'Helicam' higher...

This poor little helicopter has fallen off, rooves, hit washing lines, trees, paddled in birdbaths, as well as the ground coming up and hitting it on numerous occasions; all without major damage.
Oh, but hit a bit of floppy tall grass with the rotor results in a 'top locked over shank sheet bend' knot of twisted green rope wrapped around the shaft accompanied by a shriek indicating that every last tooth has been stripped off the drive gears...OOoow!!

Flying helicopters is like watching a horror movie...you know something bad is going to happen, you just don't know when!
Nevermind, these things can always be rebuilt. I couldn't resist the temptation to modify it just a little. A new inner drive shaft topped with an aluminium fly bar support that allows the top blades to articulate even more...cool. A quick test flight and I'm ready for new horizons.
My previous attempts at ariel videography were thwarted by the camera switching itself off. I'd put this down to me not charging it sufficiently, but, even though the camera was new, it turned out to be the battery. Replacing the tiny postage stamp sized lipo battery was a fiddle. I've got big blokey wide fingers. I need the dexterity of a trained monkey, but that's a project for another day.
I fashioned some over sized skids from polystyrene in order to avoid crushing the camera on landing.
A lanyard was also included to prevent any camera free fall videos...
It wasn't the prettiest of setups, but it did the job.

As the machine rose ever higher, a speck in the sky, a halo of sunlight reflecting off the blades the only indication of its unnatural presence, I felt a dread that this would be the last time I'd ever see it. It didn't matter how still it was on the ground, up there where eagles dare, there was always a wind, or a thermal to snatch it away...
I was unable to get the views I really wanted as I had to turn it into the wind to enable enough control to keep it in 'known' airspace. I was glad to bring it back down, opting for a 'petal cushion' landing on a very surprised Begonia.
Next project... Lights, and night flying!
I reckon there's plenty of fun to be had buzzing a few drunks on their way home. That should spawn a few UFO sightings!!!...

Helicopter highs...

The idea was simple. Learn to fly a model helicopter, attach a mini video unit to it and get some cool footage. In reality it didn't turn out so simple.
I began with a cheap 3 channel electric model. No good. After practicing enough to elude myself that it was me controlling it, and not visa versa, I came to the conclusion that it wasn't up to the job. The slightest puff of wind sent it drifting to the far end of the garden.
A better helicopter was purchased. Coaxial rotors (2 main rotors mounted one above the other operating in opposite directions) for stability, 4 channel control employing a proper swash plate for pinpoint positioning. Now I was able to go up, down, forwards, backwards, plus yaw left and right, or any combination of all six together.
Learning to fly this was like patting your head while rubbing your tummy while riding a bicycle!! Two weeks later I could fly with reasonable accuracy.
I started off using a little wireless camera. Fairly light at only 20 grams the helicopter lifted it easily, unfortunately it required a heavy battery to run it. The weight was too much and flight became laboured and clumsy. I purchased a specialist flight camera. It only weighed 37 grams, and would take stills as well as 25 frames a second video, storing them on an SD card...perfect.

After weeks of windy, wet, dull, unsuitable weather, there came a still, brightish day. Everything was set... except the camera battery wasn't fully charged, damn. It switched off after 30 secs of video, which was VERY annoying. Luckily it had enough juice to carry on taking stills, one every 4 seconds. The first attempt seemed to be going well. Achieved a good height, span it around to look back at the house. Then, as I descended, the wind funnelling around the house gripped the little chap and urged him down to the main road. After amusing the rush hour traffic with a couple of jaunty pirouettes, it headed for the sanctuary of the front garden. The Bumble bees buzzed in annoyance as it landed on the flower heads next to them in the Buddleia bush. A battery change and a quick pruning to remove the majority of the collected foliage and it was time for another attempt. Brimming with enthusiasm I flew ever higher... The little machine was a silhouetted speck against a wide sky. This may have been part of the problem as the wind tussled the rotors... The tail boom was missing after a previous incident when the ground came up unexpectedly and hit it. It wasn't now very clear which way the helicopter was pointing. I descended a little, gravity being the only control I was sure of. That was better. Now I could see which way it was facing. Look left, over the neighbours garden... Look behind, for a view of my garden... Spin 180 degrees for a look at.... CRAP!! Who put that roof there?! Rotor tips whined at 3000rpm against the roof tiles, desperate to gain escape velocity. It was no good, the camera and tired battery forced an unceremonious 'gutter' landing. It dangled perilously from the high roof, swinging calmly from the one skid hooked over the gutter edge.
Not to worry. I have a plan. If I buy an even bigger helicopter, and attach a hook underneath. Hover it over the stranded one......

Country picnic snack....

The Starlings circled overhead chattering loudly as their friend struggled for his life.
It took way too long for the little life to be extinguished as the Sparrowhawk was still wary of that defensive lunging beak.
Eventually it was all over. Nature can appear cruel, but it is what it is...

The size, the white eye stripe, and the brownish rather than greyish colouring indicated that this was a female Sparrowhawk. The females because of their larger size tend to hunt bigger prey (anything up to pigeon size) and operate out in the open. The smaller males are more agile, broad but short wings allow them to hunt within the close quarters of woodland. Males were once known as 'Muskets', and in the 17th century, the newly developed, compact, lightweight but powerful 'musket' gun was named after them.
Even after their friends death, the brave Starlings continued to mob the dangerous Sparrowhawk, forcing it to adopt a defensive stance.
This strange 'tenting' allows them to stand on the wings of their prey but remain stable using their tail and wingtips to form a tripod.


Next time I'm out in the countryside, hopefully I'll be able to photograph something a bit more 'fluffy', preferable NOT having it's head chewed off by something vicious!....

The view from the Oak...

From mighty boughs I did fall, my mother proud, ancient and tall.
I travelled by palm from my rural calm...
...to be placed in a pot, and later my own plot.
The decades passed by with no more than a sigh.
Settlers came and went, the cottage no longer for rent.
For the cars that paid, I'd offer my shade.
With shouting chainsaw, you may as well shot me with a gun...
Look, you bloody developers, just look what you've done.

1798 - 2008 RIP...The big old oak cut down in its prime.

Mr. Tiddles won't be home for his milk...

It was a warm sunny day as she lolled, relaxed without a care in the world.
She knew I was there. She had her beady eye on me.
More watchful than normal. She'd spotted me and wanted me to know it....A little extra set of ears lurk in the background.
This is why she was being so alert. The cubs were at play...
The pics and video are a bit blurred and shaky because I was at 35X zoom.
The cubs had got a new toy...
...but I couldn't quite see what it was.


Lots of tiny cub yawns told mum that the kids were ready for a nap. It was time to head back off to the den. She stooped to collect up the toys...
Oh dear, it looks as if Mr Tiddles won't be coming home for his milk tonight!
With a quick glance she checked they weren't being followed and they were gone...

40 years and 40 beers!....

It was Russells 40th and we were all invited round to commiserate...I mean celebrate. There was some really nice champers....
....if only we could get it open!
Lots of cards. I KNEW I'd forgotten something.
Plus balloons. A proper party!
I searched and searched for some 'Lancaster Bomber' beer (Russells current favourite), but couldn't find it anywhere. I later discovered that they sold it at my local wine merchant. Typical, I didn't check there!
As compensation I brought along the 'Drinko-matic-4000' drinking hand to help make alcohol consumption less of a chore.
We were presented with some smoked salmon which had lingered in the cupboard upon its return from Seattle for near on five years. There was no 'use by' date and we reckoned that if we all drank enough strong alcohol any germs would die anyway. It was surprisingly nice, but did later dominate the room and make its presence known!
The automatic drinking hand proved itself to be a versatile piece of equipment being equally competent at handling nibbles.
Although the guidance system needed some tinkering.
As the evening became more blurry and confusing, a shoe appeared on the table. It turned out to be a pleasing strong lemon drink in a shoe shaped bottle. Once wrestled from Jennys grip (she thought it would ruin the look of it if we drank it) it was avidly consumed. Along with a variety of other drinks and chocolate liqueurs.
The drinko-matic hand suited Jon quite well until....
...suddenly and unexpectedly it turned on him. Obviously not conversant with the three laws of robotics, it attacked its master, first going for the eyes then force feeding him with three spring rolls dipped in hot peri sauce all at once. The mechanical hand was subdued. I'm sure the twins will love it.
All in all a top evening.
Thanks Russell for inviting us and turning 40 before me!
Thanks to Maxine for the seemingly never ending supply of yummy eating nibbles.