Working class drone

Great more use of the word drone by mass media. I hate that word, as most people (due again to mass media) simply assume that drones are militarized, and because of that harbor ill will towards them without even knowing what's going on. Just call it what it is, a quad copter.

Even worse, they bought a RTF DJI Phantom, known for dropping out of the sky for no reason. I guess it wasn't in the budget for someone to actually do some reading and research, and take the time to build an aircraft so that they understood it and could effectively troubleshoot any problems that might occur.

On a positive note however, good for them for embracing technology that puts less lives at risk to accomplish the job.

Great more use of the word drone by mass media. I hate that word, as most people (due again to mass media) simply assume that drones are militarized, and because of that harbor ill will towards them without even knowing what's going on. Just call it what it is, a quad copter.

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I agree.

Moreover, drone isn't the technically correct word for something like this anyway; a drone has some autonomy, just no "intelligence". Unless this copter can fly itself with only coordinate instructions from it's operators, it is not a drone. It is a radio controlled aerial vehicle.

This was local to me. A 2nd big fire in an abandoned factory or warehouse that was being considered for condos or something.
No way is this in any way a drone, but it's a great use of an RC Quadcopter to prevent firefighters and inspectors from getting caught in a dangerous situation.
Apparently most of the wooden flooring has burned out making the rest of the structure subject to collapse, and all those photos it took at 1 per second makes it very easy to determine the condition of the standing walls both inside and out.

Sixtysixdeuce said:

I agree.

Moreover, drone isn't the technically correct word for something like this anyway; a drone has some autonomy, just no "intelligence". Unless this copter can fly itself with only coordinate instructions from it's operators, it is not a drone. It is a radio controlled aerial vehicle.

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The problem in the past was there was no clear definition of what a drone was / is. Apparently now they have expanded the definition to include UAV's, which while technically this would fall under that qualification, I still hate that hobby grade aircraft are being labeled as such and I think it's a mistake to do so. As an AMA member, there's been times we've sat on pins and needles waiting to see how the FAA is going to rule on hobby aircraft like the one's I own. The (shock market) mass media hasn't helped us any at all either.

Rolex said:

This was local to me. A 2nd big fire in an abandoned factory or warehouse that was being considered for condos or something.
No way is this in any way a drone, but it's a great use of an RC Quadcopter to prevent firefighters and inspectors from getting caught in a dangerous situation.
Apparently most of the wooden flooring has burned out making the rest of the structure subject to collapse, and all those photos it took at 1 per second makes it very easy to determine the condition of the standing walls both inside and out.

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Rolex, I completely agree.

People are starting to believe if it's something in the air, and it's taking pictures, it's a drone.
They could have hung a GoPro camera from a birthday balloon.

Rolex said:

People are starting to believe if it's something in the air, and it's taking pictures, it's a drone.
They could have hung a GoPro camera from a birthday balloon.

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Exactly, and everyone's all up in arms about them being used to spy on them or doing peeping tom stuff. I don't think they realize that you can't sneak around with these things, they sound like about 100,000 really angry bees buzzing all at once, there is no sneaking with them. And as far as that goes, you can look in bedroom windows much cheaper and quieter with a $2 broomstick and some duct tape if that's what they're worried about. It all comes down to the whole tin foil hat crowd making a lot of noise IMHO, as they always do. Just like those cell phones were going to give all of us brain tumors in the next few years, and that's been over 20 years ago now.

HPIguy said:

you can look in bedroom windows much cheaper and quieter with a $2 broomstick and some duct tape

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Um, I need a mirror still, right?

Rolex said:

Um, I need a mirror still, right?

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GoPro so you'll have the footage for later.

Wow, I HAVE one!!! Thanks for that tip!

I have a few quads and get really annoyed that people call them drones. I personally think of drones as semi-autonomous in the manner of the Reaper.

Rolex, are you sure that you pull the camera out of its box in the hermetically sealed case and subject it to possible dust and grime?

hamz9561 said:

I have a few quads and get really annoyed that people call them drones. I personally think of drones as semi-autonomous in the manner of the Reaper.

Rolex, are you sure that you pull the camera out of its box in the hermetically sealed case and subject it to possible dust and grime?

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GoPro's include their own hermetically sealed box they are contained in.

Exactly, and everyone's all up in arms about them being used to spy on them or doing peeping tom stuff. I don't think they realize that you can't sneak around with these things, they sound like about 100,000 really angry bees buzzing all at once, there is no sneaking with them.

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I think the concern is more regarding what the .gov is doing with military grade hardware that has high altitude IR imaging capabilities; literally being able to see what you're up to inside your home from 5,000 feet above. Not that much of a stretch, given the kind of crazy 4th amendment violations we already know this administration and various alphabet agencies are guilty of.

Sixtysixdeuce said:

I think the concern is more regarding what the .gov is doing with military grade hardware that has high altitude IR imaging capabilities; literally being able to see what you're up to inside your home from 5,000 feet above. Not that much of a stretch, given the kind of crazy 4th amendment violations we already know this administration and various alphabet agencies are guilty of.

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Oh you'd be surprised actually, that was one of the big arguments to ban FPV flight for the average Joe Schmoe like myself a little over a year ago. Also the 4th ammendment thing all started before the ink was dry on the Patriot Act, so you can't pin that on the current administration. Truth of the matter is, we'll never know how long a lot of that has been going on behind our backs. I hate all politicians equally.

Oh you'd be surprised actually, that was one of the big arguments to ban FPV flight for the average Joe Schmoe like myself a little over a year ago.

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I'm not into aircraft, so really had no idea there was a big to-do over that.

Also the 4th ammendment thing all started before the ink was dry on the Patriot Act, so you can't pin that on the current administration.

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I agree. However, the really egregious abuses, the outrageously invasive clandestine stuff, didn't start until about 3 years ago. This administration is shrouded in more controversy than the previous 10 combined. W certainly had his flaws, but I yearn for the "good 'ol days" of '01-'09, when we didn't literally have to wonder which freedom we'd see eroded on any given day.

Truth of the matter is, we'll never know how long a lot of that has been going on behind our backs. I hate all politicians equally.

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Agree here, too. That's why I'm libertarian.

HPIguy said:

GoPro's include their own hermetically sealed box they are contained in.

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That is correct!

I was talking about the large that it sits in by the Savvy....

It'll work. 4 broomsticks, Duct tape and Gorilla glue and a few friends.
What are you doing this weekend?

Sitting in my recliner in my kilt...