UAV video platform - soaring video potential?

"People tend to connect the dots in the most pathological ways possible"

I think the current statistical probabilities for glider midair collisions are (in order): other gliders, powered aircraft, birds, flying squirrels, UAVs

(I need to check on the squirrels).

The mostly likely collision targets for people flying UAVs a the surface of the Earth, trees, themselves (ask Sean Fidler), large structures (especially in urban environments), anything they are trying to video or photograph (fighter-bomber pilots call this "target fixation")

It is this last scenario that requires care, coordination and good judgement. Any effort to film gliders in motion needs to be approved, briefed and consider that UAVs (flying from the ground or by FPV) have limited visibility to other aircraft and themselves present a very small target so augmentation in terms of lights, Flarm, being at a predictable location, etc. are very important.

On Thursday, August 14, 2014 9:45:36 AM UTC-5, Sean Fidler wrote:
Herb,



Some of your statements are grossly inaccurate. As for your opinions, you are certainly entitled to having them.



I would walk you thru how it all works, but I am certain that you have already come to a conclusion based on a preconceived and highly inaccurate idea of what I am proposing.



And for the record I already have 4 very interested parties. ;-).



Best,



Sean

Sean,
Enlighten me as to what you are proposing. I understand you want to make videos from a flying platform that is in a tight formation with a glider during take-offs and landings, even a winch-launch is mentioned. There are good and established reasons why we let aircraft take off and land one at a time, with lots of separation. Getting in formation with a glider with remotely controlled devices close to the ground sounds like Bubba's idea: hey y'all, watch this. Remember the Cadillac commercial filming a ground launch with a short rope? How did that turn out? Good luck with your 'non-commercial' drone flights.
BTW, I'm very involved in rc flying, including multi-copters.
Herb

Since you mentioned it...

Last month, while on downwind in our Pipistrel Sinus at Moriarty, we
were hit broadside by something. The left door frame was broken in
three places and the door folded inward horizontally in the middle. I
had to hold it out of the way while finishing the pattern and landing.

At first I thought we'd been hit by an eagle but there was no biological
evidence of that, only some deep scratches on the left side window.
Someone at the airport suggested that it could have been a UAV. Damage
was over $2000! Thank you Costello for quickly getting repairs
completed. If it was a UAV and I ever learned who was flying it, I'd
want to have a friendly chat with the fellow.

Dan Marotta

On 8/13/2014 6:28 PM, wrote:
On Wednesday, August 13, 2014 11:18:34 AM UTC-5, wrote:
Here it is without camera or PF mounted. It also floats. Ask Sean Fidler why that's a good thing - along with some prop guards. ;-)



https://docs.google.com/folderview?i...doc slist_api
The scary thing is that any idiot with the money to get one can endanger themselves and others, they are remarkably easy to fly. I'm just waiting for the first serious midair with a GA aircraft, a balloon or a glider. These bozos are flying around (illegally right now) people, vehicles, aircraft and over private property. There will be accidents. FPV flying outside line-of-sight is illegal, even below 400' and outside the 5 mi perimeter of airports.

Herb,

The camera I use (Panasonic GH4) has exceptional resolution (4k), speed with a fairly powerful lens. We are primarily shooting wide angle shots. The system does not need to be "in close" to the glider or tow aircraft. It is actually preferable to be at some distance and capture the glider within the broader scenery. All of the filming would be at a private airport in a controlled environment and no other operations would be allowed.

I am looking for 4 specific soaring shots:

1) My favorite shot will actually be from "behind" the winch vehicle location shooting down the rope towards the glider being winch launched (2-4k ft away). As the winch launch begins the system would depart the winch (in shot) and climb aggressively as the glider ascends downrange holding the same altitude as the winching glider for a period of a few seconds (perhaps 10).. This perspective would be interesting for showing the climb rate from 1000's of feet away. The winch rope (and it's curve) would likely show up well with the right lighting. I like to imagine the sensation of intense climb rate and altitude perspective change (hopefully with great scenery) that this would provide. Imagine Karl's place and the view from the top of his ridge for example.

http://vimeo.com/51897500 (see launch from winch roughly 2 min in)

It would also be interesting to get this same shot from behind the glider being launched.

2) The other aero launch shots would be from well behind the tow pair. One shot from directly behind and another off to the side. A changing angle relative to the glider during the directly behind shot (moving out to the side while climbing for example) would be impressive.

3) The landing shots would be from well away in approximately the opposite base/final position at low altitude (200 ft). The idea would be to follow the glider thru it's pattern from midfield downwind thru touchdown and rollout. At short final or as the glider overtakes the system toward the runway I could follow the glider in towards touchdown from behind and end up within a couple hundred feet as the glider rolls to a stop and the pilots exit..

Here is another good example that might provide an idea of the potential: http://youtu.be/8GMs58ihaJ8

Sean

One of our members captured some takeoff footage from behind the glider/towplane.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a3X4QaGJcjo

I believe this was with a Phantom quadcopter and a go pro 3. It runs out of forward speed pretty quick, but was still a fun angle to see.

Morgan



On Friday, August 15, 2014 6:21:16 AM UTC-7, Sean Fidler wrote:
Herb,



The camera I use (Panasonic GH4) has exceptional resolution (4k), speed with a fairly powerful lens. We are primarily shooting wide angle shots. The system does not need to be "in close" to the glider or tow aircraft. It is actually preferable to be at some distance and capture the glider within the broader scenery. All of the filming would be at a private airport in a controlled environment and no other operations would be allowed.



I am looking for 4 specific soaring shots:



1) My favorite shot will actually be from "behind" the winch vehicle location shooting down the rope towards the glider being winch launched (2-4k ft away). As the winch launch begins the system would depart the winch (in shot) and climb aggressively as the glider ascends downrange holding the same altitude as the winching glider for a period of a few seconds (perhaps 10). This perspective would be interesting for showing the climb rate from 1000's of feet away. The winch rope (and it's curve) would likely show up well with the right lighting. I like to imagine the sensation of intense climb rate and altitude perspective change (hopefully with great scenery) that this would provide. Imagine Karl's place and the view from the top of his ridge for example.



http://vimeo.com/51897500 (see launch from winch roughly 2 min in)



It would also be interesting to get this same shot from behind the glider being launched.



2) The other aero launch shots would be from well behind the tow pair. One shot from directly behind and another off to the side. A changing angle relative to the glider during the directly behind shot (moving out to the side while climbing for example) would be impressive.



3) The landing shots would be from well away in approximately the opposite base/final position at low altitude (200 ft). The idea would be to follow the glider thru it's pattern from midfield downwind thru touchdown and rollout. At short final or as the glider overtakes the system toward the runway I could follow the glider in towards touchdown from behind and end up within a couple hundred feet as the glider rolls to a stop and the pilots exit.



Here is another good example that might provide an idea of the potential: http://youtu.be/8GMs58ihaJ8



Sean

On 2014-08-13 14:35:35 +0000, son_of_flubber said:

An example of what the cool kids are doing when they don't have time or
money to soar...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ma0zeE5QOs8

Heli shots in places you could never take a real chopper, with the
entire system costing the same as an hour of helicopter hire.

Isn't technology great!