Drones

ajlacombe · July 3, 2020

I searched and could not find anything on drones - other than golf coverage threads. I was wondering if anyone was using drones to do some video capture on the golf course?

I just got one and it is not an easy thing to do to whip out the drone and take some shots. I am a newbie so I am sure I will get better, but it is still a bit involved. I think it would be really cool.

If you have one, what are you doing with it on the course and which one do you have?

I have a DJI Mavic Mini - it seems to last about 20-25 minutes depending on the wind and if it overheats due to sun or wind workload.

llamont · July 14, 2020

Have you registered with the FAA? Aside from golf, I’ve been into R/C airplanes, cars, helicopters, etc for over 30 years. The pics are recent but I’ve been into the hobby since I was 7 (I’m 38 now). I’ll spare you my soapbox opinions on the (more) recent FAA requirements but it’s a great hobby. I’m active on some RC-related forums that have threads dedicated to drone/multi-rotors so let me know if you’d like me to share them. My advice to you is to be patient and considerate in your operation of them. While they are absolutely toys they have the potential to cause a lot of damage and/or injury. Some of us have had to deal with field closures because folks not wanting to follow the rules but it’s unnecessary as there’s plenty of space for everyone.

Edit: Do you belong to the Academy of Model Aeronautics (AMA)? If not, I recommend you at least looking into it... Also, if you’re not planning on flying at an AMA-sanctioned field then you should probably make sure that the property owners (ie, golf course) are cool with you flying on and filming their land.

ajlacombe · July 14, 2020

Thanks for the comments/advice - the Mavic Mini is only 249g so it does not need to be registered. I will look at the AMA as I move forward.

That is a cool helicopter - how long can it fly? How much fuel is on board? There is a field by me where we go to watch the RC planes flying. I doubt I will go that route since golf and cycling take up most of my time, but I like to see them fly :)

howaboutme · July 14, 2020

I fly helis and agree w/ the above. AMA provides some liability coverage in case you screw up and injure someone or something. I would be careful on flying on someone else's property without permission though but out of sight out of mind? You may not technically need to register w/ FAA but registering does keep you up to date with latest regulations (as does the AMA).

llamont · July 14, 2020

That’s my Align T-Rex 700e. It’s totally electric but it flies on a 12s lipo battery. The helicopter itself is pretty ballistic, as are most modern 3D vehicles in its class, but I’m more like an easy drive on a Sunday morning kinda guy. That said I can get about 8-9 minutes of flying per charge. My gliders are unpowered slope soarers and the black Super Fr3ak is an all carbon fiber 1.5 discuss launch glider that weighs about 275g. It’s a thermal machine and probably one of my favorite models right now.

AMA membership is only mandatory if you plan on flying at an AMA sanctioned field. I think the liability insurance is only valid if you’re flying at one of their fields. I got it once I started flying RC helicopters. About 20 years ago, the guy who taught me to fly via buddy box was flying 3D with a Raptor 60/90. He was a skilled expert and even owned a local hobby shop at the time. He had brain fart and gave the wrong collective input. Things went downhill from there and he flew the helicopter into his abdomen. I won’t go into details as we can use our imaginations to figure out that it was really bad. Thank goodness people were at the field with him. An ambulance was called and he transported to the hospital. After that he was outta commission for a few months. AMA footed his medical bills though.