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UAV Weather LIMITS

IFR means Instrument Flight Rules. Most aircraft must comply with VFR (Visual Flight Rules) and are not allowed to fly in IFR weather without special training and a clearance from Air Traffic Control (ATC). The main VFR rule is stay in sight of the ground, cloud ceiling at least 1000ft above ground and visibility >3 stature miles.

Trust me . .  if you want to fly in IFR weather you'll want the IFR training. . .If you're in cloud and can't see the horizon you are not going to be in control of the aircraft for more than a few seconds . .  but for drones it's different. Normally you cannot be VFR if the clouds are below 1000ft and/or visibility is less than 3 miles that's IFR and you can't fly safely . . or legally without a clearance.

With a drone, you not allowed above 400ft (unless within 200ft of a structure) our Beyond Visual Line Of Sight (that's about 1/4 mile) so why do you need a thousand feet and 3 miles visibility?. . .  we'll they say, "you have to be able to see and avoid another aircraft". However, if it is IFR conditions (<1000 & 3) then THERE ARE NO AIRCRAFT anyway, because it's illegal for them  . . . not to mention very unsafe for pilots to be in cloud at 500ft . . .  unless they are landing or taking off. So there needs to be a different set of weather weather limits for drone pilots . .  lower visual limits.

If you fly a drone in 1/2 mile visibility (fog or haze perhaps), then its rational to expect you will lose sight of it well before that. Since drone pilots are normally limited to 100ft AGL above anything within a 200ft radius, then I suggest that reasonable weather limits for UAV pilots should be 1/2 mile (~2550 feet) and clear of cloud. If it goes out of sight  . .  and that's much less than half that distance . . you've gone too far in all cases.

Weather limits should be lower for drone pilots but still include, "No flying in icing or when icing conditions are likely or forecast". Some UAVs can handle  a bit of mist or even designed  for heavy rain or snow so again that's not a problem if the weather limits of 1/2 mile visibility and clear of cloud are respected.

As for flying drones under IFR that's a different issue.

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  • Home
  • Services
  • Photos
  • Videos
    • Creative Videos
    • Commercial
    • AVIATION
    • FLIR Infrared
    • Recreation
    • Real Estate
    • Events
  • Booking
  • LICENSING
  • ISSUES
    • Zen and the ART
    • HOW FAR CAN YOU SEE A DRONE
    • How LETHAL is a DRONE
    • Physical Impact
    • NEW AIR REGS 2019
    • M2E BAD wx Tracking
    • VLOS with Mavic 2 E
    • Drone Wind LIMITS!
    • Mavic2E Spot Light
    • Vehicle Tracking
    • BVLOS Logic
    • BVLOS BEST PRACTICES
    • Strobe Lighting
    • UAV weather LIMITS
    • BAD ACTORS
    • BVLOS and IFR issues
  • About
  • Confligting Airspace