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[-] Rivalarrival@lemmy.today 66 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago)

Licensed balloon pilot here... The only manned balloon for which you don't need a license (in the US) is an ultralight, weighing less than 155lbs empty.

They do exist, though. They're commonly called "cloudhoppers". They are basically a climbing harness, backpack straps on a propane tank, and an overhead flamethrower, all hanging underneath a pup tent.

Edit: you can increase the weight to 254lbs empty if instead of a "balloon", you build a "thermal airship". Balloons are considered unpowered aircraft because they have no source of propulsion, only lift. Throw some source of propulsion on board - a small electric fan, for example - and it becomes a "powered" aircraft with a higher weight limitation.

[-] player2@lemmynsfw.com 5 points 1 week ago

Meanwhile, the FAA is arbitrarily regulating 250 gram RC aircraft as if they're a threat. The industry is simply innovating to increase performance of ultralight RC aircraft to avoid Remote ID requirements.

[-] riskable@programming.dev 6 points 1 week ago

To be fair, a 250g RC aircraft can cause a lot of destruction to a plane that's in the process of taking off/landing or to a car on a highway.

Having said that, they really have gone overboard with the regulation. Restrict airspace near airports and over highways, not something as ambiguous as "over people". They also (still) require a spotter for FPV which is just silly. The point of the spotter is so you can figure out where it went if you lose control (presumably, to take responsibility if it crashes into something important and does some damage). Anyone flying FPV is going to know exactly where the RC aircraft was when they lost control (and modern ones will return themselves home if contact is lost like that).

They need to focus more on regulating features instead of "what and where". If every RC aircraft has to have a return to home feature that would make more sense than something super ambiguous like, "don't fly above people."

[-] player2@lemmynsfw.com 3 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago)

Agreed, I have no desire to fly near airports or over 400ft. I'm just flying my FPV quad in my backyard, no other person in sight, and they worry about my 260g drone and not my 240g drone, it's overlooking much more important things like how you use it and its features, as you said.

[-] Rivalarrival@lemmy.today 2 points 1 week ago

The "what and where" requirements are easy to enforce. If a drone goes out of control and strikes a person, it was clearly in violation of a rule against flying over people.

"Return home" is a good start, but it is not enough. The feature set also has to include "see and avoid". If it can decide to "return home" directly into the side of a manned balloon, it is not safe enough for unrestricted autonomous operation.

I say this as a balloon pilot who has observed drone pilots operating in the vicinity, and even attempting to land on top of a manned balloon.

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this post was submitted on 05 Jul 2024
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