I haven’t posted anything in weeks. I haven’t stopped. Since my PFAW came through. I really miss writing my little blog.
So, this is a post i plan on adding to over the next few weeks, i just wanted to share a few pictures a friend and fellow UAS Pilot, Des Sterland of SkyHawx, took of my and my client at a local Golf Course.
I went in the see the Club back in May and offered to do a short promo video for free, as i hadn’t got my PFAW, and i wanted the experience…. my first tip, if you can get in the club pro, Golf Clubs are great places to meet the kind of people you need to meet in our industry. Its doubtful you can survive 365 days of the year, in the UK, from weddings, golf clubs and estate agents (which was originally my business plan, and many others new to the industry).
Most of these business will doubtfully, need your services, come the cold, rainy winter months…remember how much flight time you got between December and March?
I have learnt from working with SKEYEBV (more on that and them in a later post!), that if you really want to succeed in this industry and thrive, you need to make good contacts, and look more towards other industries. I don’t want to get in this now, thats a whole 3 hour writing sessions.
Anyways, back to my original comment, golf courses are great for contacts. I have already met and filmed couple of PGA Pros and on friday will be filming, Joe Miller, 2010 Long Drive Champion. There is mumbling with one or two well known golf brands as well. Mumblings.
My point is this. Offering your services for free, isn’t a bad way to make good contacts. The people in this world, who run companies and earn lots of money, like Golf, its a fact, you know it is 🙂
Anyways i wanted to show you these great images, taken by Des, with a Sony Nex 5n. These are going on my own personal webpage and showreel – thanks Des.
And a huge thanks to Arron Hodkin, the soon to be Pro at Wheatley Golf Club, who have given me the keys to a Golf Buggy and given me free region of his beautiful course. I must have been back five times, just to enjoy the view and food on their patio.
Now i need to learn how to play golf…and dress appropriately!
Isn’t it funny, how, when a hobby becomes your job, it can lose some of its fun?
I found this years ago playing basketball, and now, more recently, flying my UAS.
This time last year, any break in the clouds, would have seen me out flying my toy UAS. Now because i’m working and flying everyday, when the weekend comes, i just want a break from the Inspire.
VS
Why? well i think its down to my platform; The Inspire 1, it is an awesome work tool….but is it as much fun to fly as say a Phantom or similar smaller rig?
NOPE!!! I sold my Phantom to a friend a few months ago, and didn’t realise how much i missed it. We took it out over the weekend, and i had so much fun with it. Of course it isn’t as responsive or quick as the Inspire, but it so nimble and because it doesnt cost your right arm to buy, you can be more adventurous. If i crash my Inspire i’m out of work for a while!
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And i guess that is the crux of it. My Phantom was a bought as a toy. My Inspire was bought as a business investment.
Well if like me, you are looking to buy a new UAS for ‘fun’ and ‘weekend-warrioring’, maybe this is what you’re looking for……..
Looks cool right? A Tank Quadcopter – awesome! This is at least the forth UAS crowding funding campaign i’ve blogged about recently. And if you are quick you can pick one up for the bargain price of £55! – UPDATE – These have all gone. Next price is £59. Still so cheap. So much so, i’ve just backed them too!
Yay – First time, i’ve ever crowd funded before. I’ll be back with my own personal review in October…. right now they have £19,785 of the required £49,000 total.
If i think of Drones and the Police, i think of one thing…someones in trouble!
Back in December, i blogged about Eddie Mitchell, who was arrested for using his UAS, i think it was a Phantom. He is a CAA approved UAS Pilot, he identified himself, and was flying safely before three offices detrained him, and attempted to land the Aircraft themselves. Eddie was detained for 5 hours. Not needed.
Because of this, i called South Yorkshire Police and informed the confused Officer that took my call, who i was, my contact details and the areas i was flying. I wanted to make sure i covered my ass, and also to give the Police a bit of information about UAS (and after my experience with the Police the other day, im hoping i can work with my local force and help improve their awareness of our industry).
So on tuesday i was out flying. It was the day before my exam, i had been out for an hour that morning and it was about 2pm. I was parked at my one of my usual haunts, a collection of huge fields, that over look a Medieval Castle. Nice.
I was still sat in my car about to get out and set up to fly. They slowed as they approached my car. Both looked at me. Eeek, even though i have nothing to be guilty about, i immediately feel guilty. 20 seconds later, they pull up behind me.
I in a moment of ‘inspiration’ the best way to avoid looking guilty for something i haven’t even done… is my Inspire!
I get out the car with my black plastic case. They give me a strange look. I walk over and ask if they would like to see me fly. Another strange look.
I set up in my usual spot while they dealt with a call. 5 minutes later they are back. One of the Officers walks over, really friendly and asks if he can watch. Of course! I make sure its safe to take off. I begin with showing off the auto take off, impressed him with the auto landing gear, dazzled him with the speed and amazed him with the dual remote live stream feed. He was really impressed. Like really, impressed.
As he said, imagine how much money could be saved using a fleet of small UAV’s, as opposed to a maintaining and refuelling a Helicopter. You can imagine a future where Police cars have their own Drone in the boot and the Ground Station built into the Dash, one drives, one flies, both chase and catch the crim.
CAR ID REMOVED
Anyways i just thought i’d share my very positive experience with South Yorkshire Police, and i hope if you come into contact with Officers in the field, they are as friendly and appreciative.
So, i have finally given into peer pressure and have set up a YouTube account.
Its sole purpose is to offer the same news, reviews, comments and opinions, in another format, that is sometimes more useful than simply writing about it.
For example, a few weeks ago, i attached a few luggage straps to my Inspire case and an old Rucksack, so i can take my Inspire on my back when Mountain Biking or Hiking. Lots of people got in touch, commenting on how useful the post was, and how they could do the same thing. Its so much easier to demonstrate this visually.
So here is the details of my new YouTube channel. I will apologies in advance for my Yorkshire accent, if i need to add subtitles just let me know. Please feel free to comment or rant, i’m not a precious person, i’m still learning, and hopefully this channel can help all us newbies!
Chimps are so smart…and a bit aggressive. No surprises then in our shared heritage.
This video uploaded by the Royal Burgers Zoo, in the Netherlands, shows the carnage a chimp and a stick caused to a UAS. According to the Zoo the UAS was wrecked, but the GoPro used to capture the footage survived.
Sometimes, do you feel like everyone know something you don’t, and by the time you do, they have moved onto something else?
I sometimes feel like this with UAS. I have toyed with them for years, but never really thought about them as a career. Since i have, and established Overland UAS, i spend my entire life, eating breathing and sleeping UAS, i see them everywhere. Sometimes i feel like anything i try to film, has already been filmed! (I watch a UAS soar above the fields in a BBC or Channel 4 Program and i’m torn between appreciation and envy.)
This is of course rubbish, i’m just getting frustrated with the drawn out process of obtaining the relevant qualifications and permissions to fly commercially.
I have the skills, the contacts and the equipment, to start trading yesterday, but i simply cant accept any work that is paid, or could be construed as adding financial value to my company.
So i practice and blog. And read and practice and blog. And every now and again, i come across an article that convinces me, i have missed the ‘Glory Days’ of UAS Photography….
I finally got my hands on the new DJI Inspire 1 this weekend. First off, WOW. Secondly, WOW.
I don’t want to go into detail about that now, but if you are currently thinking of buying an Inspire 1, in my opinion its money well spent. I will be writing about my new Inspire shortly.
What i do want to talk about is where and when you can actually fly you new investment, for fun, without falling foul of the law.
Before we begin, lets discuss the cold hard fact. A Pilot must remain in Visual Line Of Sight, of the aircraft at all times. It cannot go beyond 500 meters in distance from the Pilot (120 meters if you own a Phantom Vision 2 Plus) and no more than 400 feet vertically (120 meters).
In addition you must not fly within 50 meters of people, buildings and objects not under your supervision (except take off at 30 meters). 150 Meters away from Roads, Congested areas, towns etc. There are other stipulations which i will link to at the bottom. These are specifically covered in CAA Regulations 138, 166 and 167.
So where can you actually fly? If you have a house with a huge garden and no neighbours in any direction for 150 meters helps. If your not the Duke of Westminster, you could opt for a large public field or open face and hope people don’t turn up. Join a flying club. Or go into the Countryside?
I live on the outskirts of the countryside, in Yorkshire. Southerns would argue the entire ‘North’ is the countryside, so by that logic, you’d think us Northerns could fly our UAS anywhere…. think again.
On Sunday morning i ventured into Derbyshire with my Family. I’ve been going there since i was a child, so i knew a very scenic, but more importantly, remote spot where i could test my Inspire for the first time.
We left the car and headed up the side of a hill, overlooking fields etc. The video below shows how remote it was.
I took the Inspire for a short 5 minute flight, go a little too giddy, so used the Auto-land function and decided to have a sandwich.
Within an hour, two other RC hobbyists appeared on an a hill close by. One came over and asked what Frequency i was using. They weren’t flying multi-rotas, they had huge 12 feet fixed wing aircraft. They were huge!
I sat and watched them flying in the distance, and decided to have another short flight. I only had one battery charged, so after 10 minutes, i brought the Inspire down.
As i did a someone called over from afar. I couldn’t make out what he said. So walked over. He was not looking happy and he was walking over in the direction of the two fixed wing pilots.
He saw me coming and waited. He told me that although the field was open access land, it wasn’t common land and he was the landlord. He had allowed people to fly there until very recently when his remit for bird conservation had changed, and he could no longer allow people to fly there from March to July.
In short, although i was in the middle of no where, in what i thought was a National Park, and therefore land free to be used by the public, it is, with restrictions.
You can access some land across England and Wales without having to use paths – this land is known as ‘open access land’ or ‘access land’. Access land includes mountains, moors, heaths and downs that are privately owned. It also includes common land registered with the local council. Your right to access this land is called the right, or freedom, to roam.
You can use access land for walking, running, watching wildlife and climbing. There are certain activities you can’t usually do on access land, including:
horse-riding
cycling
fishing
camping
water sports
taking animals other than dogs on to the land
driving a vehicle – Operating a UAS would come under here i presume?
The fixed wing pilots had already been informed of this only the previous weekend, and had gone against the Farmers request not to fly. He was also not happy because twice last year, large 10 – 15 feet fixed wing RC aircraft had crashed in his field.
The debate raged for at least 40 minutes. The Pilots argument was fair, they are out in the middle of now where, there were no people around, no buildings or roads, and more importantly no signs indicating Birding Programs.
The Farmers argument was sound. As the landowner, he makes the rules. He was happy to accommodate the Sheffield Model Flying Club (whom both pilots were members of) but it must be done in line with ‘his’ rules set by the some farming governing body (cant remember what he called it)
I listened to the discussion for sometime. I asked the Farmer, who turned out to be a throughly decent and fair chap called Hayden, if there was anywhere in the region we could fly. He said pretty much NO, unless you have the permisson from the Landowner, and almost all of the land in Derbyshire is owned privately!!!!!
He said that if people would approach him directly, he would also be willing to discuss flying on his land, when it doesnt effect his responsibilities.
That said. Is it easy to find the land owner, when the land he owns covers tens of square miles. No, and if you just want to fly your Phantom for 5 minutes and get some scenic shots, are you going to spend your afternoon knocking on Farm doors?
Lets be honest, the Fixed Wing Pilots are the ones we want flying RC craft. Yes, they might be interrupting the nesting of a Lark, but at least they drove into the countryside, and found a safe and secluded spot to fly their aircraft. If everyone who owned a UAS was a safety conscientiously as they were, we would have a lot less incidents.
From a safety point of view, my Inspire cannot be categorised with one of those huge fixed wing. They don’t have the safety technology installed that something like the Inspire has. I can bring my UAS down, vertically immediately. I watched for 10 minutes after the Farmer told the Pilots to land, before they were actually able to bring the craft to a stop.
I walked back to my family with Hayden, he showed me where he lived, and told me the next time i want to fly, come back in July and he will arrange an area, designated for UAS flying. He also said he would be interested in learning about the Practical and Business applications a UAS like the Inspire could have for his Farm. As i said, throughly nice chap.
So, the next time, you decide you want to go for a safe flight, away from people, and you think the countryside is the best place to go, make sure your in the right spot!
Less than 2 days before the festival starts, Event Planners have scuppered hopes for Drone based antics and activities. So no aerial ‘selfies’ or aerial views for the festival this year.
South By South West is a annual Technology conference, held in Austin Texas, so it may come a surprise to many in the industry, that SXSW of all people, are scrapping the proper use of UAVs.
I would expect this is more of an issue at a music festival, were drunk people might try to hit a UAV with a beer can….which is inevitably going miss and cause more harm than a small UAS ever would.
This is a quote taken directly from the SXSW website
SXSW has a strict no drones policy due to the safety risks drones present to the public, and pursuant to City of Austin Ordinance, Chapter 13-1. This policy was established after consultation with drone experts, user groups, municipal authorities and aviation safety experts.
The article continued to discuss the potential ramifications for those who flaunt the ruling…
The Austin Police Department will also be watching for drones in crowded and/or public areas where the drones could pose a risk to public safety, are subject to seizure by Austin Police Department and the operators are subject to fines and/or arrest.
Is this heavy handed legislation? Is this reasonable? I’m not sure. The article states UAV’s will be at the Festival, in specific locations, albeit Tethered to the ground. I understand the logic in protecting the public, but surely this is going a little too far? Why not have a cordoned off area, properly managed, away from the crowds. Is a tethered UAV, much safer than one without a cable attached?
As a Brit, this is something i find strange about America culture; small UAVs are banned from a Technology Festival, for safety reasons, but anyone can buy, own and carry a loaded GUN!!! What??!?
The FAA are so strict, less than 20 US companies have permission to fly in America commercially, because ‘drones are dangerous’, but guns are ok? I appreciate the FAA has nothing to do with Guns, but surely a culture that accepts the ownership of guns, should be more accepting of the minimal risks a small UAS can cause.
The House of Lords EU Committee is suggesting recommendations for a UAS owners register.
This has been on the horizon for the past year now, and i am fully behind most the recommendations. I appreciate the comments, that those wishing to use a UAV for illegal or terrorist activities, are not likely to register their name and home address! But it is a step in the right direction.
The database will initially include business and professional organisations. However i was under the impression that this information was already stored in the CAA database, which is available to the public. I blogged about on the 15th Feb, there were 483, this figure is grown to 536!
I wonder who the House of Lords wants to add to this list? Individual UAS Pilots name, business, CAA number and approval date? Or will this be the start of more Big Brother excuses from the Powers that Be, and every individual who buys a UAS has to register…..then how long is it before everyone who registers needs to pay an annual fee or ensure everyone has UAS insurance or even make every user pass a competency exam?
I think this is a fantastic opportunity for Britain and the CAA to lead the world in Commercial UAS regulations AND use. There is no point having all these rules but restricting their future application (AmazonPrime Air in looking at you guys). We are just scratching the surface for UAS application. For an industry set to worth Billions, employing Thousands across Europe, we need to get it right, right from the start.
This is all my wild speculation, and may not happen, but here are some recommendations that will….
Greater use of geo-fencing – programming drones not to be able to take off from or fly into certain locations based on their GPS co-ordinates. This could include airports, prisons and other high risk sites
Clearer guidance for police about how they should enforce existing safety rules
The use of a kite mark or other logo to denote drones that have been classed as safe to use
More guidance to be given to commercial drone operators about what insurance cover they need to buy.
All wise suggestions and i think these will be appreciated by the law abiding recreational and commercial UAS community in the UK….
What won’t help though, are frankly, stupid, comments made by those is power or authority. Professor David Dunn, who has written about this for the Royal Institute for International Affairs, was quoted saying…
“The technologies have the capacity to crash into people and kill them, as they have done in the States….”
WHAT!?!?!?!? Not one single person has EVER, been killed by a commercial UAS, in America or anywhere in the World. Yes, Military Drones kill people everyday, but no one has ever lost their life because of a rogue DJI Phantom! Comments like this, taken out of context do our Industry, no favours what so ever.
You can find more information of the story, from my source BBC News
Unmanned Aerial Systems - A Beginners Guide 