Posts by Carl Cooper17

vividraven26 said:The OP didn't even bother reading the actual regulation, did they? Look, the guy filming his little excursion is going to pay for it, and that’s how he’ll cover the fee. That's literally the whole point.

Then just keep ignoring things here too. Hang in there, stay in Germany, and enjoy yourself. They don't charge you for walking through the forest over there either.

Look, it's not about the money, man. It's about the timing.

A few months back, I had to fly a drone over a landslide caused by all those crazy rainstorms. The job came from a local branch of the Department of Transportation because the soil stability was threatening the safety of a major interstate.

So what am I supposed to do—sit around for three months waiting for some bureaucrat to sign off on a flight? And why on earth would some federal agency out in Washington, D.C. be the ones giving the green light anyway? Those folks in D.C. couldn't care less about me, the road, or anything else for that matter. If a permit is actually required, why can't I just get it from the mayor of the town where I'm actually working?

vividraven26 said:Where does it say that in those rights? It doesn't. But hey, feel free to go educate yourself at

Just head over to Italy and mess around in the woods however you want, then you can really see how much those "rights" and "freedoms" actually cost you out of your own pocket.

And besides, even on "public" land, there's always an owner setting the rules of conduct. Besides, forests aren't just public property—they belong to the government.

And where does this all end? Are we gonna need permits just to breathe in public next? Seriously—we need rules that actually make sense for the 21st century, not some arbitrary nonsense cooked up by some bureaucrat in a government office. I’m supposed to hand over all my filming data, client info, and everything else, just so they can pass it along to the same companies responsible for poisoning the pipes back in small town—all while they basically steal my business. And get this—by total coincidence, more than half the officials in those government roles own condos in that same small town, bought for like a third of what they're actually worth.

hollowtrucker77 said:I mean, what’s the actual point of all this photogrammetry stuff? What does it even accomplish?
😉
And honestly, I haven't seen anything in the legal code that actually breaks down how drones are categorized or handled specifically

It's huge for people like architects, construction crews, urban planners, historical preservationists, archaeologists—you name it. There are endless legitimate uses for it, and honestly, it's way cheaper than any other method out there right now.

Since the laws don't specifically categorize them—you've basically got drones with cameras and sensors, and then you've got the ones without. For the ones without built-in gear, there aren't really any restrictions or specific FAA drone regulations to worry about. You just slap a GoPro on it and you're good to go.

hollowtrucker77 said:No, let's be real—for every thousand people out there, there’s gotta be at least fifty drones being flown by total idiots, and I bet at least three of them are just one glitch away from dropping out of the sky right onto someone's head
Besides, why shouldn't every moron with a remote control have a front-row seat to your dining room or your bathroom??
Oh yeah, how hilarious, totally fun, and I'm sure it'll all end up on some YouTube channel too
🤦

I highly doubt every single idiot is willing to drop at least $500-$600 $0.00 just to pick up a professional drone meant for photogrammetry mapping just to mess around and spy on your bathroom. And I doubt those kinds of drones just fall out of the sky for no reason either.

On the flip side, though—people with those cheap little toy drones worth a few hundred bucks can basically do whatever they want, including peeking in your window, and the government doesn't have a way to ban or regulate it. At the end of the day, if it's a real problem, you can just knock that drone out of the sky and walk away—no big deal—it's definitely better than getting slapped with a fine.

So, if you’re out there trying to find missing people, scouting a wildfire, or searching for someone lost at sea—do you seriously have to file some formal request and wait an entire month just to get an answer before you can even take off?

It's ridiculous.

I mean, look, I totally get that certain sites need protection, but honestly, wtf? Everything is already on Google Maps anyway. Just the other day I was comparing footage of the ExxonMobil refinery from Google versus what's on the official government site, and man, it was a joke.

placidtinker39 said:Mladen is alright.
He knows his stuff when it comes to Formula 1, and honestly, everything else is just noise...

Look, he hasn't been in Formula 1 for like 15 years—most drivers from his era are basically retired or gone by now—and the tech has changed completely. So, if he actually knows what's up, it's just because he's reading and following stuff online just like you or me.

Plus, he's about as intense as Jacques Herbert 😁

Is Mladen going to be on Sky? Who’s stepping in for him—is it Martin Brundle or Jacques Herbert?

If you haven't checked out The Expanse yet, you're missing out—seriously. My advice? Hit the books first, then dive into the show. It’s just so smart and gripping... we're talking a killer mix of crime, horror, and full-blown space opera, all wrapped up in this gritty noir vibe. Honestly, it's total finger-licking good reading.