When you want to see the stars, find someplace dark
It is always a sick feeling in the gut when a drone goes down.
This time it was an unseen branch, a thin and leafless thing that reached well out from the tree, unseen until it was too late. Unseen by the drone’s obstacle avoidance system as well.
I crashed the drone at Panther Falls while enjoying a waterfall day in Southern Washington. A place deep in the trees where a drone pilot is advised to exercise caution. I did, and crashed it anyway.
Continue reading “Crashed and Repaired”
For the most part I was just spending time with the folks, a week hanging out and even doing some chores around the house.
I did have one day planned in an otherwise unplanned week… A hike somewhere, a chance to enjoy a bit of summer in a classic Pacific Northwest sort of way. This year it would be waterfalls.
I had two waterfalls picked out… Falls Creek Falls and Panther Falls, both located in the hills above Carson, on the Washington side of the Columbia River Gorge.
Along with the waterfalls I had one other stop planned, a quick excursion to the new Mitchell Point Tunnel. Add a lunch somewhere along the way and I had a full day.
An important part of the plan was an early start. I left the house at 4am for a dark drive up the gorge for a planned dawn arrival at the trailhead.
The morning dawned clear and beautiful… It should be a great day.
Continue reading “Waterfall Day”
This bird did not like the drone.
I have flown around big birds before. Bald eagles, ravens, seagulls, other hawks… few had taken more that a moments notice of the drone. This attack surprised me, I did not even see the hawk coming, and it came in hard.
I was on the return leg of an exploration into the ʻōhia forest behind Puʻuwaʻawaʻa and having a little fun with the drone. Simple plan… Set the drone to hover and then bike past through the camera view.
I had left the drone to hover for the moment as I moved to the next spot, when I look up to see a flash of white slashing at the drone. It hits and the drone staggers in the air before recovering.
Continue reading “Drone versus ʻIo”
