Hi All!
As discussed in the Hampshire thread, we are arranging an 'End of Summer, Family Friendly' FPV meetup in the village of Great Haseley, Oxfordshire. I will post up some info on the flying site so that you can familiarise yourself with the area in the meantime. If you're not sure how far it is from you, use my post code to check OX44 7JR (just down the road).
It will take place on the 29th September 2012 from 8:30am at our local cricket field which is adjacent to the Village, Church and Manor House and is surrounded by ploughed and grassy fields which are separated by broken hedge rows making recovery easy (in the unlikely event, of course!).
The flying is good and the views are quite interesting.
We will have the use of the club house, which has a viewing veranda close to the action, boys and girls toilets, a kitchen, tables and chairs and tea / coffee making facilities and a fridge for the coolies and beers. Parking for about 30 cars is available on the field. I would suggest bringing a picnic basket and drinks. If you're all keen, I could arrange a barbeque for confirmed numbers - let me know what you think? The local rep for public facilities in the village has given us the go ahead, so no nasty eviction surprises. I would suggest that we fly under a few basic rules (one's I set for myself generally). This includes not flying over the Manor House and Church under 150 ft and not buzzing local farm animals.
For family members who don't want to watch FPV flying all day long, all the fields have public right of way so there are some nice walks to be had around the village and they all lead to the friendly local pub. The field also has a small playground attached and a basketball hoop, with lots of space for ball games and general horsing around.
The committee rents out the facilities for £10 per hour, so all in (and provided we clean up after ourselves and use supplied ashtrays) this should come to about £80. Are we all happy to chip in for this? The more the merrier, probably cost us all a loose fiver if we get the numbers.
If due to weather it is cancelled, no charge or we have the option to postpone to the Sunday. I am getting the keys tomorrow.
So there you have it, the meet is officially on! Please let everyone know and fire away with any questions or suggestions you have and let us know if you're coming.
(I will post up images, maps etc shortly)
Here is the long range weather forecast - looks good! http://uk.weather.com/weather/10day-Oxford-UKXX0106 (http://uk.weather.com/weather/10day-Oxford-UKXX0106)
Richard
Rich,
This is most excellent news, put me down for everything!! will be there 'Fo Sho'
Will bring my quad only as planks not doing it for me at the mo..... will see maybe SW lol.
Will have my laptop etc so I can do naza set ups for anyone wanting it, or just plug into my vrx for some crazy shiz!!!. I hope all of you make the effort to come along to this one as the facility's etc are going to be excellent!
Will try and get up friday eve and kip the night in van / b&b / under the stars ready for an early start..... Its going to be epic! :cheers:
Jim
Jim, we have a nice couch and my wife is a good cook / hostess. I on the other hand am an excellent cook :)
Very good of you to offer NAZA pit stop!
Quote from: Flyboysee on September 22, 2012, 12:33:05 AM
Jim, we have a nice couch and my wife is a good cook / hostess. I on the other hand am an excellent cook :)
Very good of you to offer NAZA pit stop!
Very kind offer m8, and I shall take you up on it!!, and it would be just rude of me not to offer a naza clinic on the day!!! And the BBQ sounds great too!
Jim.
What about 'Cambs' ? I may be able to make this one :)
Hi TD!
Just changed the header to a more inclusive title. Now you'll have to come :)
Yep! Count me in. Might have the nerve to,take the spider out of a hover by then.
Sounds like you've done us proud FBS.
Cheers, Mark
Gutted cannot make it get House keys on Friday so i'll be to busy ;D
Sure there will another meet sometime Mark.
Cheers, Mark
Just reconfirming I'll be there. Might just have my Mx5 on the day, and so it's tiny weeny boot slightly limits my model choice - but I think I'll at least bring the quad. Would like to bring the AXN as well if I can just so some of you guys can cast a critical eye and if I fly it shout "left left" at the appropriate moments ;)
Quote from: CurryKitten on September 22, 2012, 10:32:45 PM
Just reconfirming I'll be there. Might just have my Mx5 on the day, and so it's tiny weeny boot slightly limits my model choice - but I think I'll at least bring the quad. Would like to bring the AXN as well if I can just so some of you guys can cast a critical eye and if I fly it shout "left left" at the appropriate moments ;)
You bring the axn I bring the rope and tap!!! :D
Will be ya wing man m8 no probs!!
Jim.
Quote from: Western on September 22, 2012, 09:41:45 PM
Sure there will another meet sometime Mark.
Cheers, Mark
Shame you will miss it Mark, but good luck with the move m8.
Jim
Curry, you'll be flying like a star before the day is done! :)
Mark, would have been great to meet you. But is this not then the perfect weekend to be AWOL?
Hi Dave
I'm really sorry to hear that as I know you've put a lot of effort into the Twin. What caused the crash btw? Something wrong with system/s?
It would be great to see you on the day!
Richard
CurryKitten: bring your AXN and we can compare notes etc. I think Jim also said he had an AXN so would be good to see how they all fare.
I'm still fiddling with mixes and getting the flap switch to work with a mix so that I can get the OSD to switch between normal, PA and RTH modes. It would be great to pick all your brains and get a crash course in 9X programming.
Krikey, sounds good. Not sure if it's been mentioned but mixing 30% rudder to aileron works as a start - mine is still set up like that. I could give you a course on crashing :)
krikey, I'll bring it - though it's not fpv'd up, but is a good illustration of what will happen if you repeatedly crash it ;) Jim's AXN might look like an AXN, but it's just a rocket in AXN disguise as far as I can work out
heh. Lets hope the weather gets better for next weekend. Down here in Southampton its wet right the way through to Friday.
BTW. Won't be bringing Josh now as hes going to stay with Grandparents for the weekend. Me and my missus will aim to be there around late morning. Computer tells me 2 hours and after kiddie drop off it'll be around 11.
I believe that after Debbie has seen us with our goggles on, speaking in hushed and excited tones about LiPos and prop pitches, she'll probably head into Oxford for the rest of the day.
fingers crossed for the weather.
Hope to bring the quad and my Sky Surfer that's not been flown either. So could be entertaining for you all.
Weather update upgraded to Partly Cloudy with Sun, 20 chance of rain, Sunday on the other hand is sunny, no chance of rain. Plan B. I you want to PM me your mobile numbers I could text on the morning for a go, no go on the day.
http://uk.weather.com/weather/10day-Oxford-UKXX0106 (http://uk.weather.com/weather/10day-Oxford-UKXX0106)
Cool, a meet quite close to me. Ill hopefully be there if the weather is good.
Hope to see you there Ratty! Where are you based?
R
Thanks, im in Reading, so not far at all. Will prob bring a mate along if thats ok?
The more the merrier!
Cool, thanks. Weather looking to improve by the weekend. ;D
Have you thought about how youre going to manage freqs ect yet?
Hey Ratty, nice call!
The last two meets have taught us that before anyone switches on any video gear to first find out who is presently on. It is best to fly one at a time, or if people want to do dual flights, ensure frequency separation is good. I will only do that if the other chap is flying on 2.4 (while I'm on 5.8).
As far as 35meg goes, same applies.
Perhaps this is a good opportunity for everyone to state their frequencies.
I'll start with mine
RC - Dragon Link
Video - Immersion 5.8 (dipswitches at 0000)
Cheers
Richard
Well I've just put my video gear on my quad but doubt if I'll use it yet, but....
Rc gear 2.4 frsky and a Spektrum 2.4
Video 5.8 Fatshark. Not sure what channel but will try to find out. Think the 3 dip switches on mine are in the on position. Not 100%
sure as it seems to have 'on' and then off next to it on the same side.
Fingers are crossed for good weather.
Cheers, Mark
Mine will be
RC gear: Flysky 9x 2.4gHz
Video immersionRC 5.8gHz long range, dip switches 1,1,0,1
FB: you sure thats 0,0,0,0, the default on mine was 1,1,1,1 and I simply pulled down the 3rd switch to off.
Good call on the video frequencies Flyboysee, I noticed a couple of times at Bardney that people kept turning on their VTx's and saturating feeds, thankfully not when in the air.
RC on FrSky and FlySky 2.4Ghz
Video 5.8 on the Foxtech-type (channel 1)... or same one as Gav as I found out when we had a brief in-air incident :D
It seems quite hard to get enough seperation to have more than a few people flying at once. I don't know if anyone else has tried many people in the air at once. Last time I was checking if I could go up with Jim and Simon, and even though my video freq is seperated from Immersion, it still casued some issues on Jim's goggles and I had to abort.
Frsky 2.4 TX
VTX 5.8 Fatshark 25Mw
No idea on chnnl will check on the day!!
And yup even tho CK was on chine sideband cos we was sat close I could see his and my image laid over each other, was quite interesting for a few mins lol!
Jim.
Spektrum 2.4 for me with Fatshark 5.8 video on channel 111
RC - EZUHF
Video - 2.414
Ill bring my 5.8 stuff too as theres alot flying on 2.4
Good luck with it chapes, it would be nice to come, but just to hared to get there with my planes.
;) G
Hi All
A few points of business ahead of Saturday:
1. Looks like the weather will be on our side, though jerseys are definitely a must - see forecast for 29th http://uk.weather.com/weather/10day-Oxford-UKXX0106 (http://uk.weather.com/weather/10day-Oxford-UKXX0106)
2. Just a reminder that the clubhouse and facilities will be rented to us for a total of £80. Can we agree to divvy that up amongst us? Should be around a fiver or a tenner per flyer depending on turn out. It's a very neat place with long tables, chairs, a fully kitted kitchen, toilets, showers (if you absolutely must) and a shady verandah.
3. What are you all doing for lunch? I will provide tea, coffee and biscuits. The clubhouse has cups, saucers, plates etc so feel free to use them for your refreshments and food. If anyone has a decent sized barbie they are willing to bring we could possibly cook up sausage rolls or the like. Now, being a Saffa you might think I would have a barbie at home, but I don't :( If someone was to bring one I would be happy to prepare the food (or get my missus to do it if the flying is too good). Another option would be to have lunch at the local pub - excellent food there, but they don't do take aways.
4. Flying guidelines: Use common sense and fly with respect to residents of the village, walkers, animals etc. DO NOT fly over the village, and keep to 400 feet - remember, stick to the ANO and terms of the CAA Exemption. Please stay clear of the house adjacent to the dirt road leading to the field. If anyone would / could complain it would be them. Other than that no rules - just have fun!
5. The location of the meet is the 'Playing Field' in Great Haseley. There is a sign on the left hand side only if you are approaching from the A329 towards the village and is just before you enter the village. If anyone is interested in place marking it on Google Maps and posting it here this would be great, otherwise feel free to call me on my mobile on the day. My mobile number is 07545894700. Our meet coincides with the annual Pumpkin Festival, so following those signs will get you to the pub. If 10 people or more confirm attendance here I'll actually make a sign :)
6. With respect to frequencies, most of us have posted ours up here. Please only switch on video while there are no planes up flying FPV, or switch off immediately if you hear a scream! :)
Right so could you let us know your likelihood of attending, what you feel like doing for lunch on the day, whether you have a barbie to bring.
Cheers
Richard
Yep, still coming.
Happy to split money... hadn't thought about lunch much. Last time I became too over-excited to think about food - probably grabbing a quick Mars bar will suffice, but if everyone is keen on one thing, then happy to follow.
I'm sure you posted it at some point, but is there a good post code I could stick into the sat nav to get me close, then I can figure out the rest. Possibly just look up to the sky and follow the small flying things ;)
Google maps link >> https://maps.google.co.uk/maps?saddr=so153au&daddr=51.71205,-1.07998+to:Unknown+road&hl=en&sll=51.711688,-1.072733&sspn=0.011873,0.033023&geocode=FTbZCAMdyE7q_ymJMdx1mHZ0SDH7haqQQxWD9g%3BFTIQFQMdVIXv_ynLEpbmDut2SDHAKXbNI4sNEw%3BFY4OFQMdjLXv_w&t=h&mra=dme&mrsp=2&sz=16&via=1&z=16
And close postcode for the Plough Pub :) OX44 7JQ
Jim.
Definatley be there barring the usual things, you know, fire, famine, plague, end of the world sort of stuff.
Cheers, mark
P.S. and chip in of course.
Ill defo be there. prob around 1pm. Will happily chip in to cover costs.
Hi guys,
A representative from the CAA has contacted me about this thread and meeting. He has pointed out that (judging by the included Google Map) you wouldn't be able to fly under the terms of the exemption (it insists that you are more than 150m from any "congested area" and evidently he considers the village a congested area).
If you're flying under the terms of the exemption you'll need to go a little bit further into the fields and be sure to keep your aircraft more than 150m away from the congested area.
The new exemption lists all of the stipulations on the document itself (rather than in our handbook) so its easier to see at a glance. Please have a look here and perhaps someone can print out a copy and take it with them to make sure everyone is in compliance (which also means we can all enjoy your videos afterwards!): http://www.caa.co.uk/docs/33/ORS4_945.pdf (http://www.caa.co.uk/docs/33/ORS4_945.pdf)
But most of all have lots fun and make lots of (legal) videos! We can use the videos to show how much fun we can have whilst still being legal and safe.
All the best
Simon
Hi guys,
I have edited the post above so that everyone is aware that while flying FPV at the meet you must remember to comply with all portions of the ANO, including not overflying populated areas, maintaining proper separation, staying below 400 feet and within LoS.
Please see FPV Legality (http://www.fpvuk.org/fpv-law/) for more details.
Thanks,
Steve W
I'm sure we can meet this stipulation, I checked out the measurements on google maps and there's enough space in the field to be based more than 150m away from the village and fly in the other direction. (the link Jim gave was just on a road that leads to the field)
Just as a point of clarification though, I'm interested in exactly what stipulates an area being congested... as opposed to not (decongested ?)
Just printed a copy out. will put with the other stuff I have to take.
Cheers, Mark
Quote from: CurryKitten on September 28, 2012, 12:40:03 PM
Just as a point of clarification though, I'm interested in exactly what stipulates an area being congested... as opposed to not (decongested ?)
That's cool.
I think the definition of a congested area will come down to a judge in a court of law. Assuming the CAA decide to prosecute so that it ends up in front of a judge.
I wouldn't be surprised if you had a CAA enforcement officer call in at your meeting for a cuppa. Which will be nice. :-)
All the best
Simon
That occurred to me as well Simon. Along as we're not blatantly flying over the houses we should be fine.
Cheers, Mark
It looks like we should be ok if we launch from the Cricket bit (not sure what its called, the crease?). I used http://www.freemaptools.com/radius-around-point.htm (http://www.freemaptools.com/radius-around-point.htm) to figure out a 150m radius.
As log as we head out North-West through East in a clockwise direction it looks like we should be ok.
Thanks Simon and Steve. We will gladly host a visitor from the CAA or anyone interested in seeing FPV first hand. The intention still is to have a good time while flying within the regs. I must apologise in that the video does contravene one or two guidelines, but was made in the best spirit to aid ironically in safety on the day and for the benefit of flyers to get acquainted with the area to avoid Fresnel and other pitfalls. I, like everyone on this forum looks forward to a bright future for FPV in the UK and we will do our part in it's best promotion at all times.
Richard
Excellent stuff, have some karma :D
You better take plenty of vids after all this build up :laugh:
Steve, I started levitating, now I know why :) It will be a relatively small turn out but quality if the weather holds. Who knows, we may go 'live'.
Hi all,
Well im charging up some lipos now and double checking I got all my bits and bobs I will need!, just going to bring my quad,axn, and Rich's fav 3d Foamy!!.
I hope to get there between 8-9am hope we have a good turn out ;D
Jim.
Have a great time lads, I'm sure a lot of us are there in spirit (jealous!)
Quote from: WalneyCol on September 29, 2012, 01:25:30 PM
Big Brother and his little helpers are watching.
Col.
Good - then maybe people will start realising that we have to obey Zee Rulez whether we like it or not. Then we might start getting somewhere more quickly when we attempt to negotiate, because the relevant bodies will see we're responsible enough to be trusted.
Anyway, back on topic.
Had a nice day today, was great to meet you guys and put a face to the names.
Thanks for organising it Rich. Cant wait to do it again. ;D
Pics! Pics! Pics!
Flyboysee and 3djim have some great video. FB did a bit of chasing for two circuits of my AXN and I learned the benefits of shallow turning.
Almost lost the AXN due to an unstuck aileron servo in mid flight. Luckily Western was on hand to spot for me and we found her with a bit of muck and a bruised ego 1/3 mile away. Thanks Mark.
Great flights today and nice to see more people there.
PS big thanks to Richard for organising the whole thing, including power and tea coffee. Spot on!!!
Sounds like it was a successful day :)
Quote from: Ratty on September 29, 2012, 07:41:32 PM
Had a nice day today, was great to meet you guys and put a face to the names.
Thanks for organising it Rich. Cant wait to do it again. ;D
Nice to meet you too Ratty, (sorry can't remember your name) and your mate, Matt was it? Hope you got more flying after I left.
Have to add my thanks to Rich for organising an enjoyable meet at a great venue.
Thanks to Jim & Krikey for helping me through my first FPV flights. Managed two flights under the googles today 2nd one was a complete flight from take off to landing, so feeling good to get those first flights under the belt.
Jim had to do a walk of shame today after an argument between is AXN and a tree, I am sure there will be some film of the retrieval.
@ Steve W. There should be loads of video including my first FPV flight recorded thanks to Rich. I took a few pictures and will see what they came out like tomorrow sometime.
As Ratty said, here's to the next one.
Cheers, Mark
you had a nice day for it, dudes. Sounds like Rich did a good job organising. well done and look forward to your videos and photos.
cheers
Gav
Was a great day good to see you all again and the new faces :), have crap loads of pics and vid to sort, some cracking vids from quad :D
Cheers Rich was a fun day! I got there at 7:30 am and left 7:45 pm!!!
Jim.
Excellent stuff lads, can't wait to see the pics.
My name is Richard too lol, so was easier to keep it as Ratty. Matt had a great day. That was his first meet and he really enjoyed getting to watch you guys flght thru his goggles. Got him over his fear of flying abit too.
Thanks again guys, ill hopfully edit some vids soon.
Look forward to that Ratty.
Cheers, Mark
Lots of fun, I managed to not crash my AXN twice, and crash my Naza quad once. Some weird glitches on that one to try and work out.
Awesome hosting by Rich. All meets should have tea, coffee, biscuits and and endless supply of chargers :D
I've just moved over 7GB of video from my GoPro to have a look through
Nice one guys. Wish I could have made it myself but I have been mega busy during my short time in UK.
I flew LOS yesterday at Bardney and enjoyed it as I was flying my nitro aerobatic ship in a very strong wind.
Once again the skywalker will have to wait for it's FPV maiden. Maybe in January. :o
Back to work for me tomorrow, Liberia via Dubai and then back to Afghanistan.
Keep up the good work guys.
Hi Guys
I have created a Drop Box folder called Gt Haseley Highlights and I have an idea :detective:
If you could go through your vids from yesterday and make small edits of the highlights (best of the very best raw clips only with enough top and tail time to make new edits) then I will make a 'best of' vid giving a taste of the whole event - Go Pro HD, 808#16, flight cam and ground cam footage, still photo's, the lot.
Those who join the Dropbox folder will be able to contribute, as well as grab vid for your own videos.
Please name your clips descriptively so everyone can know what's what without having to trawl for too long. Again keep the clips short to avoid BIG download times.
Please PM me your email address and I will add you to the folder. So far Jim, myself and Western are on.
And to all who attended, thanks for an absolutely fantastic day! We did what we set out to achieve and that was to have fun, fly countless batteries with minimal incident and help promote safe and legal FPV flying in the UK.
I'd like to add too that at the Pumpkin Festival last night we received very good feedback from residents and the Committee Chairman - some were spectating from their back gardens overlooking the southern fields.
As with the other meets I've attended, my flying and confidence have improved in leaps and bounds.
A big thanks to Jim for helping some of us with set ups and generally being 'Safety Officer' on the day!
Lastly, whose in for a winter meet entitled 'Mad dogs and Englishmen?'
Richard
Just finished at the field. Quite choppy and breezy. Not ideal for chasing today but had a couple of full FPV flights without being whisked downwind too much.
I'm up for Mad dogs and englishmen!
I'd be up for a Mad Dogs meet. Sunday's are better for me due to work commitments. We can warm our hands up on the used Lipos. :D
Took Adam out to the disused Wisley airfield today and ran a couple packs through the Sky Surfer Los of course. I did put the #16 om it and filmed the flights. Very bumpy results but I'll post one on the appropriate part of the forum later.
Regards, Mark
Ok I now I'm getting old but can someone explain how to view Richs great Haseley folder on Dropbox. I've downloaded the app to my iPad at he moment but can't seem to be able to find other peoples folders.
Cheers, Mark
Hi Mark
That's because no one has added any files yet - when they appear, you'll see them. Dropbox is best managed from a pc or laptop I think.
R
Are you going to add te one of my first fpv flight Rich?
Mark
I've got some chase footage that Rich took that I could upload.
PM me your email then you can upload :)
Rich, did you get my PM about the drop box?
Sorry Rich I'll get onto it!
Thanks mate.
Hi Guys
I tried to edit some of the Go Pro HD footage, but unfortunately my PC is just not up to the job - I'm more in a position to do the flight cam stuff. If anyone is keen to put something together pretty much all of the footage is on the Dropbox folder (pm me if you aren't already on it) - would be nice to see vids from the meet. As they say, if there's no video, it never happened :) I should have something up over the weekend, if my PC doesn't crash completely.
R
Some of you will of seen the footage of my flights at Wisley airfield. Went up here again yesterday ans found out that there is a club that fly there on Sundays. Usual thing round here though is that there is wait for membership. They have a stipulation with the landowner that there is a maximum of 11 people. However they can't actually stop me from turning up and flying else where on the runway. They can take their vehicles on the runway whereas I cannot.
I was thinking of maybe a meet with say Jim, Wayne, Krikey, Rich and Ratty on a Saturday sometime next year.
Due to limited parking though I would suggest bringing the minimum amount of kit with you as the runway is about a 5 minute walk from the nearest parking. If anyone you can double up in a car so much the better.
Anyway let's get winter out of the way first.
Cheers, Mark
Sounds like a plan to me, I'm sure i could get all my kit and my 55cc extra in CK's Car :whackydance:
Jim.
Sounds great, with any luck I'll have something that flies by next year.
Might try to bring the other car then :)
Will have to also start to look for decent sites to use. Be nice to have a regular meet up and diff places to check out.
+1 on that CK.
I agree CK. I've been driving round Southampton and to the West looking for somewhere to fly from on a regular basis without getting on someones nerves.
I'm going to start approaching land owners and see if they will be amenable to a few of us using their land.
Good luck with the hunt chaps!, Remember Test lane is always good for a quick fly if all else fails!! :D
Jim
I'll be first over the Test Field but last weekend wanted just a bit more room in case I had to set my AXN down somewhere. I'm getting the confidence now although not sold on the RTH of the Cyclops Nova just yet.
Quote from: krikey on October 08, 2012, 09:27:07 PM
I'll be first over the Test Field but last weekend wanted just a bit more room in case I had to set my AXN down somewhere. I'm getting the confidence now although not sold on the RTH of the Cyclops Nova just yet.
Agreed, although its called test lane it is surrounded by obstacles like water so not that great for a test, TBH we need a place that has at least 150m separation from anything else.
Jim.
Let's do the maths
It looks like we're a core interested group of what Me, Krikey, Curry, Jim, Western - who else? Let's say 5 of us. If we each come up with our own regular venue for a meet then that's five meets spread over 12 months = that's just over one meet every 2 and a half months, making that one every ten weeks. Not enough to get on each other's nerves and the partners couldn't begrudge that?
You guys are onto something here! So, can I suggest that Great Haseley happens once a year in the third week of September?
Anyone know of an online calender?
Jim, we know a place - the field at Old Sarum :) Not far at all...
Quote from: Flyboysee on October 08, 2012, 10:03:07 PM
Jim, we know a place - the field at Old Sarum :) Not far at all...
But totally illegal as far as the ANO goes m8, to close to old sarum airfield for a start!! So no Insurance cover..... The Task is I think to find 4 or 5 sites that conform with the ANO so were all legal and not a target ;)
Jim
What we need to do is find a local farmer, get him hooked on FPV and were good to go :D
Jim.
Wake me up when you're done :)
You can add me to that list too Rich, im always up for local meets. ;D
I just cant commit untill closer to the date, never know whats happening here.
Quote from: 3DJIM on October 08, 2012, 10:14:22 PM
What we need to do is find a local farmer, get him hooked on FPV and were good to go :D
My brother-in-law is a farmer on Hayling Island (although he only has 2 fields)... but I will check to see who else he knows that would like lots of small rotar thingies to be buzzing around him and crashing into his cows