Yep! Bottom line is mitigating risk. Fortunately, drones in general, have good track records with regards to minimal injuries to people, and 107 pilots are fairly conscientious people who carry a degree of responsibility and brains. Good luck everyone!
Well I am sure I will change that. I am a jinx…and a good one. VTI Phoenix drone #1 went airborne as I was wanting. It must have loved the fresh air cause it never came home. Should be entering the moons orbit by Christmas. VTI Phoenix #2 was at a truck stop. I kept it 5-10 feet in the air. Wanted to see how accurate the RTH function was. It went up about 15-20 feet and slammed into the pavement. Then it went crazy skimmed along the ground bumped into a truck and went airborne and I never found it. Now have VTI Phoenix #3. Put a strobe on it hoping it makes it easier to find in the dark. I realized a small dent in a propeller can easily affect its behavior. Slowly getting better. Just bought a DJI FPV it is staying in the box for now because it cost me close to $1100. But I am hooked on drones. Fun to fly. If you or anyone has any tips for a new “pilot” give them to me. I use that term “pilot” loosely.😳
I just took my first drone on my first ever flight. I logged about 2.5 seconds of flight time before causing serious injury to a human. I flew a HolyStone HS720E right into myself, and now have about 15 deep lacerations on my left hand. I was very surprised how quickly it got away from me, and how much harm it did in the process. Little whirling scalpels, these blades. This experience did more than all the strongly worded warnings in the world to open my eyes to the danger.
@@otero2235 on the bright side, I gave it a crappy review, and the making company are pay me to not bad reviewing by send new death drone. I sold the new death drone for cash to a guy I wouldn't necessarily shed a tear for if the drone amputated one of his fingers or something, and in the meantime, I bought good drone that doesn't amputate fingers. The only downside is the scars I bear to this day. It's pretty messed up that after all the stuff I've been through in 50 years, some of my most obvious scars came from a stupid drone. Sigh.
I bought that one and it was an absolute piece of shit, one evening I decided to get some footage of the sunset and it was 100 feet in the air, and while i was about to start recording, i saw the screen just start spinning and I look up and my drone is just falling out of the sky, i called customer service and told them what happened, they said they would replace the drone and i declined and said i would leave an honest review of what happened, and the drone was immediately taking off of amazon. Pretty shady, if I remember correctly i called a number that was in Germany and left a voice mail, and then i got a call at about 2am from an asian woman who barely spoke english. It was very difficult to communicate.
The regs are a big reason I’m not rushing out to upgrade. I have no plans to fly over people until I can do it inside the regs and not have the liability. Weddings can still be filmed from a short distance away from the crowd. I’ll be the one with no work because I don’t bend or break the rules.
I'm just getting into drone photography and I'm taking a different approach. As a portrait and wedding photographer, I have seen the industry destroyed for the mid level professional because of all the hobbyists who watch a video, take a dslr kit and call themselves a professional photographer. I can legally get great drone footage and the bride can just enjoy her day. After this video I have a clearer understanding of what I can do now legally and what to watch for in the future. The cheap option, the bride can get cousin Billy and if he screws up, crashes his drone and hurts someone, the bride gets to deal with the lawsuit. Also, they get to talk to the FAA for flying in controlled airspace without clearance. (In Springfield IL, there is a popular golf course for weddings that is less than a mile from the airport in class C from the surface to over 1000 feet.)
These rules do not apply indoors, the FAA doeant own the air we breathe yet.. so an indoor race track, ball field or indoor stadium is game on :) what about a stadium with a retractable roof, do the rules apply only when the roof is open? lol
@@badpaw Only when the roof is open. While the FAA doesn't control what happens inside a building, remember that liability is still present and you should carry insurance to protect yourself, and that insurance may not cover you without a part 107.
@@badpaw It should only cover the air above the highest part of the building, So if I were to fly the drone inside a stadium I should be able to fly up to or about the height of the lights right... Nope probably not.
As a novice drone enthusiastic pilot mistakes will occur. Having about 50 hours of flight time combined with an excess of beyond 300 miles flown accounts for my mm2 flights only. A dozen uav's preceed it. Gaining experience over time provides for improvement that allows me to be a better safer pilot for public safety considerations. CLEARLY BEING A MATURE EXPERIENCED UAV PILOT COMES WITH TIME. Thank you for your contribution that makes myself become a safer pre-part 107 pilot. Great info!
This is definitely important information, not only to understand the rules for flying over people, but for the Part 107 Test. I took it last week, and 2 of the questions were about the categories.
Just bought my first drone, and started doing a ton of research on what is allowed...this channel has been a HUGE help so far. I'm shocked by how many regulations there are, but at the same time...I'd rather be lawful and safe more than anything!
I'm taking Pilot Institute course in preparation for the Part 107 exam. The information is critical for commercial missions; especially when your company can be sued.
I fully support the prohibition on flying over people (though it's certainly a bit vague), and practicing drone safety, but I think it's noteworthy how few significant injuries have been suffered as drones have proliferated. I haven't updated my research but, the last time I checked, no American had ever been seriously injured by a hobby drone. Lots of superficial lacerations, but nothing that would be considered "serious" from a medical standpoint. That's especially significant when you compare the data to something like personal watercraft (another hobby vehicle) which kill many people every year.
I watched this when you first posted it. I came back and watched it again today because the online course that I use to study for my Part 107 did a terrible job of explaining it in their updated materials. I appreciate this video even more now.
People, this isn't a controlled test with thousands of dollars to spend! Greg and the team are just helping you get some in site to the "possible" damage. Thank you Greg and team! I didn't think my air 2 would produce that much kinetic energy and was assuming it would fall under cat 2. I guess not. Thanks again!
the blades on the dji mini and mavic are designed to dissipate energy. the 11inch prop i have on my hanger 9 cub can cause far more damage since there is no flex in it
Excellent information, Greg! I honestly believe that the FAA should have you do videos for them whenever they put out major changes such as these. Now, you need to do one on night flying and how the rules apply to Recreational and Part 107 pilots. It's extremely difficult to get good, solid, reliable information on which rules apply to each category. Thanks for all that you do for us!
Here's one on Night flying: th-cam.com/video/zrOOJPHWfTA/w-d-xo.html As far as hobbyist vs 107, here's one we published a while back but the info is still current. th-cam.com/video/6JjMdHrAkXw/w-d-xo.html If you need more info, let me know and I'm happy to answer any questions.
Greg, as usual, your reports are very informative. I agree with many others that those of us who are 107 certified have a good level of understanding about the rules, and for the most part are conscientious and responsible pilots. Nevertheless, it doesn’t hurt to be reminded that we must be responsible for our decisions about where and how we fly. Thanks again for another good video.
Coming from someone who has seen a drone injury. These little drones can cause a lot of damage. I was flying my DJI Mini 2 and somehow the drone disconnected from the controller and I lost all control. The drone ended up flying full speed towards my friend and sliced his arm open. We drove to the hospital because it was a very deep cut and he got 27 stitches. These kinds of drones are not "toys" and even when piloted by an experienced droner, they can become dangerous very fast. Don't fear getting hurt because this does not happen very often but just remember it is a possibility.
Any drone be it "big or little" can do lots of damage to people or things, this is true. But for my personal experience, I have lost all signal to my drone (Mini 3) and the only thing that happened is that the automatic RTH (Return To Home) function activated and my drone landed safe and sound exactly where it was supposed to with no damage to anything or any one. Admittedly when I first lost signal , I was sweating bullets. But the drone did exactly what it's program was set to do The moral is simple here, Know all the functions of your drone and how to set and apply them properly before you fly.
I can fly in a field and enjoy myself but if someone shows up… I have to stop flying. That’s stupid. Drone pilots already deal with enough idiots, now we’re giving them power to prevent us from flying. Awesome, FAA. Thanks.
Hi Watching your channel and considering Part 107 training. I am a drone enthusiast and fly recreationally...Can these cut flesh? Hell yes....I have photos to of my mishap two years ago. I had done something stupid, (attempted a launch during a snow storm- high winds and below zero temps) It was an attempt to see if it was possible to photograph waves crashing into a light house....Dramatic...I launched off the bed of my truck, and the drone began to fly erratic before it got to 4 feet. I started to land it... it wasn't taking commands. just at that moment a car pulled up next to me and three or four kids piled out (unexpectedly) and I had to think very fast, (kids were watching the waves and they were way too close. I reached to grab the drone from the bottom and pull it down. It tried to correct, it over corrected. several blades struck my hand, there were 12 bleeding lacerations on my ring and middle fingers. My little finger had the pad (where the fingerprints are) lopped off. I was bleeding profusely. It was so cold the blood froze as it dripped on the truck. I had no first aid gear and completely surprised my wife.... If one or more of these spinning blades hits someone in the face, there will not be just one lacerations. But many, as that blade will hit multiple times before it breaks or stops. I can send pics if your want. Lesson learned....don't hit anyone....and don't fly in inclement weather
Great video and thorough explanation. Thanks for the cheat sheet as well. I haven't found a need/reason to do sustained flight over people but transitioning rears its head frequently.
I can say first-hand that a Mini can lacerate the skin. I was flying mine when I first got it and I was returning to "home" too fast from a low angle. With the momentum and trajectory it was going to hit my car so I instinctively held out my hand to block it (like most people uninvolved with the drone would) and it cut my finger like a razor. No stitches or anything but a good clean cut.
Great info, Greg! Nice to know at what stage we're in on this particular regulation. However, I have no plans to fly over people even if allowed to. I like to keep my risk low and safe. Thanks!
This video is great. I passed my 107 knowledge test today - 95%. The three questions I got wrong related to these new Categories, and Remote ID. The course I used briefly touched on the categories - I.e. I knew the weight and foot pound limits, but not enough to get the questions right. I feel that I would have got a perfect score had I watched this first.
I have a Mini and a Mini 2. I once was messing around and had my drone about 40' away from me. It was in sport mode and it was facing me and I floored it. It comes right at me, I let go of the sticks when it was about 5' out and BAMM...right into me(and it still flew). I got cut. I felt a sting and was not expecting blood but I was wrong. A good 1" slice, not that deep, but I bled. I am a Part 107 pilot and a Private Pilot(not current for many years). I listened to more of your video and in my opinion the FAA is making it rough on drone manufacturers. They need to give them a chance to make something safe to fly sustained over people. I'm thinking 300 grams including the prop guards.I''m looking to fly my drone for wedding coverage since I am a wedding photographer for many many years.This video is excellent for me. I subscribed.
Thank you Greg! Another great video. This was an especially confusing topic and you made it easy to understand as is all of the material you present in your part 107 course!
Hello from the Untied Kingdom ! Great Video. Here in the UK we have adopted the European regulations, and fortunately for us, for now at least, we can fly a mavic mini over people but not assemblies of people without a prop guard. We too have MTOM categories. Above 250g we have to stay 50metres away from people, and we can't overfly. However, a new relaxing regulation has just come in called 'Article 16'. If you are a member of a major model flying club like BFMA or FPVUK for example, and sign up to Article 16 on their websites, there is surprisingly NO separation distance and can fly over people for 250g or less drones. We can fly heavier drones up to 7.5Kg over people at a distance of just 30metres: So basically there's more emphasis on competence, here and we also have a new permission called the A2 CofC which involves some study at an approved flight school but is not overly expensive nor difficult which allows for heavier drones to be flown in recreational areas, Industrial Estates, etc within the A2 flying category (near to people). That's a little over tall tree height which seems a bit crazy, and we sincerely hope that people here won't abuse this privilege. It applies at all suitable flying locations in the UK not just within the confines of registered flying clubs either. Our max altitude is 400ft above the terrain you're flying over, higher without permission if conducting an inspection of say a transmission tower as long as you're very close to it. (within 50m I think). These privileges were unexpected, and in our opinion have been well thought through. We can't go through all the nuts and bolts here, so if you're thinking about flying in the UK please refer to the CAA website first. You will need to register your drone here (All weights, except toys without cameras). We had grey areas too but most of these have now been clarified by the CAA. But it does seem to us that the FAA have really made 'a dog's dinner' of it all, which coupled with the confusion, will no doubt lead to unintended breaches. 😒
I am guessing that two things will happen pretty quickly. First DJI will make their lighter weight battery available in the US for the Mini2, the second is that they will be doing extensive testing very quickly on the Mini 2 and the Air 2S. This is a huge opportunity for them, I can't imagine they won't take advantage of it. There are already issues with the batteries for the Mini 2, they can solve both problems at the same time.
So, if you wanted to photograph, say, an open air concert: Find an empty parking lot a block away, hover straight up, zoom in the best you can, then hover straight back down? What would be the recommended horizontal distance to stay away from people, vehicles, etc?
Perfect, Greg! This is just what I needed to help clear up a lot of the confusion! I was actually wondering what "over people" really means. You've cleared it up. I've been asked to film a private party in someone's backyard in the summer. So now I know that as long as I don't hover directly over anyone in that party, I'm good to go. I can film the party from outside the perimeter of the yard (assuming there's no one under the drone). Thank you!
Thank you for keeping everyone updated. I passed my exam on the 12th of April after finishing your course and this is the area I really wanted clarification on. Great job and keep the videos coming!
Thanks, this was helpful. I will be shooting footage of beaches in my area while people are present. My plan is to only transit over people and restrict flightpath to over water and shoot to the side and down. Ditto with any boats, surfboards etc that may be present.
Regarding lacerations, These props can do serious damage. On one of my first flights I had to stick my hand out to prevent being hit in the head with my MA2 because of my inexperience. Three Quick, Clean and at least 1/8" deep slices in my right pinky that bled like mad. A compression wrap stopped the Bleeding and with a tight bandage healed with very fine scars, although some nerve damage lingers. I cringe thinking about what would happen if one would strike someones face or eye.
Been flying drones for years. Very hard to see a scenario where you plow your drone into a person , now dropping out of the sky on somebody’s head. Now that’s another story . All in all , just forget about flying your drone anywhere people see you .
So basically a waiver is needed regardless for my MAVIC 2 Enterprise Advanced because it is not set to a certain classification? That clarifies it. I took your course but was confused once we got this drone as we did t know what we would purchase.
Fantastic video! For what it's worth: the mini-2 definitely can cause lacerations. I learned that the hard way practicing hand landings... and I have the video to prove it.
I belong to an AMA sanctioned Radio control Club. We often have a lot of people attending our field and have shelters for pilots and others to stand under. I do not get above 400' and do not fly over people. Safety is paramount . I am more afraid of the Helicopter pilots doing Crazy maneuvers like Tic-Toc. 6' head rotors and 20 lb +. Scary. Can anything be done about that. I have my FAA UAS registration so I can fly.
Great video. For testing, ascending at the time of impact will cause the rotors to spin faster for a stronger impact. The Mini 3 Pro has rubberized tips on the standard rotors which "may" reduce the chance of lacerations since it is a slightly larger impact area which would be a blunt impact versus the thinner tipped rotors used in the testing. Of course when this video was recorded the M3P wasn't available. I can confirm the Mavic Pro 1 can cause bleeding lacerations at maybe 5-7 MPH. I "thought" I had pulled the stick down enough to do the automatic landing, but I had not. When I pulled the sticks in and down to turn off the rotors, the drone moved forward and to the side which caused it to hit me across the stomach, hip and thigh as it fell. No damage to the drone at all, but I had 7 rotor strikes hard enough to leave marks and blood blisters, and 3 of those strikes drew blood where I put Neosporin and band-aids on them. One of those that bled was a strike THROUGH my shirt. Kinetic energy is basically weight x speed squared. So a 1 kilogram object moving at 10 meters per second would have 50 units of J or Joules for the physics term. A 2 kilogram object moving at 5 meters per second would have 25% energy rating of Joules, so speed is the bigger factor.
I picked up my Mavic Pro after flying my Tello and it was pretty obvious that I would not want to chance flying over people with the MP. It's a brick. The Tello with full prop guards weights about 110 grams so if I'm understanding the definitions you provided it would qualify as a category 1 drone.
Most folks will be out of category - therefore, apply for the waiver. FAA Drone Zone waiver process is quite good at suggesting what exceptions that you can apply for.
I was recently testing my DJI mini (the origianal) and it had a nick on the blade that I did not see before flying. It caused the drone to fly sideways. I was testing it indoors and instinctively put out my foot to prevent it from hitting anything. I was wearing shorts and it gave me 2 significant lacerations. Dumb, yes. But I can assure you this little drone can do some damage. I have am ambulance company and had to go to my supplies for some 4x4s and tape to stop the bleeding. No stiches needed. But close.
Though I'm new to drone flying, I do hold a Private Pilot (VFR) Cetificate - not sure that that relates to the current discussion, but it is part of who I am. At any rate, while watching your video reporting your test of the ability of the blades (on the DJI Mini) to cause lacerations, it occurred to me that the type of blades on the drone will make a difference in the outcome of a collision with a person. For example I installed quick change 3-bladed props on my Mini drones (Mini 2 and Mini SE). These blades come off pretty readily - I don't know if the ease of removal is designed-in feature or if it's just a matter of the manufacturer getting lucky (as it is said, sometimes its better to be lucky than good). However it would make the drone somewhat less likely to cause a laceration - SOMETIMES. I add the emphasis on sometimes because it also dawned on me that the impact that mighty not cause a cut on, for instance, a 15-year old male might cause a considerable cut on a child or on a senior citizen, not to mention the possibility of infection and with that the length of time to heal. It gets quite involved but all of these factors will certainly come into play...and on their tail will come the injury attorney. Need I say more?
My grandfather used to work for a pharmaceutical company. If the FAA is like the FDA, the testing and approval process is very expensive and takes tons of time.
I am an electrical engineer and I question the interpretation of the FAA and the means in which you are testing if the propellers cause lacerations. The FAA bring forth two measurements within their guidelines; 1) is propellers rotation ability to cause lacerations and 2) kinetic energy of the drone's movement. The means in which you tested if the propellers would cause lacerations was measuring both the propellers ability to cause lacerations AND at the same time the kinetic energy of the drone. As your testing demonstrated most of the attempts the propeller's rotation did not cause lacerations, which suggests if you would have only tested if the propellers themselves would cause lacerations separate from kinetic energy, there is likely a different result. I suggest redoing your test but only test one measurement at a time; 1) propellers rotation ability to cause lacerations without the drone moving with kinetic energy and 2) seperate kinetic energy tests.
There are several sets of requirements that must be met for certain drones in the regulation. One for lacerations, one for KE (amongst others). In this video, we wanted to test category 1 drones, which don't have a KE requirement, only a laceration, which is why we performed the test the way we did.
Hi Greg - O'Neal here. That has got to be one of funniest videos I have seen from your company. Your 'skin crash dummy' looks like an amputated arm with a knit hat. And that Mini is an indestructible beast!!
Thanks you for this very informative video. This is a very confusing subject for many Part 107 operators and you presented this material in a very clear and concise manner. Keep up the great work that you do.
Can't see parachutes being attached or even working. If they fall out of the sky, it is almost always because it ran into something, a building or tree which means it may not be high enough for a parachute to have the time to deploy and inflate. The is also the reality that is probably tumbling so even a parachute that deployed with force could just get immediately tangled up. If it is falling because it is way up there and hits a bird that happens to break it, it would still have the tumbling problem.
All great info and test. But, would love to see any stats of people being hurt from drones. Especially death or serious injury? The ratio of drones vs injuries would be more impactful.
Our town square was covered in Christmas with a large Christmas tree near the center. There were families out walking and viewing the lights. I flew a large semicircle around the entire thing and was mostly over the building across the street from the square. I used the zoom to get a closeup of the tree. I can't swear that I was never over a person positively, however that was never my intention so I assume that I was within the rules.
Hi, it would be interesting to do an updated video of this information taking into consideration FAA regulation changes and also putting the DJI Neo (which definitely is a Cat-1) into the mix. Btw, you mention flying the Japanese version of the Mini w/pro-guards) over people but how could you (at the time you made this) if the kinetic energy exceeded 25?
Great video, Greg. Thank you for clarifying the (virtually) unclarifiable. When I think about the fact that manned planes routinely fly over people, it makes me ask the question, Why is the FAA not going the route of demanding more competency out of their drone pilots through demanding that drone pilots meet flying skills requirements, logged air time, etc - just as manned pilots are required to do? If manned planes that weigh tens of thousands of pounds can regularly fly safely over people under the guidance and control of competent pilots, surely a similarly trained drone pilot could do the same.
The fact manned aircraft can fly with more freedom (although most, except helicopter, can't fly any closer than 1000 feet from populated areas) is not entirely due to pilot training. It's mostly because of the type certificate process for the aircraft itself. An aircraft must be regularly inspected by a trained professional (I can't do my own maintenance as a pilot, I must hire a certified mechanic), the parts must be approved (you can't use just any parts), the aircraft has an airworthiness certificate, etc, etc. The UAS industry is getting to those standards with large aircraft that will fly over people beyond visual line of sight. Until then, the FAA will be reluctant to do anything less.
I bought a drone with prop guards first hit on one broke, Many drones don't come with any prop guards even though my intent is not to fly anywhere near people. You state transition crossing over a highway/road with moving vehicles is ok make there own wind/turbulence easily throwing a sub under 0.55 grams off course. My question... could you buy insurance because you may cause damage to skin or accidental damage to property unintentionally?
Thanks Greg. Flying over people sounds like a no-go for me. I have the new Mini 3 and based on your analysis, this will be a Cat 2 if DJI ever gets it cleared with the FAA. I'm not holding my breath on that happening.
Rude remarks. 😂 Great job with this episode Greg!! 👍🏼🙏🏼Thank you for your thorough research and your very helpful Testing! The drone industry owes you a debt of gratitude! We need someone like you on the DAC!!
This was great!! Thank you for clearing up the confusion I had...and right out the gate pointing out that my drone doesn't qualify anyway (the Mini 2). ...and of course, even if IT did, I still wouldn't as a recreational flyer =)
Great video Greg, very good job of explaining the new regs. Nutshell conclusion for me (MM operator) is this: Yes you can fly over people, but when you apply the categories 1 2 3 , No I can’t. Moot point.
From experience after flying the DJI Mini SE into my hand, it draws blood and I got 4 paralell cuts. Bled a little, it wasnt just a scratch. But it didn't cut deep or anything.
Question: Even with a parachute, wouldn't you have to be flying at some certain altitude in order for it to deploy and slow down enough to reduce the kinetic energy enough? Thanks for the video!
If your really going to be testing the damage a drone can do you need to be doing 200' power loops leveling out at maximum velocity into the target. Not just hovering up to the thing and hitting it with propellers
Excellent straight-forward video on the most difficult part of the Part 107 exam! Good job! Unfortunately, not good news for Mavic Pro or Phantom pilots.
There are quite a few cinewhoops available today that are under 250g that are capable of 4k video. Cinewhoops are ducted quads, and the ducts perform as prop guards. Flight time are usually in the 4 to 6 minutes and all it takes is time on the sticks to learn to fly fpv.
A bit late to the party but a question if I may...... Did you turn off the obstacle avoidance? I mean, if you did not then there could be a problem with the obstacle avoidance that is going to need some work from DJI. But, I am assuming that you did indeed disable the obstacle avoidance. Not only that, but, the other take away from this is just how quickly a drone can actually recover if the failure or "impact" is not a catastrophic one (not that flying into someones face is not catastrophic)..... That bit was really impressive to see....... Stay safe people, these things can inevitably to damage, it's not a case of if, but when...
I have the mini2 with prop guard and still managed to cut really bad both my palms in a stupid accident, ending up with stupid temporary nerve damage in both my hands. So even with the prop guard, I mean the original from DJI, I would advise caution while flying, and definitely no flight indoors with no light conditions.
I just passed my parr 107 last tuesday after taking your course and got 90% and still wating for the tshirt.🎈⭐️🏆During your first test that was inconclusive, is there an available prop in the market that is not sharp that wont lacerated people?
At 250 gr No need for parachute if you limit altitude to approx 70 ft free fall with air friction, couold be more (or unlikely less) based on actual impact speed during drop test. Also some prop guards are half the weight of the dji original but we still need Japanese battery
The cat 1 doesn't require a parachute so as long as your remain at that 250 g limit, you're good even at higher altitude (although as we calculate, it may still create a pretty big KE if it falls, but that's technically within the regulation).
You also need to consider where on the body the laceration is located. For example, even a small laceration on a woman's face can be significant, and under some circumstances, require scar revision by a plastic surgeon. The human eye can be damaged with little force and result in the loss of vision. I could go on, but I'm sure you get the point. Finally, you also need to consider if you have liability insurance or not. If so, under what conditions are you covered and what is the policy limit for each occurence? The loss of vision in one eye is a significant permanent whole-person disability. So, before you fly over people, ask yourself is the shot or video worth the risk. A jury will not think so.
Your insurance will look for any sign of rule breaking, in which case they will dismiss themselves and you will be left with dealing with all the liability. This is an easy one: can't fly over people unless you meet specific requirements, so you know the insurance will drop anyone who is at fault.
Great information, thanks for the in depth and informative information. I was curious though about flying "over" and you explained it at the end. But that image you put up with the boat towing the water skier 20:06 was a legal shot regardless of the category of drone correct? Both the boat and the skier were shot at an angle. Perhaps the drone was over the skier but from that height and angle it seems safe.
Food for thought: 1) The prop guards for the DJI Mini are so open there is a good chance of someone getting their fingers cut while trying to block the drone coming at them. I would not assume the FAA would automatically consider the DJI Mini with prop guards and the smaller battery as meeting the "can't cause lacerations" criteria. 2) Ken Heron and Joshua Bardwell did a video where Ken intentionally gets hit with a DJI Mini blade and cuts his finger and that was just while hovering. The Video title is “Ken Heron cut his finger and bled for this video (Mavic Mini Mayhem)” 3) Don’t forget that even if the FAA does not come after you there is still a chance you get sued by someone who gets hurt (or even sues for harassment). Getting someone's hair caught in a prop even with prop guards is still a potential of hurting someone and getting sued. 4) Who wants to hear a drone flying over a wedding? Use a camera on a painters pole. 5) Note that a parachute for a large drone will help it in a free-fall situation but if it falls into the windshield of a moving car the weight is still a big deal. I am surprised the FAA does not have more weight categories because of this issue and limit the larger drone categories from flying over moving vehicles or even near busy roads where the drone with parachute risks drifting into traffic. There have been lots of deaths from rocks being thrown off overpasses. There is also the risk of scaring someone into a deadly crash when a drone unexpectedly falls on their hood (true for any size drone). 6) There are also a few historical cases of people dying from getting hit by a baseball which only weighs 160 grams and is a lot blunter than the tip of a prop blade. With drones that can fly at 100mph these days it is a risk even for the those directly involved in the drone operation if something goes wrong.
I have been going over your math, given the formulas listed in the FAA AC 107-2A Circular, I don't think the Mavic Mini 2 can be a Category 1 drone, even with the undersized Japanese battery, as given its KEimpact potential, you would still need to add the weight of a parachute system to the drone, in addition to the propeller guards. The lightest parachute system I have seen for drones is the O'woda Mavic 2 Flight Safety Smart Parachute Deceleration System on Amazon, which weighs in a 48.5g. The lightest propeller guards I have seen for the Mavic Mini 2 come in at 23.1g, which would mean having to add at least 71.6g to the weight of the drone (assuming you won't be flying at night, which would add additional weight for the avoidance light). Given the takeoff weight of the Mavic Mini 2 being 242g, unless the difference in weight between the full sized and the Japanese version of the battery is at least 63.6g, this is not going to be a workable solution. If I am mistaken, and you used solutions that are lighter, please share links so that we can reevaluate.
There's no KE requirements for Category 1 so the Mini 2 qualifies as long as it has prop guards. The Japanese mini 2 with prop guards and the Japanese battery is sub 250 gram and is a category 1 drone.
@@PilotInstitute Thanks for the response. After speaking with DJI, they have told me they have no plans to release that undersized Japanese battery in the US market, so that solution is not workable for the majority of pilots who need to record footage flying over open air events. Further, there is a loophole here that I would not count on continuing, in that the KE requirements for Category 2 is 11 ft-lbs, the Category 1 drone at 250g has a KE value of 23 ft-lbs without a parachute, how long do you think the FAA will fail to notice that? And for the record, what is the exact weight of that Japanese battery for the Mini 2? I am not finding those specifics.
Thanks Greg - great information that is easily understood. I appreciate the time and effort put into researching and making this for those of us that don't have the time to do so. Any insights on good parachute systems would be helpful. Seems like there are a lot of options, but given the liability involved, would appreciate any of your insights.
At the moment, because the entire system still needs approval, we will need to wait for the FAA and the manufacturers to tell us what they want us to use.
Greetings! Congratulations for your excellent channel, please I need to know where to get the lighter batteries for the mini 2 and thus comply with the weight for category 1 and in my projects I often fly over people. Thank you!
a baseball thrown at approximately 90mph has 80+ ft/lbs of kinetic energy... so I guess baseballs are level 3+... a 2500 lb car moving at 1/10 of a mile an hour has 26 ft lbs of energy... which makes it a lvl 2. and if you make the car 250 lbs lighter and it is moving at a bit faster than a snails pace of 1/10th of a mile per hour it is a lvl 1... and btw 1/10 of a mph is .146 feet per second or 1.7 inches per second... and a BB that weighs .0011 lbs moving at 210 fps has 24 ft.lbs of KE ... so the BB is a lvl 1 also.... the thing to remember is dont walk within 75 feet of trees on a windy day, it could fall over on you...
I can tell for sure. The Mini SE does in fact break the skin. I have two cuts healing on my middle finger. I was flying it in inside and it got away from me. I mean they are minor cuts but the props definitely drew blood.
Greg - Sometime back I asked if you would do the testing on the line of sight for the various types of drones from mini to spire to identify the distances when you loose sight of the drone.
There is more to drones flying over or near people to consider when out to get that money-shot photograph. There are private property restraints, military zones, and controlled airspace, such as airports. There are also noise factors to consider, people's reactions to a drone near them and the local habitat of wild animals and birds to consider.
Ok, I've made it to the end of the video. Honestly, it was a huge headache. Although I'm not a certified 107 pilot. I still enjoy watching, and learning about the rules and regulations. Thanks Greg for the video, and I'm sure you are going to give a lot of people headaches, but for sure. It's an awesome video. 👍👍👍
So you can preform sustained flight over people... but not vehicles. 🤔🤯 Because that makes sense and sounds safe! Curious what the differentiation between CAT I and CAT II are, they seem to have the same limitations/ allowances.
now there needs to be a difinative description of laceration, how deep does it have to go to be considered a deep scratch or a laceration. A cut on the forehead only has to go about 1/5th of an inch to show bone but several inches to see bone on the upper leg...
I understand the origin of "Open Air Assembly" term, but truthfully when I 1st heard it mentioned in the video me and my brother both were thinking "What's that got to do with a drone?" (mistakenly thinking term was description of a UAV type or operational parameter until further in the video). We both think the term should be changed to "Open Area Assembly" to better define meaning to 'Things on the ground' for clarity. The 'Open Air' words usage in current times has I believe evolved because technology exists now that has a lot of things in the "Air" possible daily. Just our 2 cents worth. Great video btw, thanks for putting it out.
Why can't you get a waiver to fly a Cat 1 drone with prop guards since the problem is the spinning props causing the injury not the weight of the drone in this category? Does that make too much sense?
Yep! Bottom line is mitigating risk. Fortunately, drones in general, have good track records with regards to minimal injuries to people, and 107 pilots are fairly conscientious people who carry a degree of responsibility and brains. Good luck everyone!
Well I am sure I will change that. I am a jinx…and a good one. VTI Phoenix drone #1 went airborne as I was wanting. It must have loved the fresh air cause it never came home. Should be entering the moons orbit by Christmas.
VTI Phoenix #2 was at a truck stop. I kept it 5-10 feet in the air. Wanted to see how accurate the RTH function was. It went up about 15-20 feet and slammed into the pavement. Then it went crazy skimmed along the ground bumped into a truck and went airborne and I never found it. Now have VTI Phoenix #3. Put a strobe on it hoping it makes it easier to find in the dark. I realized a small dent in a propeller can easily affect its behavior. Slowly getting better. Just bought a DJI FPV it is staying in the box for now because it cost me close to $1100. But I am hooked on drones. Fun to fly. If you or anyone has any tips for a new “pilot” give them to me. I use that term “pilot” loosely.😳
I just took my first drone on my first ever flight. I logged about 2.5 seconds of flight time before causing serious injury to a human. I flew a HolyStone HS720E right into myself, and now have about 15 deep lacerations on my left hand. I was very surprised how quickly it got away from me, and how much harm it did in the process. Little whirling scalpels, these blades. This experience did more than all the strongly worded warnings in the world to open my eyes to the danger.
Good point - Ill wear my motorcycle gear first few times I fly mine
If it was a HS720E it probably flew into you all by itself. Take care with that thing it has a mind of its own.
@@otero2235 on the bright side, I gave it a crappy review, and the making company are pay me to not bad reviewing by send new death drone. I sold the new death drone for cash to a guy I wouldn't necessarily shed a tear for if the drone amputated one of his fingers or something, and in the meantime, I bought good drone that doesn't amputate fingers. The only downside is the scars I bear to this day. It's pretty messed up that after all the stuff I've been through in 50 years, some of my most obvious scars came from a stupid drone. Sigh.
I bought that one and it was an absolute piece of shit, one evening I decided to get some footage of the sunset and it was 100 feet in the air, and while i was about to start recording, i saw the screen just start spinning and I look up and my drone is just falling out of the sky, i called customer service and told them what happened, they said they would replace the drone and i declined and said i would leave an honest review of what happened, and the drone was immediately taking off of amazon. Pretty shady, if I remember correctly i called a number that was in Germany and left a voice mail, and then i got a call at about 2am from an asian woman who barely spoke english. It was very difficult to communicate.
Holystone drones are junk.
The regs are a big reason I’m not rushing out to upgrade. I have no plans to fly over people until I can do it inside the regs and not have the liability. Weddings can still be filmed from a short distance away from the crowd. I’ll be the one with no work because I don’t bend or break the rules.
I'm just getting into drone photography and I'm taking a different approach. As a portrait and wedding photographer, I have seen the industry destroyed for the mid level professional because of all the hobbyists who watch a video, take a dslr kit and call themselves a professional photographer.
I can legally get great drone footage and the bride can just enjoy her day. After this video I have a clearer understanding of what I can do now legally and what to watch for in the future. The cheap option, the bride can get cousin Billy and if he screws up, crashes his drone and hurts someone, the bride gets to deal with the lawsuit. Also, they get to talk to the FAA for flying in controlled airspace without clearance. (In Springfield IL, there is a popular golf course for weddings that is less than a mile from the airport in class C from the surface to over 1000 feet.)
These rules do not apply indoors, the FAA doeant own the air we breathe yet.. so an indoor race track, ball field or indoor stadium is game on :) what about a stadium with a retractable roof, do the rules apply only when the roof is open? lol
@@badpaw Only when the roof is open. While the FAA doesn't control what happens inside a building, remember that liability is still present and you should carry insurance to protect yourself, and that insurance may not cover you without a part 107.
Your correct. Not worth the risk.
@@badpaw It should only cover the air above the highest part of the building, So if I were to fly the drone inside a stadium I should be able to fly up to or about the height of the lights right... Nope probably not.
As a novice drone enthusiastic pilot mistakes will occur. Having about 50 hours of flight time combined with an excess of beyond 300 miles flown accounts for my mm2 flights only. A dozen uav's preceed it. Gaining experience over time provides for improvement that allows me to be a better safer pilot for public safety considerations. CLEARLY BEING A MATURE EXPERIENCED UAV PILOT COMES WITH TIME. Thank you for your contribution that makes myself become a safer pre-part 107 pilot. Great info!
Wise words and great airmanship! Thank you for sharing.
This is definitely important information, not only to understand the rules for flying over people, but for the Part 107 Test. I took it last week, and 2 of the questions were about the categories.
Remember the questions at all? Would love to hear any
Hey I took it and passed wohooo.
Just bought my first drone, and started doing a ton of research on what is allowed...this channel has been a HUGE help so far. I'm shocked by how many regulations there are, but at the same time...I'd rather be lawful and safe more than anything!
I'm taking Pilot Institute course in preparation for the Part 107 exam. The information is critical for commercial missions; especially when your company can be sued.
I fully support the prohibition on flying over people (though it's certainly a bit vague), and practicing drone safety, but I think it's noteworthy how few significant injuries have been suffered as drones have proliferated.
I haven't updated my research but, the last time I checked, no American had ever been seriously injured by a hobby drone. Lots of superficial lacerations, but nothing that would be considered "serious" from a medical standpoint.
That's especially significant when you compare the data to something like personal watercraft (another hobby vehicle) which kill many people every year.
I received a hand cut from my Mini’s prop when I did a hand landing poorly. It was a pretty deep cut that bled for about ten minutes.
Greg thank you for taking the time to digest this for us. I guess from now on, will be better flying on desert or over the ocean...😁
Ha youd probs still get someone there too lol
I watched this when you first posted it. I came back and watched it again today because the online course that I use to study for my Part 107 did a terrible job of explaining it in their updated materials. I appreciate this video even more now.
People, this isn't a controlled test with thousands of dollars to spend! Greg and the team are just helping you get some in site to the "possible" damage. Thank you Greg and team! I didn't think my air 2 would produce that much kinetic energy and was assuming it would fall under cat 2. I guess not. Thanks again!
Thanks! We hope this gets more people to test and try to replicate what we did.
@@PilotInstitute and damage their own drones?! Hahahaha. I wouldn't hold your breath!
the blades on the dji mini and mavic are designed to dissipate energy. the 11inch prop i have on my hanger 9 cub can cause far more damage since there is no flex in it
Excellent information, Greg! I honestly believe that the FAA should have you do videos for them whenever they put out major changes such as these. Now, you need to do one on night flying and how the rules apply to Recreational and Part 107 pilots. It's extremely difficult to get good, solid, reliable information on which rules apply to each category. Thanks for all that you do for us!
Here's one on Night flying: th-cam.com/video/zrOOJPHWfTA/w-d-xo.html
As far as hobbyist vs 107, here's one we published a while back but the info is still current.
th-cam.com/video/6JjMdHrAkXw/w-d-xo.html
If you need more info, let me know and I'm happy to answer any questions.
Greg, as usual, your reports are very informative. I agree with many others that those of us who are 107 certified have a good level of understanding about the rules, and for the most part are conscientious and responsible pilots. Nevertheless, it doesn’t hurt to be reminded that we must be responsible for our decisions about where and how we fly. Thanks again for another good video.
Coming from someone who has seen a drone injury. These little drones can cause a lot of damage. I was flying my DJI Mini 2 and somehow the drone disconnected from the controller and I lost all control. The drone ended up flying full speed towards my friend and sliced his arm open. We drove to the hospital because it was a very deep cut and he got 27 stitches. These kinds of drones are not "toys" and even when piloted by an experienced droner, they can become dangerous very fast. Don't fear getting hurt because this does not happen very often but just remember it is a possibility.
Any drone be it "big or little" can do lots of damage to people or things, this is true. But for my personal experience, I have lost all signal to my drone (Mini 3) and the only thing that happened is that the automatic RTH (Return To Home) function activated and my drone landed safe and sound exactly where it was supposed to with no damage to anything or any one. Admittedly when I first lost signal , I was sweating bullets. But the drone did exactly what it's program was set to do The moral is simple here, Know all the functions of your drone and how to set and apply them properly before you fly.
I can fly in a field and enjoy myself but if someone shows up… I have to stop flying.
That’s stupid. Drone pilots already deal with enough idiots, now we’re giving them power to prevent us from flying.
Awesome, FAA. Thanks.
While their big ass airplanes which if they fall can kill hundreds are ok to fly over us
While their big ass planes that can kill hundreds are ok to fly over us
Hi Watching your channel and considering Part 107 training. I am a drone enthusiast and fly recreationally...Can these cut flesh? Hell yes....I have photos to of my mishap two years ago. I had done something stupid, (attempted a launch during a snow storm- high winds and below zero temps) It was an attempt to see if it was possible to photograph waves crashing into a light house....Dramatic...I launched off the bed of my truck, and the drone began to fly erratic before it got to 4 feet. I started to land it... it wasn't taking commands. just at that moment a car pulled up next to me and three or four kids piled out (unexpectedly) and I had to think very fast, (kids were watching the waves and they were way too close. I reached to grab the drone from the bottom and pull it down. It tried to correct, it over corrected. several blades struck my hand, there were 12 bleeding lacerations on my ring and middle fingers. My little finger had the pad (where the fingerprints are) lopped off. I was bleeding profusely. It was so cold the blood froze as it dripped on the truck. I had no first aid gear and completely surprised my wife.... If one or more of these spinning blades hits someone in the face, there will not be just one lacerations. But many, as that blade will hit multiple times before it breaks or stops. I can send pics if your want. Lesson learned....don't hit anyone....and don't fly in inclement weather
Thank you for sharing! Glad you made it out somewhat ok. Which drone was it?
@@PilotInstitute Thanx it was the first Mavic. I am all healed up and flying as ever before ....
@@emergencynurse02 Good to hear!
Great video and thorough explanation. Thanks for the cheat sheet as well. I haven't found a need/reason to do sustained flight over people but transitioning rears its head frequently.
I can say first-hand that a Mini can lacerate the skin. I was flying mine when I first got it and I was returning to "home" too fast from a low angle. With the momentum and trajectory it was going to hit my car so I instinctively held out my hand to block it (like most people uninvolved with the drone would) and it cut my finger like a razor. No stitches or anything but a good clean cut.
I never cut my hands with mini props and I banged them a few times
Great info, Greg! Nice to know at what stage we're in on this particular regulation. However, I have no plans to fly over people even if allowed to. I like to keep my risk low and safe. Thanks!
Me too, bought a telescopic 22 feet long fishing rod. Attach my Insta360 go 2 wrapped in foam to it, problem solved.
@@cineffect I have the insta360 x2 with the long selfish stick as well.
This video is great. I passed my 107 knowledge test today - 95%. The three questions I got wrong related to these new Categories, and Remote ID. The course I used briefly touched on the categories - I.e. I knew the weight and foot pound limits, but not enough to get the questions right. I feel that I would have got a perfect score had I watched this first.
Great comprehensive video. Thanks for putting this out for people to see and understand what is involved with these new regs. Safe flying!
I have a Mini and a Mini 2. I once was messing around and had my drone about 40' away from me. It was in sport mode and it was facing me and I floored it. It comes right at me, I let go of the sticks when it was about 5' out and BAMM...right into me(and it still flew). I got cut. I felt a sting and was not expecting blood but I was wrong. A good 1" slice, not that deep, but I bled. I am a Part 107 pilot and a Private Pilot(not current for many years). I listened to more of your video and in my opinion the FAA is making it rough on drone manufacturers. They need to give them a chance to make something safe to fly sustained over people. I'm thinking 300 grams including the prop guards.I''m looking to fly my drone for wedding coverage since I am a wedding photographer for many many years.This video is excellent for me. I subscribed.
Wow, thanks for sharing, Harrison. Glad you were ok!
Great video Greg! Thanks for the info and thank you for keeping the info up to date. I think this did clear up some of the questions
Thank you Greg! Another great video. This was an especially confusing topic and you made it easy to understand as is all of the material you present in your part 107 course!
As always Greg, very well done & thorough. Thank you!
Hello from the Untied Kingdom ! Great Video.
Here in the UK we have adopted the European regulations, and fortunately for us, for now at least, we can fly a mavic mini over people but not assemblies of people without a prop guard. We too have MTOM categories. Above 250g we have to stay 50metres away from people, and we can't overfly.
However, a new relaxing regulation has just come in called 'Article 16'. If you are a member of a major model flying club like BFMA or FPVUK for example, and sign up to Article 16 on their websites, there is surprisingly NO separation distance and can fly over people for 250g or less drones.
We can fly heavier drones up to 7.5Kg over people at a distance of just 30metres:
So basically there's more emphasis on competence, here and we also have a new permission called the A2 CofC which involves some study at an approved flight school but is not overly expensive nor difficult which allows for heavier drones to be flown in recreational areas, Industrial Estates, etc within the A2 flying category (near to people).
That's a little over tall tree height which seems a bit crazy, and we sincerely hope that people here won't abuse this privilege. It applies at all suitable flying locations in the UK not just within the confines of registered flying clubs either.
Our max altitude is 400ft above the terrain you're flying over, higher without permission if conducting an inspection of say a transmission tower as long as you're very close to it. (within 50m I think).
These privileges were unexpected, and in our opinion have been well thought through.
We can't go through all the nuts and bolts here, so if you're thinking about flying in the UK please refer to the CAA website first. You will need to register your drone here (All weights, except toys without cameras).
We had grey areas too but most of these have now been clarified by the CAA.
But it does seem to us that the FAA have really made 'a dog's dinner' of it all, which coupled with the confusion, will no doubt lead to unintended breaches. 😒
Was goin to state UK use CAA Regs but you said it all and I also wasn't aware of Article 16 either so will check it out pronto! Cheers.
I am guessing that two things will happen pretty quickly. First DJI will make their lighter weight battery available in the US for the Mini2, the second is that they will be doing extensive testing very quickly on the Mini 2 and the Air 2S. This is a huge opportunity for them, I can't imagine they won't take advantage of it. There are already issues with the batteries for the Mini 2, they can solve both problems at the same time.
year later and they have released a heavier battery for the mini 3, not a lighter one... Doh!
So, if you wanted to photograph, say, an open air concert:
Find an empty parking lot a block away, hover straight up, zoom in the best you can, then hover straight back down?
What would be the recommended horizontal distance to stay away from people, vehicles, etc?
Perfect, Greg! This is just what I needed to help clear up a lot of the confusion! I was actually wondering what "over people" really means. You've cleared it up. I've been asked to film a private party in someone's backyard in the summer. So now I know that as long as I don't hover directly over anyone in that party, I'm good to go. I can film the party from outside the perimeter of the yard (assuming there's no one under the drone). Thank you!
Great video Greg. I am almost done with my Part 107 from your academy. It is very well put together.
Quick question though, is that a chicken leg? lol
Pig foot :)
@@PilotInstitute ohhhh haha
Thank you for keeping everyone updated. I passed my exam on the 12th of April after finishing your course and this is the area I really wanted clarification on. Great job and keep the videos coming!
Thanks, this was helpful. I will be shooting footage of beaches in my area while people are present. My plan is to only transit over people and restrict flightpath to over water and shoot to the side and down. Ditto with any boats, surfboards etc that may be present.
Hopefully with your connections, you and eventually come up with a source for the 1100 mah battery for the mini 2.
Thank you for taking the time to better explain the FAA regulations. It always helps to have the best understanding of sometime and not have to guess.
Phantom 3 cut my sisters arm 3 inches long 1 inch deep while she was trying to catch the drone, be careful around people
Regarding lacerations, These props can do serious damage. On one of my first flights I had to stick my hand out to prevent being hit in the head with my MA2 because of my inexperience. Three Quick, Clean and at least 1/8" deep slices in my right pinky that bled like mad. A compression wrap stopped the Bleeding and with a tight bandage healed with very fine scars, although some nerve damage lingers. I cringe thinking about what would happen if one would strike someones face or eye.
I never had this issue and I hit the spinning props a few times
Oh my God dude, get to the point. Then you can elaborate.
Ikr lolol
No
Yesss
I just thought I was going effin nuts over the same damn thing. Jezuuus tits.
Maybe do your own vid to your liking? Just saying…its free, move on if not for you. Everyone’s a critic these days. OY
Been flying drones for years. Very hard to see a scenario where you plow your drone into a person , now dropping out of the sky on somebody’s head. Now that’s another story . All in all , just forget about flying your drone anywhere people see you .
So basically a waiver is needed regardless for my MAVIC 2 Enterprise Advanced because it is not set to a certain classification? That clarifies it. I took your course but was confused once we got this drone as we did t know what we would purchase.
Fantastic video!
For what it's worth: the mini-2 definitely can cause lacerations.
I learned that the hard way practicing hand landings... and I have the video to prove it.
I belong to an AMA sanctioned Radio control Club. We often have a lot of people attending our field and have shelters for pilots and others to stand under. I do not get above 400' and do not fly over people. Safety is paramount . I am more afraid of the Helicopter pilots doing Crazy maneuvers like Tic-Toc. 6' head rotors and 20 lb +. Scary. Can anything be done about that.
I have my FAA UAS registration so I can fly.
Great video. For testing, ascending at the time of impact will cause the rotors to spin faster for a stronger impact.
The Mini 3 Pro has rubberized tips on the standard rotors which "may" reduce the chance of lacerations since it is a slightly larger impact area which would be a blunt impact versus the thinner tipped rotors used in the testing. Of course when this video was recorded the M3P wasn't available.
I can confirm the Mavic Pro 1 can cause bleeding lacerations at maybe 5-7 MPH. I "thought" I had pulled the stick down enough to do the automatic landing, but I had not. When I pulled the sticks in and down to turn off the rotors, the drone moved forward and to the side which caused it to hit me across the stomach, hip and thigh as it fell. No damage to the drone at all, but I had 7 rotor strikes hard enough to leave marks and blood blisters, and 3 of those strikes drew blood where I put Neosporin and band-aids on them. One of those that bled was a strike THROUGH my shirt.
Kinetic energy is basically weight x speed squared. So a 1 kilogram object moving at 10 meters per second would have 50 units of J or Joules for the physics term. A 2 kilogram object moving at 5 meters per second would have 25% energy rating of Joules, so speed is the bigger factor.
I picked up my Mavic Pro after flying my Tello and it was pretty obvious that I would not want to chance flying over people with the MP. It's a brick. The Tello with full prop guards weights about 110 grams so if I'm understanding the definitions you provided it would qualify as a category 1 drone.
Most folks will be out of category - therefore, apply for the waiver. FAA Drone Zone waiver process is quite good at suggesting what exceptions that you can apply for.
the cheat sheets you publish are great, nice job on the DJI battery lights too. Great video, see you soon for part 107
I was recently testing my DJI mini (the origianal) and it had a nick on the blade that I did not see before flying. It caused the drone to fly sideways. I was testing it indoors and instinctively put out my foot to prevent it from hitting anything. I was wearing shorts and it gave me 2 significant lacerations. Dumb, yes. But I can assure you this little drone can do some damage. I have am ambulance company and had to go to my supplies for some 4x4s and tape to stop the bleeding. No stiches needed. But close.
Though I'm new to drone flying, I do hold a Private Pilot (VFR) Cetificate - not sure that that relates to the current discussion, but it is part of who I am. At any rate, while watching your video reporting your test of the ability of the blades (on the DJI Mini) to cause lacerations, it occurred to me that the type of blades on the drone will make a difference in the outcome of a collision with a person. For example I installed quick change 3-bladed props on my Mini drones (Mini 2 and Mini SE). These blades come off pretty readily - I don't know if the ease of removal is designed-in feature or if it's just a matter of the manufacturer getting lucky (as it is said, sometimes its better to be lucky than good). However it would make the drone somewhat less likely to cause a laceration - SOMETIMES. I add the emphasis on sometimes because it also dawned on me that the impact that mighty not cause a cut on, for instance, a 15-year old male might cause a considerable cut on a child or on a senior citizen, not to mention the possibility of infection and with that the length of time to heal. It gets quite involved but all of these factors will certainly come into play...and on their tail will come the injury attorney. Need I say more?
My grandfather used to work for a pharmaceutical company. If the FAA is like the FDA, the testing and approval process is very expensive and takes tons of time.
Very glad I watched this. You guys put a lot of work into this and it was easy to understand and follow.
@pilotinstitute Thanks for all the great information. Do you have a link to those light weight DJI batteries? Have tried to find them and no luck.
I am an electrical engineer and I question the interpretation of the FAA and the means in which you are testing if the propellers cause lacerations. The FAA bring forth two measurements within their guidelines; 1) is propellers rotation ability to cause lacerations and 2) kinetic energy of the drone's movement.
The means in which you tested if the propellers would cause lacerations was measuring both the propellers ability to cause lacerations AND at the same time the kinetic energy of the drone.
As your testing demonstrated most of the attempts the propeller's rotation did not cause lacerations, which suggests if you would have only tested if the propellers themselves would cause lacerations separate from kinetic energy, there is likely a different result.
I suggest redoing your test but only test one measurement at a time; 1) propellers rotation ability to cause lacerations without the drone moving with kinetic energy and 2) seperate kinetic energy tests.
There are several sets of requirements that must be met for certain drones in the regulation. One for lacerations, one for KE (amongst others). In this video, we wanted to test category 1 drones, which don't have a KE requirement, only a laceration, which is why we performed the test the way we did.
Hi Greg - O'Neal here. That has got to be one of funniest videos I have seen from your company. Your 'skin crash dummy' looks like an amputated arm with a knit hat. And that Mini is an indestructible beast!!
Since it was actual meat, we had to cover the ends so it didn't look too creepy. haha
Great Information great job. Wow thank you so much for this information
n
Thanks you for this very informative video. This is a very confusing subject for many Part 107 operators and you presented this material in a very clear and concise manner. Keep up the great work that you do.
Can't see parachutes being attached or even working. If they fall out of the sky, it is almost always because it ran into something, a building or tree which means it may not be high enough for a parachute to have the time to deploy and inflate. The is also the reality that is probably tumbling so even a parachute that deployed with force could just get immediately tangled up. If it is falling because it is way up there and hits a bird that happens to break it, it would still have the tumbling problem.
All great info and test. But, would love to see any stats of people being hurt from drones. Especially death or serious injury? The ratio of drones vs injuries would be more impactful.
Thank you, great information. I'm a beginner. Haven't even tried my drone yet. Greatly appreciate the heads up.
Our town square was covered in Christmas with a large Christmas tree near the center. There were families out walking and viewing the lights. I flew a large semicircle around the entire thing and was mostly over the building across the street from the square. I used the zoom to get a closeup of the tree. I can't swear that I was never over a person positively, however that was never my intention so I assume that I was within the rules.
Hi, it would be interesting to do an updated video of this information taking into consideration FAA regulation changes and also putting the DJI Neo (which definitely is a Cat-1) into the mix.
Btw, you mention flying the Japanese version of the Mini w/pro-guards) over people but how could you (at the time you made this) if the kinetic energy exceeded 25?
Greg - Thank you for the wonderful review of the FAA regulations. I'm forwarding this video to friends.
Great video, Greg. Thank you for clarifying the (virtually) unclarifiable. When I think about the fact that manned planes routinely fly over people, it makes me ask the question, Why is the FAA not going the route of demanding more competency out of their drone pilots through demanding that drone pilots meet flying skills requirements, logged air time, etc - just as manned pilots are required to do? If manned planes that weigh tens of thousands of pounds can regularly fly safely over people under the guidance and control of competent pilots, surely a similarly trained drone pilot could do the same.
The fact manned aircraft can fly with more freedom (although most, except helicopter, can't fly any closer than 1000 feet from populated areas) is not entirely due to pilot training. It's mostly because of the type certificate process for the aircraft itself. An aircraft must be regularly inspected by a trained professional (I can't do my own maintenance as a pilot, I must hire a certified mechanic), the parts must be approved (you can't use just any parts), the aircraft has an airworthiness certificate, etc, etc.
The UAS industry is getting to those standards with large aircraft that will fly over people beyond visual line of sight. Until then, the FAA will be reluctant to do anything less.
I bought a drone with prop guards first hit on one broke, Many drones don't come with any prop guards even though my intent is not to fly anywhere near people. You state transition crossing over a highway/road with moving vehicles is ok make there own wind/turbulence easily throwing a sub under 0.55 grams off course. My question... could you buy insurance because you may cause damage to skin or accidental damage to property unintentionally?
Thanks Greg. Flying over people sounds like a no-go for me. I have the new Mini 3 and based on your analysis, this will be a Cat 2 if DJI ever gets it cleared with the FAA. I'm not holding my breath on that happening.
Once again, EXCELLENT video full of knowledge. Expertly presented and explained. Thank you for all your work!
I get it now Greg. Has anything chanced since this video. Is there an updated version of this. Excellent. Thank You.
You did a GREAT job of clearing this up. Thanks VERY much!!!
Rude remarks. 😂
Great job with this episode Greg!! 👍🏼🙏🏼Thank you for your thorough research and your very helpful Testing! The drone industry owes you a debt of gratitude! We need someone like you on the DAC!!
Thank you for making the cheat sheet not just available, but also available in Dropbox. I just downloaded the file straight to my folder. :)
This was great!! Thank you for clearing up the confusion I had...and right out the gate pointing out that my drone doesn't qualify anyway (the Mini 2).
...and of course, even if IT did, I still wouldn't as a recreational flyer =)
Great video Greg, very good job of explaining the new regs. Nutshell conclusion for me (MM operator) is this: Yes you can fly over people, but when you apply the categories 1 2 3 , No I can’t. Moot point.
i always tell observers around its safer behind me than in front of me. i would rather hurt myself than someone else
From experience after flying the DJI Mini SE into my hand, it draws blood and I got 4 paralell cuts. Bled a little, it wasnt just a scratch. But it didn't cut deep or anything.
Question: Even with a parachute, wouldn't you have to be flying at some certain altitude in order for it to deploy and slow down enough to reduce the kinetic energy enough? Thanks for the video!
Correct. Most parachutes have minimum altitudes so it is likely that cat 2 and 3 drones will have a minimum altitude requirement.
If your really going to be testing the damage a drone can do you need to be doing 200' power loops leveling out at maximum velocity into the target. Not just hovering up to the thing and hitting it with propellers
Excellent straight-forward video on the most difficult part of the Part 107 exam! Good job! Unfortunately, not good news for Mavic Pro or Phantom pilots.
There are quite a few cinewhoops available today that are under 250g that are capable of 4k video. Cinewhoops are ducted quads, and the ducts perform as prop guards. Flight time are usually in the 4 to 6 minutes and all it takes is time on the sticks to learn to fly fpv.
A bit late to the party but a question if I may...... Did you turn off the obstacle avoidance? I mean, if you did not then there could be a problem with the obstacle avoidance that is going to need some work from DJI. But, I am assuming that you did indeed disable the obstacle avoidance. Not only that, but, the other take away from this is just how quickly a drone can actually recover if the failure or "impact" is not a catastrophic one (not that flying into someones face is not catastrophic)..... That bit was really impressive to see....... Stay safe people, these things can inevitably to damage, it's not a case of if, but when...
No obstacle avoidance on this specific drone.
I have the mini2 with prop guard and still managed to cut really bad both my palms in a stupid accident, ending up with stupid temporary nerve damage in both my hands. So even with the prop guard, I mean the original from DJI, I would advise caution while flying, and definitely no flight indoors with no light conditions.
I just passed my parr 107 last tuesday after taking your course and got 90% and still wating for the tshirt.🎈⭐️🏆During your first test that was inconclusive, is there an available prop in the market that is not sharp that wont lacerated people?
At 250 gr No need for parachute if you limit altitude to approx 70 ft free fall with air friction, couold be more (or unlikely less) based on actual impact speed during drop test. Also some prop guards are half the weight of the dji original but we still need Japanese battery
The cat 1 doesn't require a parachute so as long as your remain at that 250 g limit, you're good even at higher altitude (although as we calculate, it may still create a pretty big KE if it falls, but that's technically within the regulation).
You also need to consider where on the body the laceration is located. For example, even a small laceration on a woman's face can be significant, and under some circumstances, require scar revision by a plastic surgeon. The human eye can be damaged with little force and result in the loss of vision. I could go on, but I'm sure you get the point. Finally, you also need to consider if you have liability insurance or not. If so, under what conditions are you covered and what is the policy limit for each occurence? The loss of vision in one eye is a significant permanent whole-person disability. So, before you fly over people, ask yourself is the shot or video worth the risk. A jury will not think so.
Your insurance will look for any sign of rule breaking, in which case they will dismiss themselves and you will be left with dealing with all the liability.
This is an easy one: can't fly over people unless you meet specific requirements, so you know the insurance will drop anyone who is at fault.
Great information, thanks for the in depth and informative information. I was curious though about flying "over" and you explained it at the end. But that image you put up with the boat towing the water skier 20:06 was a legal shot regardless of the category of drone correct? Both the boat and the skier were shot at an angle. Perhaps the drone was over the skier but from that height and angle it seems safe.
Food for thought:
1) The prop guards for the DJI Mini are so open there is a good chance of someone getting their fingers cut while trying to block the drone coming at them. I would not assume the FAA would automatically consider the DJI Mini with prop guards and the smaller battery as meeting the "can't cause lacerations" criteria.
2) Ken Heron and Joshua Bardwell did a video where Ken intentionally gets hit with a DJI Mini blade and cuts his finger and that was just while hovering. The Video title is “Ken Heron cut his finger and bled for this video (Mavic Mini Mayhem)”
3) Don’t forget that even if the FAA does not come after you there is still a chance you get sued by someone who gets hurt (or even sues for harassment). Getting someone's hair caught in a prop even with prop guards is still a potential of hurting someone and getting sued.
4) Who wants to hear a drone flying over a wedding? Use a camera on a painters pole.
5) Note that a parachute for a large drone will help it in a free-fall situation but if it falls into the windshield of a moving car the weight is still a big deal. I am surprised the FAA does not have more weight categories because of this issue and limit the larger drone categories from flying over moving vehicles or even near busy roads where the drone with parachute risks drifting into traffic. There have been lots of deaths from rocks being thrown off overpasses. There is also the risk of scaring someone into a deadly crash when a drone unexpectedly falls on their hood (true for any size drone).
6) There are also a few historical cases of people dying from getting hit by a baseball which only weighs 160 grams and is a lot blunter than the tip of a prop blade. With drones that can fly at 100mph these days it is a risk even for the those directly involved in the drone operation if something goes wrong.
All very very good points. Thank you for taking the time to formulate them. I agree 100% with all of them.
I have been going over your math, given the formulas listed in the FAA AC 107-2A Circular, I don't think the Mavic Mini 2 can be a Category 1 drone, even with the undersized Japanese battery, as given its KEimpact potential, you would still need to add the weight of a parachute system to the drone, in addition to the propeller guards. The lightest parachute system I have seen for drones is the O'woda Mavic 2 Flight Safety Smart Parachute Deceleration System on Amazon, which weighs in a 48.5g. The lightest propeller guards I have seen for the Mavic Mini 2 come in at 23.1g, which would mean having to add at least 71.6g to the weight of the drone (assuming you won't be flying at night, which would add additional weight for the avoidance light). Given the takeoff weight of the Mavic Mini 2 being 242g, unless the difference in weight between the full sized and the Japanese version of the battery is at least 63.6g, this is not going to be a workable solution.
If I am mistaken, and you used solutions that are lighter, please share links so that we can reevaluate.
There's no KE requirements for Category 1 so the Mini 2 qualifies as long as it has prop guards. The Japanese mini 2 with prop guards and the Japanese battery is sub 250 gram and is a category 1 drone.
@@PilotInstitute Thanks for the response. After speaking with DJI, they have told me they have no plans to release that undersized Japanese battery in the US market, so that solution is not workable for the majority of pilots who need to record footage flying over open air events. Further, there is a loophole here that I would not count on continuing, in that the KE requirements for Category 2 is 11 ft-lbs, the Category 1 drone at 250g has a KE value of 23 ft-lbs without a parachute, how long do you think the FAA will fail to notice that?
And for the record, what is the exact weight of that Japanese battery for the Mini 2? I am not finding those specifics.
Greg,Fantastic job as always. Much appreciated!
Very interesting and thought provoking. Where can I learn more about your course and the cost associated with training?
Thanks Greg - great information that is easily understood. I appreciate the time and effort put into researching and making this for those of us that don't have the time to do so. Any insights on good parachute systems would be helpful. Seems like there are a lot of options, but given the liability involved, would appreciate any of your insights.
At the moment, because the entire system still needs approval, we will need to wait for the FAA and the manufacturers to tell us what they want us to use.
Any update about the parachutes? Thank you Greg for the videos.
Greetings! Congratulations for your excellent channel, please I need to know where to get the lighter batteries for the mini 2 and thus comply with the weight for category 1 and in my projects I often fly over people.
Thank you!
a baseball thrown at approximately 90mph has 80+ ft/lbs of kinetic energy... so I guess baseballs are level 3+... a 2500 lb car moving at 1/10 of a mile an hour has 26 ft lbs of energy... which makes it a lvl 2. and if you make the car 250 lbs lighter and it is moving at a bit faster than a snails pace of 1/10th of a mile per hour it is a lvl 1... and btw 1/10 of a mph is .146 feet per second or 1.7 inches per second... and a BB that weighs .0011 lbs moving at 210 fps has 24 ft.lbs of KE ... so the BB is a lvl 1 also.... the thing to remember is dont walk within 75 feet of trees on a windy day, it could fall over on you...
I can tell for sure. The Mini SE does in fact break the skin. I have two cuts healing on my middle finger. I was flying it in inside and it got away from me. I mean they are minor cuts but the props definitely drew blood.
I learned a lot with this video. Very detailed and thoughtful. Good training for a newbie like me.
Greg - Sometime back I asked if you would do the testing on the line of sight for the various types of drones from mini to spire to identify the distances when you loose sight of the drone.
Bill it's on our list of Drone Busters episode. Summer is here, I'm hoping we can get a bunch of those out very soon!
There is more to drones flying over or near people to consider when out to get that money-shot photograph. There are private property restraints, military zones, and controlled airspace, such as airports. There are also noise factors to consider, people's reactions to a drone near them and the local habitat of wild animals and birds to consider.
Ok, I've made it to the end of the video. Honestly, it was a huge headache. Although I'm not a certified 107 pilot. I still enjoy watching, and learning about the rules and regulations. Thanks Greg for the video, and I'm sure you are going to give a lot of people headaches, but for sure. It's an awesome video. 👍👍👍
Yes, the topic is very difficult to condense and keep short and simple. Thanks FAA!
So you can preform sustained flight over people... but not vehicles. 🤔🤯
Because that makes sense and sounds safe!
Curious what the differentiation between CAT I and CAT II are, they seem to have the same limitations/ allowances.
now there needs to be a difinative description of laceration, how deep does it have to go to be considered a deep scratch or a laceration. A cut on the forehead only has to go about 1/5th of an inch to show bone but several inches to see bone on the upper leg...
I understand the origin of "Open Air Assembly" term, but truthfully when I 1st heard it mentioned in the video me and my brother both were thinking "What's that got to do with a drone?" (mistakenly thinking term was description of a UAV type or operational parameter until further in the video). We both think the term should be changed to "Open Area Assembly" to better define meaning to 'Things on the ground' for clarity. The 'Open Air' words usage in current times has I believe evolved because technology exists now that has a lot of things in the "Air" possible daily. Just our 2 cents worth.
Great video btw, thanks for putting it out.
Why can't you get a waiver to fly a Cat 1 drone with prop guards since the problem is the spinning props causing the injury not the weight of the drone in this category? Does that make too much sense?
This ID system is what is currently being installed on GA airplanes , called ADS=B in (receive) and out (transmit)
No, Remote ID is different than ADS-B. Different technology with different purpose.
Greg, I'm more worried about your Mini than you are, put it in FPV mode and attach the gimbal protector. Not the best thing to do, but it is better.
Looking at the EVO 2 6k. Gonna take a while to figure this one out. Thanks for the help.