Is there anything on line that gives you a visual runover of the manual? I'm seeing quite a few review videos of the Alta 8, but nothing that's giving in depth information on the initial setup and flight operations.
Hi Daniel: I'm not quite sure about a "crash course" for an aircraft, but I don't believe there's more than the Aircraft Flight Manual (AFM), which it sounds like you've looked. Are there some specific questions that you have? Feel free to post them if you cannot find answers in the AFM. Andy Forensic Software & sUAV / Drone Analyst : Photographer : Videographer : Pilot (Portland, Oregon, USA): Trees=2, Ground=1, Props=11. The Ground Is The Limit™ ---------- Forensic Drone Analyst : Forensic sUAV Analyst : Forensic Unmanned Aircraft Analyst : Forensic Drone Expert
Thanks for the response Andy. Really, I'm just looking for more hand on information than a user manual before I jump into one. There are no people in my area that have heavy lifters, and what information I can find online is scarce. I know I have questions, but I feel like it's going to be one of those times where I know I'll have questions answered that I didn't know I needed to ask if there was some type of in-depth run down. The manual can only cover so much, but talking with an experienced pilot I feel like would be 100x more beneficial. Really, meeting with someone who owns one is ideal. Maybe some type of Alta 8 training course that you would know of? Or an experienced pilot you know of who would be willing to give a lesson?
I understand completely -- it can be quite daunting to fly a copter like an ALTA. What prior multi-rotor experience have you already got? As to training classes, that's a good idea. I gather you're in New Orleans, so perhaps other forum members who are down that way might raise their hands if they could give you lessons -- there is a list of FF dealers, but none in Louisiana, I'm afraid. (See https://freeflysystems.com/dealers) But do feel free to pose some basic questions on the forum -- we all had to start somewhere! Cheers Andy Forensic Software & sUAV / Drone Analyst : Photographer : Videographer : Pilot (Portland, Oregon, USA): Trees=2, Ground=1, Props=11. The Ground Is The Limit™ ---------- Forensic Drone Analyst : Forensic sUAV Analyst : Forensic Unmanned Aircraft Analyst : Forensic Drone Expert
I'm a fairly experienced pilot. Owned every DJI craft since Phantom 1, currently running two Inspire 2s with X7. I fly for just about every feature and TV show down here that doesn't need a heavy lifter. Sitting close to the 1,000 hour piloting mark, and I build 5" quads for FPV racing. It's not so much the flying I'm concerned about, just all the fine tuning details to make it safe. There have been multiple heavy lifter guys I've heard of smash them into the ground or sink them in a lake, and they all blame the drone. About two months ago there was an Alta 8 pilot down here who got the drone about 10 feet off the ground, then just completely flipped it and smashed the arm and Alexa Mini into the ground. I'm trying to get all the details down so I can make sure my chances of being in a situation like that are as minimal as possible. The Inspire 2 does an excellent job of informing you when your compass needs to be calibrated, there's too much magnetic interference, IMU errors, ESC error, etc. What's the Alta have like that in terms of safety? And yeah, I reached out to quite a few companies in Houston and Atlanta and haven't heard anything back which is why I came to the forum. Thanks for your time!
Hi Daniel: It's still quite difficult to know where to start to answer your implied questions -- and I can't really speak to the ALTA mishap you describe as I don't know the cause or any details. One thing is for sure is that the ALTA is intended for the folks who want to fly Red Cameras with FIZ and prime glass -- which is an order of magnitude heavier than the X7. The other major difference is that the ALTA and the MoVI are completely separate systems with their own power supplies and ground controllers. There is no electrical connection between the two so that the MoVI can pan without any limits. As the ALTA and safety, I'm not quite sure how to answer that -- in my experience it provides the pilot with the date she or he needs but is less controlling than, say DJI that sometimes will not fly unless you update the firmware (which always seems to happen to me when I'm on location and really would prefer to fly than use my cell phone as a hot-spot to download an update. The whole mental model of the ALTA/MoVI is more one of: you're a professional, you know what you're doing, so get on with it and not so much of the DJI model of log into your account and we'll keep track of your flights. My experience of customer service between the two companies is that they are very different. Freefly's customer service folks go the extra mile to help is all I can say. I can't speak to why the companies in Houston and Atlanta didn't contact you back, I'm afraid. But I would encourage you to ask more specific questions or air your concerns on this forum.... Andy Forensic Software & sUAV / Drone Analyst : Photographer : Videographer : Pilot (Portland, Oregon, USA): Trees=2, Ground=1, Props=11. The Ground Is The Limit™ ---------- Forensic Drone Analyst : Forensic sUAV Analyst : Forensic Unmanned Aircraft Analyst : Forensic Drone Expert