I finally worked up the courage to launch my drone of my boat while underway. Here are the results.
Aerial shots of my recent cruise through the Gulf Islands
- Thread starter David Hopkins
- Start date
More! More!!!
Very nicely done.
It was good for you to get out on that weekend because while there were some blue holes or breaks in the weather, there was a lot of not so nice (wet, windy, and cold), okay, so sailors like wind .... stuff last weekend.
To Sailm8, I think (haven't paid attention to the requirements) that a license is required now to fly a drone, or at least in many areas and situations.
Very nicely done.
It was good for you to get out on that weekend because while there were some blue holes or breaks in the weather, there was a lot of not so nice (wet, windy, and cold), okay, so sailors like wind .... stuff last weekend.
To Sailm8, I think (haven't paid attention to the requirements) that a license is required now to fly a drone, or at least in many areas and situations.
Absolutely professional in every way. I'm there every summer and all I needed was the taste of salt water on my lips to make it real.
Ever thought of sitting the drone over Gabriola pass during a heavy current ............. like July 22 ?
Ever thought of sitting the drone over Gabriola pass during a heavy current ............. like July 22 ?
Very nice. You really got around. Local spots but new to me this year, been to Conover Cove just east/south of Princess Cove. Love it without the crowds. 
Gonna change your avatar script?
Gonna change your avatar script?
Great video! We were on the other ( cloudy ) side of Saltspring on our way to Nanaimo. Must be fun landing that thing with all those shrouds and stays in the way. I'm impressed with your skill!
DJI Phantom 3 standard. Great learning drone. Video quality is great. Has GPS and other features that make flying really easy. I have maybe 30 hours experience. Flying from solid ground is super easy. Landing the drone on a moving boat is tricky.
Hi David - those were a lot of really nice shots. Have to say you picked a nice weather window to get out cuz there was a number of very un-nice weather days. Saw some sun this afternoon for a bit, here, but it goes back to normal for tomorrow.
Just wondering, you must have a monitor in order to direct the cam, right? or do you use binoculars?
How fast can it fly? Wondering how it works on a really windy day if it can't catch up with the boat.
Several years ago I saw a video a guy took using a kite and thought it looked really good, then started noticing other videos people took with kites, but this was back before drones with cams became popular. Gave it some thought about doing it myself then became overcome by other things in life. When drones became used I got the wishful feeling again but then in the US there was a lot of talk about restrictions and licenses and that's where we are today. Given the expense and the time it takes to learn to fly one, I doubt I'd do it now. Lotta stuff on my plate right now and I have some regular cams that can keep me occupied for deck-based shots.
Picked up a Sony AX53 with internal stabilization primarily for boat shots this year so will see how it goes. Your drone shots we[re] really stable, and just fantastic, a lot more than what a cam on deck can do. Really nice!
Just wondering, you must have a monitor in order to direct the cam, right? or do you use binoculars?
How fast can it fly? Wondering how it works on a really windy day if it can't catch up with the boat.
Several years ago I saw a video a guy took using a kite and thought it looked really good, then started noticing other videos people took with kites, but this was back before drones with cams became popular. Gave it some thought about doing it myself then became overcome by other things in life. When drones became used I got the wishful feeling again but then in the US there was a lot of talk about restrictions and licenses and that's where we are today. Given the expense and the time it takes to learn to fly one, I doubt I'd do it now. Lotta stuff on my plate right now and I have some regular cams that can keep me occupied for deck-based shots.
Picked up a Sony AX53 with internal stabilization primarily for boat shots this year so will see how it goes. Your drone shots we[re] really stable, and just fantastic, a lot more than what a cam on deck can do. Really nice!
Last edited:
Trouble is, most of the new laws up here are so prohibitive that you pretty much can't fly. Thankfully, three weeks after the announcement of the new rules, there hasn't been an airliner brought down, the world didn't end, and guys like David are willing to get tasered for getting his drone close to some fish.
Reaction time. Young fast twitch muscles. Better eyes. The kids just do these tasks better. Heard on the radio that colleges are starting to give schollarships for eGamers. Competitive gamers can earn 6 figure paydays. But they peak at about 25. John, your son may have a future in drones.
I was kinda wondering if Canadian laws either allowed flying drones without a license.
For Private Pilot license flying a regular plane in Canada I understand that flying "on top" of clouds is not legal while in the US as the time I was flying it was somewhat legal based on the amount of cloud cover. Based on the differences in laws about flying is the reason I asked the question.
However, a drone impacting a plane with people would probably not result in a pleasant landing.
The latest round does not require a pilots license, but in general is so restrictive, that there's virtually nowhere you can fly.
The most disconcerting bit is that anybody can call 911 at any time. Whether the lads respond is debatable, but with the current sensationalism up here, I wouldn't take the chance.
Too bad the same approach couldn't be extended to the drivers with phones.
The most disconcerting bit is that anybody can call 911 at any time. Whether the lads respond is debatable, but with the current sensationalism up here, I wouldn't take the chance.
Too bad the same approach couldn't be extended to the drivers with phones.