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Thursday, October 24, 2013

Misc 1: Quadcopter Drone Night Flying

Many of the new low-cost quadcopter drones come equipped with LED lights for night flying.  Although night flying is definitely NOT for beginners, it is not too difficult to learn.  Intermediate flyers can usually pick it up quickly. It does take some practice, and it is recommend that you start slowly. Stay low and close at first. Then maybe do a quick ascent, but bring it back down close soon after.

The following nights, do more ascents, staying up high a little longer each night.  It's important to develop a comfortable understanding of the orientation of the quadcopter based on its lighting alone.  You will not be able to see its blades to help determine its orientation.

Proficiency only comes with practice. Night flying may seem intimidating at first, but this quickly diminishes with each flight.   It can also be a lot of fun.  You may notice increased conversations and encounters with your neighbors, passersby, and even local authorities as they notice the strange lights in the sky : )


5 comments:

  1. When I first moved to my current location there were a few (smoky) evenings when I noticed a bright light heading straight towards me, gradually increasing in size and intensity and then suddenly zooming off sideways to avoid me! It was a couple of weeks before I realised that I was perfectly aligned with the southern glide-path of my local airport. It was interesting while it lasted!

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  2. Can anyone tell which direction my drown is pointing my camera ?

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