Our simple but sacred tradition of making a short trip into the Alaska backcountry in early May continues... While we're at it, we join some local Cub drivers on the Knik river bars, fly some Cessnas into the Alaska range, and seek out some new spots to play. Just like last time, kinda. It all felt familiar, while it was happening. Maybe because... 170s in the Wrangells? vimeo.com/128831330
Filming practice! For my first ever UAS + aircraft session, we headed to a nearby farm airstrip in northwest Oregon. My friend and hangar neighbor Brent is always a reliable stunt pilot with his Rans S-7S, plus he lets me fly from the front seat on the way there and back. Today I just asked him to do touch and goes...nothing too short.
This is my first time shooting action footage from a small UAS, so clearly there's a lot to improve upon. The system is a 3DR Solo + HERO4 Black and seems to work great. My investment is minimal and I'm learning a lot.
Pilot formation is agreed upon ahead of time, and radio contact is maintained for the duration of the flights. Wind was about 6 knots straight down the airstrip.
The last scene was a funny moment... I was boasting to the pilot how easy this thing is to fly and how it lands with a single button, so I threw my arms up to demonstrate hands-off. I guess I either held down the button too long, or not long enough, and it immediately took off again. I'm a buffoon.
A lot of footage hits the cutting room floor, so the speak. Here's a short mix of unused odds and ends from my trips to Alaska going back to 2014, featuring the Lake Hood gravel strip, the Alaska Airmen's Show, Talkeetna and Denali, and various locations in Canada, featuring a variety of aircraft.
You have to be pretty old to remember the concept of the "B-side." This is our version.
This is our collection of backcountry and off-pavement flying videos. We routinely search Vimeo to bring you the best flying footage in High Definition.
Check out our group to see submissions from BCP members and Vimeo users: Backcountry Pilot
