The Sad Ending of My Quadcopter Drone Spycam

Los Angeles, CA—I thought I learned how to fly my new Blade 350 quadcopter very well.  It was now time to shoot some cool video over the trendy UCLA neighborhood of Westwood while I was in town.  I wanted video of the old movie houses and such from not so high above. 

I carefully placed and set up a brand new GoPro 3+ camera on the gimbal and sent the drone all over the area for nearly 10 minutes.  I landed it perfectly and changed the battery sending it up to the Western sky.   I sent it up really high and unfortunately this time directly into the sun. 

I was completely blinded and I maneuvered the control to the North.  However I completely lost sight of it and the advertised return home feature failed miserably.  It simply vanished from view.

The little drone should have flown until the battery discharged and the thing would have slowly descended until it made a soft landing, but where?  I don’t have a clue!  A rooftop?  The VA Cemetery?  Did it land on busy nearby street or sidewalk?  Is it somehow on the roof of the FBI building?

To me this major mystery is nearly as important as the 1937 disappearance of Amelia Earhart her navigator Fred Noonan along with their Electra plane somewhere not far from Howland Island.  

I did not place identification or a phone number on it so it is lost forever.  The camera and the 64 gigabyte SD Ram card long with the drone cost well over $400.00 and the device itself $650.00.  Then there are the tools and accessories I bought that will now remain idle. 

More that anything I want the contents of the GoPro’s SD Ram card. 

Oh well it was fun while it lasted! I am incredibly sad right now. 

Update:

I began to analyze what went wrong and how I should have handled the emergency mid flight.   In retrospect I should have been able to avoid the panic and loss of the aircraft.

First and foremost, when the sun blinded me, I should have simply let go of the controls and it would have hovered in place.   I would have had at least five minutes to think up options. 

I could have moved the thing a bit to the right or left and let go of the controls again until I could get a visual on it.  Then I could have finished my flight without the drama and heartache. 

The cause of this air disaster was pure and simple pilot error.  Inexperience and over-confidence is a killer! 

   

   

A Thirteen Minute Peek at the 2014 Las Vegas SHOT Show

Las Vegas, NV—Firearms, and accessory manufacturers, along with law enforcement and hunting related exhibitors filled the Sands Convention Center last week.

Some 67,000 people attended and Sin City got a needed financial boost.  Local businesses benefit along with the tax coffers.

What’s so amazing is that cities like Chicago, Los Angeles, and Washington, DC will never get that financial benefit of this or the NRA Annual Meeting, Convention and Exhibit.  If we ever came to these cites we’d all wind up wearing handcuffs and watch our property confiscated. 

With all the guns and gun toting attendees there are never accidents or any kind of violence in the cities we visit.  The crime rate goes down because the local thugs all know they are in for a serious challenge if they try and victimize these convention visitors.  More guns never brings more crime. 

The SHOT Show is huge.  Covering the show as a full time multimedia journalist is impossible for me because I have certain commitments I must keep that prevents me from getting out on the show floor with my camera gear.

This year I brought a tiny GoPro 3+ camera and shot video with my pals at Eagle Grips both in the Convention Center and after hours. 

I have put together a 13 minute video with some cool music that’s blocked in Europe and by some cell phone and mobile devices.

If you can, please enjoy the video.

The 2014 SHOT Show in Las Vegas

Paul Huebl at the 2014 Shot Show

Las Vegas, NV--some 67.000 people came to Sin City from every corner of the globe to celebrate firearms.  Exhibitors and firearms trade professionals came to town. Most everyone was armed however there were no murders or accidents involving people associated with this event. 

I can be found hanging out with the fine folks at Eagle Grips and hope for a moment to go out and shoot and edit some video.

Rocker and gun rights advocate Ted Nugent has a little fun with his long time friend Raj Singh, President of Eagle Grips. You can see that below. 

I have a lot of video to edit and will do so as time permits. 

Little Camera Drones and FAA Tyranny

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 Washington, DC—The Federal Aviation Authority was created for and exists for serious public safety issues.  They regulate airships and pilots in order to keep our air space safe.   That is absolutely an honorable mission.

However they have overstepped their mission by banning the use of small drones for so-called commercial purposes. 

Hobbyists currently can fly their drones virtually anywhere without any interference.  Flying at a lower altitude than 400 feet and staying away from other aircraft makes sense.  Nobody wants to endanger anyone or anything including his or her own drone.

They will eventually formally regulate drones.  Common sense should dictate that the size and weight of these air vehicles should determine what is or is not regulated.   

The FAA will never have enough inspectors to regulate every teenager with a drone in America.  I don’t think that the taxpayers could or would pay for such government silliness.

Currently the FAA has totally banned anyone for using these machines in commerce.  Specifically they have threatened prosecution of those that would use a drone to gather video or still photos of a news event for broadcast. 

I guess the FAA thinks they are above the law and the First Amendment rights of Americans.  To ban newsgathering while allowing anyone else to operate these drones is nothing less than tyranny.

Somewhat like the old TV series about a San Francisco gentleman, hired gun called, Paladin I will offer my services with a business card that reads, “Have camera-armed drone, will travel.”

I’m additionally a licensed private investigator and need to gather atrial shots of crime and accident scenes for court I’m going to ignore the FAA.

I just got an off the cuff opinion of a very respected Arizona attorney that specializes in media and First Amendment issues.  He said, the drone commercial use ban does not seem to be based on content or expression but about the use of air space.  Therefore he thinks the FAA may win that argument.

I respect the attorney and his opinion but I think banning them for newsgathering while allowing any hobbyist to use them seems to violate at least the spirit of Equal Protection.

Of course if I’m flying my drone for any purpose and am asked by anyone from the government what I’m doing I have only four simple words for him or her, I want a lawyer.

Let me also say that I will be flying mostly for fun and as a hobby. 

Let me throw down the gauntlet and challenge the FAA!  They will only take my drone from my dead cold hands!