Factory Tour Complete, Drone Pics!

So.... NDAs.... errrr

Well anyway, launched my Phantom 2 from across the street and took some awesome shots.









And if anyone remembers the banner that was sent over in January... we talked them into helping us find it.... and um.... talked them into taking a pic.



Definitely awesome overall. I recommend the tour to any owners who can make the trip.

Place is huge. I actually didn't realize I had climbed that far when I got the full view. (Was trying to stay lower because I recently had a flyaway issue.)

I'll edit with more pics and a video later. Unfortunately my view screen wasn't clear and I missed a flyover of the test track.

Edit: Few more pics:
















Edit: I'll note that I didn't do any lens correction on the pics, in case that wasn't obvious. If anyone tries to later, they're with the GoPro Hero 3+ Black Edition.

Next up: Gigafactory construction drone pics

Added some more pics. Will probably have to wait a bit on the video since I don't have any of my editing tools installed on this laptop.

markwj said:

Are those containers lined up at the right hand side?

Click to expand...

I think they're trailers, but not sure. Didn't actually go that far over to get a look at them.

It's been pretty widely accepted, with case law to back it, that flight over private property is legal as long as it isn't for spying or surveillance and isn't in special/restricted air space. In my case, as a hobbyist, I was just trying to get some awesome pictures.

Not that I'd ever want to have to pull the a*****e card on this ever, especially if someone told me to not fly over their property, but, as long as I don't launch from someone's property who has told me otherwise it's perfectly fine to fly over whatever without seeking permission first safely and in-sight regardless of private property or whatever. There are some guidelines for UAV flight, but none of them include such provisions regarding property.

I won't say exactly how high (since I'm sure lectures would follow), but I was well under the altitude provisions for the local airports in San Francisco and San Jose, and Fremont is > 5 miles from each so didn't require notification to them. I always take a peek at air traffic before flying, too, just to be safe, and there was nothing anywhere near my low altitude flight at the time. I've got hundreds of hours in on the Phantom 2, and hundreds more in on self-piloted ultralight craft... so, I know what I'm doing.