I just found out that here in the UK, VLOS (Visual Line of Sight) doesn’t just mean you have to see your drone. You’re also supposed to be able to tell its orientation at all times.
For me and my Mini 3, that means I can only fly about 100 meters before I lose orientation. Feels pointless now—might as well just get a long selfie stick. Do the CAA really think people are going to follow this rule? It’s such a joke.
Does anyone actually get in trouble for breaking the VLOS rule? I live in a place where no one cares about drone regulations. Must be frustrating to stick to 100 meters when drones can go several kilometers easily.
@Echo
I’ve only heard of issues for people who upload their flights on YouTube.
> Might as well get a long selfie stick.
There’s an Italian YouTuber who was fined by the military police for flying a drone in a no-fly zone, but it turned out he was using a selfie stick with a camera. Crazy, right?
@Denny
So what happened? Did he tell them it was a selfie stick?
Cameron said:
@Denny
So what happened? Did he tell them it was a selfie stick?
Yeah, but they said, ‘We don’t know if you’re lying to get out of the fine. If you want, take it to court.’ In the end, he just paid the fine because court costs were higher.
Honestly, I think most drone pilots don’t follow the rule about keeping the drone close enough to see which end is which. Even as a commercial pilot, I just hope people keep their drones in sight enough to avoid manned aircraft. The controllers tell you the orientation anyway.
If YouTube is anything to go by, a lot of people think having the drone within a mile or two is close enough. If you’re keeping it visible at 100 meters, you’re doing better than most.
@Shan
> How do you prove someone can’t see which way it’s facing?
By checking the distance in flight logs, making them stand that far away, and asking them to identify the drone’s direction. It’s not hard to prove. Just because it’s tricky doesn’t mean it’s impossible.
The problem is, if you use something like a strobe for orientation, you might go over the weight limit—even if it’s just by a gram or two. My strobe is 3 grams.
The UK rules say you can’t use enhancements to determine orientation anyway. It’s all nonsense if you ask me, and I doubt most pilots bother following it.
Just do your best. Adding different colored blinking lights to the drone can make it much easier to tell which way it’s facing.
This is a rule in most countries with VLOS regulations. The CAA guidelines suggest you might manage up to 500 meters depending on the drone, weather, and eyesight.
100 meters sounds really short unless you have vision problems. And yes, they expect you to comply, and people have been prosecuted for breaking it. It’s one of the key safety rules.
@Ashwin
I’ve only got sight in one eye, so 100 meters is about the limit for me.
True said:
@Ashwin
I’ve only got sight in one eye, so 100 meters is about the limit for me.
That makes sense. Lack of depth perception would definitely make 100 meters a good limit in your case.
It’s a tough rule for sure. I have a similar-sized drone and it’s frustrating. Some people use strobes with different colors to help with orientation. I haven’t tried that yet but it’s on my list.
I wish the rule was more flexible. Part of the intent is to avoid other aircraft. As long as you know where your drone is and can see larger planes, you can descend if needed. Video feeds also give good orientation info, but that’s just my opinion.
@Sage
The FAA says you have to see orientation with your eyes. My Ruko’s LEDs are visible for about 300 yards on a cloudy day, but I rely more on the controller’s compass heading.
AeroPilot said:
@Sage
The FAA says you have to see orientation with your eyes. My Ruko’s LEDs are visible for about 300 yards on a cloudy day, but I rely more on the controller’s compass heading.
I try to avoid using RTH unless necessary. My drone’s RTH goes to a high altitude to avoid obstructions, but I’ve noticed it sometimes doesn’t go as high as expected. A panic RTH could cause issues.
@Sage
My RTH is set to 200 feet. I usually fly around 100 feet, and the tallest trees are 80 feet. Just hope it doesn’t stray too far near the neighbors’ power lines.
@Sage
I use RTH as a backup. My controller even has a physical button for it, which is handy if the screen cuts out.
If the controller shows orientation, are you really breaking the rule by not having extra lights?
I think these rules are mostly there to keep people mindful. If you can see your drone and tap the controller to check which way it’s moving, you’re doing fine. Plus, the controller shows its position.
It’s a photography drone—how are you supposed to take pictures without looking at the camera feed? I think it’s about common sense and doing your best to follow the rules. Drone laws are still evolving, so who knows where they’ll end up.