By Andrew Walsh
awalsh@wbcowqel.com
If you would have ventured to Lowe-Volk Park Thursday evening you might have seen a strange object buzzing around the air. Had you approached close enough, you just might have heard the whirring of several small propellers and witnessed the effect of their thrust upon the ground. The sound in question came from the small drone piloted by James Hall as he gave a presentation to curious onlookers.
The event was sponsored by the Crawford Park District, and sought to educate people about drones and what they can do. Hall gave a presentation inside before the group adjourned to the great outdoors to see first-hand what Hall and his drone were all about.
Hall runs a business called Crawford County Aerial Photography. He provides his customers with pictures from above to fill a multitude of purposes. He was employed by the City of Bucyrus to take pictures above the Bratwurst Festival very recently.
He also explained how farmers have hired to him to survey their lands. Some of what they have had him do has been to analyze fields for tile layout; checking for dry spots and even distribution. He also recalled how a farmer contracted him to track down a cow that had escaped.
This is a very new technology, so the limits of what it is capable of accomplishing are still being discovered. Due to the newness of this enterprise, the legalities of what are and are not allowed are still being fleshed out. Hall did include some of the FAA guidelines that have been handed down: such as within three miles of an airport or helipad drones are only allowed to fly 400 feet in the air.
Some of the limitations are self-imposed by the technology itself: the small drone Hall was flying has about 20 minutes of battery life and about a two-mile range. In calm winds it can reach 30 mph ground speed.
Once outside, Hall performed what he called his “little dance,” movements made with the drone in hand to calibrate it to the local satellites and GPS system. This allows for some impressive flying, as the drone will hold itself in place, with the proper programming, in the air when instructed to. It can also land exactly at its home base on autopilot.
Hall shared how when he has wrapped up his photographing for a session, he can tell the drone to “come home”, so to speak, when he goes to his truck and begins packing his gear. A few minutes later the drone will drop beside him at the landing site.
Among the crowd were nature-watching enthusiasts, “techies,” and an excited boy by the name of Max Phillips. Max was the first one to get a chance at the reins, and had the drone buzzing around Lowe-Volk. Through the live feed on the controller camera, those assembled could the tree tops, the Lowe-Volk Nature Center, and the whole crowd looking back at up the camera.
Although Max was a bit preoccupied with his endeavor, and justifiably so, he shared that this was his first time flying a drone and that he, “didn’t know what to expect.”
After getting the chance to fly it around there and back again, when the machine came gently back to earth he couldn’t help blurting out, “The drone has landed!”
For nature lover Jim Stone, this technology presents exciting possibilities for when it comes to observing the natural world around us. An amateur photographer and techie, Jim was interested in what could be observed with this new outlet.
“I’ve always been interested in drones,” Stone said.
He was particularly interested in how they could help people with limited mobility more fully enjoy the great outdoors. A bird watcher himself, he likes the new avenues and angles that could be presented by this pursuit.
No trip to Lowe Volk is complete without a chat with naturalist and program coordinator Josh Dyer. Like most people, Josh is attracted by, “the newness” of the technology. He is also a fan of providing, “another way to get people outside.”
“I thought it would be a crowd pleaser and it was.” Dyer proclaimed.
Hall let other people try their hand at the wheel until sunlight and battery dictated that the drone come down for the night. As everyone trickled away back to their homes, Dyer’s assessment of the evening could only be described as absolutely correct.