Condor drones to eradicate Florida Keys Mosquitos

[surfinn]

Thank you, Currently the FAA doesn't allow you to fly for hire. We can sell them the systems (which are on the FAA approved list) and provide them the required FAA flight training. From that point they will apply for a Certificate or Authorization (COA) for FAA flight approval over the regions they need to eradicate the larva.  

What size does the drone have to be before the FAA gets involved? As far as I know they don't bother model ac flyer's? Hell you don't even have to have a pilots licence to fly a ultra light or file a flight plan. Oh and crop dusters fly for hire under service contracts as well as banner planes.

[COndor06]

Great question, Currently all model aviation enthusiast fall under the Academy of Aeronautics. (AMA) If you fly an RC aircraft with a camera or FPV (First person video) you are required to have a spotter or observer, fly under 400 feet, and within your line of sight. Not that everyone follows this regulation but that's what it is. Other than that there are no restrictions.

If you fly for hire or deploy a system as a government or civilian organization for inspections, surveillance, search and rescue, mosquito eradication, ect, you fall under the direct jurisdiction of the FAA to interact with their designated controlled airspace.

RC aircraft are supposed to be flow in designated AMA sanctioned fields and not over populated environment's. Again, not that everyone follows these subscriptions but that is the current legislation we all fall under.

[VonMessa]

Great question, Currently all model aviation enthusiast fall under the Academy of Aeronautics. (AMA) If you fly an RC aircraft with a camera or FPV (First person video) you are required to have a spotter or observer, fly under 400 feet, and within your line of sight. Not that everyone follows this regulation but that's what it is. Other than that there are no restrictions.

If you fly for hire or deploy a system as a government or civilian organization for inspections, surveillance, search and rescue, mosquito eradication, ect, you fall under the direct jurisdiction of the FAA to interact with their designated controlled airspace.

RC aircraft are supposed to be flow in designated AMA sanctioned fields and not over populated environment's. Again, not that everyone follows these subscriptions but that is the current legislation we all fall under.

Wouldn't you say that most of the drones operate in class G airspace?

[COndor06]

Wouldn't you say that most of the drones operate in class G airspace?

Yes, our sweet spot is 150-300 ft for optimal camera resolution. Most air traffic restrictions are 1000 ft with some areas of 500 ft.

[surfinn]

So why the worries about the FAA then? State organization that would be hiring you to fly your drones. Unless your looking at the quick sale it appears to me there would be more money in a long time service contract. I.E bill by the hour for what ever drone system your using over a 10 year period of time with a variable in the contract for increasing expenses copled with the introduction of new technology over that period of time. Along with a minimal monthly flight time billed to the state.

[COndor06]

So why the worries about the FAA then? State organization that would be hiring you to fly your drones. Unless your looking at the quick sale it appears to me there would be more money in a long time service contract. I.E bill by the hour for what ever drone system your using over a 10 year period of time with a variable in the contract for increasing expenses copled with the introduction of new technology over that period of time. Along with a minimal monthly flight time billed to the state.

I agree but its just not the case currently. The FAA has been tasked to provide federal regulations by 2015. My interpretation of the FAA ban for (Drones for hire) is there way of putting a controlling factor out there so everyone with a toy RC airplane and a camera can't fly all over populated areas.

In order for us to do what we are doing there are directives we abide by. We have to have (X) amount of flight hours on the systems before its accepted as an approved aircraft, several redundancy features in place to operate the aircraft in case of link, pilot, computer, antenna failures, which involves navigational hardware (and software) which accounts for about 60% of the systems total expense.

Its the system we live in brother.

[surfinn]

It's a great looking drone sir and good luck to you, I hope it works out. I'm sure the people who benefit from it will greatly appreciate your product. I wish my parents would have had something like that in their neighborhood to help them out after hurricane Katrina