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Aerial Photography of Diablo for Races & Events

Onedwn5up

Chimp
Mar 5, 2009
6
0
Just in case any of the diablo park management staff sees this stuff.....

I fly up around the sussex area a lot and have been asked on occasion to do aerial pictures of peoples houses and property so I thought I would throw the idea out there that I can get some pretty good shots of the park and mountain. During the winter I usually fly up there to check out what the trail conditions are like to see if I feel like going up there snowboarding, thats how good of a visual I can get. I usually stay at a reasonable distance when doing basic maneuvering but I can still see people waving at me as they strap the boards on and walk from the gondola to the trail. If requested, I can get in much closer. A race weekend might provide for a good photo since there will be lots of people lining the trails and areas as long as there's no tree cover.

Anyway, just throwing that out there. Chances are I will probably snap some pictures this summer when I'm up that way and will end up posting them to the board or to the diablo site directly. But if you are on the staff and have an email for submitting proofs to that would be helpful.
 

Onedwn5up

Chimp
Mar 5, 2009
6
0
No. There are FAR/FAA rules regarding flying low in residential areas but not in a forestry area. General rule of thumb is 500-1000 feet but you can go lower. You still have to stay at a safe range but that is still close enough to get some really good shots. The thing you have to watch out for in mountain ranges is currents of air -mostly down draft currents that can make you drop a couple hundred feet at a time. I circle around the top of the gondola all the time a few hundred feet up and thats completely fine.
 

jonKranked

Detective Dookie
Nov 10, 2005
85,559
24,182
media blackout
I live right on the edge of Morristown and Morris Plains. Wanna take me for a flight? :brows: I have a camcorder, working on getting my film camera from my parents place.
 

Onedwn5up

Chimp
Mar 5, 2009
6
0
I live right on the edge of Morristown and Morris Plains. Wanna take me for a flight? :brows: I have a camcorder, working on getting my film camera from my parents place.
I'll keep you in mind. I haven't been flying much lately but hope to pick it back up within the next month or so. I have been busy with my business as I am in the process of selling it. You'll probably get a message from me when you least expect it.
 

jonKranked

Detective Dookie
Nov 10, 2005
85,559
24,182
media blackout
I'll keep you in mind. I haven't been flying much lately but hope to pick it back up within the next month or so. I have been busy with my business as I am in the process of selling it. You'll probably get a message from me when you least expect it.
Suhweet!


Besides, Diablo doesn't open till may...
 

Onedwn5up

Chimp
Mar 5, 2009
6
0
Really, I work at KMMU.
Cool. Where? I might be looking to work for a flight school over there in the next few months. I have only flown out of there a couple times and it has been with friends. The main thing being that the ramp fees are such a turn off. Two of my buddies are corporate pilots who I have gone up with in the past out of there. I live right near caldwell and usually go through Mac Dan aviation. Lincoln park is even closer to my house but I don't like their short-field runway surrounded by trees and no fence. Bird strike doesn't sound nearly as bad as deer strike. caldwell is at least fenced in.
 

pinpoint199

Chimp
Jan 29, 2007
13
0
True, fees are high here but were gettin an ok deal on Jet A. Im with FL Aviation (corporate) in hangar 9, bays 2/3 if you know them. Its about 300 yds from the customs check-point if you know where that is.
 

S.K.C.

Turbo Monkey
Feb 28, 2005
4,096
25
Pa. / North Jersey
Onedown - this is interesting... I might take you up on this - I'm not affiliated with Diablo, but I ride/race there all the time - I'd like to get some shots...

What is the stall speed of your Cessna? How slow can you go without it being a saftey risk? Any issues with updrafts or thermals at the peak by the Cabrio (gondola) drop-off area?

Just curious...
 

pinpoint199

Chimp
Jan 29, 2007
13
0
SKC dont take my word for this but i believe the stall speed for a 172 is 40 Kts indicated landing config. and 48 specified config. Still thats a question for onedwn, correct me if im wrong.
 

spylab

Monkey
Feb 7, 2007
275
0
The Google Maps shots I used for the trail map seemed about as good as you might get, considering that 90% of the trail network is buried in the forest...
 

Onedwn5up

Chimp
Mar 5, 2009
6
0
SKC dont take my word for this but i believe the stall speed for a 172 is 40 Kts indicated landing config. and 48 specified config. Still thats a question for onedwn, correct me if im wrong.
Yeah, you're pretty much correct. Stall speed is never an exact thing anyway unless you have zero wind. It's always in the ball park of. That's why you have a stall indicator that starts buzzing at you when you are approaching stall speed. But typically it's around 50-55 mph give or take a few.

No thermal concerns with the vernon area. That is more typical with vast mountainous terrain where valleys converge or multiple peaks exist where air can cool quickly and sink and warm air can rise rapidly. Sort of like walking around a corner in the city on a cold winter day and nearly being blown over. Now picture the same thing except you are in a tin can at 2000 feet or more. Thats why you really need to know where you're flying as well as the limitations of the aircraft.
 

G-RockMurray

Monkey
Jun 27, 2007
170
0
a long time ago in my radio career (fyi in case you dont know g-rock no longer is on the air, and im now doing sunday nights at wnnj 1037) but the 172 was like riding in a honda accord lol i used to do traffic reports for ga bulldog games. you could def get some sick pics out of that plane cause it can go kinda slow