How Close is Close

AH-1G · May 5, 2018

I showed a Battalion Fire Chief how close I am able to get to an object, I chose a palm tree. It was quite windy and gust in the upper teens low 20's.
I was sure of my skills. The video is more hair raising though.
Nice detail

Pictures captured from video using GOM Player
ISO 100 Shutter at 200

Eagle's Eye Video · May 5, 2018

Hope your Depends performed as advertised...

CraigCam · May 5, 2018

Is that video screen shots?

rdonson · May 5, 2018

Impressive! Was this with the stock CGO3+ lens? If so I'm going with @Eagle's Eye Video assessment of necessary undergarments.

AH-1G · May 5, 2018

Eagle's Eye Video said:
Hope your Depends performed as advertised...

@Eagle's Eye Video
lol,
I didn't sneeze, just kept cool about it. The Fire Battalion Chief was wearing the FPV Yuneec Goggles. Yep he was impressed with the view. I also took him up to 395 feet.

AH-1G · May 5, 2018

CraigCam said:
Is that video screen shots?

@CraigCam yes

AH-1G · May 5, 2018

rdonson said:
Impressive! Was this with the stock CGO3+ lens? If so I'm going with @Eagle's Eye Video assessment of necessary undergarments.

@rdonson Yes stock CGO3+ ND Filter attached

CraigCam · May 5, 2018

AH-1G said:
@CraigCam yes

I’ve been doing a lot of wind flying lately and gotten close to a single century plant stalk but palm trees are another matter. They are actually my most reliable wind gauges here in Tucson. If the palm fronds are lifting erratically then it’s a no go.

KEITH KUHN · May 6, 2018

AH-1G said:
I showed a Battalion Fire Chief how close I am able to get to an object, I chose a palm tree. It was quite windy and gust in the upper teens low 20's.
I was sure of my skills. The video is more hair raising though.
Nice detail
Pictures captured from video using GOM Player
ISO 100 Shutter at 200

View attachment 9567

View attachment 9568

MY FAULT ON THIS CLOSE CALL
K KUHN

Ty Pilot · May 6, 2018

AH-1G said:
I showed a Battalion Fire Chief how close I am able to get to an object, I chose a palm tree. It was quite windy and gust in the upper teens low 20's.
I was sure of my skills. The video is more hair raising though.
Nice detail
Pictures captured from video using GOM Player
ISO 100 Shutter at 200

View attachment 9567

View attachment 9568

Were you demonstrating a landing?

LOL - that is close. Nice job.

KEITH KUHN · May 7, 2018

Ty Pilot said:
Were you demonstrating a landing? LOL - that is close. Nice job.

ACTUALLY I NEVER KNEW THE TOWER WAS THERE.
THE SUN WAS IN MY EYES, AND I WAS ON THE
OTHER SIDE OF A BUILDING. I GOT REAL
LUCKY.
KEITH

FlushVision · May 7, 2018

KEITH KUHN said:
ACTUALLY I NEVER KNEW THE TOWER WAS THERE.
THE SUN WAS IN MY EYES, AND I WAS ON THE
OTHER SIDE OF A BUILDING. I GOT REAL
LUCKY.
KEITH

Always wise to do a thorough site assessment of a place you intend to fly (initially with Google Earth or Altitude Angel then actually on-site) so that you can determine the presence and positions of power lines and other structures so that you have a good knowledge of what you should be avoiding before you even lift off from the ground. Oh, and never have a building between you and the aircraft masking your LOS.

I always do such an assessment of a site whether it's a commercial or a hobby flight. I recall a hobby flight I did a couple of years ago where I knew I would be flying the aircraft to below my take-off height into a small valley. The site assessment revealed power lines running down the valley that were difficult to see from my take-off position...doing that survey potentially saved me from having a crash that day.

KEITH KUHN · May 7, 2018

FlushVision said:
Always wise to do a thorough site assessment of a place you intend to fly (initially with Google Earth or Altitude Angel then actually on-site) so that you can determine the presence and positions of power lines and other structures so that you have a good knowledge of what you should be avoiding before you even lift off from the ground. Oh, and never have a building between you and the aircraft masking your LOS.

I always do such an assessment of a site whether it's a commercial or a hobby flight. I recall a hobby flight I did a couple of years ago where I knew I would be flying the aircraft to below my take-off height into a small valley. The site assessment revealed power lines running down the valley that were difficult to see from my take-off position...doing that survey potentially saved me from having a crash that day.

YOU ARE RITE. I WAS TRYING TO STAY OUT OF THE SUN.
I GOT LUCKY THAT DAY.
KEITH

AH-1G · May 7, 2018

Ty Pilot said:
Were you demonstrating a landing? LOL - that is close. Nice job.

No, he just wanted to see how close I could get while he was wearing the FPV goggles and what kind of detail he would view.
After viewing the footage I was surprise the protruded thingamajig didn't hit my propeller or any part of the bird. Heck I was standing only about 40 feet from the tree. I did see the thingamajig from the ground but didn't realize how close to it I got.

Ty Pilot · May 7, 2018

That is what i would call "Danger Close"

KEITH KUHN · May 7, 2018

Ty Pilot said:
That is what i would call "Danger Close"

YEA WHEN I GOT HOME AND SAW THE VIDEO, I SAID WOW WAS I LUCKY, NO KIDDING
KEITH

stan55 · May 9, 2018

Eagle's Eye Video said:
Hope your Depends performed as advertised...

I like your Einstein quote as well.

PatR · May 9, 2018

Macro photography the hard way

DoomMeister · May 9, 2018

That thingamajig is a recent evolutionary adaptation of palm trees to protect against multirotor aircraft. You were lucky to have stayed just out of reach. They can be quite deadly.

PACOBERT · May 9, 2018

DoomMeister said:
That thingamajig is a recent evolutionary adaptation of palm trees to protect against multirotor aircraft. You were lucky to have stayed just out of reach. They can be quite deadly.