News about what they think about the ruling on their website.
http://xactmaps.com/xact-news/
- 3D High Definition LIDAR scannng nearly 1,000,000 points per second.
- Very low setup time. Onsite and airborne in minutes.
- Onboard HD Video recording
- Real time data and video transmission to ground station with powerful, long range, wireless network onboard.
- Redundant data protection with onboard computer recording from all sensors
- Autonomous Mission Capable with real-tme telemetry status on all onboard systems
- Proven aircraft autopilot capable of “return to home” and failsafe settings.
- Remote controlled with long-range digital radio transmitter and reciever, or strictly computer controlled from ground station.
- Data logging of flight data and timestamped geolocation. [RTK GPS capabilities coming soon]
-ITS GREEN ! With efficient Brushless electric motors and high capacity rechargeable lithium batteries. No Gas. Much quieter.
- Customizable for other sensors and payloads
- Get Data from previously unreachable locations !
- Low impact on the sourroundings
...or these guys use Drones commercially?
It's called rolling the dice.
> It's called rolling the dice.
Sort of like the percentage of surveyors who actually get right of entry permits to enter onto railroad property.
Just like everything else, laws are made for people who want to follow them. The fact of the matter is, if we all started using drones the FAA does not have the manpower to deal with it. A few would be prosecuted in an attempt to scare the rest, which usually works.
what is the difference...
Between using a "remote controlled" scanning copter and using a preprogrammed flight path??
I don't quite get what the big deal is all about. I see people flying remote planes and copters all over the place. That business looks incredible, and if I had the cash and projects to back that up, I'd be doing it tomorrow.
Since they are a UAS developer, they probably have an Experimental Airworthiness Certificate. I don't believe they can charge for anything they do under this, but it does allow them to fly.
How to Not Get Caught Doing Something Illegal
Thad, a better question would be how do you do something illegal and not get caught?
Rule No.1: Don't Youtube/broadcast yourself doing something illegal.
I Take It That They Are Not Charging For The Flight
So they just gathering data with a toy.
They then charge for analyzing and compiling available data and it is hard to prove where any individual piece of data came from. So they fly twice or more area as a particular project requires mix in some free available ortho photo and lidar data.
It may just be serendipity that they happen to fly over some GPSed photo panels.
Paul in PA
Imagine the who-har when photogrammetry
was introduced . "impossible to contour with any accuracy "
GPS fixes, tilts known, distance below to ground known...survey a few control points for good measure...I am with Andy. Wished I was a youngster who had time to get a flying license to command said robot plane.
Pilot, Captain RADU.
It is no different than the wheel. Humans will use it and abuse it. Govt's too, don't you know.
I would love to apply a properly designed GPS drone for ortho/topo projects. Every one of us should have a home hobby shop just to be getting familiar with the tech. Plug in a few test flights and download some images. Or just Wifi it to the home computer real time. Play with lenses and altitudes.
Remote control aircrafting hobby is as old as a kite. DaVinci, Buddists, Chinese, who was first.
Be ready to sell the tech when you can take it out of the hobby catagory and add it to your Sch C. Keep all the receipts. You'll find a line on the tax form at some point in future.
But there should be no reason you can't book a legitimate flight plan like any other commercial flight.
I sure do want to see this tech do all the many things it can do. Counting herds and flocks or just spying on wildlife generally has many useful purposes that otherwise take a great deal more effort to do with a truck and crew and all day long to get far less data. It will be a boon to many needs not the least of which is surveying.
Some of the Greenies have been using this to spy on hunters, trying to chase the animals to the hunters can't get a shot. I don't know if that is a commercial use. I know you danged well is not Hobby use. Arrest the criminals. Don't stop the benefits of the technology.