Folding props

[Dronason]

Thanks for the concern and taking the time to bring it up, but I've checked for where I'll be flying and think everything should be fine (mainly in Switzerland).

Can confirm, you will have no legal issue going that.

 

[Meta4]

I would be willing to bet the p4 outperforms the p3 because it's lighter and newer motors.

The P4 is 100g heavier

 

[Dheorl]

Can confirm, you will have no legal issue going that.

Thanks for the clarification. I might want to do some work over crowds that I think there are different rules for, but I should be fine for the core of what I want to do. Just gonna have to be extra vigilant for helicopters, there's always a few up around the mountains.

 

[Dronason]

Thanks for the clarification. I might want to do some work over crowds that I think there are different rules for, but I should be fine for the core of what I want to do. Just gonna have to be extra vigilant for helicopters, there's always a few up around the mountains.

For Switzerland official info are here: Bundesamt für Informatik und Telekommunikation BIT
In general there is no difference between commercial and hobby thankfully. Drone should be < 30 kg and you must be insured against damage you may cause.
You are supposed to have the drone in direct view which should no be an issue for you, respect NFZ around airports etc...
Over crowds you are supposed to get an authorization (a lot of paper works and months of delay) if you want to fly closer than 100 meters of the crows.
There could be also airport / heliport that are not shown as NFZ by DJI, so as for helicopters keep and eye on the surrounding.
Another risk but maybe less an issue at altitude > 2000 meters are gliders, sometimes they flight very low altitude over ground and make almost no noise.

Drone & NFZ for Switzerland: http://airshoot.ch/les-mini-drones/carte-de-la-suisse-pour-les-dronistes (from a Drone club, sorry in French).
Official Swiss aerial navigation map: Swiss Geoportal you should play a little with the layers to foundn what you search but it is complete.

 

[Vertigo]

Another risk but maybe less an issue at altitude > 2000 meters are gliders, sometimes they flight very low altitude over ground and make almost no noise.

Quite right. And certainly over 2Km altitude too! If you have a mobile internet connection up there (I have no idea), then you should bookmark this page:
Spot the gliders!

and check it when flying. All gliders have to be equipped with a FLARM tracker, and you can track them via that site.

 

[Dronason]

Quite right. And certainly over 2Km altitude too! If you have a mobile internet connection up there (I have no idea), then you should bookmark this page:
Spot the gliders!

and check it when flying. All gliders have to be equipped with a FLARM tracker, and you can track them via that site.

Nice, I was using Flightradar24.com - Live flight tracker! but it don't show all private airplanes and even less gliders.

 

[Dheorl]

For Switzerland official info are here: Bundesamt für Informatik und Telekommunikation BIT
In general there is no difference between commercial and hobby thankfully. Drone should be < 30 kg and you must be insured against damage you may cause.
You are supposed to have the drone in direct view which should no be an issue for you, respect NFZ around airports etc...
Over crowds you are supposed to get an authorization (a lot of paper works and months of delay) if you want to fly closer than 100 meters of the crows.
There could be also airport / heliport that are not shown as NFZ by DJI, so as for helicopters keep and eye on the surrounding.
Another risk but maybe less an issue at altitude > 2000 meters are gliders, sometimes they flight very low altitude over ground and make almost no noise.

Drone & NFZ for Switzerland: http://airshoot.ch/les-mini-drones/carte-de-la-suisse-pour-les-dronistes (from a Drone club, sorry in French).
Official Swiss aerial navigation map: Swiss Geoportal you should play a little with the layers to foundn what you search but it is complete.

Thanks for the link. Tbh I'd love to see a 30kg drone, surely even a whole setup with a Red Epic wouldn't weight that much? Way beyond me though . Having a read through the authorisation over crowds I don't think any quad would comply unfortunately:

• In the event of a technical defect, the system must be able to prevent the drone from falling out of control and injuring or killing people.

But hey ho, would have only been to film swiss national day celebrations, not a big deal.


There's a small airport a fair distance away, but only really used for skydiving; no planes up in the mountains. Just helicopters, helicopters and more helicopters. Everyone from the military to farmers seem to like having helicopters in the air (nothing quite like the sight of a cow soaring overhead).

 

[Vertigo]

Nice, I was using Flightradar24.com - Live flight tracker! but it don't show all private airplanes and even less gliders.

Flightradar shows transponder data. Thats typically for larger planes flying higher than what we care about (gliders are increasingly equipped with transponders, but we tend to turn them off if we are not flying in controlled airspace).

Flarm is like a peer 2 peer transponder alternative with built in collision warning that is mandatory for gliders in many EU countries and pretty common for private planes and helicopters that operate near gliders.

 

[Dronason]

Thanks for the link. Tbh I'd love to see a 30kg drone, surely even a whole setup with a Red Epic wouldn't weight that much? Way beyond me though . Having a read through the authorisation over crowds I don't think any quad would comply unfortunately:

• In the event of a technical defect, the system must be able to prevent the drone from falling out of control and injuring or killing people.

But hey ho, would have only been to film swiss national day celebrations, not a big deal.


There's a small airport a fair distance away, but only really used for skydiving; no planes up in the mountains. Just helicopters, helicopters and more helicopters. Everyone from the military to farmers seem to like having helicopters in the air (nothing quite like the sight of a cow soaring overhead).

That's usually where the camera weight more than several P3 weight. They use parachute to slow down the fall and limit the potential damage, I would prefer not to be bellow when it fall.

 

[Dheorl]

Quite right. And certainly over 2Km altitude too! If you have a mobile internet connection up there (I have no idea), then you should bookmark this page:
Spot the gliders!

and check it when flying. All gliders have to be equipped with a FLARM tracker, and you can track them via that site.

Would this also show paragliders? They seem to be about the only thing beyond helicopters I ever see up and about. Well, and the occasional base jumper/wingsuiter, but they've come and gone before you know it.

 

[Dronason]

Flightradar shows transponder data. Thats typically for larger planes flying higher than what we care about (gliders are increasingly equipped with transponders, but we tend to turn them off if we are not flying in controlled airspace).

Flarm is like a peer 2 peer transponder alternative with built in collision warning that is mandatory for gliders in many EU countries and pretty common for private planes and helicopters that operate near gliders.

So maybe soon it will be also applicable to drone if the traffic increase lot

 

[Vertigo]

Would this also show paragliders? They seem to be about the only thing beyond helicopters I ever see up and about. Well, and the occasional base jumper/wingsuiter, but they've come and gone before you know it.

Its not that common yet in paragliders unfortunately.

But I think you may be underestimating the number of gliders up there. Its just that they tend be harder to spot than paragliders, being sleek and white, compared to squarish with bright colors.

 

[Vertigo]

So maybe soon it will be also applicable to drone if the traffic increase lot

Its my hope that flarm gets integrated with drone telemetry. A flarm transponder in every drone is probably not doable yet, due to size/weight and cost, but linking ground station drone telemetry with FLARM (and/or ACAS) via a mobile internet connections should be quite doable and be a huge safety feature.

 

[Dronason]

Currently, I had more situation at risk with birds than other flying machine, apart 2 military helicopters flying at 50 meters altitude over me but it was just before I wanted to launch my P3.
That would be a way to make easily friends and there would be a new variant of the "Pokemon Go" called "Pokemon Fly"

 

[Dheorl]

Its not that common yet in paragliders unfortunately.

But I think you may be underestimating the number of gliders up there. Its just that they tend be harder to spot than paragliders, being sleek and white, compared to squarish with bright colors.

I've spent multiple seasons guiding in the area and have not once have I, or any of my party, seen a glider, nor do I know anyone local who flies one. Just not popular in that area.

Shame paragliders don't have it

 

[Vertigo]

I've spent multiple seasons guiding in the area and have not once have I, or any of my party, seen a glider, nor do I know anyone local who flies one. Just not popular in that area

What area is it exactly? I know I used to like flying over glaciers . Here is an old snap I made of the glacier blanc iirc:

 

[Dheorl]

What area is it exactly? I know I used to like flying over glaciers . Here is an old snap I made of the glacier blanc iirc:

Just south of Interlaken. I can see why flying over glaciers would be lovely, but paragliders definitely seems to be the preferable way of doing it around where I'll be.

 

[erikgraham]

The P4 is 100g heavier

Really? Just assumed smaller and lighter. Maybe someone whose actually flown a p3 and a p4 at altitude can confirm which does better. My money is still on the p4.

 

[erikgraham]

just flew Hintertux (Austria) 6 months ago. Forget the glaciers, everything about the the Alps are epic. Used a DIY machine I built, so not sure if a Phantom can really truly handle the altitudes. I met some guys with a couple modified Iris+'s but no phantoms. I hope the p3 or p4 can really handle the altitude.

I'd love to see a 30kg drone, surely even a whole setupwith a Red Epic wouldn't weight that much?

Not even close. Less than 15kg.

 

[Dheorl]

just flew Hintertux (Austria) 6 months ago. Forget the glaciers, everything about the the Alps are epic. Used a DIY machine I built, so not sure if a Phantom can really truly handle the altitudes. I met some guys with a couple modified Iris+'s but no phantoms. I hope the p3 or p4 can really handle the altitude.


Not even close. Less than 15kg.

I'd love to see what a 30kg camera drone would have on it.

For the DIY machine you built were there any special considerations for made for high altitude flying? Building one myself is still something I'm considering if I can find a suitable camera that I like.