Recent content by pdmike

You generally can't do it because the typical drone video is too large. However, there is this Web site: wetransfer.com, that permits you to send large files to others (up to 2GB) using their email address. And, it's FREE! You do everything on their Web site; no need to download anything onto...

The Los Angeles Times this morning is reporting that a possible cause of the SCUBA diving boat disaster off of the California coast was a lithhium battery. https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2019-09-05/what-caused-fire-aboard-the-conception

Thanks. Knowing it can't be done is just as good as knowing it can.

Is it possible to combine two (or more) Intelligent Flight modes at the same time? For example, can you set your quad to fly POI and also put it on Tripod? Or set it for Tripod and Straight Line flight at the same time?

Thank y'all.

What is the life-span of a LiPo battery for a Phantom 4? I have had mine for 21 1/2 years with very little use. I charged them the other day after a long layoff, and it took almost three days for them to reach full charge. Are they on their way out? Or was it just the long layoff?

I shot this off to city attorney guy this morning: "On further reading of Section 7.80.040, I have no objection to subsections (a), (b), (c) or (d). I initially did object to (d), but whether it is in conflict of FAA regs or not, the insertion of the "reasonable expectation of privacy"...

Here is the response from the assitant city attorney for the City of Laguna Beach, who contributed to the writing of the ordinance: "Dear Sir: I am the Assistant City Attorney for the City of Laguna Beach. I was the member of our office primarily involved in working with City staff to draft...

Good point. But you say: "The city is requiring you to have a FAA license to fly over the beaches even if the flight activity/drone does meet the FAA requirements for having to have a license." Didn't you mean " .... even if the flight activity/drone does NOT meet the FAA requirements for...

If I was flying a drone over beaches for the purpose of videoing females in bathing suits or flying a drone outside of bedroom windows in houses or hotels, or using my quad for any other offensive or improper purpose, I wouldn't be looking for any loophole whatsoever. I would simply stop doing...

OK, boys - I put a call in to the city attorney for the City of Laguna Beach but, of course, he did not answer and I had to leave a voice mail. I did, however, get his email address and I sent him the following email: Hi Phil - I called you this morning but no answer, so I am sending an...

I'm with you on this. Thanks for the link. I'm going to have a chat with the City of Laguna Beach today and get their thinking, although I don't expect to get anywhere, dealing with a local city official. The ordinance in question was drafted by a pretty high-powered L.A. law firm, so I...

Thanks for your input.

To sum up, I think the proper rule ought to be that cities should be allowed to enact ordinances governing how drones can or cannot be flown (cannot endanger people or invade privacy or persons with a reasonable expectation of privacy) but not where they can be flown (laterally or vertically)...

I agree with much of what you say. No one wants drones flashing about, 10 feet off the ground or hovering outside of their bedroom window. Both of these types of drone operation are properly prohibited by this ordinance. Reckless flying around people is expressly prohibited (Subsection c) and...