by Greg Carter | Oct 20, 2015 | Events, UAV
Nov 12-15 2015 ATLANTA, GA Georgia Dome & Georgia World Congress Center...
by Greg Carter | Oct 16, 2015 | UAV
Source: Ben Popper via The Verge The market for consumer drones is exploding, projected to grow from $105 million this year to $1 billion by 2018. These flying robots are allowing the average consumer to capture Hollywood-caliber aerial footage and dramatically raising the bar for what qualifies as a cinematic selfie. But the average 4K camera drone these days is still about $1,200, with a battery that lasts just 20 minutes, two drawbacks that limit their mass appeal. Enter Qualcomm, the chip maker whose Snapdragon processors power the vast majority of today’s high-end smartphones. It recently announced that it will produce a modified version of this chipset optimized for drones, the Snapdragon Flight. Raj Talluri, the engineer and executive in charge of the project, says it could be the first step toward making high-quality drones as mainstream as digital cameras used to be. “We believe that, with this chip, we can cut the price of the average 4K camera drone from $1,200 down to $300 or $400. And we think we can extend the battery life from 20 minutes to 45 to 60 minutes,” says Talluri. “That will open them up to a much broader audience and a whole new range of applications.” DRONES ARE THE PEACE DIVIDEND OF THE SMARTPHONE WARS Drones may never be as ubiquitous as smartphones, but the two devices do have a lot of similarities. Chris Anderson, former editor ofWired and current CEO of drone startup 3D Robotics, has said that “drones are the peace dividend of the smartphone wars.” By that he means there is a broad overlap in terms of the central components, and that the...
by Greg Carter | Oct 11, 2015 | Events
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by Greg Carter | Oct 2, 2015 | UAV
Source: Michael Archambault, PetaPixel Drones present an exciting new world of possibilities for photographers looking to explore and capture their world. Never before has aerial photography been as accessible to the masses as it currently is thanks to companies such as DJI. However, to quote a line from Spiderman: “With great power comes great responsibility.” Drones can be dangerous if not used properly, and it is important to know the basics before taking off with your drone. #1: Understand Your Drone’s Limitations Start by learning what your drone is capable of achieving and what limitations it may possess. Important information to know is how fast your drone can ascend and descend, along with its maximum speed and altitude. Hover accuracy is also important so that you can understand how far your drone may drift when told to maintain its position. Also, be aware of the temperatures your drone can operate within. Come winter, many drone owners should be packing their aircrafts away for a short hibernation. For example, DJI’s Phantom 3 aircraft should not be flown when temperatures drop below freezing. #2: Research Federal Drone Regulations Within the United States, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has yet to develop a full set of regulations for drones, but there are currently a few ideas in place. Do not fly your drone above 400 feet at any time — this is to ensure the safety of all other aircrafts in the sky. Also, be sure to stay at least five miles away from any local airports unless you contact the airport and control tower for permission. The FAA also lists advice that...
by Greg Carter | Sep 25, 2015 | Events
CHARLOTTE AEROMODELERS, INC. Combined event! 15th Annual WARBIRDS FLY-IN & Fall Fly in SATURDAY, October 10th, 2015 REGISTRATION BEGINS AT 8:00 AM FIELD OPEN TO REGISTERED PILOTS COME JOIN US FOR A DAY OF FUN AND HONOR OUR WOUNDED MILITARY VETERANS. A PORTION OF PROCEEDS TO BE GIVEN TO THE PURPLE HEART FOUNDATION. ALL TYPES OF AIRCRAFT WELCOME, ELECTRICAL POWER ON SITE (A.M.A. REQUIRED) ~ $18 LANDING FEE (lunch included) Over 400 attendees at last years event ! SMOKED BARBEQUE LUNCH SERVED AT NOON $3,000 IN PRIZES TO BE RAFFLED AWAY ALONG WITH PILOT AWARDS SPONSORS *DYMOND MODELSPORT USA *CONDOR AERIAL *HARRIS TEETER *HOBBY STOP -ROCK HILL - *BENEFIT CONTROLS* LOWES HITEC* EAGLE TREE SYSTEMS, LLC * ATLANTIC HOBBIES * *GREAT PLANES* SAM’S CLUB* MONROE, NC - NEAR INTERSECTION OF HWY 218 & HWY 200 ~ LOOK FOR FIELD SIGN ON HWY 200 SCOTT GANTT-CONTEST DIRECTOR ~ 704-564-0716 Cell SGANTT@BENEFITCONTROLSNC.COM WWW.CHARLOTTEAEROMODELERS.ORG...
