Recent content by Clipper707

Phantom 1: GoPro hanging from a with the rotors in the frame. Phantom 2: Wide-angle lens like a GoPro with the rotors in the frame. As smooth as gravel and more jerky than the Slim Jim section at the convenience store.

I traveled through Istanbul twice, in June 2022 and December 2023. On the first trip, my flight from Qatar landed at SAW. The later trip was a flight from JFK to IST. On both trips, I spent 3-4 days in Istanbul. I traveled with my Mini 3 Pro on both trips, but didn't fly in Turkey. At IST, my...

The nice thing about the Phantoms was the landing gear, which functioned better as catch handles than landing gear. The negative thing was the fixed prop blades were unforgiving.

Above the altar is a pentagonal cupola with massive beams converging in the center. From these beams are vertical steel cables suspending the hanging structure directly above the altar. The cupola is lined with stained glass and the Padre wanted photos of those windows. It's probably 45-50 feet...

Here's a tip. Remove all the books from the pews. Another tip: Don't overthink it. These were shot without prop guards, GPS, obstacle avoidance, or fear. Before: After:

I'm pretty sure there are documents and permits you're supposed to fill out. I have never done so and have been traveling with a drone into and within Vietnam for 10 years. The Vietnam Civil Aviation Authority is not known for responding. I've always arrived at Hanoi (HAN) or Ho Chi Minh (SGN)...

I flew Ban Gioc back in 2016. Just getting there by overnight bus was an adventure, and upon our early morning arrival, the Vietnamese side of the river was crowded with border police. It looked like a senior officer was visiting. I guess it's important to remember China is directly across the...

We can attribute this bill to "fear and ignorance" by legislators or "Skydio attempting to eliminate competition," but it's also fair to point out the US Army banned Chinese drones from use by soldiers and on military bases in 2017.

If that were true, the Chinese would believe the Key Bridge in Baltimore Harbor is still standing.

I'm not sure how one would gather evidence of a Chinese company sharing data with the Chinese government. It's irrelevant, anyway. Whether or not DJI plans to, or has already, shared data with the Chinese government, it is mandated to do so under Chinese law.

With software capable of voice, facial, and license plate recognition, I don't know how you can believe the technology doesn't exist. I think the above is the part you're referring to. (Post #25.) The first part of the sentence is ridiculous and reductive. Of course people recognize Chinese...

The technology exists, as does the motive. Our military believes it. Mass surveillance is real. Snowden proved it. Our data is already being collected, sorted and sold by commercial enterprises. Your head's in the sand if you think it's farfetched for adversarial governments to do it. Are...

Nobody needs to hang around anywhere. Points of interest can easily be preselected. Doesn't DJI know the precise location of every drone and every drone operator? Really, how "super snooper" does a receiver need to be? The hardware could be as simple as a passive antenna and a power source...

The Chinese government (CPC) does not need to "infiltrate" DJI. By law, all the CPC needs to do is demand DJI's information. There is no injunction and no appeal. Chinese companies must comply. I'm not an expert on what information the CPC may want or find useful; there are people far more...

My first thought would be to drill a few holes in the Mavic's body, avoiding sensitive internals, obviously. Enhanced venting might be a byproduct, too. When I was a kid, I remember reading about a guy drilling holes in his BMX bicycle. His rationale: if you can lose an ounce by drilling a hole...