FAA OOP Operations Requirements

[ColdWeatherGuy]

I see the Matrice 4 series drones listed as OOP compliant per this example. I have read the the Enterprise drones do not require a parachute system. I see many videos online of people utilizing drones for mapping. construction site mapping, photography etc. Non of the have parachutes. Can anyone provide real world experience as to how so many do legal part 107 business without constant waivers and or added parachute systems.

Example statement of a MAtrice 4TD compliance statement. it lists a parachute. UAS Declaration of Compliance UAS Declaration of Compliance

 

[jaja6009]

There are two mainstream ways ways to legally fly over people. Have a Category drone (1-4) or get a waiver. There are some other ways such as Part 91 and Part 135 but they are for the government and large scale package delivery.

Your statement on Enterprise drones not needing a PRS is not correct.

Sorry, I do not know what you mean by show real world experience. The regulations spell out the legal way to operate over people or moving vehicles.

Also by itself, adding a PRS does not always make a drone a Category drone. There are several drones that have AVSS PRS available and are not Category drones.
Not all Category drones have to have a PRS. A DJI Neo or Neo 2 transmitting Remote ID and having propguards are both Category 1 drones.
The Ebee series do not have a PRS and are Cateogry 3 drones. They meet Category 3 because they are styrofoam fixed wing drones that shut off their props when they think they will crash and have been tested to deliver less than 25 ft lbs of kinetic energy upon impact.

Getting a waiver is not impossible, especially for drones that others have already asked and received waivers for since the path has already been made.

 

[ColdWeatherGuy]

Thanks for replying. By real world I only mean feedback from those who have or are performing drone property mapping services over buildings. I see many Youtube videos where 107 certified operators show openly flying a DJI Mavic 3 as an example. Taking off from the parking lot. Cars are coming and going. People are clearly walking in and out of businesses. No Prop Guards. No PRS. Am I misunderstanding the definition of "Over People"? Trying to interpret the laws so as to maintain full compliance as I ramp up my business.

 

[jaja6009]

Thanks for replying. By real world I only mean feedback from those who have or are performing drone property mapping services over buildings. I see many Youtube videos where 107 certified operators show openly flying a DJI Mavic 3 as an example. Taking off from the parking lot. Cars are coming and going. People are clearly walking in and out of businesses. No Prop Guards. No PRS. Am I misunderstanding the definition of "Over People"? Trying to interpret the laws so as to maintain full compliance as I ramp up my business.

Most people do not follow the regulations outright. They will have portions of the flight most likely travel over people/moving vehicles.
This family of forums is well known for giving the exact regulation when answering questions and that's what I try to give.

Over people means directly over a person. The FAA does not give any buffer area. To truly know that you are directly over a person is very hard to know unless you have the centerpoint on screen and are looking down/nadir. For observers, good luck saying if a drone passes over a single person that is 200 feet away or further.

I think just using common sense and only mapping when there are no to very few people and having flight lines stop tens of feet from roadways goes a long way. But with Category drones now available why not guarantee compliance by mapping with a Category drone.

Zeitview is notorious for having contract drone jobs of businesses that are open and having you take images, video and make maps where it is impossible to do without traveling over people or moving vehicles.
In my opinion a lot of drone data is collected while breaking these rules. I fly for public safety for my "real job" and I argue almost every time people fly since almost every flight goes over an active road or urban area.

Most people roll the dice. They wait to collect data when foot and vehicle traffic is light, they roll the dice by saying most often the drone does not travel directly over people and hope that the drone does not have a problem and fall onto people or property. And yes, I have done similar flights and reasoning, but have correct this by obtaining a Category 2 drone.