Viewing landscape scenery from above the fog line

[baz]

I'm very much a 'gadget person' and have been trying to figure out how to improve my navigation when out in fog situations.

I have been wondering if having a remote controlled flying drone might help if its positioned above the fog line with having an onboard live video feed back to my iPhone and/or iPad. Of course this may be impractical if there's a strong wind etc. Anyhows, its fun to speculate if such a device would be useful.

Anyone else thought of this as an aid to navigation when in fog conditions on the water ?

 

[Levitation]

As a pilot who flies above morning ground fog at times let me assure you that there is little to see... Mostly the top side of a featureless cloud with the occasional hilltop or tower protruding... Over water it would be worse with no navigational clues..

 

[captain's cat]

Barry, looks like fun! Do they float? :roll:

Charlie

 

[JamesTXSD]

Might be a bit difficult to drive the boat, fly the gizmo, and keep an eye on radar and the charplotter! :mrgreen:

Charlie makes a good point: how do you get it back to you through IFR conditions? Splash, glub, glub, glub. 😉

 

[baz]

Barry, looks like fun! Do they float? :roll:

Charlie

I'm sure not, but then they are remote controlled and hopefully I could retrieve the drone back to my boat... no matter, a good question. :?:

1st mate would be at the wheel while I play with the drone and provide helpful navigational clues/help. 🙂

Of course this drone device would be fun to use in its own right for other things and I see it as a multi-use gadget. There were some interesting articles on DIY drones in a recent WIRE magazine -- which is what actually prompted me to look at drones. Fun, fun and more fun. 😀

 

[JamesTXSD]

On a sunny day, it would be good way to get an "aerial" view of your boat! 😎

 

[doke01]

I've always worried the batteries would die and I'd have to go fishing for it. You'd need to put some kind of GPS in it so it could tell you where it was, especially in the fog when you couldn't see it! Definitely would be an interesting project. I think I'd have to put a helo pad on the smokestack though.

 

[captain's cat]

I flew RC helicopters when I was young and foolish (now I'm old and foolish 😎 ). These were 60" rotor span jobs with rigid rotors, allowing them to fly inverted. With a camera on board, they would send back some remarkable pictures. We used to keep beach towels around our necks in case they got hostile! :shock:

Learning to fly them was likened to driving a car down an icy mountain road with bald tires and no headlights, at night. That drone looks infinitely safer and easier to fly! You could probably put pontoons on it to keep it afloat in the event of a water landing.

Now I have cheaper hobbies, like boats! :mrgreen: