Unmanned Aerial Systems – A Beginners Guide
An Introduction To The UAS Industry – Training, News and Comment
Just a quick post, as i’ve been raced off my feet, these last few weeks…more on that this weekend.
This video is a must watch for anyone planning on filming aerial wedding shots.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BmBEwlGCwPI
The pilot must be wounded. Not sure how someone who gets a wedding gig is clumsy enough to fly his Phantom into a tree?!
Till the weekend
TU!
My Ops Manual has just been sent to the CAA. According to the CAA website, and my contact at EuroUSC, it takes approximately 28 days for it to be passed off and ‘permisson to fly’ to be granted. I’ve sketched the 26th May, into my mind, including weekends, so it might be longer.
So what do you do while your waiting. Or more appropriately, what can you do?
I have been toying with the idea of approaching a few local businesses, telling them about what i do, and what i can offer them. I decided on monday this week, that i would do just that.
Today i visited my first client, a prestigious Golf Course in my local Town. At 1pm this afternoon they gave me the keys to a Golf Buggy and gave to free run of the Grounds.
This is the only image of the Course, the Club’s website currently has…..
I have offered my Aerial Photography services free of charge. Why? Well, until i have received ‘Permission for Aerial Work – PFAW. Secondly, there are lots of Golf Courses in my area. Golf Courses have money and their members are generally wealthy. Its not about getting my grubby mitts on their cash, its about Networking, building a client base.
Filming a Golf Course will help improve my portfolio, i’ve tended to fly over fields and rivers of late. I spent over 4 hours on location today, this allowed me to conduct a thorough ‘pre’ on-site assessment. Using GoogleMaps on my Ipad i was able to spot local hazards. My Regional VFR Map to identified the Course is within Regional Class D Air Space, so i will need to contact my local ATC.
I cannot wait to get started in ernest. I plan on visiting the site again later this week, and the Course Manager has asked that i look to film in a few weeks, allowing the foliage to fully bloom, and the course to look its best. This gives me time to plan my shots and angles. Because i was given a Buggy, i was able to drive around the entire location, so i already have an idea of the shots i want to get.
An additional Camera Operator is going to be essential to get the best shots. Luckily the Course Pro is a UAS fan, he had already pitched the idea to the Board! He knows the shots he wants, so i will be taking some of my ‘direction’ from him.
I will post more when more happens!
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.
Thumbs Up SYP!
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!
TU
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xqY-eq7m17o&feature=youtu.be
Ok, this is an epic video.
As i began watching it for the first time, i thought it was fake, the LED lighting and the speed they move at. It took my back to the Speeder Bike Chase on Endor from Star Wars VI.
I have to try FPV racing sometime… with someone else’s quad! I would love to watch a comparison video on the speed, handling, acceleration etc, between one of these little ‘speeder’ quads and an Inspire or Phantom. I assume they are custom built. Is this cheaper than an ‘out of the box’ platform? Its something i’m going to research.
Enjoy the footage. (speeder bikes from 1.30 min)
TU
Telling people i’m training to be a UAS Pilot, always draws a blank look.
Then i say ‘Drone’, and they understand and get excited. At least two of my friends asked if i’m going to “blow stuff up”?
I then have to burst their bubble, and tell them i’m only armed with a 4K camera, not Hellfire Missiles (ok that is a cool name).
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AGM-114_Hellfire
Thats my issue with the using the term, Drone. People know what a Drone is because of the US and UK Drone bombing campaigns in Afghanistan, Pakistan and against ISIS of late.
I feel people have a negative association with the term. Whenever the media discuss consumer UAS incidents, like Phantoms landing on the White House Lawn, or Near Misses at Heathrow, they too refer to them as Drones. Put Drone into Google Images, first picture; DJI Phantom (then lots of US Military platforms)
So, am i actually a Drone Pilot? Or a UAS Pilot, or a UAV/RPAS Pilot? EuroUSC refer to their students as UAS or Unmanned Aerial Systems Pilots. Maybe the qualification you have, results in what you call yourself. Put UAS into Google Images, first picture is a Quadcopter! Yay. Put UAV into Google Images, Military.
I have been somewhat confused about the whole thing since i become so engaged in the industry. I certainly will continue to refer to myself as a UAS Pilot, useful as my company is named after it!
As per, there are people who have been thinking thoughts like these for longer than i have, and know more than i do, here is another great site for newbies to the UAS industry.
You have probably come across these guys before: Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Systems Association. A great site for information, legal and insurance advice and general news. They have written a in depth description on their take of UAV vs UAS. Its defiantly worth a read….
https://www.uavs.org/index.php?page=what_is
http://eurousc.com/services/pilot-qualifications/
TU!
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.
Enjoy.
TU
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….
Feast your eyes on these stunning shots… http://imgur.com/a/J9iOB
Well done sir, you were a trail blazer!
TU
Sheep Dogs beware, your services are soon to be surplus to requirement!
Great idea, great video, great piloting skills, apt choice of song!
Another fantastic application for Unmanned Aerial Systems, safe, fast and effective. Good Work Farmer Dude and SkyFly Photography.
As usual, here is a link to my original source, and lots more detail on the story, including the UAS Pilot interview with the BBC.
Thumbs Up Shep The Drone!
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!
Click to access 26Feb15%20RptUAVcurrentDates.pdf
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….
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
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-31735662
I will be keeping an eye on UAS forums over the next few days to gauge the response from those of us it will affect the most.
Safe flying
TU
Unmanned Aerial Systems - A Beginners Guide 