Dennis Brooks, Club Officer
After losing his DJI Mini in a pond, Dennis went overboard with four-inch Styrofoam balls for flotation. They proved too large for the drone, weight, and wind resistance and will be cut down.
The April 25 Robson Drone Club presentation was by Dennis Brooks. Since he had a drone at the bottom of the front gate pond for five months last year, he is well qualified to speak on losing and recovering a sunken drone. His DJI Mavic Mini will no longer sink and is using an LED show to welcome members to the meeting.
Held at the CATC at 7 p.m. on the fourth Monday, as usual, the meeting was well attended with two new people interested in buying drones; one for photography, the other for roof inspections and seeing the neighborhood from the air.
We actually started early, with discussions on appropriate drones for people new to drones. Dennis covered DJI from the Mini to the Mavic 3, Autel, Skydio, and BRINC drones’ abilities versus costs. There was spirited discussion on how drones should be used and which drones were the best value for the money.
Dennis gave the slide show presentation covering the three main ways drones end up in the water—fly-away, pilot error, and mechanical/electrical malfunctions. Dennis then covered what he went through to recover a drone from a Robson pond and the help he received from the Robson staff. He then showed other people, and how their drones ended up in the water due to a variety of errors.
We discussed features of the drones such as “Find My Drone” that aid in recovering lost drones that do not end up underwater. Water losses in ponds, streams, lakes, and the ocean were covered. The presentation ended with a discussion about LAANC airspace clearance requirements and the software needed for controlling the drones, local weather, and local restrictions.
Interest in various subjects about drones, accessories, and drone software carried the meeting well past the normal 8 p.m. finish. Arrangements were made for mentoring one new flier here at Robson.
The Drone Club has no dues. We meet the fourth Monday of every month, other than August and December, at the CATC, Room 104, at 7 p.m. The meetings last about an hour. We are still finalizing our choice for the May meeting. We will announce the context in the Robson emails and the Drone Club contacts. Please come and enjoy the pictures and discussions.
Meeting attendees: 9
Total Drone Club members: 31