What Happens when a Rookie Pilot tries to fly an Oktocopter with a Camera

[Mitch Gross]

As long as the insurance is up to date you can keep trying this test with our cameras as long as you want. ;-D

[Wendell Adkins]

Matt hit the nail on the head. As someone who has been a professional RC pilot for over 30 years, I can tell you that just being a really good sport/hobby pilot with purchasing power is not enough to fly high dollar cameras around. The last thing you want is someone "learning on the job" here. Even with 25 years of top level international competition experience (FAI-F3C), It took another 6 years of continuous work to develop the equipment systems, procedures and flying techniques required to be able to 100% reliably fly 10+ lb. cameras around all day long by RC. In the last 6 years of doing this, coast to coast, we have never put anyone's camera in the ground or in Davey Jones' locker. Our cinema rigs have the payload capacity to carry the weight of two epics at the same time. Not that we would ever fly two, but this proves that we have plenty of reverse payload capacity and drivetrain durability. Thousands of logged flight hours show these systems are not being overloaded doing the job. Not only in ideal conditions, but in over 100 degree/below freezing temps and in high (25mph+) winds. This is why Josh Radnor had no reservations in having us fly the Epic in his latest film. I think another reason for having a perfect flying safety record is that I don't need to rely on an assortment of electronic stabilization gadgets to fly, but rather default to plain old flying experience.

[Chris Luker]

Should have taped a big rock on there first for him to prove that he could fly the thing...

[Marc Fisher]

As long as the insurance is up to date you can keep trying this test with our cameras as long as you want. ;-D

LOL !!

[Joel Arvidsson]

Alot should go wrong to crash a oktocopter. I mean its alot safer then the regular since you can still land if one propeller quite. How hard was the impact? Any pictures after the crash?

[John Marchant]

Matt hit the nail on the head. As someone who has been a professional RC pilot for over 30 years, I can tell you that just being a really good sport/hobby pilot with purchasing power is not enough to fly high dollar cameras around. The last thing you want is someone "learning on the job" here. Even with 25 years of top level international competition experience (FAI-F3C), It took another 6 years of continuous work to develop the equipment systems, procedures and flying techniques required to be able to 100% reliably fly 10+ lb. cameras around all day long by RC. In the last 6 years of doing this, coast to coast, we have never put anyone's camera in the ground or in Davey Jones' locker. Our cinema rigs have the payload capacity to carry the weight of two epics at the same time. Not that we would ever fly two, but this proves that we have plenty of reverse payload capacity and drivetrain durability. Thousands of logged flight hours show these systems are not being overloaded doing the job. Not only in ideal conditions, but in over 100 degree/below freezing temps and in high (25mph+) winds. This is why Josh Radnor had no reservations in having us fly the Epic in his latest film. I think another reason for having a perfect flying safety record is that I don't need to rely on an assortment of electronic stabilization gadgets to fly, but rather default to plain old flying experience.

As a long time RC flier I have to wholeheartedly support the concept that you absolutely must be able genuinely to fly the aircraft. All these stabilised, gyro controlled, waypoint following etc etc features just invite the inexperienced to go directly the scene of the accident.

I guess the problem is similar to one I've encountered throughout my time flying RC - we make it look easy. I've lost count of the number of times I've flown a little foamy in my local park and had guys stop by and say 'hey, can I have a go?' Literally expecting to just fly the plane like you'd drive an RC car across your living room carpet. ( On the other hand, one of my favourite games when I have friends visiting is to hand them the tx for my simulator and challenge them to put a trainer in the air and keep it there for over 10 seconds. Always funny to watch. )

Put it this way: I've got a ton of RC hours, I'm safety officer at my flying club, I'm that guy who brings his planes home just the way they went to the field, all year long. I've even flown professionally for a company developing UAVs, but I still stop short of flying camera platforms.

People just don't seem to respect the danger involved, the skills required, or the seriousness of the whole thing, because it looks like playing with toys...

Enough ranting...sorry.

[StevenMore]

That just sent chills through me. As an operator, I could not take that risk with someone elses equipment.

I have the confidence to fly my hexacoptor with MY equipment in a safe place, and have done so with a 5D (Disposable Camera) for some fun projects, but a RED, even mine, I will leave up to the pro's.

And, a note on flying and operating the camera POV at the same time; it was the only time I crashed! Got focused on the POV and did not see the palm tree in time to PULL UP. Camera Survived, Hex needed $1,500 to fix.

[Björn Benckert]

how hard are those things to fly?

Fucking hard. I did the exact same thing with ours.. first flight lasted about 15 minutes and then it was more like a pile of broken carbon fiber tubes and bits and pieces of computer boards laying around on the ground. I would say do not fly before you at least crashed a few thousand times in a good simulator... then you might be stable on your first rigs. But do not think that you will not need spars of every thing... they brake very easy those little things...

If anybody is up for a try we have a Droidworx 6XL for sale for 18k USD, it can, if you dare, take an epic with a light canon glass... :)

[Nick Gardner]

Alot should go wrong to crash a oktocopter. I mean its alot safer then the regular since you can still land if one propeller quite. How hard was the impact? Any pictures after the crash?

Not really, all you have to do is fuck up. Pilot error is the cause of most crashes.

Nick

[Scott Snare]

Dammit Jim;... I can't get no power