Recent content by hank970

Yeah, I'm sure that a nicked blade would create an imbalance, no doubt more pronounced and noticeable at high revolutions rather than at idle. I'd also imagine that a visual pre-flight inspection would reveal a nicked blade and potential imbalance. Running a craft at idle for a protracted...

I'm a relative newbie and wonder why you'd need to check for vibration if you were satisfied that vibration was not a problem in the preceding flight. What, other than a bad motor bearing or prop-damaging collision and impact, might induce a vibration?

As far as I know, there are no prohibitions against flying over national forests except over designated wilderness areas therein or when there are active fire suppression operations underway. Other exclusions would be covered by NOTAM. Are you perhaps confusing national forests with national...

It's usually extremely crowded at Arches NP, and entries are rationed. In short, you may have to wait a long time until someone exits before you can enter, or you may not be able to enter at all. But if you're going to be in Moab, and if you're then plan heading north toward Grand Teton and...

If a plane is flying below minimums over a developed area, you should try to get a photograph of it and its tail number. Ideally, such a photo would also include one or more fixed visual references, such as rooftops, trees, or utility poles, which would provide a sense of scale and help...

A better solution might be for Congress and the rest of us to maintain a balanced and realistic perspective. Let's assume, for a moment, that the Chinese Communist Party has completely infiltrated DJI. So what? Unless we live in China or send our drones back to the mother ship for repairs...

As a practical matter, exactly what kind of information, other than that which we willingly supply when we purchase and activate our equipment, could the Chinese glean from our use of DJI drones?

My name is Hank, and I'm new to the hobby. From deserts and alpine forests to urban landscapes, there are lots of dramatic and wide-open spaces in this part of the country to explore with my Air 3.

The FBI has knocked on my door twice in the last three years, both times to gather background information on neighbors who had applied for sensitive government positions. One of the neighbors, a young gal with a recently earned PhD in psychology, was subsequently hired by the FBI and was posted...