[cryptoz]

Actually I'm exclusively interested in data under 400 feet! Surface-level pressure observations are my target; recent research suggests that a dense network of atmospheric pressure observations (taken on the surface) will produce a significantly higher accuracy forecast. Smartphones work nicely for this except for their lack of even geographical distribution.

[toomuchtodo]

Get in touch . I'm working on making a low cost sensor box from Raspberry Pi's for wide dissemination; atmospheric/temp sensors, precision GPS receiver, software defined radio for grabbing AIS and ADS-B data, etc, and then open sourcing all of the collected data sets and the live streams.

I would love to integrate with Cumulonimbus! My email address is in my profile.

[jjsz]

Cheaper than a cubesensor? Where can I subscribe?

[toomuchtodo]

Different market per se. Not cheaper; its made to help contribute to a sensor fabric, less about your home environment.

[jccooper]

That may be useful then. I don't think there's any specific rule against a fully-autonomous system, though it would certainly raise some eyebrows. If you do it with enough safeguards and in a safe area, you might get away with it.

[akozak]

If I recall correctly, you still technically need "line of sight" to the drone.

[mbreese]

Somewhere I think I saw something about requiring the ability to take manual control too, which would require line of sight.

Maybe I'm thinking of AMA requirements though... (think model airplanes, not doctors - although, doctors also require line of sight)

[jccooper]

I thought I saw those too, but haven't been able to find them in the FAA notices for model aircraft. There is such a clause in the 2012 for small unmanned aircraft (sUAS) use by a "government public safety agency".

I would presume the FAA will try to apply such a rule to civil use after this ruling.

Edit: Federal Register Notice 14 CFR Part 91 says they "expect line of sight" for model aircraft. It does not seem to be required--and at least one administrative judge thinks that such a notice does not carry much weight.

[mbreese]

Yeah, line-of-sight/manual takeover might just be a requirement for the AMA's insurance coverage.