Awesome flying at Belle Plaine, Minnesotta (Page 2): Your welcome.

Jolly Roger Loc: Dorset. UK

bcheary wrote:

Thanks. :thumbup: :thumbup: :-D It sure did have all the info I needed. :-D

Your welcome.

nikonboy Loc: Apple Valley, MN and Pine Island, Florida

You had posted a link to my flying video a while back, and had speculated about the type of photography you could get from an open cockpit powered parachute. Well, as you might expect, they are unique. Being low and slow you can see all sorts of things you would never see from a Cessna. I made another video a while back with about 150 pictures taken entirely from my flying machine. It is called: Sky Slices. I hope you enjoy it.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wTqwnm4U294

bcheary Loc: Jacksonville, FL

nikonboy wrote:

You had posted a link to my flying video a while back, and had speculated about the type of photography you could get from an open cockpit powered parachute. Well, as you might expect, they are unique. Being low and slow you can see all sorts of things you would never see from a Cessna. I made another video a while back with about 150 pictures taken entirely from my flying machine. It is called: Sky Slices. I hope you enjoy it.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wTqwnm4U294

I had to take the s off https to view.

Damn. That was awesome. You had some great shots and I enjoyed your choices of music in the soundtrack. You had quite a quite a few different landscapes that you flew over. What states did you fly in? In one of those scenes it looked like a big fly in.
:thumbup: :thumbup: :-D

I have bookmarked you Youtube site. :-D

pounder35 Loc: "Southeast of Disorder"

bcheary wrote:

I had to take the s off https to view.

Damn. That was awesome. You had some great shots and I enjoyed your choices of music in the soundtrack. You had quite a quite a few different landscapes that you flew over. What states did you fly in? In one of those scenes it looked like a big fly in.
:thumbup: :thumbup: :-D

I have bookmarked you Youtube site. :-D

Damn that looks like fun!!!!! :thumbup: :thumbup:

nikonboy Loc: Apple Valley, MN and Pine Island, Florida

All of those pictures were taken in Minnesota. Some of them were panoramas. The only other state I have flown the powered parachutes in was Wisconsin, and only briefly. Yes, we get together once in a while for fly-ins at various places around the state. It makes a great camera platform because you steer with your feet, leaving your hands totally free for photography.

pounder35 Loc: "Southeast of Disorder"

nikonboy wrote:

All of those pictures were taken in Minnesota. Some of them were panoramas. The only other state I have flown the powered parachutes in was Wisconsin, and only briefly. Yes, we get together once in a while for fly-ins at various places around the state. It makes a great camera platform because you steer with your feet, leaving your hands totally free for photography.

Interesting. What's the average size motor? What's your average speed and max altitude?

nikonboy Loc: Apple Valley, MN and Pine Island, Florida

Most of them use snowmobile size engines, such as the Rotax 503 or 582. About 55-65 HP.

They take off at about 30mph, fly at about 30mph and land at about 30 mph. They wings are drag limited so adding more power doesn't make them go faster, it just makes them climb faster.

I believe the record is about 17,000 feet, done with oxygen. But most of us don't fly much higher than about 500 feet normally. As you get much above 1000 feet you find it hard to see much on the ground. And that high it seems like you are standing still, since 30 mph is not very fast.

As you get higher it also gets cooler. Remember, you don't have a cockpit around you. Figure 2 to 3 degrees cooler for every thousand feet you go up. It's when you are down at 100-200 feet that you really see the wildlife, smell the wildflowers, and fly with the birds.

pounder35 Loc: "Southeast of Disorder"

nikonboy wrote:

Most of them use snowmobile size engines, such as ... (show quote)

I better not show this to my brother. He'll be building one next week. I just got into "drone" flying using a Phantom 2 Vision. Entry level model and I'm already wanting to upgrade to a 3 axis gimbal and GoPro camera. I use my Samsung Galaxy 5 for a monitor or my LG 8.3 with different software. The DJI software is not compatible with the LG so I got the Litchi software but it's been a little glitchy. FAA regulations say max altitude is 400 ft. and I get a warning at that altitude. I've been a little higher (by accident of course) but 400 ft. is plenty. Especially for a novice pilot. The best feature is RTH (Return To Home). When I lose sight of it it comes back to me and lands itself according to the GPS co-ordinates. Usually within a few feet of where I set the compass and took off.

nikonboy Loc: Apple Valley, MN and Pine Island, Florida

Now that is something I can see myself getting into. I have been watching a lot of pretty videos, and educational videos. The hot ones right now seem to be the Phantom and the Solo. But I know for a fact there are several more under development that should be out by the end of the year. I don't want to get one that isn't going to be supported for a long time. The technology is developing very rapidly, that seems to be certain. The GPS feature and RTH features are very cool. But I have also seen a number of videos featuring spectacular crashes of drones on YouTube. That would be an expensive accident.

pounder35 Loc: "Southeast of Disorder"

nikonboy wrote:

Now that is something I can see myself getting int... (show quote)

My first flight I lost a fight with a tree. $169 for parts. OUCH!!!!!

bcheary Loc: Jacksonville, FL

nikonboy wrote:

All of those pictures were taken in Minnesota. Some of them were panoramas. The only other state I have flown the powered parachutes in was Wisconsin, and only briefly. Yes, we get together once in a while for fly-ins at various places around the state. It makes a great camera platform because you steer with your feet, leaving your hands totally free for photography.

:thumbup: :thumbup: :-D Thanks for the info. Sure looks like fun.