"I am a HUGE fan of your Blog: Drone Above! When I asked if you would be interested in taking photos for my land listing my exceptions were high because I already knew your work. You excelled above and beyond my expectations, not only in what you captured visually and in the quality of the photos and video, but also in your quick delivery and your very concise communication skills. I look forward to utilizing your services in the future and I recommend you to all Realtors on Maui." THANK YOU, Katrina Wilson, Realtor On Maui.  Century 21 All Islands - Wailea

When I first moved to Maui, I did not initially plan on doing much real estate photography but a realtor contacted me about a lot for sale right down the street from my house and I could not pass up another opportunity to fly along the north shore.   The cliffs and crystal clear green water are just stunning and this lot is the perfect subject for aerial photography from a drone.  Maybe you will agree that this is possibly the best way to view acreage - maybe even better than being there in person!  What a perfect way to show people who might not even be on the islands an idea of how beautiful a property is.  Make sure you check out the video at the bottom of the page, and as always if you have any questions or comments please leave them below or contact me directly.

Taking pictures from a drone is way better than flying an airplane or helicopter for a number of reasons - It doesn't bother the neighbors, it is safe, you can get significantly closer, and it is so much more affordable!

Just look at that crystal clear water!  I can hear the waves crashing at my house when the surf is big and I live on the other side of Hana highway.  I bet you can hear it all the time from this lot.

Off in the distance you can see the west Maui mountain.

The wind was howling, and it let up for a few minutes so the captain let me fly.  It was great flying off the Alii Nui!  The Phantom is much easier to launch on a big boat because there is so much less to fly into.  The entire video was edited from about 5 minutes of video, so this was an efficient camera drone flight!  Usually I get 30-45 minutes of footage to make a short clip.  Following the Alii Nui chase style would make for some awesome video, I hope I can try it soon.

If you look closely, you can see the Phantom 2 above the whale and her baby.  This is what you would see from the boat, the view from right above the whale is so much better if you keep the sun behind you.  The GoPro does really well filming over water as long as you keep the sun in the correct spot - behind.  Anytime you film into the sun you lose detail and color because of the reflections. 

Behind us to the left is where I launched the Phantom.  My kids loved this trampoline but it was difficult to keep them from doing flips and somersaults on it as you can see at the end of the video.   

This is one step in the right direction.  Of course the FAA is appealing the decision but the flood gates have been opened.  It seems unlikely they will make a move to officially ban them because enforcement alone would be a huge hurdle.  Not to mention turning thousands of drone hobbyists into law breakers.  So for now, Drone ON!!

http://www.usatoday.com/story/travel/flights/2014/03/07/faa-drone-fine-ntsb-judge-overturned/6167759/

Here is Team Blacksheeps press release:

Hong Kong (PRWEB) March 11, 2014

Team BlackSheep is pleased with the dismissal of proposed FAA fines directed at its lead pilot, Raphael “Trappy” Pirker, (National Transportation Safety Board, Docket No. CP-217) announced on March 6th, 2014. The civil penalty, proposed in connection with Mr. Pirker’s operation of a videography drone at the University of Virginia in October 2011, was dismissed on the ground that at the time, “there was no enforceable FAA rule or FAR Regulation applicable to model aircraft or for classifying model aircraft as [unmanned aircraft systems].”

“I hope that the March 6 decision by the NTSB administrative law judge will create a path forward for beneficial use of civilian drones in the United States, after years of regulatory delay,” said Mr. Pirker. “I also anticipate that it will prompt an international discussion about the appropriate level of regulation for small, lightweight airborne robots that bear almost no resemblance to the passenger aircraft that aviation agencies were historically established to regulate over 60 years ago.”

Team BlackSheep takes safety very seriously and does not view the decision as a license to use drones in an irresponsible manner. Many of the Team’s aerial videos demonstrate dramatic flying styles using equipment that has been rigorously tested, flown by drone pilots with proven experience. These operations involve safety measures and operational protocols that are not visible in the final production videos. Mr. Pirker has 18 years of experience piloting radio-control drones, including test flights in extreme weather conditions, and the Team boasts a perfect zero-injury safety record. Team BlackSheep invests considerable amounts of its revenue into research and development to make its civilian drones safe and reliable. The Team also works with community-based organizations in various countries to help implement or improve voluntary safety guidelines for model aircraft (drone) operators. In addition, they advise customers and all drone operators not to undertake advanced drone photography missions until they have established complete confidence in their equipment and skills.

Mr. Pirker was represented by Brendan Schulman, head of the Unmanned Aircraft Systems practice at Kramer Levin Naftalis & Frankel LLP.

“We understand that the FAA intends to appeal the decision. We are disappointed that the agency feels that continued litigation is the appropriate path forward for this emerging industry,” said Mr. Schulman. “However, Mr. Pirker will continue to defend against this unprecedented attempt to impose a penalty that has no basis in any law or regulation, and the nearly decade-long commercial drone ‘ban’ that sends the wrong message to high-tech innovators and entrepreneurs.”

About Team BlackSheep: 
Team BlackSheep currently sells drones to more than 79 countries worldwide, including the United States, for aerial videography, agricultural use, facilities inspection and the recreational hobby community. For more information, please visit: http://www.team-blacksheep.com