helicopters.

If there is a plane flying 150 ft above a bridge, there is something more terribly worse happening.





 

No matter how you cut it the plane was not operating in a safe manner.  Some idiot politician will extrapolate that into it being a dangerous weapon that must be regulated.  Lets not forget this is the same group of idiots that banned bayonet lugs and the shoulder thing that goes up.

If a bird will ruin a jet engine....i think an RC motor and a batttery would do the same.

-Rog

He's flying near people and property.  The potential for damage is there.  If he crashed into someone's windshield on the Verrazano it could easily lead to a pileup even if the plane doesn't do any damage.

This technology has caused the FAA to start the process of developing rules for small unmanned aerial systems (commercially operated).  They will require inspections, registration and pilots licenses just like full scale.  Model aviation has been hoping to skirt by and not get lumped in with all of the regulation.  Stunts like this will cause the FAA to look more closely at our hobby.

I fly in an open field with full insurance (AMA affiliated club flying site) and I do not want the FAA coming in and telling me what to do.  It's not only the FPV guys that are causing a problem for us, but they are a big part of it.

-Jay

ETA: And he's a liar if he says they never went over 500'..  The top of the Verrazano Bridge is just under 700'.

As far as what they're doing, especially in such a congested airspace as NYC, plain dumb. This would be a terrifc poor man's search and rescue tool for our agency though. What's a rig like this cost?

I know most RC'ers don't operate like this, but I have seen some less obvious, but just as stupid things done.

Last year we had some people flying RC aircraft about 500' off the airport where I fly, in a park.  While they felt they were operating safely, since they weren't in line with the runway, they were actually right where all our helicopters make approaches from.  

When a group of pilots confronted them, they claimed that they weren't causing a safety hazard, had been there all day and not seen a single helicopter.  BS.  I had been flying all morning, and flown directly over that spot, and we have more than a dozen helicopters often flying at the same time.  Since it's on approach, I am often only 150-200' AGL at that point, and they were flying their RC aircraft at least that high.  

Try it in D.C. and enjoy the ensuing shitstorm.

You mean the barrel shroud?

I thought it was cool.  From the notes it seems like they coordinated with police and park rangers to minimize the shitstorm.  Shrug.

LEO and traffic helicopters do it all the time.


This was a very dumb idea. What happens next when another RC guy with a 20 ft metal body does it? When does it stop? All this will do is hurt the RC community if this blows up on the news and then it will force the FAA to start regulating RC flying.

Currently, GA aircraft just simply stay away from RC fields. We used to have a NOTAM for one about 10 miles from KCBM. We would just simply avoid it or fly waaay over it.