Drone magazine UK eye in the sky how to get a new perspective with first person flying april 2018

going pro • Flying fpv • DJI X7 • REVIEWS May 2018 · No 32 on the edge GOLD Standards Flight, Camera, Action Pushing the limits of the law to get some amazing photos How a new code of conduct can shape the future of UAVs A pro pilot talks about working with the BBC and the new X7 camera Eye in the Sky how to Get a new perspective With first-person flying ViFly X150 A giant among mini-quads? dji mavic air tested to the limit Bird in Hand 105MPH! How swift is the GepRC MX3 Sparrow? £5.99 Drone Show is Back! First info on the new and improved UK showcase 772059 287008 32 1-2 DECember 2018 UKDRONESHOW.COM Ninh Binh, Vietnam Photo by Damian Sadowski www.dronestagr.am/author/falconmx contributors Adam Juniper Gemma Cox robin evans Rob Clymo Hooked from the moment he saw the AR.Drone at CES, Adam has spent the years since building, crashing, sinking, losing and occasionally flying drones With a background in photography publishing and over a decade writing about video and still photography in his rear-view mirror, he was the only choice for Ilex’s book The Drone Pilot's Handbook (on sale now!) Our launch editor for DRONE, Gemma has worked at the helm of NEO magazine for over ten years Spending over a decade immersed in Asian pop culture, she recently branched out into the world of technology to take on UAVs She’s most excited about the future of FPV racing and the prospect of drone deliveries! Can drone racing go prime time? She certainly hopes so! Follow NEO at @NEO_Magazine Robin is an airline captain with over 7,000 hours logged and when he’s not ferrying people across the skies is also a freelance writer and photographer It was two years ago that his father asked him how much crossover, in theory, there was between flying drones and airliners and that set the propellers turning! Since then he's always on the lookout for ways to get the best of both worlds… Rob has been covering tech topics for more years than he can remember, most recently in his role as editor of Digital FilmMaker magazine He loves nothing more than hitching a ride in light aircraft or anything autonomous and has been keeping an eager eye on all things drone-related ever since he got his first glimpse of an early, slightly primitive, DJI creation a few years ago Andrew Wat ton-Davies Lee Schofield Wayne Andrews rowan bailey Andrew spends his time monitoring the globe for drone news stories, testing to death the things people send him (mostly drones), and hoping his cats won’t moult all over his quadcopters He's a graduate of the Freedonia Flying Academy and has never failed to walk away from a UAV landing You can follow him on Twitter at @raggedydrones Known online as Painless360, Lee has a YouTube channel and business dedicated to making RC technology easier to use An RC pilot for over eight years and with a 30year background in electronics he became hooked on quads when he was bought one in as a present The rest, as they say, is history! By now he can probably strip a quadcopter and rebuild it blindfolded Wayne was drawn into the world of RC and FPV after chancing on a tricopter video in 2011 Determined to understand how to construct his own flying machine, he’s been building, flying, crashing and fixing multirotors and planes ever since Known online as CurryKitten, he runs his own a YouTube channel and blog focused on helping new pilots into the air more smoothly Rowan is cinematographer and drone fanatic with a passion for exploring new places and shooting them with his Xiro Xplorer He’s always looking for new places to fly and new ways to push his work, and you’ll often find him along the Pembrokeshire coastline on most sunny/non-windy days! You can follow his most recent shots/trips on Instagram @RTBaileyMedia DRONE MAGAZINE may 2018 • Issue 32 www.dronemagazine.uk Uncooked Media Ltd, PO Box 6337, Bournemouth, BH1 9EH Telephone: 01202 087627 www.uncookedmedia.com Editor: Ian Collen dronemaguk@gmail.com Managing Editor: Gemma Cox Design: Imran Kelly Contributors: Wayne Andrews, Rowan Bailey, Robin Evans, Adam Juniper, Damian Sadowski, Lee Schofield, Andrew Watton-Davies Customer Services 01202 087627 contact@selectps.com Advertising & Marketing Group Commercial Manager: Rob Cox rob@uncookedmedia.com WELCOME Licensing To discuss magazine licensing or content syndication please email: contact@selectps.com Subscription Enquiries 01202 087627 chris@selectps.com To Issue 32 of Drone Magazine! H aving spent a day in Monte Carlo last issue I had an equally illustrious trip this month, having been invited to the House of Lords in London for the announcement of the British Standards Institution’s upcoming Drone Standards Admittedly the weather was considerably colder as the ‘Beast from the East’ gripped the capital, but it was still a hugely intriguing and enjoyable evening Firstly, it was great to see so many leading figures brought together, not just from the drone industry but a variety of related fields as well These people may get the odd chance to chat at trade shows, but with everyone packed into the same room it was almost impossible to avoid being drawn into an interesting discussion at every turn I started the evening discussing the merits of drones in harbour management and ended it on the topic of data control and crypto-currency! Of course, the main talking point was the introduction of a set of standards that will help to shape the future of the drone industry As echoed in the article on page 26, these are not regulations; instead they are a set of guidelines to establish minimum safety and quality standards that manufacturers and operators can choose to adopt They appear in almost every other industry, so they shouldn’t be surprising or feared in any way Indeed, having these standards come into effect could go a long way to restrict the potential for more obligatory regulations that could impact on everyone So rather than having the government telling us what we have to do, the BSI can tell us what we should be doing – and it’s up to you whether want to adhere to that and receive the recognition that comes with it Either way, having a code of conduct that we can all aspire to on our terms – and further alienate the small minority not interested in playing by the rules – can only be a good thing Distributed through the UK newstrade by Seymour Ltd, 0207 429 4000 East Poultry Avenue, London EC1A 9PT Distributed through the UK/US specialist trade by Diamond Comic Distributors, 020 8536 5730 Printed in the UK by MRC Print Ltd, 21 East Hanningfield Industrial Estate, Old Church Road, Chelmsford, Essex CM3 8AB DRONE is published monthly by Uncooked Media Ltd All text and layout remains the copyright of Uncooked Media Ltd DRONE is a fully independent publication and its views are not those of any company mentioned herein All characters and artwork shown in this magazine remain the © and trademark or their respective owners No part of this magazine may be reproduced without the express written permission of the publisher DRONE can accept no responsibility for inaccuracies or complaints arising from editorial or advertising within this magazine All letters and emails received will be considered for publication, but we cannot provide personal replies The publishers cannot be held responsible for unsolicited manuscripts, photographs, transparencies or artwork Please not call, email or write to enquire whether your unsolicited submission has been received, as our priority is the production of the magazine Another quality cold cut from EST 2003 Enjoy the issue! DRONE © 2018 Uncooked Media Ltd ISSN 2059-2876 Ian Collen, EDITOR facebook.com/DRONEMagUK twitter.com/DRONEMagUK instagram.com/DRONEMagUK WWW.DRONEMAGAZINE.UK 10 26 12 It’s safety first for drone users at a nuclear power plant… 32 20 contents 10 // AIR RESCUE 16 // CLOSE CALLS 20 // UK DRONE SHOW We hear from the Special Constable who was able to use a police UAV to find a missing person on a freezing cold night Two contrasting stories; one about a new drone designed to avoid collisions and one about a pilot who nearly caused one Now under the expanded guise of the UK Drone and Technology Show Live, it’s back for business in December 12 // PLANT HIGHER 17 // HOT TOPICS 26 // NEW STANDARDS Drone are lending a hand just about everywhere these days, most recently at a decommissioned nuclear power plant in Scotland Some environmentally unfriendly reports, with drone deliveries needing to reduce its carbon footprint and a UAV fire-starter We speak to the Chairman of the BSI committee behind the new code of conduct coming soon to the drone industry 14 // VIDEO TO GO 18 // PUBLIC OPINION 32 // TV GUIDE Parrot has introduced the Flight Director editing software to its FreeFlight Pro app, offering up auto-edited videos on the fly 92% of people think there needs to be some restrictions on drone use, according to a new study of both pilots and the public A professional drone pilot explains how his flair for flying really helped his career in television to take off – and meet Noel Edmunds! DRONE MAGAZINE 46 40 62 70 Is the GepRC MX3 Sparrow as fast as its creators say it is? 80 SUBSCRIBE TODAY FOR ONLY £14.99! TURN TO PAGE 90 40 // CITY SLICKER 58 // FLIGHT SCHOOL 70 // GEPRC MX3 SPARROW How one pilot has played by the rules and still been able to get some memorable shots over the skies of London that skirt the law Once qualified there aren’t too many other places to learn new skills but a new drone academy aims to change that The creators are claiming a top speed of more than 100mph, so is this FPV flyer punching above its weight? 46 // HEAD IN THE CLOUDS 62 // DJI MAVIC AIR 74 // FORMAT WARS One of our experts takes you through everything you need to know in order to take your first steps into flying FPV We’ve teased it; we’ve had some brief test flights with it; and now it’s time for our full in-depth review of the drone everyone’s talking about It’s not quite VHS vs Betamax or PlayStation vs Xbox, but choosing the right format for sharing your videos online can still be crucial 52 // TAMING ACRO 66 // VIFLY X150 80 // SHARP SHOOTER Essential advice that will make life a lot easier for any pilots looking to ease off self-levelling flights and go fully manual When one of our experts says this is his new number one choice for quads of this size, you might want to find out why We chat with Florian Ledoux, winner of the recent SkyPixel Photo Contest and a man on a mission to bring the Arctic to your laptop WWW.DRONEMAGAZINE.UK DRONE MAGAZINE 80 discover how a passion for wildlife and a flair for flying combined into an award-winning career WWW.DRONEMAGAZINE.UK Words by: Andrew Watton-Davies Search and Rescue Missing driver found with drone support L incolnshire Police has used a drone to help to find the missing driver of a crashed vehicle in sub-zero temperatures The incident happened on the A16 near Ludborough in the early hours of 25 February, during a night with temperatures reported as low -2°C when the weather was both foggy and snowing Officers were responding to a call after a member of the public reported seeing the car upside down in a ditch with smoke coming out of it The driver had been spotted walking on foot away from the crash site towards a nearby village We spoke directly with the pilot involved in the search, Special Sergeant Kevin Taylor, about the incident He confirmed that the search of the area had started at 2.24am with four police officers on the scene, which he described as a “pitch black night, freezing cold, 10 DRONE MAGAZINE on an unlit section of A-road with no moon.” They were further assisted by the local Fire Brigade who had attended with a hand-held thermal camera Whilst the fire crew was able to check under the vehicle and in the area close by to ensure no one was trapped or had been thrown out of the vehicle, they had not been able to find the driver As a result the decision was made for Kevin, a full-time Subject Matter Expert for Metis Aerospace with 15 years of experience with fixed wing and rotor craft, as well as a PfCO holder, to travel from Lincoln to the site as part of his voluntary role as a Special Constable Special Sgt Kevin arrived at the scene at 3.26am and was airborne and searching by 3.33am When we asked how this sevenminute deployment time of the Lincolnshire Police’s DJI Inspire with XT thermal camera was achieved, he said: “We go through all the checks but we pre-plan en route as to what we’re doing, the area we’re going to and anything that might affect us.” As for the flight itself, Kevin explained that “the section of road we were interested in searching was a kilometre long, and obviously the interest was in the road, the dykes and the surrounding fields Lincolnshire is a very rural area, so a thermal drone search can be ideal I did a flight out from the location of the accident to the village; there were various heat sources showing, particularly from the water in the dyke at the side of the road I had officers check out two other heat sources first, which proved to be water When you look at the thermal results back there were a couple of areas that were a little bit bigger and a little bit warmer, and they were ruled out.” A Reader’s View Tweed Valley Mountain Rescue Team Photo by Thomas Nash Although the ‘Beast from the East’ storm front that hit the UK wasn’t good news for most pilots, it did offer up some great snowy vistas for many an aerial photographer However, for Thomas Nash it also provided a more serious test of his flying skills as part of his work with the Scottish Mountain Rescue service and a feasibility test for its potential introduction of drones “Many voluntary rescue services put in hundreds of hours helping communities and rescuing stranded or injured people,” Thomas explained “This is what this photo is about; this picture captures members of the Tweed Valley Mountain Rescue Team doing what they best It was taken using a DJI Mavic Pro that could be used for scouting, checking difficult-to-access areas, snow lines, cornices and so on.” An excellent photo and an equally excellent cause – keep up the great work! If you’d like to get one of your own photos into the magazine – and by submitting a shot for us to use, you are acknowledging that it is your own work and property – please email us at dronemaguk@gmail.com, along with the image (the highest resolution would be great) and maybe a few background details about what, why and how you got the shot Maybe you could find your latest and greatest pic gracing these pages in our next issue! Photo by Skydio Next Issue Hands Free Are drones ready to go fully auto? ON SALE thursday rd may Plus Yuneec HD Racer // Commercial Drone Expo BFPVRA Goggle Test // Water Inspections // And more! 88 DRONE MAGAZINE THE UK’s best magazine for Asian pop culture Anime, manga, movies, games, music, cosplay and more! 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Skeye Hexa Drone Category: Toy, Indoor, Compact Street Price: £39.92 Camera: None Weight: 30g Diagonal Motor Spacing: 130mm Battery Type: LiPo Control / Range: 2.4GHz / 50m Best Feature: Great for beginners Revell Control VR-Quadcopter Category: Indoor, Outdoor, Fun Flyer Street Price: £99.00 Camera: 720p, 2MP Weight: 100g Diagonal Motor Spacing: 280mm Battery Type: 500mAh, 3.7v LiPo Control / Range: 2.4GHz / 50m Best Feature: Good introduction to FPV flying under £150 Revell Demon Category: Indoor, Outdoor, Fun Street Price: €69.99 Camera: 720p HD Weight: 224g Diagonal Motor Spacing: 270mm Battery Type: 1500mAh LiPo Control / Range: 2.4GHz / 30m Best Feature: Great flight times Category: Indoor, Outdoor, Fun Flyer Street Price: £109.00 Camera: 720p, 2MP Weight: 152g Diagonal Motor Spacing: 185mm Battery Type: 610mAh, 7.4v LiPo Control / Range: 2.4GHz / 50m Best Feature: Great stability for its size Revell Multicopter Hexatron Category: Outdoor Street Price: £100.00 Camera: Optional FPV version Weight: 1200g Diagonal motor spacing: 114mm Battery type: LiPo Control / Range: 2.4GHz / 100m Best feature: It’s just monstrously big TrndLabs Fader GestureBotics Aura Category: Toy, Fun Flyer Street Price: £99.99 Camera: None Weight: 54g Diagonal motor spacing: 85mm (without cage) Battery type: 500mAh LiPo Control / Range: Glove / metres Best feature: Fully gesture controlled UDI U818A FPV Category: Camera drone Street price: £130 Size: 250mm Weight: 140g Best Feature: Live-view in App 92 Revell Control GPS Pulse Quadcopter DRONE MAGAZINE Category: Indoor, Outdoor, Fun Flyer Street Price: £99 Camera: 720p, 1MP Weight: 55g Diagonal Motor Spacing: 175mm Battery Type: 520mAh LiPo Control / Range: 2.4GHz / 50m Best Feature: Good starter model Top Budget Drones Hubsan X4 Parrot Rolling Spider Syma X5SC-1 UDI U818A FPV Blade Glimpse FPV Parrot Mambo Category: Indoor, Outdoor, Fun Street Price: £99 Camera: 3MP / 60fps Weight: 63g Diagonal Motor Spacing: 180mm Battery Type: 550mAh LiPo Control / Range: iOS or Android / 20m Best Feature: Ideal for office hi-jinks! BLADE INDUCTRIX FPV BNF Category: Indoor, Racer, FPV Street Price: £85.99 (£164 for the Ready-to-Fly version) Camera: Integrated FPV Weight: 24g Diagonal motor spacing: 83mm Battery type: 200mAh LiPo Control / Range: 2.4GHz RF / 100m Best feature: Perfect for rookie racers Syma Channel 2.4Ghz Quadcopter with Camera Category: Indoor, Outdoor Street Price: £45 Camera: Front-facing, 0.3MP Weight: 590g Diagonal motor spacing: 300mm Battery type: LiPo Control / Range: 2.4GHz RF / 500m Best feature: Lightweight prop guards Revell Control Mini Charger Category: Indoor, Outdoor, Fun Flyer Street Price: £34.99 Camera: None Weight: 15g Diagonal Motor Spacing: 95mm Battery Type: 250mAh Li-Po Control / Range: 2.4GHz / 20m Best Feature: Protective cage Cameras Not every drone comes with a camera attached immersionrc vortex 230 Category: FPV Racer, Freestyle Street Price: £284 Camera: None Weight: 349g (without battery) Battery Type: Not included flight time: Variable (3-4 minutes typical) Control / Range: Not included Best Feature: Combines speed with freestyle flair Propel Star Wars Collection Category: Fun Flyer, Air Combat, Collectible Street Price: £190 Camera: None Weight: Varied Diagonal Motor Spacing: Varied Battery Type: 800mAh Li-Po Control / Range: 2.4GHz / 100m Best Feature: Too cool to fly! Yuneec Breeze Street Price: £180 The GoPro Hero, now up to version 6, has established itself as the adventurous professionals’ friend, able to record 4K at 60fps and 1080p at 240fps for stunning slow-mo The tiny cubic Session is still 4K-capable but sacrifices on the framerate (30 or 90fps respectively) for a more FPVfriendly form at just 74g The GoPro app will also download wirelessly and create a quick edit for you on the move Street Price: £47 Rather less financially troubling than the GoPro, the reliable 43g also has an OLED display so you can see the settings You can record 4K at cinema-friendly 24fps and 720p at 120fps, among others, to a MicroSD card It also includes a dash-cam mode that records five-minute blocks, deleting the oldest as needed Category: Racer Street Price: £300 Camera: Fit your FPV camera of choice Weight: 350g (no battery or camera) Diagonal motor spacing: 285mm Battery type: 3S/4S Li-Po Control / Range: RF Best feature: Foldable Xiro Xplorer Mini DJI Spark Hawkeye Firefly Q6 4K ImmersionRC Vortex 285 Category: Indoor, Outdoor, Flying Camera Street Price: £519 Camera: 1080p, 12MP Weight: 300g Diagonal Motor Spacing: 143mm Battery Type: 1480mAh, 3S LiPo Control / Range: Wi-Fi / 100m Best Feature: Great tech in a small package Category: Indoor, Outdoor, Flying Camera Street Price: £429 / €499 Camera: 1080p, 13MP Weight: 431g (inc battery) Diagonal motor spacing: 310mm Battery type: 1650mAh, 3S Li-Po Control / Range: 2.4GHz / 100m Best feature: Portable AND powerful Xiro Xplorer Category: Indoor, Outdoor, Flying Camera Street Price: From £315 Camera: 1080p, 30fps Weight: 410g (inc battery) Diagonal Motor Spacing: 225mm Battery Type: 3S Li-Po, 1300mAh Control / Range: 2.4GHz / 500m Best Feature: Great price £150-£600 GoPro Hero Session Category: Indoor, Outdoor, Flying Camera Street Price: £439 Camera: 4K / 13MP Weight: 385g (inc battery) Diagonal Motor Spacing: 196mm Battery Type: 1150mAh Li-Po Control / Range: 5GHz Wi-Fi / 100m Best Feature: Great for aerial selfies The Beast 280 MK2 Racing Drone DJI Zenmuse Series Street Price: Up to £2,700 DJI’s Inspire has a detachable camera which has allowed the company to keep a steady stream of new gear flowing That includes fixed focal length cameras with built-in lenses (X4S) and cameras with detachable lenses (X5S, X7) The X5S uses the popular Micro 4/3rds system making numerous non-DJI lenses, including some zoom ones, also compatible, while DJI offers four of their own for the top-end X7 Category: Racer Street Price: £350 Camera: Sony 700TVL Weight: 30g Diagonal Motor Spacing: 280mm Battery Type: Li-Po Control / Range: Optional Best Feature: Very, very fast Top Beginner Drones DJI Spark Fat Shark 101 Makeblock Airblock Parrot Bebop DJI Phantom Accessory: B&W Type 1000 DJI Spark case Price: £40.91 Dimensions: 270 x 215 x 105mm weight: 1.7lbs (1.9lbs with packaging) volume: 4.1 litres Designed as an entry level case for the aspiring Spark pilot, this offering from B&W boasts all of the features that we have come to expect when looking for a rugged storage and transport solution for your quad It makes for a solid, lightweight, durable travel system that feels like it could take a real beating and still protect the equipment inside WWW.DRONEMAGAZINE.UK 93 Software Accessories If you’re going to take drones seriously, then expect software to become a big part of your life, too! DJI Phantom Advanced DJI Matrice 200 Category: Commercial, Flying Camera Category: Professional, Flying Rig Street Price: £1,469 Street Price: From £5,899 Camera: 4K, 20MP Camera: None (X4S, X5S, Z30 and XT compatible) Weight: 1,368g Weight: 3.8kg Diagonal motor spacing: 350mm Diagonal Motor Spacing: 887mm Battery type: 5870mAh, 4S LiPo Battery type: 4280mAh Li-Po Control / Range: 2.4GHz / 4.3 miles (7km) Control / Range: 2.4/5.8GHz / 4.3 miles (7km) Best feature: Excellent camera Best feature: Brilliant with the Z30 camera PowerVision PowerEgg Category: Outdoor, Flying Camera Street Price: £1,399 Camera: 4K, 13.8MP Adobe Lightroom Weight: 2.1kg Diagonal Motor Spacing: 476mm £6.98 per month Battery Type: 6400mAh Li-Po Easily the most capable image cataloging and editing program to emerge in the era of ‘RAW’ image files What makes RAW files such a leap forward is that they record as much of the dynamic range as the camera is capable of recording This effectively means that even if something is way too dark or too light there is a decent chance of recovering it – and Lightroom is the place to it Control / Range: 2.4GHz / 3.1 miles (5km) Best Feature: Unique stylish design DJI Inspire Category: Commercial, Professional, Flying Camera Street Price: £3,059 Camera: None (X4S and X5S compatible) Weight: 3,920g (with batteries, without camera/ gimbal) Diagonal motor spacing: 605mm Battery type: 4280mAh Li-Po (dual system) Control / Range: 2.4/5.8GHz / 4.3 miles Best feature: Top of the line technology DJI Matrice 600 Category: Commercial, Professional Rig Street Price: £3,999 Pix4Dmapper Mesh £600+ £320 per year If you’re interested in landing work with quantity surveyors, or perhaps have an architectural scheme to pitch, this will allow you to turn a grid of photos into a photorealistic 3D model In turn you can also great things from spectacular special effects to digital volumetrics Camera: Not included Weight: 9.1kg Diagonal Motor Spacing: 1668mm Battery Type: 4500mAh Li-Po (5700mAh optional) Control / Range: 2.4/5.8GHz / 3.1 miles (5km) Best Feature: Highly versatile PowerVision PowerEye Category: Commercial, Flying Camera Street Price: £3,999 Camera: 4K, 16.1MP Weight: 3.9Kg Diagonal Motor Spacing: 315mm Battery Type: Dual 9000mAh LiPo Control / Range: 2.4GHz / 3.1 miles (5km) Best Feature: Intelligent design Liftoff £14.99 on Mac or PC Liftoff isn’t the only FPV sim out there, but it’s the one the community seems to talk about the most You can fly a virtual Vortex 250 or 285 using a Spektrum or FRSky Taranis controller (or a PS4 pad) Pricier simulators like DroneSimPro or RealFlight might make more sense if you’re looking to master more than just FPV 94 DRONE MAGAZINE DJI Mavic Pro Category: Indoor, Outdoor, Flying Camera Street Price: £1,089 Camera: 4K/1080p, 12.7MP Weight: 743g Diagonal Motor Spacing: 198mm Battery Type: 3830mAh, 3S Li- Po Control / Range: 2.4GHz / 4.3 miles (7km) Best Feature: Great tech in a portable package Top All-Time Greats DJI Mavic Air Parrot AR.Drone Yuneec Typhoon H Walkera Rodeo 110 DJI Phantom Series Accessory: Epson Moverio BT-300 Price: £719 operating system: Android 5.1 Transmission Delay: Less than 9msec display: Silicone (Si) OLED Resolution: 1280 x 720 Epson has come up with a system that allows you to see your drone’s camera view and flight data, whilst keeping an eye on the drone through a semitransparent display embedded in a pair of glasses There is certainly some room for improvement and hopefully this can be achieved with firmware upgrades over time However, we should still give Epson top marks for boldly striding into a rapidly evolving field Gear up for FPV Even if you’re getting a pre-built racer, make sure you’ve got (or are getting) everything you need GPC Inspire Backpack Price: $299 (£228) dimensions: 610 x 520 x 254mm weight: 363g (544g shipping) At $299 this isn’t cheap, but then quality cases aren’t and this definitely offers more than just another solid box to move your drone around in If you’re prepared to ‘shell’ out even more to protect your Inspire 2, then you can add a hard case to store the backpack in for a further $295 Alternatively, GPC also offers a hard-shell Travel Mode Case for $469 and the top-end Landing Mode Case for $549 RC Controller and Receiver It should be obvious, but you’ll need something to control your craft and communicate via the transmitter (TX), and your craft will need the means to hear it (RX) The pair will need to work together (so use the same manufacturer) The big brands are Spektrum, Turnigy and FRSky, and more expensive models offer the ability to store settings for multiple craft and possibly even to display telemetry data like battery health (assuming the aircraft can transmit it) Fossils stuff revo ImpulseRC Alien 5” Category: Bind-n-Fly FPV Category: FPV Frame Street price: $288 (£219) Street price (frame only): £110 Size (motor-to-motor): 180-240mm Size (motor-to-motor): 225mm Weight (frame only): 115g Weight (frame only): 135g Best feature: Super rigid design Best feature: Replaceable arms Holybro Kopis Category: Ready-to-Fly FPV Street Price: £175 Size (motor-to-motor): 230mm Weight (with battery!): 300g Best feature: Beautiful carbon fibre finish ViFly R130 Category: Bind and Fly FPV Street Price: $189 (£143) Goggles (or monitor) and Camera FPV is defined by the ability to see that ‘first person’ view The company Fat Shark is almost synonymous with these goggles, although alternatives can be found (some find the bigger Quanum screen-in-a-box more comfortable) Some feature built-in receivers and might be bundled with a camera and transmitter, too FPV racers see a lot of static, so look out for a ‘nonblue screen’ monitor which won’t revert to a blank ‘no signal’ screen in tough conditions Batteries and charger If you’re not going down the DJI route (and few people would purely for FPV flying), then charging batteries, or Lithium-ion Polymer batteries (better known as Li-Po), while still not exactly art, are a little further from science than you might hope for A good charger and a charging/discharging regimen is important; always make sure you look after your batteries! Category: Bind and Fly FPV Street price: $349 (£247) Size (motor-to-motor): 230mm Weight (frame only): 125g Best feature: Excellent build quality Fat Shark 101 Category: FPV Training Kit Street Price: $249 Size (motor-to-motor): 105mm Weight (drone with battery): 69g Best feature: Perfect for new pilots Weight (frame only): 165g Best feature: Good all-round FPV model Top Flying Cameras DJI Inspire 2 DJI Phantom Yuneec Typhoon H Plus DJI Mavic Pro DJI Phantom Pro FPV frames Armattan Rooster Size (motor-to-motor): 130mm Accessory: FrSky Taranis Q X7S Price: £164 Channels: 16 (up to 32) lcd screen: 128 x 64 outdoor readable LCD model memories: 60 (extendable via MicroSD (TF) card) Compatibility: FrSky receivers in D16/LR12 mode We could still happily recommend the original Q X7 as an entry-level radio but with upgraded gimbals, new switches and several added features (such as the wireless trainer function), the Q X7S offers that little bit more Although if you don’t need the upgrades or the extra expense, you should now be able to pick up the older model at a knock-down price! WWW.DRONEMAGAZINE.UK 95 RE GUL AT IONS :UK If you’re still new to the world of drones and flying, or perhaps looking to make the step up into a professional career, then you should make yourself fully aware of the key rules and regulations for doing so safely and within the law… THE LEGAL POSITION The operation of multirotors for sport and recreational purposes is covered by the same legal considerations as other model aircraft; the law makes no specific distinction on types of aircraft other than weight limits The overriding consideration is compliance with the relevant articles of the Civil Aviation Air Navigation Order; the primary “endangering” provisions are addressed by Articles 241 and 240 which are reproduced here: Article 241; “A person must not recklessly or negligently cause or permit an aircraft to endanger any person or property.” Article 240; “A person must not recklessly or negligently act in a manner likely to endanger an aircraft, or any person in an aircraft.” These apply to all model aircraft at all times, whatever their weight or size Article 94 (set out here) covers the general principles that again apply to all model aircraft However, only the provisions that specifically apply to the activity we are discussing here are included Aircraft weighing in excess of 7kg have other, additional legislation, but these are fairly specialized pieces of equipment more usually employed in commercial operations Article 94; (Small Unmanned Aircraft) 2) The person in charge of a small unmanned aircraft may only fly the aircraft if reasonably satisfied that the flight can safely be made 3) The person in charge of a small unmanned aircraft must maintain direct, unaided visual 96 DRONE MAGAZINE contact with the aircraft sufficient to monitor its flight path in relation to other aircraft, persons, vehicles, vessels and structures for the purpose of avoiding collisions 5) The person in charge of a small unmanned aircraft must not fly the aircraft for the purposes of commercial operations except in accordance with a permission granted by the CAA Perhaps the most relevant provisions in terms of photography / filming with model aircraft as a sport and recreational activity are covered within Article 95 below, which sets out the basic conditions of operation, as well as specifying exact distances Article 95; (Small unmanned surveillance aircraft) 1) The person in charge of a small unmanned surveillance aircraft must not fly the aircraft in any of the circumstances described in paragraph 2) except in accordance with a permission issued by the CAA 2) The circumstances referred to in paragraph 1) are:(a) over or within 150 metres of any congested area; (b) over or within 150 metres of an organised open-air assembly of more than 1,000 persons; (c) within 50 metres of any vessel, vehicle or structure which is not under the control of the person in charge of the aircraft; or (d) subject to paragraphs 3) and 4), within 50 metres of any person 3) Subject to paragraph 4), during take-off or landing, a small unmanned surveillance aircraft must not be flown within 30 metres of any person 4) Paragraphs 2) d) and 3) not apply to the person in charge of the small unmanned surveillance aircraft or a person under the control of the person in charge of the aircraft 5) In this article ‘a small unmanned surveillance aircraft’ means a small unmanned aircraft which is equipped to undertake any form of surveillance or data acquisition These regulations are only concerned with models equipped with cameras, video equipment etc that have the potential to be used for surveillance purposes, either visual or electronic It should also be noted that the above legislation (Articles 94 and 95) does NOT prohibit you from flying a camera or video equipped model for recreational purposes The person in charge of the model must retain direct visual contact with the model (Article 94) and there are some restrictions as to where you can fly (Article 95) Probably the most important of these restrictions are the limits of not flying within 50 metres of any person or 30 metres from any person during take-off and landing, and these are exactly the same as for any model over kg THE PRACTICAL APPLICATION As ever, a little common sense goes a long way towards interpreting and complying with the relevant legal requirements The primary aim of the various Air Navigation Order provisions is to prevent members of the public being endangered, and full-size aviation being endangered To a lesser degree, these provisions also help to limit the potential for dribe operators causing nuisance and for invading privacy In terms of filming or image capturing, this limits how close we can get to people and structures that are nothing to with us (i.e not under the control of the pilot); however, the positive aspect is that the wording of 95(c) permits closer operations where it is with the consent and knowledge of all parties involved (notwithstanding the primary endangering considerations, of course) commerical operations OR SPORT AND RECREATION? Another primary consideration is the purpose of the flight The flying of a model aircraft with a camera on board is recognised as a sport and recreational activity by the CAA, and therefore covered under the terms of the insurance provided as part of the BMFA membership package (provided that the activity is legal in respect of the Air Navigation Order) However, where a flight is made for payment or the purpose is in any way commercial, i.e not as a sport and recreational activity, then it becomes classed as ‘commercial operations’ by the CAA and requires an exemption to the Air Navigation Order to be issued in order to take place lawfully Details of this and exemption application information can be obtained through the CAA website www.caa.co.uk It should be noted that “commercial operations” are an entirely separate activity to model flying and, as such, must be insured under the terms of an appropriate commercial policy The standard policy provided to BMFA members does not provide cover for aerial photography on a commercial basis FLYING LOCATIONS Whilst the overall considerations are the same as for any other model aircraft, there is no doubt that multirotors open up new areas for flying due to their ability to operate in relatively small spaces This does however mean that careful consideration is required before flying in order to remain lawful If intending to fly on private land, then the permission of the landowner should be sought If flying on public land such as a park or open access site, then you must ensure that there are no bylaws in place specifically prohibiting or restricting model flying The other main consideration is the overall suitability of the location for the activity, and that all flying can take place in compliance with the primary “endangering” provisions of the ANO (Articles 240 and 241) and also in accordance with the distances set out in Article 95 above SUMMARY n Be familiar with the legal requirements relating to your chosen activity n Do not endanger person or property n Ensure that the proposed flying location is appropriate and safe n Maintain line of sight for the purposes of control at all times (see CAA Exemption for specific details of FPV flight permissions) n Charging for flights renders it a commercial operation n Do not constitute a nuisance n Do not invade privacy Text provided by www.bmfa.org Visit the site for more information on all aspects of model flying, including membership and insurance n Ensure that appropriate liability insurance cover is in place to protect you in the event of an incident leading to a claim against you Drone Glossary : Learn the Lingo! types of drones Drone: A popularised term for all unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) Camera Drone: A drone (usually a quadcopter) with a camera attached Radio Controlled / RC: Drones and model vehicles of all sorts that are controlled remotely associations and organisations ARPAS UK: Association of Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems BFPVRA: National association for FPV racing in the UK BMFA: British Model Flying Association CAA: Civil Aviation Authority Multirotor: A drone with several motors, or props Tricopter: A drone with three motors, or props Quadcopter: A drone with four motors, or props Hexacopter: A drone with six motors, or props DRONE SAFE REGISTER: UK database of trained pilots and commercial UAV services Pitch: Front/back movement or tilt Roll: Rotation left or right without other movement IAA: Irish Aviation Authority Yaw: Rotation around a central point Autonomous: A preprogrammed flight mode for a drone with no live input from pilot UAV: Unmanned Aerial Vehicle PfCO: Permission for Commercial Operations The certification required to fly for work in UK FPVUK: A non-profit organistion for FPV flying in the UK Nanocopter: An exceptionally small drone Almost Ready To Fly / ARF: A partially built drone Payload: The amount a drone can lift, aside from its own weight and batteries Return to home / RTH: A failsafe GPS option jargon Bind ‘n’ Fly / BNF: Ready to be bound to a transmitter and flown Line of Sight / LOS: Maintaining visual contact with your drone at all times: a legal requirement FAA: Federal Aviation Administration Octocopter: A drone with eight motors, or props Ready To Fly / RTF: A drone supplied with all parts, ready to go from the box a camera mount to goggles or a monitor, usually for racing Altitude Hold: Maintaining height in flight mode Bind: Connecting a controller to the drone so it can pick up signals Build: A completed, usually DIY, drone built from parts or a kit First person view / FPV: Viewing the drone’s flight via parts Accelerometer / ACC: Component that measures the G force/acceleration Battery Eliminator Circuit / BEC: Device to allow the battery to power multiple components Electronic Speed Controller / ESC: Conveys the signal from a controller to the motors Flight Controller: Controls the movement of the drone Gimbal: Mount that steadies the camera’s movement relative to the ground Gyroscope: Device to allow the drone to maintain its level Lithium Polymer battery / LiPo: Powerful, popular energy source for UAVs and RC aircraft Props: Short for propeller, the rotating motor that the blades are fitted to Power distribution board / PDB: Divides electrical power to the circuits Receiver: Device that receives signals from the transmitter and sends them to the flight controller Transmitter: The control device that sends pilot commands to the drone’s receiver Useful links www.arpas.uk www.bfpvra.org www.bmfa.org www.caa.co.uk www.dronesaferegister.org.uk www.faa.gov www.fpvuk.org www.iaa.ie WWW.DRONEMAGAZINE.UK 97 Krabi, Thailand Photo by Damian Sadowski www.dronestagr.am/author/falconmx flYBY Your future as a drone pilot starts Here With Flyby Technology’s unique training system, we will teach you to think like professional pilots and equip you with the confidence to excel in any situation All Flyby Technology instructors are ex-military pilots with extensive experience of training today’s fighter and helicopter pilots We want to share that expertise with you to give you the professional and practical skills you need Whether you wish to be a professional pilot to land your dream job, are wishing to add to or start a business, or are looking for the best training for you and your organisation, the team at Flyby Technology are here to make that happen Visit the website and book on a course today! 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Remote Camera Management Micro Cinema Camera is the world’s first action-cam style digital film camera that can be completely controlled using radio remote airplane controls! You even get HDMI and NTSC/PAL video out for remote monitoring using wireless transmitters to see framing, plus overlays for adjusting settings like start/stop, focus, iris, audio and more! Designed for Action Micro Cinema Camera is the only digital film camera designed specifically for capturing impossible action shots! Unlike regular cameras, the controls are on the front so you can start recording when the camera is mounted in tight spots plus confirm it’s recording using the front record indicator light Even your actors can start the camera recording! www.blackmagicdesign.com/uk True Digital Film Quality The Super 16 sensor gives you full 1080 HD up to 60fps with an incredible 13 stops of dynamic range and an ISO up to 1600 so you can shoot in both bright and low light Unlike other action-cams, you get a true digital film camera with wide dynamic range for digital film quality results! Built In RAW & ProRes Recorder The built in SD card recorder captures the wide dynamic range from the camera’s sensor into 12-bit RAW files or when you need longer recording times, you can record ProRes files! Unlike regular action-cams, you get cinematic images that are beyond broadcast quality so it’s possible to use the shots in high end feature films! Blackmagic Micro Cinema Camera £789* Includes DaVinci Resolve 14 *SRP is Exclusive of VAT Lens and accessories shown are not included ... Contest and a man on a mission to bring the Arctic to your laptop WWW.DRONEMAGAZINE.UK DRONE MAGAZINE 80 discover how a passion for wildlife and a flair for flying combined into an award-winning career... the AR .Drone at CES, Adam has spent the years since building, crashing, sinking, losing and occasionally flying drones With a background in photography publishing and over a decade writing about... DRONE MAGAZINE able to get a fairly self-explanatory understanding of what to expect In manufacturing terms it means that both those making drones and also those making accessories such as batteries