Anyone got any info on what the FAA is doing w/regards to RC Heli video/photography?

[Skiddz]

Subject says it all. I was unable to find anything on the FAA's web site today in regards to RC helis and commercial uses for them. Anyone know what they're proposing? I'm kinda curious to see if my full scale commercial rating might make me exempt or in compliance from whatever rule they're working on..

All I found today was a lot of references to AC-150 which is radio control of airport lighting systems.

[Skiddz]

Found this tonight... Mentions an OLD Advisory Circular but not much else..

http://search.google.dot.gov/FAA/FAASearchProcess.asp?q=cache:sw7q764g7xsJ:www.faa. gov/news/conferences/2006_us_europe_conference/presentations/media/FAA-UAS.ppt+unmanned+aerial+systems&access=p&output=xml_no_dtd&site=FAA_Pages&ie=UTF-8&client=default_frontend&proxystylesheet=default_frontend&oe=UTF-8

[crewchief]

As you can tell from the overwhelming response you received from your question, there is a great deal of uncertainty and uneasiness surrounding these issues. The Federal Register entry of 2/13/07 contains a lot of threatening and contradictory language. Without rehashing the whole thing, the most relevant aspect of the FR entry that relates to us is this:

"The FAA has undertaken a safety review that will examine the feasibility of creating a different category of unmanned "vehicles" that may be defined by the operator's visual line of sight and are also small and slow enough to adequately mitigate hazards to other aircraft and persons on the ground. The end product of this analysis may be a new flight authorization instrument similar to AC 91-57, but focused on operations which do not qualify as sport and recreation, but also may not require a certificate of airworthiness. They will, however, require compliance with applicable FAA regulations and guidance developed for this category."

So everybody's been waiting for the FAA to issue these guidelines. I think we'd all welcome a clear-cut set of rules that would update AC 91-57 to more commercial applications. In a recent insurance policy I acquired there was clear reference to the above paragraph in a paragraph that stated:

"Please note: The FAA is revising its rules and regulations. When implemented you will be required to meet those new rules and regulations."

Hope this sheds some light in the murky waters. If you bang around in the forums you'll find a lot of relevant info.

[Skiddz]

yeah, I've read AC 91-57 and as I understand it, it basically says, "We're looking at it." and not much else.

I'm not sure how it's all going to pan out, but I think I might keep looking to setting up an AP rig in any case.

[Cryofix]

It looks like it is going to be based on total weight of the bird, if you need to get licensed or not, at least from what I have heard

They are basing this on terminal velocity and survivability in the event something should go wrong with people around.

[Skiddz]

I sent mail to my contact at the FAA (We deal with the FAA at work quite a bit) asking for some inside info, but he's out of town until Monday. I'm sure once I get to talk with him, it'll be an interesting conversation...

I wonder if the local DPE (Designated Pilot Examiner) is going to start giving RC Helicopter checkrides... :)