drones

The FARs governing airspace have wording like "from the surface to ...", so no real demarcation like you describe. On the other hand, the regulations pertaining to minimum flight altitudes, particularly where folks live, restrict GA aircraft to heights well above your 50 foot level. The actual height is dependent on the type of aircraft, airplanes higher and helicopters lower. I've flown hot air balloons at tree top level looking for a spot to land - take offs and landings are the usual exceptions to the altitude limits of course.

The trespassing angle in interesting.

Thats another interesting angle. As the feelings I generally see from others feeling about balloons flying over peoples property are "happy" joyful ones and no feeling of threat. "Drones" are from the evil empire and must be destroyed.

MrClark7 wrote in post #17037719
Thats another interesting angle. As the feelings I generally see from others feeling about balloons flying over peoples property are "happy" joyful ones and no feeling of threat. "Drones" are from the evil empire and must be destroyed.

Add a hello kitty themed paint scheme, and attach a bubble making machine?

There you go. Who could object to a bubble blowing HK machine?

J Michael wrote in post #17038050
There you go. Who could object to a bubble blowing HK machine?

LOL

Imagine the Terminator with pink polo and a white cardigan sweater tied by the sleeves around his neck.

Luckless wrote in post #17037866
Add a hello kitty themed paint scheme, and attach a bubble making machine?

maybe a PR rep to give the drone an image change?

Maybe the first step is to stop calling them drones.

It's a name people associate with mindless insects or far away wars.

pwm2 wrote in post #17038168
Maybe the first step is to stop calling them drones.

It's a name people associate with mindless insects or far away wars.

Not gonna happen. Drones are fashionable these days. Witness

http://www.dpreview.co​m …oming-soon-to-your-studio

ryanshoots wrote in post #17038293
Not gonna happen. Drones are fashionable these days. Witness

http://www.dpreview.co​m …oming-soon-to-your-studio

This is something I would pay for. Drone lights that I can place in nearly impossible positions for certain shots. Sure it would be more stable in a studio, but on location would be great.

Nothing wrong with the title of drone. A fairly mindless thing capable of limited self guidance, and dedicated to a fairly specific task. The problem with the negative image of drones is that there have been so few uses of them outside of military or research settings.

I've been working with a friend for a large high powered drone that would carry large directed light sources to be deployed from a dedicated vehicle. Primary design would be during accident/emergency/inv​estigations. The system would have more drones than it is designed to deploy as lights, with a few acting as 'cyclers' when a full grid was deployed. The free drone would automatically head to one which was low on power/having issues to relieve it, after which a drone low on power would return to base to have its power cells swapped and then go relieve the next in line.

We have other plans on the drawing board for various ultra cheap search craft filling various roles and configurations which could fly ahead of traditional search and rescue.

Another set that a friend is working on is designed for usage by power utilities, replacing a linesman on a ladder/bucket with an operator sitting safely in an office.


I think that once the public is familiar with drones being bright blaze orange things scurrying around doing useful tasks that make their daily lives easier, rather than just the black/grey war machines of death they see on TV, then much of the 'fear' about them will melt away.

I can't believe how people get so worked up over the inevitable.

I had the DJI Phantom 2+. It was a lot of fun. I flew it high over my yard and was able to see my neighbors' homes. Let's not forget, it's a super wide angle view. It'd have to be a huge snot being picked, like 50 feet long, and I'd still not be able to see it.

As for photography and video, they bring a whole new element to it. I love them. Too bad I crashed it and broke the camera off. They wanted $700 to fix. I sold it. But definitely will get another.

Nice one, Mr Clark.

juicedownload wrote in post #17038306
This is something I would pay for. Drone lights that I can place in nearly impossible positions for certain shots. Sure it would be more stable in a studio, but on location would be great.

LOL, brilliant. I could strap a yongnuo to the bottom for shots. put it into hover mode and not worry about it.

Luckless wrote in post #17038464
Nothing wrong with the title of drone. A fairly mindless thing capable of limited self guidance, and dedicated to a fairly specific task. The problem with the negative image of drones is that there have been so few uses of them outside of military or research settings.

I've been working with a friend for a large high powered drone that would carry large directed light sources to be deployed from a dedicated vehicle. Primary design would be during accident/emergency/inv​estigations. The system would have more drones than it is designed to deploy as lights, with a few acting as 'cyclers' when a full grid was deployed. The free drone would automatically head to one which was low on power/having issues to relieve it, after which a drone low on power would return to base to have its power cells swapped and then go relieve the next in line.

We have other plans on the drawing board for various ultra cheap search craft filling various roles and configurations which could fly ahead of traditional search and rescue.

Another set that a friend is working on is designed for usage by power utilities, replacing a linesman on a ladder/bucket with an operator sitting safely in an office.

Interesting stuff. In the power lineman scenario I can't imagine drones having enough payload capacity to do what a human in a bucket can.

I grew up out on the prairie where a steady 15 - 20 mph wind was common, can drones used for photography operate in conditions like that?

ryanshoots wrote in post #17038665
Interesting stuff. In the power lineman scenario I can't imagine drones having enough payload capacity to do what a human in a bucket can.

I grew up out on the prairie where a steady 15 - 20 mph wind was common, can drones used for photography operate in conditions like that?

Big drones can. I don't think many hobbyist drones can. Too strong wind is a common reason for crashes, or for the drone to not being able to follow a programmed GPS course and instead fly away and land at some unknown location. The wind a bit up can be way stronger than the wind at ground level.

a dji s1000 probably could. my f550 somewhat. all these operate on a gimbal. and you would never be able to tell windy from video. its silly stable. I plan on flying s1000 by years end. its very hard not to sell my gear and go full drone. if i had work. i would.