Helicopter cameras

[bilgeboy]

http://youtu.be/hOcY_sXtRI0

I am in two minds about these things. This guy has taken some excellent HD video of the Wannagatta Valley. I've never been there but would like to very much. I now know where the graveyard is in relation to the old homestead. I also know that there is some pretty soft ground so you can't just camp anywhere. The track that runs up the hill near the the homestead is impassable by the looks of it.

I kind of wish I hadn't seen it now. It has taken a lot of the mystery away, but then again I will be even more prepared if and when I do get up there.

I was at the beach the other day and I saw one of these being used. Incredible things they are, but I will say the guy was accosted by some locals who didn't appreciate the novelty, let alone being filmed in the process ( and in HD), and I kind of agree with them.
Very much in two minds then. Our privacy is becoming commodified more and more, of which we are the poorer for it. But they are such a helpful tool ( and im sure people are using them to assess tracks and conditions already which adds to my argument of taking the fun out of it all) that may very well save a life or two, or someone's pride and joy.

Ponder on this.

[bakerboy]

A DJI Phantom2 Vision+ is up there on my wish list haha, great bit of kit

[Bogger]

Yes my son builds, flys and crash's these drones and is into it in a big way .............. no legislation at the moment regards filming and flying but I have been led to believe it is coming as at the moment you can fly it to your neighbours window and film .................. I said it's legal not right
Allready being used extensively in surveillance work

[Colski]

so difficult to regulate....from the correct use of airspace and protection of people, to privacy considerations, to letting people have a shite load of fun in the sun......oh, and I work at CASA :-)

[GHendo]

Did you see where a bloke in the USA (I think) was flying one up and down the beach when an irate woman came over, called him a pervert and started belting him !! He called the cops and she was arrested.

Geoff

[GSRSOL]

We have two at work which we use for aerial surveying of wetlands and estuaries for cryptic bird species. They are pretty useful for this purpose and the footage is very good.

[hinsch]

These thing are like everything else, use them for what they are made for and there is not problems, use them to monitor people looking over fences etc and somewhere somebody will get the shits and then we have the problems. To use them for search and rescue, war games etc was the original plan I would have thought, better sending in a remote vehicle than a live person.
I am lost to see any benefit in flying them up and down beaches, well I can see benefits. Anyhow there are u tube videos where people are seen shooting them out of the sky.
I suppose you want to annoy people with these things you get what you deserve.

[MSF]

A friend of mine who has a place at Goulburn used to get "buzzed" by someone who was flying one over his place, It used to really piss him off - it would sit and hover about 4-5 metres above his back yard. Whenever he would see it he tried throwing things at it and swiping it with a broom but it would lift up and then come back down as if to taunt him..

He checked out the front and looked over the fences etc - trying to find who was flying it but with no luck.

That was about 2mths ago... It doesn't do it anymore though as it is now sitting in his garage waiting for the owner to come and collect it. He got the mega $hits with it one afternoon that he casually went back inside his house and sneaked around and took aim with his high powered rapid fire paint ball gun. Bingo, it came crashing down. He said when he picked it up, one blade was broken and it couldn't fly, even though it kept trying to start and then stop while he was holding it.

He wrote a sign on a piece of paper with his number and held it up in front of the camera on it and wrote, "If you %$^# ( &#%$@ want you camera back you know where it is, I'm waiting for you $*#^#*..."

He still has it, no calls - LOL

[Yclept]

...
I am lost to see any benefit in flying them up and down beaches, well I can see benefits. Anyhow there are u tube videos where people are seen shooting them out of the sky.

I saw an ad in the a local paper up the coast where a wedding photographer was appealing for anyone who found their drone washed up on the beach to return it to them. Apparently they were filming a wedding on the beach and it must have got out of range and kept flying out to sea, presumably until the batteries ran out.

[green monster]

It's illegal to use them for commercial use, unless you have a pilots license and have completed tons and tons of paperwork, but a kid can use them as a toy no problem, there is however rules about proximity to airports and altitude limits, the law is currently being re written to reflect the popularity of this new technology.
Heard a government dude on the abc just last week.

[GSRSOL]

It's illegal to use them for commercial use, unless you have a pilots license and have completed tons and tons of paperwork, but a kid can use them as a toy no problem, there is however rules about proximity to airports and altitude limits, the law is currently being re written to reflect the popularity of this new technology.
Heard a government dude on the abc just last week.

They have already been revised AFAIK; anything under 2kg is basically unlimited; over 2kg (including payload) you need almost a pilots license to operate. If they're being used for commercial purposes then the rules are much more strict as green monster mentioned. There are restrictions regarding minimum distance that they can be operated in the vicinity of people too.

There has been a series of dumb using them for stupid stuff and getting busted; like delivering things to mates in prisons, flying across major airports, sporting games etc etc. hence why they are reviewing the legislation.

[MSF]

ooops.

http://youtu.be/KR39DErszRE

[Troy711]

I want an Air Dog drone. It's be awesome to set at 30 meters or so up and let it follow you on the tracks.

http://youtu.be/n2WUlnprDlE

[Stevo77]

I want an Air Dog drone. It's be awesome to set at 30 meters or so up and let it follow you on the tracks.

http://youtu.be/n2WUlnprDlE

WOW!! this thing is AWESOME!!

[bakerboy]

Whilst procrastinating I've come across a far cheaper version of the DJI setup, and will be purchasing that instead with my tax refund

http://www.hobbyking.com/hobbyking/store/__55106__Quanum_Nova_FPV_GPS_Waypoint_QuadCopter_Mode_2_Ready_to_Fly_.html