RC airplane flies over NYC, your thoughts?

[WoodiE]

Check out this recently posted video on YouTube of a group taking an R/C airplane on a flight over NYC and the Statue of Liberty. The team decided to do the flight without any prior permission from any authorities...

Click to continue

 

[slowngreen]

Video was very well done. But things like this do give the rc hobby a bad name, same thing as people bothering people with their rc's at bmx tracks and skate parks, they give the rest of us a bad name. They should have taken the necessary steps needed to get permission to do what they wanted to do....Is cool though.

 

[robmob]

I agree.

Just because you can, does not mean you should.

 

[Lessen]

Is that not a police cruiser in the background around 2:30 ??

 

[B-MILLER]

This video was amazing.

 

[charliejp]

I'm not sure what the laws are there but if it's not clearly written that it's against the law then I don't see why you should need to let the authorities know. I know there's laws in all states that apply to restricted air space but, do the apply to RC? Great video!

 

[Lessen]

Yes they do Charlie. Generally speaking, I think r/c flight has to be over private land or with a legitimate flight club. For insance I don't think it would be legal for me to fly over my 3/4 acre lots neighborhood since I would be over other peoples property (OPP, yeah you know me!.. moving on...) and public roads. I would be willing to be there are also elevation restrictions for r/c flight in which that plane pretty much blew out of the water.

It's still a badass video, but not as cool as the Mercedes SLS barrel role I saw on FB the other day.

 

[MotoGod]

If you watch the end of the video, it was a police officer parked there, and looking through whatever they were using to feed the video. He asked them to fly by to get them in the shot.... They said the police and TSA were both very professional over the "incident" and the guys researched the laws before they ever took off...and did it between 7AM and 8AM so they would not interrupt any air traffic.

So while they did not ask permission, they did do their homework to make sure no one would get upset and no one would get hurt.

I applaud them for their effort. That was one kick ass video....

 

[hamz9561]

TSA has authority over things outside of the airport? Does this mean that Alpine is going to lose one of his favorite parts of his job?

 

[Lessen]

I would imagine TSA has some sort of authority over any mode of transportation in which a persons safety may be at risk... which essentially means all of them.

 

[robmob]

(OPP, yeah you know me!.. moving on...)

LMAO!

 

[Skwerly]

yea, it was kinda ballsy but what a cool video!

 

[xcskiier23]

Good flying, good video.

Being in the Marine Corps, here is a rule we live by:

It is better to beg for forgiveness than ask for permission

 

[appst8design]

It's only illegal if you get caught... great video!!

 

[scott321]

I live in the uk so this vidio is stunning to me.

 

[Rolex]

Great vid with their GoPro Hero cam, but it was done in several shoots. You can't stand in one place and fly by the Brooklyn Bridge, the Verazzano Narrows Bridge and the Statue of Liberty.
Great job, but totally illegal none the less. If they were actual members of a flying club they would lose their AMA membership. FAA would not allow something like that, either.
New York City cops are always cool about stuff that doesn't hurt anybody. They've almost seen it all and they're always willing to see something else.

 

[Mn Monster]

impressive ! great shots of NY ! question was the guy flying using a video monitor see where he was flying? in some shots he is a long ways away how could he even see what his plane was doing?

 

[Vetteklr]

sick video indeed! How do they get that kind of range on these things!?

---------- Post added at 12:48 PM ---------- Previous post was at 12:45 PM ----------

http://www.modelaircraft.org/news/nycfpv.aspx

---------- Post added at 12:48 PM ---------- Previous post was at 12:48 PM ----------

AMA's statement

 

[Greywolf74]

I have mixed feelings about this. If they are breaking the law then thats bad, However this is supposed to be the "Land of the Free" yet we are girded with to many laws and restictions that are either unnecessary or are in place for the sole purpose of driving up the cities revenue. While I want to support what they did by saying They should have the right to fly their FPV bird in the city I would also have to agree that a few of the places they were flying could have hurt someone had the plane malfunctioned or hit something etc. Then I flip back over to the otherside of me that says that you could step out into the street and get hit by a bus or keel over from a stroke/heartattack etc etc any day your out and about so we can't go around living in fear of everything. Of course the other side of me says well no need to increase our risks anymore than they already are......so anyway I am conflicted as far as what they did but one thing I am sure of as well as everyone else is that it was freaking awesome to watch.