DJI Mavic, Air and Mini Drones
Friendly, Helpful & Knowledgeable Community
Join Us Now

Recent content by MacCool

  1. MacCool

    Just curious – what made you fixed wing guys get into drones?

    It's about the photography and video. I've been a pilot 50 years, R/C "enthusiast" for 35 years. Drones are not challenging to fly and as a standalone hobby, it's pretty much a yawner, but you can get creative photographs and video that there's just no other way to get.
  2. MacCool

    Purchased awhile ago, brand new...opened today and NOTHING

    I had t that happen with a Phantom 4. It sat for a couple of years...killed the batteries. I scoured the web for a solution. Solved the problem by throwing the batteries away and buying a couple of new ones. Works great now. My bet...those three batteries of yours are toast.
  3. MacCool

    Well the madness has started and the FBI is on the hunt

    Of all the drones that I fly, only two are DJI. The rest are 3-5 inch cine-quads or a couple of cine-whoops. I know exactly the electronics and software that they have...I built it, installed the firmware, and programmed it. It's not hard...I'm a complete noob. But the decision of if, when, and...
  4. MacCool

    Well the madness has started and the FBI is on the hunt

    God I hope so!! Who will keep us safe if not The Government?
  5. MacCool

    Well the madness has started and the FBI is on the hunt

    I thought I read that the guy had disabled geofencing. Sounds pretty willful to me.
  6. MacCool

    Well the madness has started and the FBI is on the hunt

    Yes! Absolutely! Because more government intrusion into our lives is always a good thing. After all… The Government knows best.
  7. MacCool

    Octacopters = no more Kobe-style helicopter crashes ??

    Looks like a classic case of inadvertent flight into IMC, with the pilot becoming spatially disoriented in trying to transition from VFR to IFR, losing control and crashing into the ground. Classic, but disappointing that it happened to a pilot who is a CFI-I Helicopter, an instrument...
  8. MacCool

    Octacopters = no more Kobe-style helicopter crashes ??

    That Sikorsky cruises at about 170 mph, and he'd been flying at that speed for much of the flight prior while he had flight following.
  9. MacCool

    Octacopters = no more Kobe-style helicopter crashes ??

    I've been a pilot for decades. I've tried to fly a helicopter....did it for a long enough time on the stick that I could almost see how it might be possible to actually fly one. Helicopters are really hard. That said, Kobe's pilot was a very experienced helicopter pilot...more than 8000 hours...
  10. MacCool

    Octacopters = no more Kobe-style helicopter crashes ??

    Kobe's pilot was flying special VFR. He had to be able to see the ground to proceed, got low enough to see the ground, but not high enough to avoid flying into a mountain. My guess, that mountain was a big surprise to him when he finally saw it. He may well have become disoriented, based on the...
  11. MacCool

    Litchi App On Smart Controller......Finally!!!!

    It's $25. Big deal. A small percentage of what I have invested in DJI drones.
  12. MacCool

    Upgrading to Mavic 2 Pro

    IMHO, the M2P camera is more than "good enough" and I'd bet that the VAST majority of drone flyers couldn't tell the difference by the time any given video clip hits YouTube. The reasons to choose Autel vs DJI has to do much more with DJI's increasingly intrusive and oppressive software...
  13. MacCool

    Upgrading to Mavic 2 Pro

    The Mavic 5, due in 3.5 years, is rumored to be an outstanding drone. I'd recommend waiting until that one comes out, then not purchasing it until they announce the Mavic 6 so that you can get a good deal on the M5. ?