Your all are wondering what I got for a birthday present? MoparMom suggested I pick up a drone. Yeah, I said a drone... It came today and got to fly it twice now. rather fun to fly and feature rich. I got a udiRC FPV drone. Really quite sturdy drone. Flying time is about 6-8 minutes per battery charge. It charges off a normal USB port so I can even charge the batteries in the truck. It can with a portable charging pack too. The camera function works on your cell phone over WiFi. 

 

https://www.amazon.com/U818A-WiFi-Quadcopter-Drone-Camera/dp/B00SH3MU0U

 

As for flying this little craft it not really hard but it does when you get some distance away from yourself. I'm enjoying this drone eventually I'll be able to fly by using the video footage. 

Edited November 1, 20168 yr by Mopar1973Man

Is it holding up good Mike? Thinking about getting Maddox one for Christmas 

It's doing good. I'm getting rather good at flying it. I've got a fun game with the dog. He get mad at the drone and barks at it. So I tell him to get it. He'll go out and chase it in the yard. I fly it back to me. Fun way to get practise and the dog gets exercise too.

On 11/2/2016 at 6:43 PM, Mopar1973Man said:

Don't judge the pilot. Still a novice at this... Also flying in a very light breeze.

 

 

Love the surroundings

I am looking forward to seeing some more videos.  

 

 

Maddox is getting one of these for Christmas 

Looks like fun!!

 

Did you get your FAA license?

 

 

No license required for mine... Under the weight limit.

Edited December 16, 20168 yr by Mopar1973Man

The weight limit applies to aircraft registration, but I thought the laws changed this past summer where all UAV operators had to have an FAA license. 

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00SH3MU0U/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o04_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

 

UDI U818A WiFi FPV RC Quadcopter Drone with HD Camera RTF - VR Headset Compatible - Headless Mode, Low Voltage Alarm, Gravity Induction - Includes BONUS BATTERY + Power Bank (Quadruples Flying Time) - FAA Registration NOT Required

Just like with your pickup registration and license are not the same. 

 

The drone not requiring registration doesn't have anything to do with an FAA license to operate it. 

According to this you dont have to have a license if the guide lines listed for recreational are met. https://www.faa.gov/uas/faqs/#ffr

In reading more on the FAA's webpage I have found contradicting information. Some states that ALL UAV users must have a license, and other states that recreational pilots don't need a license. 

 

There are a whole bunch of rules that apply regardless of recreational or commercial flight. 

 

" A person operating a small UAS must either hold a remote pilot airman certificate with a small UAS rating or be under the direct supervision of a person who does hold a remote pilot certificate (remote pilot in command). "

Edited December 16, 20168 yr by AH64ID

Mine is not commercial use. I'm not for hire so I'm not going to even worry about. I'm under the weigh limit for requirement so I'm not going to worry. As for use I'm out in the middle of nowhere. I'm not like the other yeah whos that fly their drones in a city and crash them into building, other vehicles and people. The most I can do is lose my drone to a tree.  

 

I look forward to firewood season in the spring. I'll be able to drive to an area and the just fly the drone to check for dead trees I can harvest. Again its not like I'm going to be flying thousand feet in the air, or beyond my line of eye sight. 

Attitudes like that are why the UAV rules are getting stricter all the time. 

 

 

15 minutes ago, AH64ID said:

Attitudes like that are why the UAV rules are getting stricter all the time. 

 

 

 

I hate idiot drone owners as well, but it doesn't sound like he is going to be irresponsible... All line of sight and so on.  As long as it is line of sight it isn't any different than an old school RC plane. 

 

Congrats on the gift mike!  

Just be careful that you aren't up there scouting for wood during hunting session, the DOW / DNR won't take kindly to that haha.  

 

 

I thought a drone was a great idea for scouting elk, but apparently they don't agree with me  ( I obviously never tried, but others have)

Edited December 16, 20168 yr by Me78569

I'm not worried typically I do my firewood in April or May in the early spring. I try to never haul wood at the end of the year it can't cure the firewood out hauling it home in October. Again not an issue. 

Maddox got one too Mike but there seems to be a problem. Trying to go into Headless mode doesn't work. Push the headles button and the headlight is supposed to go out but instead, it flashes and flies the same as regular mode. Other than that, this thing is coool!

That is correct. The headlight will flash in headless like mine does. The thing is headless mode you can yaw the craft in any direction then it should fly still the same way in relation to the way to launched from. With headed mode if you yaw the craft the controls are now in the relationship of the head of the craft. 

It seems to work the same way no matter if it's in headless mode or not. Maybe we just haven't figured it out yet