High Risk Flying: Member Spotlight

Robson drone enthusiasts

Robson drone enthusiasts

Dennis P. Brooks, Robson Drone Enthusiast

The Robson Ranch Drone Special Interest Group (SIG) meets the fourth Monday of each month (except August and December) starting at 7 p.m., at the Creative Arts and Technology Center, room 104. We invite all with an interest in drones, aerial, videography, or anyone curious about our flying, videos, and photos, to attend.

Our Feb. 22 meeting was a member spotlight by Dennis Brooks. He highlighted his drone flying style. He often flies outside the limits of the manuals and the drone capabilities; we consider this high risk. He will fly in the dark, very low, long distances away from the controller with a 1,000-lumen strobe, in extreme cold and in high winds over Robson Ranch Denton. General questions were accepted after the presentation. The meeting was closed, followed by individual questions.

As mentioned, Dennis’s flying style is very aggressive in pushing limits, often close to objects, flying his DJI MINI drone. He presented slides showing how aggressive flying affects the drone, photos, and video segments. There was a short video segment where a lapse of control resulted in his drone flying through a pond spray fountain. Several slides showed progressively longer flights at distances out to 15,200 feet away at the maximum drone altitude limit of 400 feet up. There were slides showing the unusual aspects allowed by the drone for impressive photographs. He also displayed some of the color range you can capture around Robson. The presentation was well received.

Please join us each month! The SIG has no dues nor membership requirements, other than owning or interest in acquiring/seeing a drone. Visitors interested in seeing the videography, or who are just curious, are always welcome as guests to the meetings.