Drone doesn't hit a plane

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Brian Stirling

Diamond Member
Feb 7, 2010
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Lots of stories of drones hitting planes and helicopters and very little evidence any of that is true. So, how about some video showing drones NOT hitting planes or helicopters...

I did a 2040 mile 8 day roadtrips through southern Utah, northern Arizona and the SW corner of Colorado last week and captured some nice drone video, most of it in 4K.


Here's one from near Kanab Utah in the Johnson Canyon -- in 4K.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dwr8TgxvMGc


Here's another from Arizona for all the railfans out there -- in 1080P.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6rpTZlBv__g


I have more video I'm working on...


BTW, I managed 43.5mpg over the trip in the Ford Focus you can see in the videos...


Brian
 
John Connor

John Connor

Lifer
Nov 30, 2012
22,757
619
121
Wow! Amazing! Thanks for sharing. There's a reason why they call that area God's country. Amazing to think that one day it was all under water. I heard that prehistoric shark's teeth can be found on the mesas. Used to live In California and traveled through the great expanse of desert from Cali. to quit literally Grand Junction, CO. I mean the desert just doesn't end until you get up into The Rookies. That's how much freaking desert is out there. Got really tied of it. LOL But it's been years and now I'd like to go back and see it again and do somethings I never did.

I just read that Diablo Canyon is near Meteor Crater. Did you go there?

Interesting that the second train looked like it was hauling grain. I believe those were grain cars if I'm not mistaken. Where does grain come from in the desert? Can't be all the way from the breadbasket of America, can it?

How far can you go with a professional drone? Seems like the range is quit far. I'd like to get a professional drone myself. Right now I just have a cheap quad that can go up to 100'. Have you registered your drone with the FAA? Not sure if I would have to register mine. I need to look into that.
 
B

Brian Stirling

Diamond Member
Feb 7, 2010
3,964
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IronWing said:
"Drone Hits Train!"
Click to expand...


Objects in mirror are closer than they appear!


In actuality I was a good bit away from the train -- the perspective makes it look closer. One of the problems with filming at the Canyon Diablo Bridge is that the east side, the side you have access to, is about 10 feet lower than the rim on the west side so you don't know a train is coming from the west until it's on you. And, to be in the better locations for video/photos you need to climb down from the rim about 10 feet so you don't see anything coming from either direction.

I mentioned in the video that there are piers for another bridge but didn't know if they never built it or tore it down. I found a reference to the Canyon Diablo Ghost Town (see link below) and discovered that they'd designed the original bridge but when it arrived it wasn't long enough so they had to build a new one. In the mean time there were a thousand or more workers with little to do and a town sprang up with saloons and brothels and ... violence. The first Marshal was sworn in at 3PM and buried at 8PM.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canyon_Diablo,_Arizona


Brian
 
B

Brian Stirling

Diamond Member
Feb 7, 2010
3,964
2
0
John Connor said:
Wow! Amazing! Thanks for sharing. There's a reason why they call that area God's country. Amazing to think that one day it was all under water. I heard that prehistoric shark's teeth can be found on the mesas. Used to live In California and traveled through the great expanse of desert from Cali. to quit literally Grand Junction, CO. I mean the desert just doesn't end until you get up into The Rookies. That's how much freaking desert is out there. Got really tied of it. LOL But it's been years and now I'd like to go back and see it again and do somethings I never did.

I just read that Diablo Canyon is near Meteor Crater. Did you go there?

Interesting that the second train looked like it was hauling grain. I believe those were grain cars if I'm not mistaken. Where does grain come from in the desert? Can't be all the way from the breadbasket of America, can it?

How far can you go with a professional drone? Seems like the range is quit far. I'd like to get a professional drone myself. Right now I just have a cheap quad that can go up to 100'. Have you registered your drone with the FAA? Not sure if I would have to register mine. I need to look into that.
Click to expand...


I love driving in the desert -- there's something very relaxing about it. I always carry water and food in case something happens.

Yes, Meteor Crater is just a short drive from the Canyon Diablo / Two Guns exit and although I've been there a few times before I did stop again. I will be putting up another video soon on the "Two Guns" abandoned theme park which, as I mentioned in the Canyon Diablo video, is at the same exit from US40 but on the south side. There's a bunch of stone ruins there and I wonder if some of that want related to the Canyon Diablo Ghost Town.

The Inspire 1 Pro drone that I have is probably just shy of a professional class drone but certainly more expensive and capable than the Phantom class of drones. In order to fly at all you must register with the FAA and abide the rules. The rules state that you can't fly higher than 400 feet but don't clearly specify if that's 400 feet above the starting point or 400 feet above the ground where the drone is -- you can fly up and down hills so that detail is important. I take the rule to mean 400AGL where ever the drone is.

The range is dependent on a number of factors and when flying near built up areas with wifi etc the noise and interference limits range quite a bit. I did a test a couple months back in the desert and away from anything and was able to go 1.7 miles without a problem. This is not recommended, particularly in built up areas, as you need to maintain eye contact with the drone and can't rely just on the FPV video feed. I don't have 20-10 eyesight like I did when I was under 35, but I can keep the drone within eyesight up to about 3/4 mile but I don't usually go anywhere near that far. One trick is to position yourself sort of midway so you could go, say, half mile one way and half mile the other for a total distance of a mile. The reason you can't rely solely on the FPV feed is that the limited FOV means you may not see a plane or helicopter approaching so you need to maintain situational awareness with your MARK I eyeballs.


Brian
 
skyking

skyking

Lifer
Nov 21, 2001
22,889
6,054
146
Those are old piers from the first wooden bridge that spanned the canyon.
Notice the old coarse ballast leading up to it on either side, and the two approach buttresses at the top of the canyon.
First bridge:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canyon_Diablo_(canyon)
click on the photo lower right, then get more details. you can open a big version of the scan and scroll around in it.

I love the "old road", I look out for it and I think it would make for some grand videos. Let me get some good google shots for you.

Look at this in google earth, and see where the highway used to be. Google earth is still tracing "the old road" :D
https://goo.gl/maps/3yVLpVr1usu

Sometimes the "old road" isn't the first "old road" or even the second.
In this shot, notice the section of wagon tracks between old US 30 and new divided US 30
That is likely a portion of the Oregon Trail :)
https://goo.gl/maps/itnGZZRj7s22
 
Last edited:
B

Brian Stirling

Diamond Member
Feb 7, 2010
3,964
2
0
skyking said:
Those are old piers from the first wooden bridge that spanned the canyon.
Notice the old coarse ballast leading up to it on either side, and the two approach buttresses at the top of the canyon.
First bridge:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canyon_Diablo_(canyon)
click on the photo lower right, then get more details. you can open a big version of the scan and scroll around in it.

I love the "old road", I look out for it and I think it would make for some grand videos. Let me get some good google shots for you.

Look at this in google earth, and see where the highway used to be. Google earth is still tracing "the old road" :D
https://goo.gl/maps/3yVLpVr1usu

Sometimes the "old road" isn't the first "old road" or even the second.
In this shot, notice the section of wagon tracks between old US 30 and new divided US 30
That is likely a portion of the Oregon Trail :)
https://goo.gl/maps/itnGZZRj7s22
Click to expand...


Not far from where I live near SLC Utah we have the old Pony Express route that still exists as dirt roads and in places it's now paved. I can hardly imagine how tough it must have been back in the day when the only roads were rutted and poorly maintained dirt roads -- riding in a stage coach must have been brutal with wooden wheels and maybe springs but no pneumatic tires or shock absorbers.

The story of the Canyon Diablo Ghost town and the brutal violence in it were new to me -- I'd never heard about it, but it appears to have been one of the toughest towns the west ever saw. But, I guess since it never exceeded more than 2000 people and it existed for so short a time that tends to minimize its place in history.

And, the Two Guns place I talked about appears to have been more of a road stop with side shows than a full on theme park as I first thought.

I love learning about places like this...


Brian
 
John Connor

John Connor

Lifer
Nov 30, 2012
22,757
619
121
That bridge needs a delorean! That's kinda what it reminds me of with the talk of the old west and all.
 
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