I still have some R/C model stuff I'd like to get rid of so I went to the local R/C flying field.
I haven't visited there since 1996. Hard to believe but true.
Anyway, immediately I see there's absolutely no one there that would have interest in what I had, so I didn't show it.
ARF, ARF, more ARF and more ARF.
Plug n play foamies and more plug n play foamies.
And a place for drone guys. The back of the bus for them but at least they had a place.
Oh, the Drone guys were interesting and were eager to explained everything.
Everyone was friendly as can be for mid morning. Nothing going for me so I left.
Still having my model in the wagon, I'm guessing there may be more and different people there later in the day.
So, 5:50 I take the drive back to the field.
Place was empty except for two guys. I walked over and became a quite observer.
They had all kinds of electronics set up, consisted of small monitors on tripods, two of them with antennas and the second guy, sitting in a chair, had a VR Headset I believe they are called? The Drone guys have them so they can see through the camera lens on board as if they were in the cockpit.
This is new to me but I'm sure there's modelers who know exactly what I'm describing.
Anyway, the pilot, not the guy sitting, has this 30" or so foamy flying wing with a camera on board. Electric.
He says to the other guy, "How many satellites do we have?" other guy says "we have six."
Then the pilot mentions a frequency and the other guy goes to it, so he can see through the camera on board with his VR Headset. Now they can both see like they are in the model.
Pilot does a few things to the model then lets it go. Hand launch, he just tossed the thing.
Bored yet? Well listen up because the fun is about to begin. Well, I wouldn't call it fun.
Now the model is in the air, pilot does a pass or two just to see if the equipment is working properly.
The pilot's assistant says, you're just about 300 FT and 87mph, descending 200 and 110 mph. He also said the distance the model was from their setup, right to the foot. So I guess they were tied into GPS. He did mention six satellites.
Bam! The pilot points the model at 12'oclock and at 300 ft or so, the thing flies out of sight, gone?
Well, not really because they are "in" the model viewing. Both have these VR Headsets and they are exchanging conversation about stuff they can see.
"1.5 miles out," the guy says, by now they are 'sight seeing' through the camera on board.
I couldn't help myself so I asked the guy in the chair, "How do you get that thing back, fly it from the cockpit?" He said, "No, it'll come back on it's own."
And the thing did! Finally large enough and close enough for the pilot to take control, he did say, "I'm flying it now." He put it back on the grass just about where he tossed the thing into the air to start his flight.
Is this the kind of activity that's taking place at R/C fields?
I'm taken back a bit because there's a few "what if's" here worth considering.
Charles