Biography: confessions of a drone pilot

[Bob Reeves]

Seen on another forum..

Got one of the $20 quad copter drones at Atwoods the other day.

 Lots of kids over yesterday, so I got pretty comfortable with it in the living room harassing the little ones with it.

 Went outside to try it out, and did pretty well there too.

 Decided to see how high it would go. Got it up about 100', a gust of wind hit it, and off it went, still climbing and out of my control. Shut the controller off, and it still kept climbing, at the mercy of the wind. The last time I saw it, the thing was 50' over our huge hackberry tree, going up and NW.

 Looked around for a long time, not finding it.
 Finally decided being a drone pilot was not for me.

 The end.

 

[Dan McEntee]

  I surf the local Craig's List for model stuff, etc. and have noriced add for "can youhelp me find my drone? Lost in such and such neighborhood. If found call BR-549." Last Christmas when I was working atthe hobby shop, lots of tales of them flying off. Most of it is because of flying when and where they should not!
   HAPPY HOLIDAYS!
   Dan McEntee

[wwwarbird]

 Yeah, this happens all the time with Control Line Models too, a huge problem apparently. 

[Steve Helmick]

Howard has lost more controline models than anybody else I know.  Steve

[John Rist]

I have lost a bunch also - But 60' ain't far to go and view the remains!   

[George Hostler]

I prefer half-A. 30 feet is less far to go. 

[Steve Helmick]

Howard's went well over 100'. One crossed a river and landed in the blackberry brambles near Snohomish Airport, up here in Washington. Another landed in a swamp near Houston, TX, amid hundreds of vicious vipers. These vipers had heard of the JCT, and weren't suitably impressed.  Steve

[Andre Ming]

Howard also had a cutaway at the '72 Nats in Glenview that I clearly recall (most of it, anyway). The Nemesis 2 was stuck doing inside loops and continued to do so at about a 30 degree angle of ascent away from the flying circle until is was a LOOOONG ways away (a tiny speck) and couple hundred feet (or so) in altitude. It then ran out of fuel, and lazily spiraled to the ground. Somebody on a moped (I think I recall?) retrieved it and brought back the wayward combat plane and gave it to Howard, who then posed proudly with his prodigal Nemesis as his adoring fans snapped pictures. The airplane was a little worse for the wear, having some silk covering torn back on one side that would have been easily repaired.

So, perhaps we CAN find a way to blame Howard for all of this?

[Phillip Kenney]

Concerning the flyaway drones, all the finder would need to do is look up the owners name and address in the FAA database using the persons ID number which they attached to the drone before the first flight. Obviously if the FAA passed a rule stating they must be registered before the first flight they would all be registered.

[dennis lipsett]

but none of the C/L flyers have registered, have they?

[Sean McEntee]

I've always been able to put my drones back in the hanger at the end of the day...

Amateurs....  

 

[Dave_Trible]

but none of the C/L flyers have registered, have they?

Yes I and a few others have.  Some of us have some cross- over stuff making it probable we need to.  No damage if we didn't need to get registered.  In fact I painted my new number on the new airplane the morning after the signup started.  The first stunt drone?  I know there were many who railed against social security when it first started.  Now they'd raise hell if it gets cut or stopped.

Dave

[BillP]

Yes I and a few others have.  Some of us have some cross- over stuff making it probable we need to.  No damage if we didn't need to get registered.  In fact I painted my new number on the new airplane the morning after the signup started.  The first stunt drone?  I know there were many who railed against social security when it first started.  Now they'd raise hell if it gets cut or stopped.

Dave

Considering I've paid into it for over 50 yrs...yes I'd raise hexx of they quit sending my checks.  Never mind that SS had 21.5 million peoples SS info hacked recently.

Aside from that, we had a drone hovering around our cl circle yesterday. He was flying outside of the circle but very close, to the point I thought he might get hit with a plane. Didn't happen and nobody said anything to him.

[George Hostler]

Howard also had a cutaway at the '72 Nats in Glenview that I clearly recall (most of it, anyway). The Nemesis 2 was stuck doing inside loops and continued to do so at about a 30 degree angle of ascent away from the flying circle until is was a LOOOONG ways away (a tiny speck) and couple hundred feet (or so) in altitude. It then ran out of fuel, and lazily spiraled to the ground. Somebody on a moped (I think I recall?) retrieved it and brought back the wayward combat plane and gave it to Howard, who then posed proudly with his prodigal Nemesis as his adoring fans snapped pictures. The airplane was a little worse for the wear, having some silk covering torn back on one side that would have been easily repaired. So, perhaps we CAN find a way to blame Howard for all of this?

It became a free flight. F/F is exempt from registration.