Here's a fresh change, an example of UAV's used for good!
cividrones has been in the air with a quadcopter within the area of Lithgow, New South Wales (Australia) during our current fire season highlighting the extensive damage done to property as well as ongoing preventative measures in use by 'firies' to control these fires. The footage is surreal and clip well put together
(FYI, a live-fire exercise by the Australian Air Force has been confirmed as the cause of the State Mine fire shown in this video)
Comments
I have contacted the New South Wales Rural Fire Service for their opinion on this footage, I expect they're pretty busy so let's wait and see.
Please support the NSW RFS by making a donation. :)
http://www.rfs.nsw.gov.au/dsp_content.cfm?cat_id=4541
The day someone goes out of their way to abuse this technology - as in cause injury or malicious use - will be when CASA strikes. The language used in CASA's response is pretty clear.
If one of the state's Rural Fire Service were open to collaborating with a group of 'drone' enthusiasts more footage like the above could be produced within CASA guidelines and without dangering nearby parties.
"Positive use" story for multi-rotors - definitely - assuming land owners had agreed. The police tape was probably around the shed for a reason, be it forensic examination or asbestos hazard etc
Less supportive of the practice of flying over people.
and presumably the FPV pilot was sufficiently close by as to hear other aircraft approaching and get out of the way / land in the scenes where there was running fire edge.
This is absolutely stunning.......It actually captures what it's like to have the fire coming at you in a literal wall, and it captures the enormity of the fire from up close, something you just don't see with far away helicopter shots. could you imagine if the fire fighters had one of these on FPV to help determine where other lines of fire are, since fire jumps? Wonderful piece of videography.