For Colin RC aerial photography

[rpcrowe]

Colin,

You probably know all of this but, I thought I'd post it anyway...

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/indepth/...trolled-aerial

You may not know that Amazon.com is experimenting with RC helicopters for small package delivery. I saw that on the TV Program 60-Minutes,,,

[Colin Southern]

Thanks Richard.

Personally, I think using them for Amazon delivery is a bit too gimmicky, but take a loot at this when you've got a few spare minutes ... I think you'll agree it's pretty mind-blowing how they're sorting the algorithms of these things:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w2itwFJCgFQ

[jcuknz]

From Richard's link I spotted this ...
"But remember, just because it weighs a couple of pounds and may look like a toy, y our new helicopter is still an aircraft. Professional pilots spend years training. Learning an RC helicopter, on the other hand, shouldn't take years, but it does still involve—like any new technology—something of a learning curve. And what you need to know starts before you even turn your new quadcopter on."

Some years back we had a country member from Christchurch who brought his regular helicopter to our Festival Week show and the comment I heard was when he started to learn to fly he had it tethered in a hanger.

The other relevant item was the recent death of a driver when a fist sized object crashed through his windscreen, and him, before exiting through the rear window ... velocity plus even small size is lethal.

Finally my nervousness when my son was given an infra-red chopper for Christmas by his wife and tried to fly it around the living room.

Perhaps I am a silly old man but I think I am more than slightly concerned at all the various aircraft entering the market without any controls as to their use. It is like the lack of control over jet-ski's, not to mention small craft in general, and closer to home people building live steam engines above a certain size. One of the facts of life it seems to me is the general disregard for rules by the financially successful in life.

[CP140]

Thanks Richard.

Personally, I think using them for Amazon delivery is a bit too gimmicky, but take a loot at this when you've got a few spare minutes ... I think you'll agree it's pretty mind-blowing how they're sorting the algorithms of these things:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w2itwFJCgFQ

The math and programming logic behind that just gives me a headache no matter how much I appreciate the technical challenges.

As for Amazon and it's drones... I think there's a lot of "things" the drone would have to "think about".... telephone/power lines across the street, where at the house does it drop the package (driveway/front step/lawn)?, birds of prey thinking it's an easy meal (have seen eagles go after an RC aircraft a couple of times), kids swinging a tennis racket at it....

Are those challenges insurmountable... probably not.

However...legislation and the fact I live within a few km of an airport will make Amazon's drone idea many years away for me.....

[Shadowman]

Real aerial photography. He's just a beginner so be gentle.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qJCedFwrVqk

[Colin Southern]

Real aerial photography. He's just a beginner so be gentle.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qJCedFwrVqk

In a follow up to that story -- the eagle is now being prosecuted for failing to have a permit ...