Author Topic: RC Drone Accident on TV Show (Read 4897 times)

Dick Pacini · « **on:** November 20, 2014, 03:00:25 PM »

This week's Chicago Fire had a helicopter crash on top of a building. The rotor was discovered several blocks away with an RC quad copter tangled in the blade mechanism. Ironically, the kid flying the drone (against his father's wishes) was trapped under the rotor and had severe injuries. Nothing like good publicity.

Tim Wescott · « **Reply #1 on:** November 20, 2014, 03:17:21 PM »

Post a link? If the people in the helicopter made it out alive then there was either some serious luck involved, or some seriously good piloting.

Phil Krankowski · « **Reply #2 on:** November 20, 2014, 03:23:17 PM »

Fiction, but mainstream TV.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chicago_Fire_%28season_3%29

Tim Wescott · « **Reply #3 on:** November 20, 2014, 03:59:58 PM »

Oops -- didn't realize that "Chicago Fire" was fiction. Proper nouns get capitalized; titles of literary works get quote marks or italics.

And I don't watch TV (I'm too busy building) so "Chicago Fire" means "Chicago Fire Department", who may well be big enough to have their own helicopter...

Glenn (Gravitywell) Reach · « **Reply #4 on:** November 20, 2014, 05:40:06 PM »

Sounds like seriously bad writing to me.

Randy Cuberly · « **Reply #5 on:** November 20, 2014, 06:08:08 PM »

Quote from: Glenn (Gravitywell) Reach on November 20, 2014, 05:40:06 PM

Sounds like seriously bad writing to me.

Yeah! Maybe written by the kid trapped under the rotor!!!

Randy Cuberly

Mike Keville · « **Reply #6 on:** November 20, 2014, 07:33:43 PM »

Sooner or later, it's bound to happen for real. Some moron with an RC multirotor will either hit a full-scale aircraft, or plow into a crowd.

Trostle · « **Reply #7 on:** November 20, 2014, 07:43:53 PM »

Well, years ago some idiot tried to see how close he could come to the Goodyear blimp with his RC model. Guess what? He hit it.

Then on the news since that Chicago Fire program, there was a news story about an airline pilot saying that a drone missed his plane by a foot. The worst is going to happen.

Keith

Mike Griffin · « **Reply #8 on:** November 20, 2014, 07:48:29 PM »

It is not a matter if, it is a matter of when. Model Aviation Magazine just keeps on running the ads for them.

Mike

Jim Roselle · « **Reply #9 on:** November 21, 2014, 06:43:23 AM »

Quote from: Tim Wescott on November 20, 2014, 03:59:58 PM

Oops -- didn't realize that "Chicago Fire" was fiction. Proper nouns get capitalized; titles of literary works get quote marks or italics.

And I don't watch TV (I'm too busy building) so "Chicago Fire" means "Chicago Fire Department", who may well be big enough to have their own helicopter...

I'm not sure "Chicago Fire" qualifies as a literary work.

Paul Smith · « **Reply #10 on:** November 21, 2014, 07:03:49 AM »

Unfortunately, these expensive and dangerous toys are in the hands of countless irresponsible yahoos.

Maybe bringing down a full size aircraft is a stretch of the imagination. But they sure can cut people up with the rotors.

As model airplane BUILDERS we would be wise to distance our HOBBY from whatever it is they do.

FLOYD CARTER · « **Reply #11 on:** November 21, 2014, 02:09:05 PM »

If a bird sucked into a jet engine can stop it, I'm sure a quadrotor toy could serve as well.

F.C.

Paul Smith · « **Reply #12 on:** November 21, 2014, 02:17:24 PM »

Quote from: FLOYD CARTER on November 21, 2014, 02:09:05 PM

If a bird sucked into a jet engine can stop it, I'm sure a quadrotor toy could serve as well.

F.C.

Airports have huge clear zones under the approach/departure lanes. They would need to go a long way out of their way to bag an airliner with an RC toy. Easier to just use a gun.

The genuine issue is flying in congested areas & hitting people. When they hit somebody it will come down on AMA and us.

Steven Kientz · « **Reply #13 on:** November 21, 2014, 02:30:22 PM »

The national news ran a story Tuesday evening about several close calls involving drones and commercial airliners. One "event" happened at an altitude of several thousand feet. I know the ceiling for RC is 400(?), can the hobby drones fly that far from their transmitter or was this a "commercial use" drone?

Phil Krankowski · « **Reply #14 on:** November 21, 2014, 03:07:04 PM »

I have range checked at over a mile on the ground with both the HiTec Flash 4 I gave my brother and my Specktrum DX6i. The earth is a pretty significant source of interference so being at altitude, and signaling up and down, is better for reception and transmission.

A mile is 5280 ft.

Phil

Tim Wescott · « **Reply #15 on:** November 21, 2014, 03:53:08 PM »

Quote from: Steven Kientz on November 21, 2014, 02:30:22 PM

The national news ran a story Tuesday evening about several close calls involving drones and commercial airliners. One "event" happened at an altitude of several thousand feet. I know the ceiling for RC is 400(?), can the hobby drones fly that far from their transmitter or was this a "commercial use" drone?

If you can see it you can fly it. Radios work incredibly well at line-of-sight. I've had models at an (estimated) altitude of 1500 feet, just floating around in thermals.

One of my gun-toting facebook friends posted a "media guide to automatic weapons" that had pictures of plinking guns, blunderbusses, shotguns, slingshots, crossbows, etc., all identified as "AK-47". I'm sure that a similar guide could be made up with rubber-powered stick planes, ducks, chickens, floating garbage bags, etc., all labeled "drone".

Don Chandler · « **Reply #16 on:** November 21, 2014, 06:31:50 PM »

I saw that episode too and immeadiatly had visions of model aviation taking more heat!

Dick Pacini · « **Reply #17 on:** November 21, 2014, 07:41:30 PM »

Quote from: Don Chandler on November 21, 2014, 06:31:50 PM

I saw that episode too and immeadiatly had visions of model aviation taking more heat!

I had the exact feeling. It couldn't have been aired at a worst time.

Bob Matiska · « **Reply #18 on:** November 22, 2014, 07:13:30 AM »

We just had a "drone" in our area almost hit a Life Flight helicopter. More ammunition for the FAA:

http://www.pahomepage.com/story/d/story/close-call-drone-nearly-collides-with-medical-heli/39572/RWNIApb-VUSJ6xcikqVBVw

Bob in NEPA

john e. holliday · « **Reply #19 on:** November 22, 2014, 09:25:18 AM »

What's going to happen when someone finally gets killed or maimed for life. Look at what put the E-Z Just handle out of business. I think anybody that had a hand in the handle that was sold was sued. No more handles except off the bay.

Sean McEntee · « **Reply #20 on:** November 22, 2014, 02:14:55 PM »

AMA needs to take responsability and outlaw FPV. By doing that, it makes the line between recreational aeromodeling and UAS crystal clear. "Camera=UAS No Camera=model airplane" Yes, it would suck for the FPV guys but, in my humble opinion, it would be the single best move the AMA could make in separating themselves from all of these quad-copter cowboys.

GGeezer · « **Reply #21 on:** November 22, 2014, 03:28:33 PM »

Smart technology, as useful as it can be, also enables the village idiots.
Miniature sensors of all kinds (like those used in toy rotor-craft for stability assist) are also becoming low in cost.
A possible way around the collision with aircraft problem is to force manufacturers of these toys to include an imbedded altimeter sensor that limits the flight altitude to 400' or better still, 200'. This is workable technology. Now, serious hackers and hobbyists would still be able to make or modify units that don't have this restriction but it would at least limit the problems created by the aforementioned who don't have the skill or patience to bother and will go on to the next stupid stunt.

Orv.

Phil Krankowski · « **Reply #22 on:** November 22, 2014, 04:39:38 PM »

Quote from: Sean McEntee on November 22, 2014, 02:14:55 PM

AMA needs to take responsability and outlaw FPV. By doing that, it makes the line between recreational aeromodeling and UAS crystal clear. "Camera=UAS No Camera=model airplane" Yes, it would suck for the FPV guys but, in my humble opinion, it would be the single best move the AMA could make in separating themselves from all of these quad-copter cowboys.

People have been sending cameras aloft for years. Over a century in fact, counting kites.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aerial_photography

Cameras are popular in almost all aspects - model rockets, free flight, RC everything...

FPV probably is a worthy line - having the live image transmitted back to the operator - as the split between recreation and other than recreation. Quadracopters in and of themselves are not "bad" they are merely devices - tools, or toys. Loosely stated every one of our model airplanes are just that - toys! That is also the line that AMA already holds, non-commercial recreational use - toys.

Yes, these are sophisticated toys on par with any piece of technology used in modern life, yet a toy remains an object used in or for play, or recreation.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toy

Yes, I cringe and want to get defensive when my wife calls my airplanes "toys" too.

Phil

55chevr · « **Reply #23 on:** November 24, 2014, 06:21:21 AM »

Announced this morning that New York's illustrious senior senator Charles (Chuck) Schumer is calling for FAA regulations on "drones". 3 reports of close proximity by airline pilots in NY metro airports this past week or so. He is always looking to grab a headline to perpetuate his career. This guy can launch a @#$% storm. I expect the sky to be full of quad copters that were Christmas gifts in a month or so.

John Fitzgerald · « **Reply #24 on:** November 24, 2014, 06:11:14 PM »

Will the FAA put an end to R/C flying by hobbiests? If so, will control line become mainstream again since our planes are classified as kites by FAA?

john e. holliday · « **Reply #25 on:** November 25, 2014, 09:43:15 AM »

Will never happen as there is too much money to be lost selling to the people that don't care what happens with the toys.

Chris McMillin · « **Reply #26 on:** November 25, 2014, 01:23:45 PM »

Quote from: Steven Kientz on November 21, 2014, 02:30:22 PM

The national news ran a story Tuesday evening about several close calls involving drones and commercial airliners. One "event" happened at an altitude of several thousand feet. I know the ceiling for RC is 400(?), can the hobby drones fly that far from their transmitter or was this a "commercial use" drone?

R/C does not have a ceiling of 400 feet except in an Airport Traffic Area.

Randy Cuberly · « **Reply #27 on:** November 25, 2014, 03:37:18 PM »

I have to believe that a lot of this Airliner and Drone stuff is pure fantasy. I have serious doubts that an airline pilot could flying 400+ MPH could even see one of these things let alone see it pass a few feet from his airplane....Pure Bull made up by some kid!

Now low flying helicopters on a rescue mission is another situation and certainly is possible. The question becomes whether the drone could cause any serious damage to a helicopter. Bird strikes don't typically.

I'm also skeptical of a bird strike causing an engine failure unless it about 20 or thirty ingested at once...even then it's doubtful.

At Garret and Woodward Governor we used to test things like that as a routine situation on every 150 or so engines with dead chickens, that are much bigger than most birds encountered at airports and the engines didn't even cough. Most of those engines were significantly smaller than the ones found on airliners!

If it was that easy to bring an airliner down it would be happening at O'hara in chicago about 6 times a day!

Most airliner crashes are caused by pilot error or structural failure.

Randy Cuberly

Randy Cuberly · « **Reply #28 on:** November 25, 2014, 03:52:05 PM »

Yeah, Well some airlines maintain their aircraft and some don't do a very good job of it!

Randy Cuberly

55chevr · « **Reply #29 on:** November 26, 2014, 05:41:40 AM »

The reported sightings were in the area of airports and landing approaches. Airliners land at 150 mph. This is why the also often reported cockpit lazer incidents are an issue. I have no doubt that it is occurring. The good news this morning is that the good senator is now on a soap box about truckers that drive excessive hours.

John Fitzgerald · « **Reply #30 on:** November 27, 2014, 11:06:05 AM »

How do we stop this one percent of population that ruins things for the rest of us?

Author Topic: RC Drone Accident on TV Show (Read 4897 times)

Mike Griffin

Jim Roselle