Well the guy has his tripod on the NS ROW. Then there are air rights such as flying over railroad yards and major industrial instilations. I dont know how flying a drone over Clearing or UP Baily and then having to explain to the bulls that U want your drone back after crashing in their yard.
Balt ol' buddy, I don't think it's a question of being ashamed of how we act in private. Most of us (I think) realize there's a time and place for everything. We just don't want the time and place intruded upon. If you know what I mean.
tree68 NittanyLion We've had RC planes for, what, 40 years now and all the sudden people decided to start tagging "drone" on to what we used to call RC helicopters and the layperson is freaking out over it for some reason. I don't think it's the aircraft itself that's causing the alarm - it's the cameras that are going aloft with them. R/C aircraft enthusiasts of old had to have a certain amount of skill and didn't have video - it was simply too bulky. R/C helicopters weren't all that stable and didn't have the GPS capabilities now available. Since R/C fliers were few and far between, and need a runway to take off and land, there could be a certain discipline, however self imposed. The quad (and more) copters can be flown fairly easily (I can fly my Parrot with my smart phone), are stable, and some will actually find their own way home if they lose signal from their controller. Just about anyone can fly one. And, they'll carry a "GoPro" camera very nicely, thank you. In fact, I saw one demonstration that had two cameras - one regular, one infrared, both with downlinks. They were showing its use at a drill fire. Back in the day, about the only thing the neighbors had to worry about was sunbathing in the back yard, and then only briefly as the aircraft flew over (never mind that it probably didn't have a camera in the first place). Now you can hover one outside someone's window. Because of the camera capability, users are seeing myriad commercial possibilities that never really existed with traditional RC. And there lies the rub.
NittanyLion We've had RC planes for, what, 40 years now and all the sudden people decided to start tagging "drone" on to what we used to call RC helicopters and the layperson is freaking out over it for some reason.
I don't think it's the aircraft itself that's causing the alarm - it's the cameras that are going aloft with them.
R/C aircraft enthusiasts of old had to have a certain amount of skill and didn't have video - it was simply too bulky. R/C helicopters weren't all that stable and didn't have the GPS capabilities now available.
Since R/C fliers were few and far between, and need a runway to take off and land, there could be a certain discipline, however self imposed.
The quad (and more) copters can be flown fairly easily (I can fly my Parrot with my smart phone), are stable, and some will actually find their own way home if they lose signal from their controller. Just about anyone can fly one.
And, they'll carry a "GoPro" camera very nicely, thank you. In fact, I saw one demonstration that had two cameras - one regular, one infrared, both with downlinks. They were showing its use at a drill fire.
Back in the day, about the only thing the neighbors had to worry about was sunbathing in the back yard, and then only briefly as the aircraft flew over (never mind that it probably didn't have a camera in the first place). Now you can hover one outside someone's window.
Because of the camera capability, users are seeing myriad commercial possibilities that never really existed with traditional RC. And there lies the rub.
All of which highlights one of mankinds foibles - we are ashamed of how we act in 'private', rather than taking pride in our private actions.
Never too old to have a happy childhood!
NittanyLionWe've had RC planes for, what, 40 years now and all the sudden people decided to start tagging "drone" on to what we used to call RC helicopters and the layperson is freaking out over it for some reason.
Larry Resident Microferroequinologist (at least at my house) Everyone goes home; Safety begins with you My Opinion. Standard Disclaimers Apply. No Expiration Date Come ride the rails with me! There's one thing about humility - the moment you think you've got it, you've lost it...
Firelock76 Oh, I don't underestimate the FAA or any government bureaucracy, but as I understand it from a news story I read recently the rules I mentioned ARE the current FAA rules. They sound pretty reasonable to me. The only drone use the FAA has forbidden is commercial drone use, at any rate at this time. So Amazon can forget drone deliveries. The FAA is considering allowing SOME commercial use, but what kind hasn't been decided yet.
Oh, I don't underestimate the FAA or any government bureaucracy, but as I understand it from a news story I read recently the rules I mentioned ARE the current FAA rules. They sound pretty reasonable to me.
The only drone use the FAA has forbidden is commercial drone use, at any rate at this time. So Amazon can forget drone deliveries. The FAA is considering allowing SOME commercial use, but what kind hasn't been decided yet.
We've had RC planes for, what, 40 years now and all the sudden people decided to start tagging "drone" on to what we used to call RC helicopters and the layperson is freaking out over it for some reason. True drones are still relatively uncommon, but everyone seems to call a quadcopter a drone.
The FAA's gotta wait on NASA's UAS in the NAS project to do its thing before they can do anything. FAA handles the operation of aviation, but NASA handles the development (remember what the first A in NASA stands for!).
LensCapOnDon't think bulk freights ran that fast in the good-old-days, or ever.
CSX holds manifests to 50 MPH on the Chicago Line through NYS. IM can run 60 MPH except in those places where it's desirable to run slower...
That's clicking them right along...
LensCapOn Don't think bulk freights ran that fast in the good-old-days, or ever.
Don't think bulk freights ran that fast in the good-old-days, or ever.
Oh, they did, and they do! We had one blow by us during lunch on which I could read car numbers only with great difficulty (and missed the next three or four while writing down what I needed). If he didn't have any restrcted cars on him, he'd have been going even faster a few miles to the west. (In my experience these restrictions on equipment have gotten more severe...they're going to try to eliminate accidents by not moving anything!)
Carl
Railroader Emeritus (practiced railroading for 46 years--and in 2010 I finally got it right!)
CAACSCOCOM--I don't want to behave improperly, so I just won't behave at all. (SM)
Just a thought, addded to what Firelock76 (Wayne) Noted: "...The FAA is considering SOME Commercial use, but what kind hasn't been decided yet..."
Not exactly sure how much drones could be utilized by the rail industry, to monitor areas of special concerns(?).. Possibly, where landslides are a concern, potential for flooding; or even areas where tresspass can be constant and problematic(?).
Out here,in the Midwest, pipeline companies "fly their routes' to observe possible problem areas (leaks(?) or incursions on their ROW's. They use helo's and fixed wing aircraft to monitor their ROW's. Drone aircraft could be a 'cost effective' alternative for them. I had read recently, somewhere, that the BNSF has asked(?); or had applied for permission(?) to overfly some of their property with Drones. As the technology improves, we may very well see more drone activity as they go to work for the railroads?
Really well done video! Great editing, too.
-Don (Random stuff, mostly about trains - what else? http://blerfblog.blogspot.com/)
I suspect that in the end, "consumer grade" drones will only see some common sense rules.
The "commercial use" issue will not be as easily resolved, as a drone with a GoPro can shoot some pretty amazing video that might not start out as intended for commercial, but could go that way fairly quickly. And if it is done for commercial purposes, see my next comment.
The problem for the drone user is social media. Where the FAA used to have to go out and look for violations, they now need only log onto YouTube.
Consumer use could theoretically go the way of CB radio, requiring a free (or very inexpensive) license that is little more than a paperwork shuffle. I haven't heard anything to this end, however, so don't count on it.
But I have a right to be paranoid. They were looking over my shoulder for thity years.
Norm
Norm48327 Firelock, Never underestimate the FAA.
Firelock, Never underestimate the FAA.
And never overestimate paranoia.
Superb video! Someone's got a great eye for the camera, and that's no lie. A cut above the somewhat typical railfan video where the angles are poor, the camera's being held as if by a drunk in an earthquake zone, and no sense of time or place.
And I am amazed at how rock-solid the images from the drone are.
And LensCaps' right, it DOES kind of remind me of a Christmas layout.
What I don't get is "...watch while still legal." As far as I know there's no up-coming prohibitions on private drone use. The rules in effect are common sense:
Keep the altitude at 500 feet or less.
Keep the drone within eyesight.
Don't fly the drone near an airport, or near government installations.
Don't overfly private property.
DON'T invade anyones privacy, EVER!
Follow these rules and you won't get in trouble.
Does that view remind anyone of a model train? At Christmas?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TKUAPOTlCGc
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