Pescadero Beach, California, USA, at sunset

[finlayson]

(Mostly a Ground Station course, with a little bit of 'free flying' at the very end of the video.)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zFAhyyMlmIg

Ross.

 

[Alec]

Cool video! btw what percentage speed did you (I'm assuming) slow down your footage to? It's looks great and has a good feel.

 

[finlayson]

No, I didn't slow down the video at all. Most of it was a pre-programmed Ground Station course, which probably made the Phantom's motion slower than it would have been if I were flying 'by hand'.

Ross.

 

[InterMurph]

I love this video, but I found myself wanting to see the horizon. I find that I get better results when I fly lower (maybe 30 feet above the ocean) and aim the camera higher. Not quite level, but one or two clicks down.

 

[finlayson]

I agree that normally views of the horizon are better. In this case, though, I wanted the video to concentrate more on the colors of the beach, and the texture of the waves - both of which are particularly attractive and well-defined close to sunset. Also, because the sun was very low in the sky, many views of the horizon during the flight would have been drowned out by the setting sun.

 

[whoss]

Great Video. I live if Belmont. Where else on the HMB coast is a good place to fly that you don't get grief from beach lovers? I've been to the Johnston House by nothing by the coast yet.

 

[Lithium12.6]

Don't wish to upstage Finlayson's nice video.
Just to answer the question I have a video from Half Moon Bay

 

[finlayson]

Great Video. I live if Belmont. Where else on the HMB coast is a good place to fly that you don't get grief from beach lovers?

Needless to say, stay well away from the Half Moon Bay airport (and the adjacent Pillar Point Air Force Station). And most of the coast from Fort Funston north is part of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area (i.e., NPS), where drones are banned.

Farther south, NOAA has allegedly placed a flight restriction on the coast from Pescadero Point south to Santa Cruz, around Moss Landing, and from Carmel River south to Cambria. See <http://montereybay.noaa.gov/materials/maps/overflight1_lg.jpg>. But - from what I can tell - the coast between Half Moon Bay and Pescadero Point (including San Gregorio, Pomponio and Pescadero Beaches) is OK. Unfortunately - especially at this time of the year - it's hard to avoid people on the beaches there.

Ross.

 

[whoss]

Thanks Ross for the information. I drove out to the RC airport that Peninsula RC club has. It's mainly to planes but they will take quads if you join their group. I'm not sure about that yet. http://www.flypcc.org/index.shtml

 

[RiverPirate]

Cool video, but I agree...

I found myself wanting to see the horizon. I find that I get better results when I fly lower (maybe 30 feet above the ocean) and aim the camera higher. Not quite level, but one or two clicks down.