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FAA has my Inspire

Are you sure that stuff is stored in the bird? I can view all that information on my iPad - every flight - even when it's completely disconnected from the controller. I'm given a menu option to "Delete flights" or "Sync to the cloud." So I assume the flight data is stored in the iPad. Is it also stored in the Inspire?
Yes - Much more information is stored internally in the aircraft flight logs.
 
I assume those would be accessed via the USB port?

Found this:

Flight Data Log Viewer DJI Phantom 3 and Inspire 1

I will have to check this out. Very kewl. Thanx for the information.
Correct - the aircraft has to be physically connected via USB to download the log file.
This is why DJI require the aircraft or a complete dump of the log file to determine the cause of any crashes or failures.
 
Ok guys I'm going to weigh in here.
About me, I am a 4000 hour Emergency Medical Helicopter pilot. I have been flying for 10 years and an aviation mechanic for 10 years before that. I am the chief pilot of a 5 helicopter operation in the US.

Recently I lost an inspire 1 to a flyaway downtown Indianapolis. It disconnected from the ground station and proceeded to plow in to the 25th floor or an apartment. It broke out a window, and I became the first liability claim for a drone in my insurance company. It was recovered by the police which called the FAA. The police wouldn't tell me what happened to my drone till the 5 days after it happened when I recovered it. I made a police report for lost property the day it happened. Then the day I found out what happened, I called the FAA and self disclosed. *I IMMEDIATELY FILLED OUT A NASA FORM* (Google and fill out a NASA form for protection). Yes I do also have a 333 in hand. I also have all my prerequisites in for the 107 Cert. This day, I flew with a spotter and had total visual contact with the drone, I try to ensure I always do.

I met with the FAA 2 weeks ago. I had told them I was flying for hobby (at the advice of my sUAS attorney), because I was only filming some cool stuff for me, and maybe a demo reel. Sadly I forgot about a heliport that I've flown to MANY times in downtown Indy JUST over a mile away. Here's what the FAA found me in "non-compliance" of:

1. Your UAS flight operation was for the furtherance of a business (my company Exemption No.) and not a hobbyist operation, and

2. You did not notify local heliport operators of your intended UAS operation.

They are looking for people to make examples of per there own words, and after Aug they are going to go hardcore on violators. The police that notified them called the Regional FAA office in Chicago, I notified the local FSDO. They informed me that they were about to close out my file when they got a directive from the district to investigate. Also, district told them to treat it as an aircraft "incident" which takes it all to a whole new level. Much more investigation! Lastly they stated that if it would have hurt someone they would violate me

I knew they would find away to violate me, so I informed my lawyer. When I met with them what they did say was that if I wasn't transparent, respectful, and admit my mistake they would have violated me. Because I self-disclosed and made changes myself between the flyaway and the meeting that they would do a "compliance action." A Compliance Action is new, it became available to them in 2015. Versus tying them up for a year with an enforcement action the compliance action allowed them to work with me and get me back in compliance with my own actions to get me to compliance. It does not effect my pilot's license at all, and with a certificate inquiry I would not pop up. My company would not be seen as dealing with the FAA in any way, the only thing was internal non-searchable paperwork to ensure I was following my own compliance plan when they followed up in a month. Here is my compliance reply:

1. Conduct all operations under the pretense of our 333 Exemption and the inference that all operations are for the furtherance of the business and under commercial guidelines.

2. Any operation within the greater Indianapolis area and surrounding cities requires calling the Indianapolis Airport Operations hotline to notify of our operations. We call and report our operation prior to all flights. Any questions we will contact you to seek resolution. Lastly, we will seek the appropriate authority to notify of our operations.

I have only heard from them to state that it was recieved. I had already imlimented this BEFORE my meeting with the FAA once insurance paid for the new inspire. According to the local FSDO office I am the "most logged pilot in the Indianapolis area" that's a great thing.

I hope it helps
"A drone came through my high rise window this morning and landed on my grits..." There's lyrics to a country song in there, somewhere. :D
 
Feel free to advise that after the fact you were following the advice of a CFI who is also a drone operator. My name and certificate number is David Armbrust, 3383575CFI, Exp. 08/2017. My phone number is 941-951-8934. I will be happy to talk to them if they have any questions about the regulations.
 
Maybe a dumb question, but I have not seen this stated anywhere.

Is your aircraft registered? What registration type do your have? Was the information on the aircraft? Cheers!
 
My drone is and was FAA registered as a Commercial sUAS. My company also has large UAS's with N numbers, but our Inspired have the 10 digit reg.
 
I think this thread has died. Original poster has not responded since his original one and only post "FAA has my Inspire" post.
 
I think this thread has died. Original poster has not responded since his original one and only post "FAA has my Inspire" post.

It would have been good to have a follow up from the OP, especially since you were kind enough to share some sage advice and personal info. After reading yours and Brett W's post it certainly seems as if the authorities are trying to set an example but that they also seem reasonable to give warnings and find some sort of sane resolution.
 
Where in Chicago where you flying exactly? I'm curious because I live in the city and own an Inspire too. Chicago now has an ordinance that " prohibits the flying of drones within 5 miles of the city's airports, and creates no-fly zones over churches, schools, hospitals, police stations and private property without the owner's consent."

The private property area is a huge one because that's almost any building... I have not flown much since this was enforced and was curious about more of the OPs story.
 
@dearme - could we have a follow up please, otherwise I will close this thread down since there has been no activity from you other than the initial post.

Thanks
 
I didn't hear anyone mention the FAA's app. One thing I would recommend is to download the FAA's mobile app called B4UFLY. This will assist all drone/quadcopter pilots with FAA regulations. A big one is not flying within 5 miles of an airport or heliport without contacting them and getting permission to fly. The app uses your GPS to let you know if you have action items before your flight. There is a map view so you can drop a pin and learn what action items you have. I searched Chicago, IL and there were 10 heliports you would need to contact before flying in the middle of Cchicago. There is also the rule of not flying over people for safety reasons. The FAA is all about safety for everyone during flight. Another important one is to check for TFR's (temporary flight restrictions). These are posted for many different reasons, but tell you if there is a temporary reason that no aircraft should be in the air either manned or unmanned.

So if your drone was taken by the FAA, I would use this app to know what issues this app tells you so you can intelligently talk about why you should or shouldn't have been flying. This will go a long way in showing your interest in doing the right thing and following current regulations.

I have 3 heliports within 5 miles of where I fly and I contacted each of them. They seemed to be surprised when I called them, but they were aware of my flight. Two were hospital heliports and one a private business. The private business told me his flight pattern and asked me to bring down my Drone if I saw him coming. I told him I would be happy to do that. We all need to safely share the airspace and keep everyone safe while we enjoy flying.
 
Do rules say we need to get permission to fly from the heliports or just contact them to make them aware?
When I went through a training course the FAA seemed to say we need heliports or airports permission to fly. When I called each heliport (usually some pilot or manager), they really didn't know why I was calling and it turned into a conversation of sharing airspace and figuring out how to not get in each other's way. It was more for the safety of anyone involved using that airspace. If we as drone pilots can start acting more like real manned aircraft pilots and keeping everyone safe in using the airspace, we are going to become peers and not enemies. The FAA is really just trying to focus on safety. The first time that a drone hits a manned aircraft and someone dies, the clamps will tighten down so tight everyone is going to hate it. I hope the drone community will focus on safety and really learn to share the airspace with everyone using it for business or pleasure. It just takes one guy (or kid) to ruin it for everyone.
 
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I hope the drone community will focus on safety and really learn to share the airspace with everyone using it for business or pleasure. It just takes one guy (or kid) to ruin it for everyone.

Drones are a tool, like so many other items, some use them for a hobby, some for sport, some professionally, etc. There will, unfortunately, always be a handful of idiots that ruin it for everyone else, just like so many other items.
 

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