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Path: utzoo!utgpu!water!watmath!clyde!rutgers!ames!sdcsvax!ucbvax!amdcad!phil
From: phil@amdcad.UUCP
Newsgroups: sci.electronics
Subject: an eye in the sky
Message-ID: <18323@amdcad.AMD.COM>
Date: Tue, 22-Sep-87 02:44:49 EDT
Article-I.D.: amdcad.18323
Posted: Tue Sep 22 02:44:49 1987
Date-Received: Thu, 24-Sep-87 00:58:14 EDT
Organization: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc., Sunnyvale, Ca.
Lines: 24


One of the reasons I'd like to fly is to get a view of the area I live
in. I'm sure many of the readers of this article like to get window
seats on commercial flights. Seeing the new 8 mm battery operated
camcorders makes me wonder about the possibility of putting one on an
RC model airplane. 

I know almost nothing about them. What kind of payloads can they
carry? How long can they stay up? What kind of field do they need for
takeoff and landing? What is the range of the controller?  Are there
likely to be any ordinances governing their operation?  (can I be
naughty and spy on my neighbors sunbathing in the nude?) How much do
they cost? Are they difficult to learn to operate?

It would be real nice to have a real time data link but I expect this
kind of thing would be difficult, especially without a ham license. I
could probably settle for viewing a videotape but if anyone can
suggest a way to achieve a real time data link that would be really
neat. 

-- 
I speak for myself, not the company.

Phil Ngai, {ucbvax,decwrl,allegra}!amdcad!phil or amdcad!phil@decwrl.dec.com