Flying over Tulsa landmarks!

[onehandoneheart]

Found this on Reddit yesterday. Someone flew their quadcopter over Tulsa's landmarks and got some awesome HD video. He flies it up a pretty high a couple of times--I got sweaty palms from watching some of it. lol. But some very beautiful footage!

Video here:
http://vimeo.com/101955748

(Reddit post: http://www.reddit.com/r/tulsa/comments/2c07g4/flying_my_quadcopter_around_tulsa/)

[Townsend]

Cool video.  Thanks for sharing

[Hoss]

I agree...cool video.  However, the final shot he breaks the cap on what the FAA considers safe for UAV/model aircraft (400 feet).  He likely won't be looked at simply because he not in the confines of the Tulsa Class C airspace at the time.

There have been some people who have broken FAA airspace regulations in other places.  Myself, I have not taken my quad above 400 feet.  I've seen many who have these though take them upwards of 4000 feet.  If you are in FAA controlled airspace, and they are able to track down who you are, you may get a letter.

I say this mainly because the FAA has put model aircraft in the crosshairs since it's been made so easy to buy one of these ready to fly and people don't take the time to learn how to fly them.  People like those (not the guy who made this video) are ones that are making it easy for the FAA to tighten the belt on recreational flyers.

[TheArtist]

 Where are all the people?  I don't understand.  What kind of city is this?

Neat video but the above comments are the reason I would not share the video.  I hear enough of those comments almost daily from tourists and visitors downtown as it is. Often I think, well it's during a slow time downtown, and during times like lunch or certain times on the weekends some areas are busy and getting busier.  But the other day someone came into the shop during lunch time downtown when us locals might think it looks actually kind of busy and a visitor said the exact comments above.  Made my heart sink, cause really, from the perspective of most people, he was right even then.

[Townsend]

Where are all the people?  I don't understand.  What kind of city is this?

Neat video but the above comments are the reason I would not share the video.  I hear enough of those comments almost daily from tourists and visitors downtown as it is. Often I think, well it's during a slow time downtown, and during times like lunch or certain times on the weekends some areas are busy and getting busier.  But the other day someone came into the shop during lunch time downtown when us locals might think it looks actually kind of busy and a visitor said the exact comments above.  Made my heart sink, cause really, from the perspective of most people, he was right even then.

Tell them about the tunnels.

"Tulsans live as Morlocks most of the year."

We don't have destinations downtown to which you walk.

I did see some people on the video in Blue Dome walking to their cars.

[onehandoneheart]

I agree...cool video.  However, the final shot he breaks the cap on what the FAA considers safe for UAV/model aircraft (400 feet).  He likely won't be looked at simply because he not in the confines of the Tulsa Class C airspace at the time.

Some Redditors called him out on that. He said he usually follows the FAA's regs but has occasionally gone above 400 feet to get a good shot but only when he isn't near airports/aircraft.

I've seen many who have these though take them upwards of 4000 feet.  If you are in FAA controlled airspace, and they are able to track down who you are, you may get a letter.

4,000 feet? Wow. Had no idea of the range of these things. Do you have any suggestions on where I could read about/possibly purchase a quad?

[Hoss]

Some Redditors called him out on that. He said he usually follows the FAA's regs but has occasionally gone above 400 feet to get a good shot but only when he isn't near airports/aircraft.

4,000 feet? Wow. Had no idea of the range of these things. Do you have any suggestions on where I could read about/possibly purchase a quad?

The ready to fly models have DJI Phantoms as the industry leader (as far as units sold).

http://www.dji.com  Don't buy direct from them though; they ship from China and it's painful to deal with them.  They have many US resellers.

There's a whole forum of us devoted to it at http://phantompilots.com

I'm actually preparing to build a hex (six rotors instead of four) with my brother over the course of the next few months.  I say that because it's pretty tedious work.  Frame kit and all the electronics can take a while to get just right.

[patric]

I agree...cool video.  However, the final shot he breaks the cap on what the FAA considers safe for UAV/model aircraft (400 feet).  He likely won't be looked at simply because he not in the confines of the Tulsa Class C airspace at the time.

Your typical Parrot AR copter is going to max out at 300 feet.   Much higher and you are looking at a different class of copter (i.e., not using WiFi for command and control, with the operator likely more than 300 feet away), and the ones that airline pilots have had problems with are the fixed-wing craft that Homeland Security loans to police.

This comment last week about a copter "maybe possibly able to interfere" with aerial wildfire efforts was interesting:

"Fire officials were concerned that the individual operating the drone shared the video with the media.  If there were a crime scene within the fire area and evidence were captured in the video and shown on television, she said, it could interfere with the investigation."
http://www.modbee.com/2014/07/29/3461609/fire-officials-say-drone-could.html

Sharing video with the media a major concern?  Well, it turns out he just posted it to YouTube, just like everyone else.

Lets also forget NOAA saying  "We can get more information for less cost, and it doesn't put anyone in harm's way," said Sher Schranz, a project manager at National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration who researches fire weather modeling. CNN reported that drones can help by gathering information safely and then can quickly relay it to firefighters on the ground.

[Hoss]

Your typical Parrot AR copter is going to max out at 300 feet.   Much higher and you are looking at a different class of copter (i.e., not using WiFi for command and control, with the operator likely more than 300 feet away), and the ones that airline pilots have had problems with are the fixed-wing craft that Homeland Security loans to police.

This comment last week about a copter "maybe possibly able to interfere" with aerial wildfire efforts was interesting:

"Fire officials were concerned that the individual operating the drone shared the video with the media.  If there were a crime scene within the fire area and evidence were captured in the video and shown on television, she said, it could interfere with the investigation."
http://www.modbee.com/2014/07/29/3461609/fire-officials-say-drone-could.html

Sharing video with the media a major concern?  Well, it turns out he just posted it to YouTube, just like everyone else.

Lets also forget NOAA saying  "We can get more information for less cost, and it doesn't put anyone in harm's way," said Sher Schranz, a project manager at National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration who researches fire weather modeling. CNN reported that drones can help by gathering information safely and then can quickly relay it to firefighters on the ground.

Parrots are toys.  Controlled via phone/tablet app, as opposed to traditional radio control (like the one I have does).

However, the one I have is not much larger than a Parrot.  The concern I have is that people are going to fly these things without regard for the National Airspace regulations.  The relationship between the FAA and A/C modelers has been good because A/C modelers have to understand flight physics in order to fly, so they learn properly and become responsible hobbyists.

The new quads coming out now have GPS and gyroscopic stabilization.  Pretty much giving anyone the ability to fly one of them.  They'll think it's just fine to haul one up to 1000' AGL from their backyard..even if that backyard is two miles from the threshold end of the busiest runway at TIA.

Here's a Phantom (about $1000) flying in a manner that got the owner a little letter from the FAA.

Luckily, the local FAA authority worked with him and no fines or anything else was assessed (and technically, the FAA doesn't have the power to levy fines against R/C owners).  He told the FAA he wouldn't do it again and that was that.

So, the notion that these things can't get much higher than 300 feet is patently false.  They have the ability to be locked to that height via software, but most people (including myself) don't lock it like that.

Here's a flight I made a couple of weeks ago at 41st/Garnett.

http://vimeo.com/101197704

[patric]

Parrots are toys.  Controlled via phone/tablet app, as opposed to traditional radio control (like the one I have does).

So, the notion that these things can't get much higher than 300 feet is patently false.  They have the ability to be locked to that height via software, but most people (including myself) don't lock it like that.

It should have been clear that I was saying that the Parrots, controlled by WiFi (via phone/tablet) dont get much higher than 300 feet.

[Red Arrow]

Myself, I have not taken my quad above 400 feet.  I've seen many who have these though take them upwards of 4000 feet.

What do they use for an altimeter and how do they send the altitude to the "pilot"?

[Hoss]

What do they use for an altimeter and how do they send the altitude to the "pilot"?

These have GPS units and barometers on them so they use a combination of those. The camera on board acts as an FPV device back to an iPhone or Android app and the firmware provides a data overlay.

[Red Arrow]

These have GPS units and barometers on them so they use a combination of those. The camera on board acts as an FPV device back to an iPhone or Android app and the firmware provides a data overlay.

Pretty slick.

Thanks

[davideinstein]

Awesome video.

[Hoss]

Pretty slick.

Thanks

Here's a screencapture of how mine looked first time I took it out.