Recent content by John Githens

This YouTube video provides a nice overview:

Here's an update. When the Anafi returns to hover near the takeoff point, you can tap a button in the upper left of QGC, then move a slider in the upper middle to actually land it. No need to grab the Anafi and twist it to turn it off. :-)

I still have three. Solid performers, and actively used for paid work. I've been shooting videos and photos in PLOG, with editing in Davini Resolve (a steep learning curve, but worth it). I could afford to lose one through the recent testing with QGC. In my first test flight, I was able to take...

(This is also posted in the ParrotPilots forum.) Now that Pix4Dcapture is terminated, if you want to use your Anafi 4K again for mapping or modeling, try the attached procedure. I've done several test flights with QGC. There were a variety of surprises that caused updates to the initial...

Not as a professional real estate photographer... I've noticed that a growing number of real estate ads now have photos with greatly (some say too-greatly...) enhanced photos. In addition to the usual photos taken with 12 mm lenses. Anyone visiting the property in person will immediately see...

Given the initial poster's interest in measuring mine dumps, it seemed reasonable for at least educational purposes to suggest looking at the YouTube video about the new Terrain Creator. Also, the poster was concerned about the risk of placing ground targets to be Ground Control Points on the...

You might also want to look at the Virtual Surveyor software product.

Like with many other topics in life, "it depends". I have both the orange lids and the larger black and white flexible, numbered targets. The lids with centered nails help when in thick brush areas. The other targets are fine for bare earth or pavement. There may - or may not - be an expectation...

It can be educational to review the long list of litigation activities on this rupprechtlaw.com page.

Also, government entities are developing in-house UAS Operators and (more important in my perception) the post-flight data processing and analysis capabilities needed to meet their organization's information requirements and specifications. For example, at least one department in the US Army...

I was wondering when someone would comment about the "hire a drone pilot" websites. I have yet to see any posted job that was worth the initial setup effort, multiple battery charging cycles, travel time and mileage, onsite risk and time (especially in urban locations over busy roads and walking...

Heads up, the "drone work scam" is still happening. If you have a drone-related business and are contacted by someone who claims they have a well-paying job for you, be very alert. In my case the scammer found a live real estate listing 3 hours from my home base, then made contact through my...

A sobering read. Would have been nice to know if the operators of the three sUAS had been contacted about their behavior: "Of the 24 NMACs identified by Embry-Riddle researchers, Rice noted, the same three sUAS were responsible for more than half (13) of the encounters. Further, in 96% of the...

Also worth reading to consider your options: Optimization of UAV Flight Missions in Steep Terrain Note the cautionary comments about relying on SRTM DEMs.

This is not my area of expertise... Have you read The Shuttle Radar Topography Mission (SRTM) Collection User Guide? More than the Guide is available on the Earth Engine Data Catalog. I don't know if you would get the desired level of granularity of surface data for your flight planning. I would...