If only I could fly it like this!

wow.  he's good.    Maybe one day we'll be flying manual like that.

DAFlys Posted at 4-30 23:29
wow.  he's good.    Maybe one day we'll be flying manual like that.

It was this guys videos that pulled me into checking out the Avata 2. Never heard of him until a few weeks ago. Proper old school FPV, RC guy who can fly like a champ.

Wow, he's got some great flying skills.  Thanks for sharing AJ.  

DowntownRDB Posted at 5-1 12:43
Wow, he's got some great flying skills.  Thanks for sharing AJ.

He makes it look so easy - it is literally that easy with the motion controller after a flight or two but in manual - that takes a lot of practice and skill.

A J Posted at 5-1 13:29
He makes it look so easy - it is literally that easy with the motion controller after a flight or two but in manual - that takes a lot of practice and skill.

From experience I can say the hardest part of something like this is syncing with the other pilot to maintain similar enough speeds for the chase to look good. With N/S modes if you both go full throttle it's definitely much easier but still pretty fun, especially with Avatas because you can safely bump into each other. One of my favourite days flying so far was when 3 of us flew Avatas and basically played aerial bumper cars with them. I really gotta edit that video

fichek Posted at 5-1 14:01
From experience I can say the hardest part of something like this is syncing with the other pilot to maintain similar enough speeds for the chase to look good. With N/S modes if you both go full throttle it's definitely much easier  but still pretty fun, especially with Avatas because you can safely bump into each other. One of my favourite days flying so far was when 3 of us flew Avatas and basically played aerial bumper cars with them. I really gotta edit that video

Please share that vid mate - that sounds very cool

A J Posted at 5-1 22:28
Please share that vid mate - that sounds very cool

I would've done it a long time ago if it was a nicer day, but seeing the weather in that footage is a bit depressing (gives me UK vibes ) so every time I go to do it I end up delaying it more.

Here's a frame of one of the close encounters

A J Posted at 5-1 13:29
He makes it look so easy - it is literally that easy with the motion controller after a flight or two but in manual - that takes a lot of practice and skill.

No doubt he has spent a lot of time practicing and honing his flying skills.  

Hope your day is off to a great start AJ.  

fichek Posted at 5-2 02:04
I would've done it a long time ago if it was a nicer day, but seeing the weather in that footage is a bit depressing (gives me UK vibes ) so every time I go to do it I end up delaying it more.

Here's a frame of one of the close encounters

Very cool shot

DowntownRDB Posted at 5-2 02:32
No doubt he has spent a lot of time practicing and honing his flying skills.  

Hope your day is off to a great start AJ.

Years I suspect mate unlike myself in my first month!

It did Rich - took the Avata out for another 3 flights and hopefully voted London's mayor out of office on the way home!

A J Posted at 5-2 13:02
Years I suspect mate unlike myself in my first month!

It did Rich - took the Avata out for another 3 flights and hopefully voted London's mayor out of office on the way home!

Now that is what I call a very productive day AJ.  

Unfortunately here we need to drain the swamp and start all over with our elected officials.  Career politicians forget who they are supposed to be representing.  Okay, let me get off my soap box now.  

DowntownRDB Posted at 5-2 13:52
Now that is what I call a very productive day AJ.  

Unfortunately here we need to drain the swamp and start all over with our elected officials.  Career politicians forget who they are supposed to be representing.  Okay, let me get off my soap box now.

That is one good thing about having a constitutional monarch as head of state - they are above politics and stop a dictatorship forming although they are practically powerless

A J Posted at 5-3 00:46
That is one good thing about having a constitutional monarch as head of state - they are above politics and stop a dictatorship forming although they are practically powerless

That's definitely a distinct advantage.  Politics here are getting messier and messier by the day.  

DowntownRDB Posted at 5-3 06:43
That's definitely a distinct advantage.  Politics here are getting messier and messier by the day.

Very true - across the globe. I find life easier to ignore it and get on with the things that make me happy but it's hard to do that sometimes.

A J Posted at 5-3 06:44
Very true - across the globe. I find life easier to ignore it and get on with the things that make me happy but it's hard to do that sometimes.

AJ, I never consider looking after oneself as being selfish. Like yourself I just get on with things and please myself but try not to harm others in any way.

yogi053 Posted at 5-3 07:06
AJ, I never consider looking after oneself as being selfish. Like yourself I just get on with things and please myself but try not to harm others in any way.

Great attitude to have Yogi.

A J Posted at 5-3 07:09
Great attitude to have Yogi.

Thank you. My old Dad taught me the saying. "It's nice to be nice".

yogi053 Posted at 5-3 07:13
Thank you. My old Dad taught me the saying. "It's nice to be nice".

Wise man!

A J Posted at 5-3 06:44
Very true - across the globe. I find life easier to ignore it and get on with the things that make me happy but it's hard to do that sometimes.

It's nice that we have access to streaming music stations that are ad free and biased news free.  Not sure what they teach in College Journalism anymore but it seems like they are only interested in sensationalizing the news whether they have reliable sources or not.  

A J Posted at 5-3 06:44
Very true - across the globe. I find life easier to ignore it and get on with the things that make me happy but it's hard to do that sometimes.

The problem with that is most folks are busy being productive & getting about with their lives.  Meanwhile a small but vocal minority have plenty of free time to go about LARPing as 60's-era revolutionaries like the douchebags on college campuses actively supporting a terrorist state.  It makes them appear to be a much larger group than what they actually are.  At some point normal folks need to say enough & take 'em by the scruff of their necks for an attitude adjustment.

DowntownRDB Posted at 5-3 11:13
It's nice that we have access to streaming music stations that are ad free and biased news free.  Not sure what they teach in College Journalism anymore but it seems like they are only interested in sensationalizing the news whether they have reliable sources or not.

Media, like most things is very driven by profit lines and what makes profit is usually sensationalism. Take things with a pinch of salt or simply don't watch the news and fly your drones.

A J Posted at 5-3 11:58
Media, like most things is very driven by profit lines and what makes profit is usually sensationalism. Take things with a pinch of salt or simply don't watch the news and fly your drones.

Exactly why I watch very little TV and listen to very little news.  Keep myself in retirement busy with scuba diving, pistol shooting tournaments and upkeep of my 150+ acres of land.  I did install a nice deer feeder on the back side of my property and I'm pretty sure I'm up to 10 wild deer now coming in to feed.  

Dirty Bird Posted at 5-3 11:30
The problem with that is most folks are busy being productive & getting about with their lives.  Meanwhile a small but vocal minority have plenty of free time to go about LARPing as 60's-era revolutionaries like the douchebags on college campuses actively supporting a terrorist state.  It makes them appear to be a much larger group than what they actually are.  At some point normal folks need to say enough & take 'em by the scruff of their necks for an attitude adjustment.

That's precisely why I switch it off these days mate.

DowntownRDB Posted at 5-3 12:02
Exactly why I watch very little TV and listen to very little news.  Keep myself in retirement busy with scuba diving, pistol shooting tournaments and upkeep of my 150+ acres of land.  I did install a nice deer feeder on the back side of my property and I'm pretty sure I'm up to 10 wild deer now coming in to feed.

Idyllic life Rich - don't let them spoil that!

DowntownRDB Posted at 5-3 12:02
Exactly why I watch very little TV and listen to very little news.  Keep myself in retirement busy with scuba diving, pistol shooting tournaments and upkeep of my 150+ acres of land.  I did install a nice deer feeder on the back side of my property and I'm pretty sure I'm up to 10 wild deer now coming in to feed.

150+ acres, WOW! I think I have less than 150 square feet to call my own.

A J Posted at 5-3 12:14
Idyllic life Rich - don't let them spoil that!

I worked and saved a lot of years and made some lucrative investments to get here so I'm going to do my best to enjoy it for as long as I can.  Some days I just sit on the back of my mini-yacht and enjoy a few beers.  This is my live aboard boat.  I was tied up behind my son's house when I took the picture. It's classified a mini-yacht but it's only 23 meters long.  

DowntownRDB Posted at 5-4 12:57
I worked and saved a lot of years and made some lucrative investments to get here so I'm going to do my best to enjoy it for as long as I can.  Some days I just sit on the back of my mini-yacht and enjoy a few beers.  This is my live aboard boat.  I was tied up behind my son's house when I took the picture. It's classified a mini-yacht but it's only 23 meters long.

That's a beautiful yacht Rich - if you ever fancy setting sail to old Blighty just head down the Thames to London bridge and I'll meet you there then you can take me for spin
In all seriousness that is a symbol of someone who has worked his arse off and landed on his feet. Well deserved Sir.

yogi053 Posted at 5-4 07:31
150+ acres, WOW! I think I have less than 150 square feet to call my own.

Took me a lot of years of saving and making wise investments to get where I was able to buy the acreage and also my dream home (well a mini-yacht).  I figured they weren't making any more land so I might as well buy some while it was still available.  I've had some crazy high offers from several developers but I keep telling them I'm not interested in seeing the land bulldozed and turned into a housing development.
We have forced all the wildlife out of their natural habitats already with all this endless development.  I told my kids when I'm gone they can do what they want with it but until then Developers stay away.   

A J Posted at 5-4 13:06
That's a beautiful yacht Rich - if you ever fancy setting sail to old Blighty just head down the Thames to London bridge and I'll meet you there then you can take me for spin  
In all seriousness that is a symbol of someone who has worked his arse off and landed on his feet. Well deserved Sir.

Thanks for the kind words Andy.  Not sure why they classify it as a mini-yacht because I've tied up next to some yachts that make my mini-yacht look like a small runabout.    For me it is a result of a long term dream and a lot of planning.  Growing up on a large farm in South Texas who would have known I could have all this now.  

Home sweet home.  

A J Posted at 5-4 13:06
That's a beautiful yacht Rich - if you ever fancy setting sail to old Blighty just head down the Thames to London bridge and I'll meet you there then you can take me for spin  
In all seriousness that is a symbol of someone who has worked his arse off and landed on his feet. Well deserved Sir.

Andy, If you and Rich get together in London sometime give me a shout and I'll pop down from Scotland to meet up.

DowntownRDB Posted at 5-4 14:25
Thanks for the kind words Andy.  Not sure why they classify it as a mini-yacht because I've tied up next to some yachts that make my mini-yacht look like a small runabout.    For me it is a result of a long term dream and a lot of planning.  Growing up on a large farm in South Texas who would have known I could have all this now.  

Home sweet home.

Best not to compare what you have to others - there will always be someone with a bigger yacht - I've seen some in Dubai that require a crew to sail it costing literally hundreds of £millions to even £billions. There will however be far more people who can't afford a dinghy let alone a mini-yacht. You've done really well Rich! Your children must be proud of you.

yogi053 Posted at 5-5 00:36
Andy, If you and Rich get together in London sometime give me a shout and I'll pop down from Scotland to meet up.

Unlike the Jaws movie I don't think Rich needs a bigger boat to accommodate!

A J Posted at 5-5 00:46
Best not to compare what you have to others - there will always be someone with a bigger yacht - I've seen some in Dubai that require a crew to sail it costing literally hundreds of £millions to even £billions. There will however be far more people who can't afford a dinghy let alone a mini-yacht. You've done really well Rich! Your children must be proud of you.

Oh yeah, somebody always has more or bigger or better.  For an example Tiger Woods Yacht "Privacy" is 47 meters long, has 3 floors, cost over $20M when new and costs $2M annually to operate.   It has many amenities onboard such as an eight-person Jacuzzi, scuba-tank fill station, inflatable decompression chamber, VIP stateroom with two queen size cabin amidships and a twin cabin, gym with a treadmill, exercise bike and free weights, a three-person elevator and of course a theater.  

It has a 4,000-mile range thanks to a 12,000-gallon fuel tank with a cost of $45,000 to fill the tank if close to empty.  

Pretty impressive stats.  However, as we both agree somebody always has bigger, better, more expensive, etc.  Take a look at these shots.  One is a side view of the tiger Wood's Privacy and then another is how it is dwarfed by two bigger yachts making it look so small.

DowntownRDB Posted at 5-5 05:57
Oh yeah, somebody always has more or bigger or better.  For an example Tiger Woods Yacht "Privacy" is 47 meters long, has 3 floors, cost over $20M when new and costs $2M annually to operate.   It has many amenities onboard such as an eight-person Jacuzzi, scuba-tank fill station, inflatable decompression chamber, VIP stateroom with two queen size cabin amidships and a twin cabin, gym with a treadmill, exercise bike and free weights, a three-person elevator and of course a theater.  

It has a 4,000-mile range thanks to a 12,000-gallon fuel tank with a cost of $45,000 to fill the tank if close to empty.  

Check these out - $4.8 BILLION for a yacht O M G

https://www.adayacht.com/en/news ... the-world-2022-list

A J Posted at 5-5 06:26
Check these out - $4.8 BILLION for a yacht O M G

That's totally insane!  After checking out hte link I can see why the price is so high.  Yacht is so opulent due to the following factors:

The superyacht features a meteorite rock sculpture and a Tyrannosaurus rex skeleton sculpture. The master cabin is decorated with the 68-pound 24-carat gold Aquavista Panoramic Wall Aquarium.

Inside the boat is a rare 18.5-carat diamond estimated to be worth $45 million alone. Finally, among the countless bountiful amenities aboard History Supreme, the world's most expensive yacht, is an iPhone encrusted with 500 cut diamonds. Guests can customize the home button with one of two diamonds weighing 7.4 or 8 carats.

I can't believe that he spent 1/3 of his net worth on a yacht.  Oh well, to each their own.

DowntownRDB Posted at 5-5 06:37
That's totally insane!  After checking out hte link I can see why the price is so high.  Yacht is so opulent due to the following factors:

The superyacht features a meteorite rock sculpture and a Tyrannosaurus rex skeleton sculpture. The master cabin is decorated with the 68-pound 24-carat gold Aquavista Panoramic Wall Aquarium.

It's beyond comprehension. The opulance, self indulgence and sheer ostentation is completely OTT. Still, it's not my money and the fact he has that much to play with can only be repsected.

A J Posted at 5-5 06:43
It's beyond comprehension. The opulance, self indulgence and sheer ostentation is completely OTT. Still, it's not my money and the fact he has that much to play with can only be repsected.

Yes, you make a great point.  Definitely not my lifestyle though.  

A J Posted at 5-5 06:43
It's beyond comprehension. The opulance, self indulgence and sheer ostentation is completely OTT. Still, it's not my money and the fact he has that much to play with can only be repsected.

I don't play the national lottery very often but I've always told myself that if I ever hit it really, really big I'd donate half to several of my favorite charities that I already support.