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[electrotor]

Hot off the CAA presses, so to speak, with a section just for FPV.

Remember FPV UK insurance holders have an exemption for 2nd pilot/buddy box.

http://www.caa.co.uk/docs/33/CAP658.PDF

[Coyote]

No mention of the exemption mentioned in it, which i thought would be there

[electrotor]

No mention of the exemption mentioned in it, which i thought would be there

I wouldn't expect the exemption to be in the CAP. The exemption is only valid for one year up to 30 Sept. 2012, whilst the CAP may not be revised for several years. The last edition was 2007.

[dogzilla]

Quite interesting the CAA even gets into how to charge your batterys safely...

[Zeeflyboy]

That's a pretty comprehensive document actually...

Just to clarify by the way, the exemption we have if covered by FPVUK is for models under 1.8kg correct? If flying over 1.8kg technically we need to employ the buddy box system.

Is there any way to use a head tracker and a buddy box at the same time? Seems impossible to me... Which is a shame.

[simondale]

Zeeflyboy: the exemption, and the pilot handbook that it ties to are on our website under the following links: http://www.fpvuk.org/fpv-law/ and http://www.fpvuk.org/resources/

You can use a buddy lead and a head tracker at the same time.  The TrackR2 has pass through for instance.

I haven't seen the final CAP658 yet, I'll read it now.

I got a draft last year and sent the CAA a thorough response asking them to remove or change a lot of what they'd written (actually - what the BMFA had clearly supplied them with RE: FPV).  I'll be interested to see if they listened at all...

[electrotor]

That's a pretty comprehensive document actually...

It has been around since Dec 1995 but a lot of people do not know about it.

Just to clarify by the way, the exemption we have if covered by FPVUK is for models under 1.8kg correct? If flying over 1.8kg technically we need to employ the buddy box system.

Correct.

[simondale]

I'm quite pleased with that - they took a lot of what I said on board.  Looking at my proposed version (attached) side by side with what they've put in the final version I see that I wrote quite a lot of what's in the final document. Result! 

I'm so glad to see they took out the BMFA supplied bull crap.  The FPV section in the first CAP658 v4 draft was really dreadful.

Attached is my response document to the CAA, and my proposed Chapter 6 (now chapter 7) so you can see what I said/ and my proposed re-write.

I think we can chalk this one up as another small FPV UK victory!

All the best

Simon

[electrotor]

Some excellent lobbying on behalf of FPV flyers, so many thanks and congratulations on helping the CAA better understand model flying and FPV in particular. Whilst I wouldn't agree 100% with all your points I have no wish to be divisive and can appreciate how much work you have put in behind the scenes and how a cogent argument can help the regulatory body (the CAA not the BMFA I would stress) draw up regulation based on specialist knowledge which they themselves may not possess.
Well done Simon.
 

[Steve W]

Great work Simon, thanks very much.

[6lennn]

nice one Simon, great work

so does this mean i would need another all singing all dancing futaba tx and buddy lead, does that mean another uhf tx to or does a buddy box transmit through the first one

would the mixes on my tx work on the buddy box, jeez, confused again

[pk-surfing]

Thanks for your hard and continuing involvement in this whole process Simon.

PK

[simondale]

nice one Simon, great work

so does this mean i would need another all singing all dancing futaba tx and buddy lead, does that mean another uhf tx to or does a buddy box transmit through the first one

would the mixes on my tx work on the buddy box, jeez, confused again

Nothing has changed.  CAP658 does not form law - it is guidance on how to comply with the law (the law is written in CAP393 - The Air Navigation Order).  Our exemption is an exemption from the ANO.

In a buddy lead configuration only one transmitter actually transmits a signal. 

If you're using an EzUHF then the buddy lead connects directly to that (it has a special buddy lead port).

All the best

Simon