Pros & Cons
So everyone chime in on this one please!
I have been invited by the Chamber to be a part of the St. Patrick's Day parade!
I would like to know what are my issues I will be running into while doing this.
I do have a list of my own, and some ideas to make it run smoothly.
Here are the crucibles involved:
- 10 blocks, no turns
- 3 fully charged batteries
- about a 30 min or less parade
- 14 foot clearance under stoplights
- cleared by FAA for the area for 2 years
- I do have my Part 107
- My wife will drive my truck and I will either be walking or riding in the back of it.
So I was thinking of running the follow me mode under 12 feet?
Am I missing anything??
Thanks to all from Sioux Falls, SD!
Congratulations on scoring this opportunity for yourself. Way cool and I'm sure you're excited about the upcoming prospect.
Others here can tell you all about insurance, paperwork, and all of that stuff you need to consider. I would just like to add to be just like Santa Claus: make out a list and check it out twice - at least twice. You only get one shot at making a good impression coming out of this gate, so be sure to cover all of your bases.
I wouldn't simply take or totally trust anyone else's statements about traffic light heights or anything else important to your flight safety and maneuverability. I would go onsite and check it out and verify it for myself first, before the parade date. The heights on the DJI App are NOT exactly etched in stone, but even though they may be relative they also are consistent. When you're dealing with an alleged 14' max height - without yet considering what other obstructions may be present - and you may be flying from the back of a moving truck, plus your subject matter is the height of a standard parade procession with bystanders flanking you on both sides, your margin of error is not so great as to just wing it the day of the parade, in my mind.
I'd want to know just what the Mavic has to say about important heights to remember since that, in the end, is what will matter. If I were you I'd take my Mavic right there where you will be flying and working since you DO have access for 2 years to the area and hover that thing at the exact height I wanted to film from, of course leaving a safe distance still for a margin of error. Jot that down and that's your max altitude that you can match the day of the parade. I'd also canvas the entire area out and even make notes of pole locations along the route, bad potholes or roadway concerns, power lines and their heights, and especially anything unusual or obviously problematic so you know about it long before you get there to film. You could even fire up a couple of batteries and fly a practice run along the route, since it is only 10 blocks, perhaps early in the morning before traffic is an issue or whenever is best.
Perhaps you've already thought about this or even have done it. But just like it's always good to be able to do a trial run before actually flying out to do an important or more difficult photo shoot, the same would hold true with flying this parade route to me. You can only learn something by doing it, it'll only cost you the time and battery power to fly 10 blocks, and you may even avoid twisting an ankle or dropping your controller by being aware of a road hazard or getting your Mavic in some lines of some sort you weren't expecting to be there.
Good luck with your shoot. I hope all goes well for you. And yes, please post some images of what you get. Would enjoy seeing them.
