Recent content by hank970

Yes, and in this digital age, it's also easier to eliminate transient and intrusive human elements (in a landscape or architectural shot, for example), by stacking and processing multiple images. I can also use stacking to "calm" choppy water or convey a sense of movement in flowing water...

You fly FPV at high speeds in controlled airspace at night? Regardless of altitude limits, an even with prior authorization, that seems like a risky proposition.

I think ND filters are useless if you plan to shoot stills only. Camera sensors are biased to assume an overall scene reflectance of 18%. If you put on an ND filter. the camera will simply interpret the scene as too dark and will adjust shutter speed to still yield 18% reflectance. If the...

Speaking of NORAD, there were some Cold War tests conducted (1948-52) by DoD in Unaweep Canyon, about 20 miles SE of my home. They were meant to determine the seismic properties and blast-worthiness of granite before excavations began on the NORAD facility in Cheyenne Mountain. They dug two...

I can't imagine going through life with the fear that other folks are out to get me. There's no target on my back.

Darn, it appears that my days as a spy may be come to an end before I even get started. How will I be able to share aerial photos of the scenic rock formations a half mile behind my home with the Chinese Communist Party and the People's Liberation Army if there's a retroactive banning of my DJI...

I've had no problems with RTH on mostly dark twilight flights, but then I've flown after dark only a few times. My assumption is that the drone relies on GPS for the bulk of the return, then on the optical sensors on the bottom of the craft as the craft nears the home point. The landing light...

Yeah, but that 2.5 pounds is spread over a large surface area. At any point of contact, assuming a plane hit only balloon and not payload, it would be hitting a small patch of thin plastic film.

A balloon has so little mass that I doubt it would cause any impact damage. There'd be a greater risk of a collapsed balloon obstructing an air intake or, as someone has already said, the pitot tube. But balloons carry instrument packages. They're pretty light, as well, at least the few I've...

Does it really matter how the drones are getting into the US and being sold? Unless product that's going through third-party firms is gray-market stuff which lacks a US warranty, a drone is a drone, albeit a very expensive one at Best Buy's advertised price.

I wish the coordinate system were in UTMs (Universal Transverse Mercator) rather than latitude/longitude in any format. UTMs are more intuitive to use, and the coordinates relate directly to meters on the ground, so it's possible to calculate the distance from one location to another via the...

Best Buy is currently (10/24/2025) advertising a broad assortment of DJI drones for sale, but the prices are staggering. The Air 3 fly more combo, for example, is $2800 -- the result of tariffs, I suppose. And so, the question is, are these drones non-replenishable items in a dwindling...

C'mon, that's almost laughable. I'd love to see a study which concludes that fish are perturbed by flights less than 1000 feet in altitude. Agency work vehicles rumbling around the ponds and employees casting their shadows across the water would have a greater effect, and I suspect even they...

Bingo! The land on which the hatchery is located is indeed a part of Horsethief Canyon State Wildlife Area. It's administered by Colorado Division of Parks and Wildlife*, but as far as I know, it isn't designated as a state park. Regardless, I'm sure it enjoys the same protections. Colorado...

Thanks for your concerns. It's always best to err on the side of caution. Beyond that, I think you're jumping to conclusions. As the crow flies, I was 59 miles from the Hotchkiss Federal Fish Hatchery. The facility I photographed is on state land, but it's not in a state park where (again)...