rogueqd wrote:Malcurin wrote:just edited my post after checking the Australian rules on this too , mainly to compare, and they are the same word for word, sorry Australians but you need the 3 person setup also
I'm not sure where you're getting the third person from.
You need the pilot in command, the FPV pilot and an observer.
Since the FPV pilot will not be able to observe (because he's wearing glasses), if the pilot in command has to take control back there must be a third person to act as an observer for him.
Three people to fly a 500g foamie
The silly buddy box method is quite simple. It's the same as the club training method where the instructor controls the plane and the student flys using a buddy box, except in this case the 'student' is wearing the FPV gear.
That's right -- and it's something that would make FPV a fleeting novelty of which most people would quickly bore and move on. Which I suspect is exactly what "the powers that be" would want.
The buddy box rule was obviously written by someone who had never actually flown FPV (or maybe just once) and was trying to fit FPV into their 3rd person, looking up from the ground, perspective. Obviously their setup didn't have circularly polarized antennas, a RTL system, probably not even an OSD. The old rules possibly had merit when the first FPV planes ever created were having their maiden flights, but as with all things electronic, we've come a long way since then.
This is one of my big beefs too. The regulations take no account of the changes in technology and those who make these regulations/rules are often speaking from a perspective of ignorance. Personally, I've probably flown almost 20 hours as an FPV pilot. I've never had a single crash -- or even a hard landing. This is despite (and I fess-up), flying beyond visual range on occasions -- but only in a model that is equipped with RTL so I know that if something goes wrong and the RC or video link is lost, it will not crash -- but simply return to the launch point.
I fly over open farmland where the worst that can happen (and even this is incredibly unlikely) is that a chunk of EPP will hit a 300Kg cow and give it a bit of a fright. If the cow dies of a heart attack -- I'll pay for that out of my own pocket.
But, because those who have never properly explored the limits and the fun of this aspect of the hobby don't understand how very safe it is -- they simply try to wind it up in overly-restrictive rules that force people to go underground (albeit not literally I hope