A View from The Air

Hi Garry

You sure get a very different perspective from the air and the Canola crops are a very good example of that, with the wheat in the other paddocks with their dark green colour. Also you get some great beach shots over the braking surf that you can not see from the beach.

I am glad that I held off, as I originally liked the Phantom, but the down side is very bulky to travel with and almost double the selling price.

As they say, all good things come to those that wait........lol



Cheers and thanks for your reply.




Stephen

Hi ChrisVal

Thanks for that and you sure do get a very different perspective from above.

I can not wait to get out into the red sand and spinifex and over the cliffs of the Great Australian Bight.



Cheers


Stephen

Not sure why you made a comment like that Bow and Nan.

Generator, sit in the one place for hours on end yet once the drone is in the air, you can hardly hear it and when over about 30 metres, there is no noise at all.

Do you use an outboard on your tinnie or use your air conditioner in your caravan when you are set up, as they for sure make far more noise than my drone.

As they say, you can never please everyone.


Stephen

Well said.

What a sour puss Bow & Nan must be. All Stephen has done is show us what can be achieved with a drone. These photo's very clearly demonstrate the totally different perspective that can be obtained and I don't see to many camping areas. I would believe that most people would see these photo's as a great addition to their photo collection and memories.
Stephen has in his post reminded people that there are laws that cover the use of drones and urged their responsible use. Your Troopy driving into a camp ground would make much more noise than a drone..
So get a life and be thankful that we have members like Stephen who give much of their time to help others.
Chris

Some people have no respect for others, in any regards, be it generators, loud music, drunken antics, dangerous driving in their 4WDs, etc etc.
That will probably never change.

I (and I'm sure Stephen), aim to fly drones with respect to others.
Within CASA guidlines of 30m distance they are very quiet, especially with different blades (mavic pro platinum blades are a fair bit quieter, not that the normal ones are overly intrusive).

The other point is drones have a battery life of around 20 mins, so they aren't going to be hovering over someones camp for all that time, you can be sure of that . . . rather well out of earshot taking amazing video or photos.

Most drone operators ignore the 30 m distance. I can hear them from 300 m.
I do not enjoy a drone above my camp at happy hour.
I do not enjoy a drone hovering 5 m above my caravan.
I do not enjoy a drone hovering above my boat when I am fishing.

I put drones in the same category as jet skis.

Some people are only happy when they are miserable. Life begins when you get one.

I love drones and I always love Stephen's pictures. He generously shares his pics and experiences with others.

Keep it up Stephen, including your drone.

Hey Bow


Are you for real or just full of it......

It just shows how ignorant you are to claim you can hear a drone from 300 metres.

Drones at that distance will be almost impossible to hear, and if you do not have eagle eyes, almost impossible to see.

As they say you will never please everyone, and you sound like one of those type of people.

This evening at 8:30 a local man in central vic has been flying his drone over the suburbs. Contrary to what was stated by those who own one I can easily, very easily, hear it at least 300 m away. At two house blocks distance it attracts attention as it is noisey and high up it is easily heard. Those who can’t need hearing assistance it seems. Appears to be a Mavic brand. Easy to see at 300m too. Just look in direction the noise is emanating from.

Hi RMD

The trouble is there are quite a few brands and models of Drones on the market and all get branded as the same.

My drone is manufactured by the largest Drone manufacture in the world, DJI. I am in no way having a shot at you, and please do not take this the wrong way, but Mavic is one of many models and not the brand.

DJI make quite a few models, with mine being the Mavic Air, and trust me at 300 metres you can not see or hear it and let alone see it if you do not have a spotter keeping a very good eye on it. Without seeing any drone up close, it would be very hard to see what brand or model it is.

It sounds like the person flying around your suburb is far from a responsible drone flyer. I like many responsible flyers only fly it in out of the way places and well away from other people, as the last thing I would want to do is cause any sort of trouble.


Cheers


Stephen

Even with my 'noisy' Phantom I can barely hear it 300m away. If I could hear suburban traffic, I don’t think I could hear it 200m away.

Anyone doubting my figures the readout gives me distances from 'home' and altitude. My hearing is really good at the frequency the sound of the drone or wasps. It is high pitched sounds I have difficulty with.

Anyone seeing the Phantom at 300m has to have very good eyes too. Very good eyes, and know where to look

Observation of an aircraft is a bit like trying to judge the size and distance of a glacier without considerable experience. These aircraft included. Without the readout you wouldn’t know.

I can’t understand why people have to complain about the way others camp.

I know nothing about drones. I have no interest in them. But you can’t deny the lovely pictures they take.

The same with generators. If someone else wants to use one that’s fine with me. Honestly how much noise does a little Honda or Yamaha make.

A JetSki. Now that’s something I want to try. But I’d probably just poke around on one but it looks fun.

Gees these people are all out in the outdoors having fun. What could be better. Just because they do it differently to you doesn’t mean they are doing it wrong.

Cheers Greg

Ha Ha Allan

I know you and Roa too well for you to stop travelling.

If you are a good boy, Roz might have a chat to Father Christmas and see what he can arrange for you for Christmas........Lol



Cheers



Stephen

Thanks Again Les for sharing.


Cheers



Stephen

Hi Les

They are fantastic and thanks for sharing.

The music is great as well, where did you get that from?



Cheers and Thanks


Stephen

I like using iMovie on the ipad for first edit, then add some music in the DJI editor on Go4.
It's pretty basic, and you need to try and match music to your video to suit.

I just haven't had time to master any of the reasonable (or free) cost more advanced editors, but with those you can get free share music from many sites online, all they ask is acknowledgment of their info in the video description on youtube etc.

And with a Gannet bait release, drop a bait right into a school of Mulloway !!
Ol' fisher mate across the road was telling me he watched a group do this recently down the Murray mouth, and every time they hooked and brought in a big Mullo.

Yep, was using one of those the day the photo was taken when a 300kg mulloway jumped out of the water, grabbed my bait and took off. It dragged me across the Murray Mouth and I fought him all way down the Young Husband Peninsula - landed him just before Kingston. It wasn't legal though because I lost visual line of sight on the Mavic!

Sorry Les, I couldn't resist.

Nice pics of Hallet Cove.

Ha ha, poor old Mavic would have trouble with that.

Hi Skulldug

Thanks for sharing that great image over the Coorong. it looks great.


Thanks Again.


Cheers


Stephen

Hi John

It’s been a long time since we have had a chat.

That video is fantastic and the music adds to the theme.

Thanks for taking the time to show us all.


Cheers


Stephen

Hi Stephen, Heather drew my attention to the post. I have a P3P which is a bit long in the tooth in terms of technology today but the camera is good. I have bought some processing software but am no wizz at using it as I haven't allocated the time to learn.

We have just spent the weekend at the Pyrenees on the annual EO jaunt, but the drone stayed in the car. Interestingly one friend who has been using a Mavic is thinking of going to the more bulky Phantom for a better platform

Hi Greg

Thanks for sharing those great images, they are fantastic.

How do you compare the Air over the Pro?

Thanks again for the time to show us those great images.


Cheers


Stephen

Hello

When I acquired the Pro the Air hadn't been released...but I got caught out for a work job when the Pro had to be sent in on warranty issue. So grabbed the Air. Both are excellent. Battery life on Pro is probably something I like as at least 1/3 better than Air...plus seems to have better signal range but if you abide by drone rules not a problem. So would say Pro good for long missions in open areas. I use Air in tight areas for work (forest)...as its smaller than Pro and battery life and range not an issue (have 4 batteries).

If I had to choose would go Air now. Pro has been superseded by new versions (Mavic 2 Pro and Mavic 2 Zoom). I think the super serious photographers would choose Pro option but more expensive and while it may have potential for better pics not something we probably need to worry about.

Cheers
Greg

Greg, that's a terrific shot of the Barn Owl. Was that planned, or just a fluke?

How do you blokes calculate your maximum flying height? I believe that is regulated to 400 feet. Do you have altimeters on the drones?

The shot of the Collgar Wind Farm seem to be taken right around the 400 foot mark, as the turbines are 125M (410 feet) to the tip of the vertical blades.

Cheers, Ron.

Hello Ron

Barn owl picture was a fluke...was just assessing tree hollows...and there it was.

Maximum height allowed for drones in Australia (without special permission I assume) is indeed 400ft (120m in the new language, if you dont fly a plane). Max height is maintained by drone software on controlling device (generally smartphone or ipad/tablet). The software for the devices in question (DJI) allows you to change this setting up to a maximum of of 500m..so you can...like driving..go over the limit..but not advisable.

Cheers
Greg

Hi Michael

That is why I made mention of this point in my last paragraph.

Also their App is very handy when in an area that you are not sure of.

Thanks for your reply.


Cheers


Stephen

The app is "Can I Fly There", available for apple or android, free, very good.

There ARE ways to fly places in the app even in or near red no fly zones legally under the NOTAM system, into G airspace, but really it's a pita to go through the rigmarole.

120m is high enough to get some scenic shots for sure, the only place I'd like to fly higher is in the middle of desert regions to get the vastness in perspective.
I've flown some places / properties with small strips, just ask the controlling authority there if anything is on the way they know of, and do the CASA rule where you land asap if you become aware of any aircraft operating.

It's a brilliant hobby, goes so well hand in hand with bushwalking or 4WDn.
When drone operators fly with respect and consideration for others, I can't for the life of me see how 15 - 20 mins max flight time even if you weren't aware say campers were down the river (or whatever) a little, when flying at more than 30m you would be hard going hearing or seeing a drone unless it was ascending under increased engine power.

From a hobby level, they certainly are not there to (and operators aren't going waste battery life to) hover over a camp "spying" on people (a common perception), as you simply can't make out to that sort of level of detail with their tiny cameras, they are only for scenic use, rather than military style drone ability.

Well said Les.


Cheers



Stephen

The Mavic Air is actually quite noisy and can be heard when 120m above you - ...not sure how far away in a horizontal distance (obviously depends on height and prevailing wind etc). Sounds like a swarm of very angry bees close up. Mavic Pro not so noisy but it is more than noticeable at 30m.

I just try to avoid people altogether and if there are a few around try not to fly near them, go up to 120m and don't linger. I think the dislike of drones is because people think they are being spied upon or their privacy invaded. Strangely though you could walk past someones camp at less than 30m and see more than with a drone while at the same time getting a "hello" and "how ya going"...do that with a drone and it may get smashed out of the sky with a well aimed rock :)

Cheers
Greg

Wasn't aware of the increased noise of the Air, and possibly the Mavic Zoom . . . strange as I thought fairly related products they should be around the same.

The Mavic Pro is very quiet, moreso when you put the Platinum props on, it makes a noticeable difference in reducing motor noise.
I must pick up a second set of Platinum props, as these have done some pretty good hours now.

The Airs props are closer to the body of the drone and overlap it a fair bit compared to Pro - this maybe the reason for it be noticeably louder....but I am only guessing.

I did buy some low noise props for the Air but they dont sound much different - the Chinese dude on Ebay must have been having me on. Lucky they only cost a few bucks and work nonetheless. The Pro is not so noisy that I have as yet considered low noise props but when the time comes to get some replacements may as well try them I suppose.

Cheers
Greg

I reckon my P3P props are noisier by a fair way than the Mavic drones I have been near

That’s a certainty John, my sons Phantom is much more noticeable from the noise aspect.

Funny enough, his Spark seems more annoying with its small props and higher motor tones.

CSAS use to be covered under a thing called " common sense & decency "
Not to much of that around anymore ..
but i would rather have a drone wiping around than some FT on a jet ski pissing me off !!!
luv the pictures & this story as i have a DJI spark on my wish list for xmas .

Hi skulldug

Thanks for taking the time to put those great images up, they look great.

The one that looks special to me is the pink salt lake..it looks just unreal from the air.

There is a similar “Pink Lakes” heading down the Coorong and I would love to photograph it from the air.

I would think most responsible people would check out the CASA regulations before they first fly, as I know I did.


Cheers


Stephen

Uluru is we’ll outside Yulara airport zone and the Can I Fly There app says ok to fly at the rock.

BUT all Nat Pks in Oz have varying rules for flying drones, NT is pretty sure you need to seek a permit, a lot of mucking about.

Qld is the only state you can fly all such parks without permission, simply fly to CASA rules.

When I was there the signs said “NO” to drones, Rangers notices mentioned the exclusion too. Aboriginal communities especially adamant about it for cultural reasons and beliefs.

Hi RMD

That would have been a very expensive flight for that Phantom flyer.

If there were signs saying no drones, then it is people like this that give other responsible flyers a bad name.

Cheers


Stephen

Yes RMD, I've seen the signs there, and as I said Nat Parks are off limits in most cases / states, except in QLD.

True Stephen, it SHOULD be a matter of common sense, but little of that (or consideration in lots of things) now it seems.
Eg. I didn't dream of flying in Karijini recently, but I heard a drone at the main campground one afternoon, when staying there for a night.

I flew at Rudall, because there was no one up at the times in the gorge (DQB), but I was aware of others flying at camp (though it was brief and it didn't bother me at all).

I'd have no qualms flying in the Simpson from a remote camp, but wouldn't fly in busy places in the Flinders, etc etc.

Hi Les

I came across my first “No Drones” sign a couple of years ago up at the lookouts at El Questro.

The lookouts seemed to be the only places off limits for them and put it down to the tourist helicopter flights in the area, even though some of the lookouts were well away from where they take off.

Just have to be so careful where and when you fly.


Cheers



Stephen

My understanding is that In WA at least it is against the law to take off or land in a national park without first obtaining permission...but they (DBCA) dont actually have control of the air space...so you can take off (and land) outside of the park and then fly over it. I could be wrong but that's my understanding. Not saying its a good idea in all circumstances just that some "no drone" warnings may just be bluffs with a workaround.

Cheers
Greg

Indeed that is correct Greg.

But of course keeping VLOS (visual line of sight) of the drone by the operator is also a CASA.
So technically if flying by the rules it effectively rules out what most would call any meaningful flight over such places.

If you check local council guidelines around Oz, you’ll find there are MANY, especially in popular places, that also ban drone ops without permits from using their land for operating a drone, meaning same thing you can fly over, but not launch or land from ‘their land’.

Brisbane is extreme for these bans, in fact I am pretty sure there is only one park in all Bris metro councils that allows drones.
Pretty unsafe forcing a lot of flyers into the one place, rather than into numerous allowable places, not to mention having to travel long distances to inconvenience hobbyists.

Hi Alan

Once again, thanks for taking the time to share your great images.

They sure are so special and I find my GPS accuracy just unreal. Once it is calibrated, I can take off, fly for quite some time in all direction, it the RTH and within centimetres, it will land back on my launching pad.

I would love to see your images over the Baxter Cliffs, they will look just unreal.


Cheers


Stephen

I thought the Mavic 2 was only released a few months ago. Do you mean the Pro?

Cheers
Greg

Yes sorry Greg, Mavic Pro (with the new gold tipped props)

Ok - that would be the Mavic Pro Platinum - I would have got that but didn't even know it existed at the time. It is a flasher version of the Pro that, among others things comes with lower noise props and also fractionally longer battery life. Good choice.

Cheers
Greg

The Platinum props do fit the std pro, and reduce noise slightly, certainly you can notice it.

Hi Eagle

You are so true that I would think that most people here on the site are very responsible drone flyers, but being human nature, it does not matter how responsible you are, there will always by those that will hate them for the fact of being opposite to what others think is OK.


Thanks for your reply.


Cheers



Stephen

Hi Macca

Thanks for that.


Cheers


Stephen

Very susceptible?
What rubbish shaker.
Stop trying to make an issue out of nothing.

Typical.

Did you read the article??
I wasn’t trying to make an issue, I was just offering owners the opportunity to double check.
For your information very susceptible & at high risk mean very much the same thing. If you can, I have attached a link to the article for you to read.

DJI AT HIGH RISK OF SPYING & HACKING

Go back to English class Shaker

Did you even bother to read the article, if you can’t make a comment actually relevant to my post, why don’t you just mind your own business instead of just being mindlessly aggressive?

OK Paul, whatever

Hi Shaker,

I have had my photos from here on EO used in other places on the internet without asking me, so unfortunately we are all at the mercy of the Dark Web.

Hi also Alan,

Look at my reply below to another reply from Shaker, you may find it very interesting about the DJI Company.

I purchased my drone from one of our work suppliers (CR Kennedy), and who are the Australian Distributors of the DJI range. I was told some very interesting details that most people would never be aware of.



Cheers


Stephen

Hi Stephen,

Yes I am aware of all that, thanks, and read the article that Paul (Shaker) put up yesterday when it first came out.

Anyone reading the article would realise very quickly that it is a very minor risk to DJI users, and it is highly, highly unlikely that you and I (and people like us) would be affected.

"Very susceptible" - hardly.

cheers
Alan

I was only quoting the article to advise those that didn’t see it, obviously in future I won’t bother.

Hi Shaker

I was not aware of that, and cheers.

I think the only way DJI would get your photos and still images would be when you upload and update your flight records.

You may or not know, but they are basically a mini flying computer, logging the distance of each flight, the total distance and time your drone has flown, where in the world you have taken off from, your maximum speed for your flight, maximum altitude that you achieved during your flight, and goodness knows what else. When they do this around the world for the thousands of drone flyers, they would have an extremely accurate record of many more things that the general public would be aware of and a perfect tool for the Chinese Government to spy without your knowledge.

Not sure if you also knew it, but they at one time supplied very different type drones to the US Military Forces. The US Military force told DJI what features that they wanted, and DJI met their demands. The only problem with that was going to be very obvious........all secret information was then passed on the Chinese Governmant (DJI is a Chinese Company). The yanks have ditched DJI for security reasons and from what I have been told, make their own drones for Military purposes in the USA.



Cheers



Stephen

You should be aware, before you produce the 12 ga., and start practising your clay pigeon target shooting on "offending" drones, that destroying other peoples property is against the law, and the law takes a very dim view of such actions.

Even in the Land of the Brave and Free (and the well-armed), the courts have generally ruled that the same laws apply - you do not have any "entitlement" to shoot down drones, purely because you believe that they are "trespassing" over your property.

People can look over your fence, or get a view of the "private spaces" in your property, from nearby high rise buildings - so there's no law that says a drone can't fly over your property.

If a drone appears at your bedroom window and hovers there, you definitely have a case to call in the police for offensive behaviour and invasion of privacy.
However, that still doesn't give you the right to blow the offending drone away. You may be able to capture the drone and hold it for evidence for the police - but you can't damage it.

How much of your property do you actually own? (Australia)

Cheers, Ron.