Most people aren’t aware that I used to be a flying instructor with thousands of flights under my belt.

 

Some time back I decided to merge my aviation experience with my camera work, so I began researching the use of small camera drones for aerial filming.

I own and fly a DJI Phantom Quadcopter with a Gyro-stabilized camera gimbal that delivers vibration free, precision stabilized footage. I intend to become BNUC-S accredited so will be offering commercial aerial filming services in the near future.

Historically aerial shots were only for those with big budgets, but now a small Quadcopter can be airborne in a matter of minutes capturing spectacular, dramatic, high definition footage at a fraction of the cost.

   

The Quadcopter

Commonly referred to as drones or UAV, (Unmanned Aerial Vehicle), the Quadcopter is flown by a pilot on the ground and can go where a full size chartered helicopter cannot.

My aerial camera drone is based around the DJI Phantom Quadcopter with a GoPro HERO3 camera mounted on a Gyro-stabilized gimbal. It has four rotors and can fly as low as a few inches off the ground to heights of around 400 feet. The maximum operating range is approximately 350 meters; more than three football fields.

If the copter loses connection with the remote, it automatically flies itself back to where it took off and lands itself. Maximum speed is 10 meters per second or roughly 22 miles per hour.
   

GPS Stabilized

When in GPS mode, the copter is actually using several GPS satellites to locate itself in space and maintain very precise flight stability; even in moderate winds.
On-board sensors include:

  • GPS antenna
  • Digital magnetic compass
  • Barometric altimeter
  • Six access accelerometer
  • Mims gyroscope
   

Gyro-stabilized Camera Gimbal

The DJI Zenmuse 2-Axis professional gimbal is designed specifically for the GoPro Hero3 camera and is used widely in film and television productions.

This revolutionary stabilized gimbal keeps the camera perfectly level and steady during virtually all flight conditions; it’s amazing.
 

The Camera

HERO3: Black Edition is the most advanced GoPro, ever.
It’s 12MP image sensor and ultra sharp 6-element aspherical glass lens captures crisp detail and contrast with true saturated colours.

With a selectable Ultra-wide, Medium or Narrow field-of-views, the GoPro HERO3 is perfect for aerial filming
   
 

Shots like this become achievable.

  
   

Compact

The whole copter kit is housed in a medium size custom flight case.