Hot air balloon festival.

[hansenn]

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[cameracamel]

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Beautiful!!!

 

[hank970]

Nice video, but is it legal to fly in such close proximity to hot-air balloons? It's my understanding, at least during Albuquerque's annual Balloon Fiesta, that the fiesta grounds are is designated as an airport, with attendant FAA restrictions on encroachment.

 

[Dronecation]

Nice video, but is it legal to fly in such close proximity to hot-air balloons? It's my understanding, at least during Albuquerque's annual Balloon Fiesta, that the fiesta grounds are is designated as an airport, with attendant FAA restrictions on encroachment.

Doesn't appear to be in the USA. Different airspace rules in Europe possibly.

 

[Fergy]

Just be alert and aware and use common sense and all will be fine.

 

[hansenn]

Our law says: "It is forbidden to participate in air traffic or provide air traffic control services in such a way that it endangers or may endanger persons or property."

"Keep in mind that as a drone pilot, you are at the bottom of the ladder when it comes to priority over other air traffic. So you will always have to make sure that you give way to a hot air balloon. This one cannot swerve in front of you either, an additional reason to adapt to the balloon rather than the other way around."

The balloons flew low and it wasn't blowing so hard so I was able to get reasonably close shots at times. But of course, you always have to be careful.

 

[Erk1024]

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Awesome video! Very enjoyable to watch and listen to. Great work!

 

[Prop Wash]

Beautifully done! Good to see them up in the air from the air.

 

[WilliamDaugherty]

I've flown at a few HAB festivals recently. I never get as close as you did, nor do I ever allow a balloon to be upwind, above, or below my drone. Were you coordinating with the balloon meister? Were you on comms with any pilots? I assumed you were part of a HAB crew honestly. The HAB pilots I know would be extremely unhappy if a rando drone was flying around them as close as this.

 

[hansenn]

Because the balloons are huge, it seems closer than it really is. In all cases I flew at least 50 meters away. Only with the yellow Weber balloon which landed at the end I probably flew a little closer.
This guy was filming from the area where they took off and had permission to fly around here with his drone. You can see that in many cases he gets much closer to the balloons with his drone and even flies over them as they take off.

 

[WilliamDaugherty]

Because the balloons are huge, it seems closer than it really is. In all cases I flew at least 50 meters away. Only with the yellow Weber balloon which landed at the end I probably flew a little closer.
This guy was filming from the area where they took off and had permission to fly around here with his drone. You can see that in many cases he gets much closer to the balloons with his drone and even flies over them as they take off.

I fly multiple drones every day. I knew how close you were. I consider 50m extremely close. So you were not working with the balloon meister, nor were you communicating with any of the flight crews directly? I realize you are in the Netherlands, but I am honestly shocked you didn't get any blowback.

As for the other video, it's a very different thing if you are flying in coordination with the HAB pilots. I was more shocked at how many people he flew over frankly.

 

[hansenn]

I don't think a hot air balloon pilot can claim the entire airspace on his route. In my opinion, I maintained a safe distance in all cases.

Should one or more HAB pilots have thought otherwise, they would have alerted the authorities and would have tracked me down and taken me out of the air using my remote id.

 

[WilliamDaugherty]

I don't think a hot air balloon pilot can claim the entire airspace on his route. In my opinion, I maintained a safe distance in all cases.

Should one or more HAB pilots have thought otherwise, they would have alerted the authorities and would have tracked me down and taken me out of the air using my remote id.

So you are assuming since you weren't approached by law enforcement that everyone was fine with your flying? I suppose that's why you haven't answered my questions re: your communications with the balloon meister or the pilots themselves. Perhaps you don't want to know what they actually think. I really hope you will reconsider your position.

 

[hansenn]

So you are assuming since you weren't approached by law enforcement that everyone was fine with your flying? I suppose that's why you haven't answered my questions re: your communications with the balloon meister or the pilots themselves. Perhaps you don't want to know what they actually think. I really hope you will reconsider your position.

Would that have guaranteed a 100 percent safe situation when I would have communicated with the pilots? Didn't think so.

Did I break any rules? No.

So what is your point?

 

[Dronecation]

So you are assuming since you weren't approached by law enforcement that everyone was fine with your flying? I suppose that's why you haven't answered my questions re: your communications with the balloon meister or the pilots themselves. Perhaps you don't want to know what they actually think. I really hope you will reconsider your position.

Lighten up! You weren't there...