Posted on 07/25/2014 9:59:06 PM PDT by steve86
An Amazon.com employee from out of town was the operator of a drone that buzzed the Seattle Space Needle this week, police said.
Witnesses told police they saw the craft fly back into a fifth-floor room of a nearby hotel. Police contacted the man and he admitted operating the drone equipped with a camera Tuesday. He told authorities he wanted to try out the craft he recently purchased at a hobby shop.
Police had received reports that the drone had crashed into the landmark of Seattle's 1962 World's Fair, but they saw no evidence of that.
(Excerpt) Read more at seattletimes.com ...
Direct link:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oqwwrG9-uX4
Done with FPV (First Person View)
You can see the screen above the transmitter in the beginning of the video.
I thought FAA regs limited agl to 400’ (Space Needle is 600 something).
The best part is the very end. I kept thinking, When is he going to open the window? Instead, he just reaches out and grabs it!
What could the FAA do to him if they wanted to make an example of him?
Oh, there is definitely a substantial monetary fine defined in the FAA regs.
I think this was foolish especially because of the helicopter and seaplane traffic down low there.
Very smooth and excellent quality. Stanley Kubrick would have loved something like this. The people on the observation deck seemed to enjoy it.
The best part is the very end. I kept thinking, When is he going to open the window? Instead, he just reaches out and grabs it!
Yes, that was cool.
I saw a small drone last week. It flew around and hovered for a few minutes and then disappeared behind some trees. Somebody was having fun.
The best part is the very end. I kept thinking, When is he going to open the window? Instead, he just reaches out and grabs it!
It seemed kind of small. I wonder what model it is.
The sea planes don’t go near it but the heli traffic, yes.
Apparently, Fedzilla only likes their drones. Peasants must not fly them.
Two thoughts.
First, that’s a shame.
Second, Pull!
OK, I’m going to log out. Someone check my profile and see if it says ‘logged out’.
Apparently, it was DJI similar to this.
Here's a clumsy attempt using a similar bird last February:
Quadcopters are a trip.
So long as restricted air space was not invaded, he has no issues.
The question is how much airspace will be restricted as a result of this video?
No helos in that neighborhood since the KOMO TV copter crashed right next to the Needle. You can see the helipad it came off of on the building to the south (right) side.
Quadcopters are a trip.
It would be fun to look for game with one. I don’t think they make much noise.
That was quite horrific.
However, I expect if this drone had crashed into the Space Needle, no one inside would have been harmed, the wreckage would have rolled off, and the maximum hazard would have been if any of the pieces struck pedestrians below.
This is a toy which he bought at a Hobby Shop. About a $400 toy but a toy all the same. The FPV equipment and the GoPro camera were extra of course.
The FAA has allowed model aviation for decades and the hobby is overseen by the hobby group the AMA. This hobby includes not only quadcopters but fixed wing planes, helicopters, control line planes, gliders, electric engine and gas motor planes and seaplanes.
This is a very creative hobby and it attracts dynamic people. This hobby has been the gateway for many who have gone into aviation, engineering and the space program. It is essential for cultivating inventors and growing the next generation of people who will build great things in America.
This is why the FAA is proposing new rules to shut down decades of the aero modeling hobby as we know it. The socialist beast does not want anyone to be exceptional and to excel. We need to fight to protect this hobby and our nation.
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