The instruction manual for the Parrot AR.Drone wasn’t kidding when it recommended not to fly the quadcopter in strong winds. Although when Tony lined his one up on our pool deck for a quick demonstration to a friend (he planned to take off to the height of our garden fence and land it immediately), there was only a whisper of a breeze blowing, and conditions seemed perfect for a late afternoon flip.
He wasn’t banking on the powerful thermals that build up in the valley where we live, however, and over the sports fields next to our house. As soon as it reached fence height, the drone took off vertically like a rocket, sailing unassisted over the pine trees next to our house and down Kommetjie road. Before it got out of range and stopped transmitting video, it took some tantalisingly brief footage of Fish Hoek, with False Bay in the distance.
[youtube=”http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NEfdBb1pw-0&w=540″]
Fortunately the errant high flier was located resting and askew, by the side of the road, exhausted but undamaged after its adventures. Next time we fly it on a warm day we’ll ask Christo for his (former) paraglider’s expert opinion on the risk of thermal columns in the immediate surroundings!
And what a beautiful place we live in, yes?
