Recent content by grinder

That also looks like a really crowded tourist spot. Not the best place to be flying if conditions aren't right.

What about the local mountain climbing club? Maybe they can help.

It will start out as a simple $20 fee. Within 3 years the government will be talking cost recovery for CASA, online exam and education marketing blitz. The fee will likely hit $200 p.a. within 5 years. They will probably mandate insurance in that time. Surprise surprise interest in drones drops...

Travel Down Under for some fresh air, clear skies and simple hassle-free drone flying. ;) The only "harassment" I have had is people wanting to know more about them. I'm sure there are haters but unless you were hovering a few feet outside their window, I couldn't imagine them calling the police.

In Australia I would never even think to check in with the local cop. If I did, they would be WTF are you seeing us for? Laws are pretty simple. Comply with CASA and check local council regulations about launching from one of their parks. Our cops are state based and don't enforce council rules...

Is there a local mountain climbing group who could help you for a six pack of beer? If the correct gear & knowledge they might be able to retrieve it.

I don't want to yank bash, but the rest of the World doesn't have this sort of problem. Government over regulation and birds of prey are our biggest problem.

I found the ipad mini 4 fits well with the clamps spread almost to the max. But the cable (standard apple cable) protruded out where I hold the controller. I thought about getting a right angle plug but worried about quality and possible dropped connection. So I decided on a mavmount with an...

Interesting I just got insurance from AAMI as a portable add on and I described loses whilst flying and whether the mavic had to be recovered.They confirmed it did not. They said it would be covered in a crash. I will double check when the policy document arrives.

Like many government "action" they are solving a minor almost non-existent problem with an ineffective solution. It wont stop the clueless or those who will ignore the law even after registration. All it does is make the politicians and beaucrates look like they are being proactive. At best it...

I'm the same. Floor mat is heavy enough that it stays in place no matter how windy or downdraught. No pegs or weights required. It also rolls up easily enough to slide into my bag. But I don't tend to walk very far so others might find the extra weight annoying.

True, but overly paranoid security airport security could use the "it's a weapon" as a reason to confiscate it.

Fake foil problem

Before I unpack my mavic, I check for flying risks and I make an estimate of the height of objects relative to my take off position and set that as my RTH height. I tend to forget those things once I'm unpacking, so I do it first. When I lift off I will climb up to the RTH altitude, level the...

That is interesting. I've never flown in ATTI mode. I understood that stability was limited but it had not occurred to me that momentum would not be corrected when you centre the sticks. It's such a key feature that make theses aircraft so easy to fly. I could imagine a situation where the pilot...