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Multiple drone video

R.Perry

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I'm a avid motorcyclist, well I was approached by some guys that put on dirt bike races. They asked if they could get up to five drones following different riders. I told them I suppose someone could but that way outside of anything I would be interested in.
To me it sounds like a accident looking for a place to happen.

Any thoughts on this idea of theirs
 
Make sure you all have insurance just incase!
All flights would have to be coordinated, and you would most likely need additional observers by each pilot for extra eyes.
Agree it is a risk to have 5.
Maybe 2 but 5, no way.
I would write up a conditional contract, you and your team will not be accountable for any damage or injuries, nota!
Another issue, how do you plan to fly at x speed, fly and control camera?
You have to set up team controllers for each drone.
One to fly, the other to use the camera.
 
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We do that at sporting events all the times. Having 5 professional drone pilots follow riders on a course is pretty much what drone cinematographers do everyday. I just did a 5 drone car chase shoot. Its not problem and can be done safely.
 
Well skip then I have a job for you, problem is don't know how much money is in it.

Yep, its complicated so its not going to be cheap. I get between $1000 + to film any video type productions like that. My drone crew between $350 and $500 per day. So this looks like a $5K shoot, of course that all depends on lots and lots of variables. Some stuff I do free cause I like to do it and getting the particular individuals together to shoot would be a project in itself. As an example I film the Wounded Warrior Golf Tournament in Palm Springs. I do it for free. It gives me a great opportunity to put drones over a golf curse 'legally' try out some new tech and techniques and help the organization. Filming a bunch of dirt bikes would not suck, so depending when and where and if sushi sake after the shoot is available well then its worth a discussion... lol
 
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Yep, its complicated so its not going to be cheap. I get between $1000 + to film any video type productions like that. My drone crew between $350 and $500 per day. So this looks like a $5K shoot, of course that all depends on lots and lots of variables. Some stuff I do free cause I like to do it and getting the particular individuals together to shoot would be a project in itself. As an example I film the Wounded Warrior Golf Tournament in Palm Springs. I do it for free. It gives me a great opportunity to put drones over a golf curse 'legally' try out some new tech and techniques and help the organization. Filming a bunch of dirt bikes would not suck, so depending when and where and if sushi sake after the shoot is available well then its worth a discussion... lol
Nice web site, it helped knowing who you are and what your capable of doing.:cool:??
 
One of our last exercises when training law enforcement is a 4 drone search for an offender (all in an empty and controlled training facility). Each drone is flown at a different altitude and all teams constantly call out their position and height. We throw in a bunch of unexpected twists for them to deal with and its a great learning experience. The point is that when the operators are properly trained and each pilot has a VO and they all communicate it is possible to safely have multiple aircraft coordinated and in the air. I would not suggest a bunch of random pilots get together to try it on a job site for the first time - but as @skiptv mentioned, it does happen - and hopefully it is with experienced, trained and pilots who are all prepped with a well rehearsed plan.
 
"The point is that when the operators are properly trained and each pilot has a VO and they all communicate it is possible to safely have multiple aircraft coordinated and in the air."
What is the definition of properly trained. I argue it is a subjective state developed by individuals without an established uniform standard. UAV protocol is like the wild wild west. except for a written exam, practical flying skills are different for every vendor, who claims to be an instructor. Each pilot having a VO is unrealistic, specially for LEO's in an emergency situation. Until we come together and agree on skill levels that are measurable, its every pilot for himself.
 
At this point in time the term “qualified” is rather subjective, a condition that won’t change until standardized flight test requirements are developed. Such development has already been done with larger corporate entities that employ drone operations. The skill level is pretty much established by the employing entity’s acceptable level of risk in association with federal risk mitigation requirements. As employing entities are averse to any risk their PIC standards are quite high. PIC candidates have to demonstrate their ability in various aspects of flight with consistent precision. VO’s and communication are also graded. Saying you can fly and proving you can fly are quite often not one and the same, especially when aircraft GPS is turned off in a breezy environment with the PIC having to perform “nose in” precision positioning at a distance. As GPS can and does fail the ability to continue controlled and directional flight without GPS is a mandatory skill. Having a PIC/VO team and using them as an effective team are entirely different things. Crew coordination is critical.

Coordinating multiple sUAS in a limited volume of airspace is something quite easy to do, and already in practice using technology, not VO’s. The VO’s need to be assisting their PIC’s with critical flight information relative to obstructions, people, and full scale aircraft, not watching for other drones as the PIC’s will be “head down” watching view screens in SAR or other operations where the PIC’s will need to be eyes on the subject instead of the aircraft. PIC’s cannot possibly fly safely without employing a VO in such an environment, making the use of a VO for every PIC a mandate, not an option.

The technology to assure safe drone separation requires nothing more than advanced, high precision GPS trackers broadcasting discrete identifiers with aircraft position that links to a moving map display that each PIC and VO can view in real time. In essence they are used like transponders, are extremely effective, and currently employed by some entities.
 
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