Meet Kama, The Surfing Pig

If you are heading to Hawaii anytime soon, you might want to watch for surfing pigs. Kama is a pet pig in Oahu, Hawaii. Kama love's the water! Watch this GoPro captured video of Kama riding the waves in a recent surf session.

Drone Advertising

A Drexel University student has started the only drone based advertising company in the United States, Dronecast. The idea is similar to the prop planes that fly with big banners following behind them promoting various businesses. Currently Dronecast has six drones, and each are equipped with modifications that include folding landing gear and bigger motors. Using DJI Phantom 2's and a DJI S1000 Dronecast hopes to broaden the advertising market and offer more advertising solutions.

UAV Captures Footage After 6.0 Earthquake in Napa

Using a DJI Phantom 2 Vision + a pilot  demonstrated how a UAV could be used to assess the damage after a natural disaster. The pilot notes that he did not interfere with any of the clean up or emergency responders, and that when asked to leave at 1 of the places he was filming he did so promptly. The footage provides insite to how UAV's can be utilized in the future.

Ice Bucket Challenge, Using a Drone!

If you have any type of social media accounts, then you likely have heard of the ALS ice bucket challenge. People all over the country have been completing the ice bucket challenge and using the hashtag #icebucketchallenge to raise over $50 million dollars for ALS awareness.

But very few of the challenge participants have used a drone, like the DJI S1000 used in this video, to dump the ice water on to them.

For more information on how you can take place in the challenge, or donate, please see this LINK.

A UAV Lands Autonomously on a Unmanned Ground Vehicle

A team of robotic researchers have began testing autonomous coordinated docking between a UAV and a unmanned ground vehicle(UGV). The ground vehicle could be used to transport heavier payloads, be a place to recharge or even act as a mini warehouse. The team from WAVE lab at Canada's University of Waterloo developed the coordinated control strategy for autonomous docking. The vehicles communicate through its position to a decentralized controller. The video shows some test footage that was taken both indoors and outdoors, and shows the great potential this idea has.

DJI Phantom 2 Vision + Aides In Earthquake Disaster Response

Relief workers in China are using DJI Phantom 2 Vision +'s to aide in the search for survivors and clearing roads to get the the disaster area. On August 3rd 2014 a 6.5 magnitude earthquake occurred in Ludian leaving most the area unreachable and dangerous. The China Association for Disaster & Emergency Rescue medicine began using the UAV's, like the DJI Phantom 2 Vision + and the DJI S900, to provide aerial images to assist in determining the most efficient way to work post disaster. The team has been able to use the aerial images to assist rescuers clear roads and search for survivors.

99 Pound, 7 Engine RC Airplane

What is the most you have ever spent on an RC airplane or quadcopter? Undoubtably it's significantly less than a Kalinin K-7 that will cost you $14,000, plus shipping from Switzerland. The six 15cc gas engines combined with the electric pusher motor give lift to the 99 pound, 16 foot wingspan airplane. The wood structure carries the required 16 servos, brakes, steerable nose wheel and disassembles into multiple pieces for transport. Unfortunately I do not think we will be seeing this item come thru the shop any time soon.

Petting a Tiger Shark

In honor of Shark week here is a video of a GoPro user petting a tiger shark. I think I'll stick to land use of my GoPro.

Robotic Peregrine Falcon

Fences are used to keep land creatures away from dangerous areas such as waste sites, but how do you keep flying animals away? Well Clear Flight Solutions has found a creative solution, a robotic peregrine falcon. The robirds work like airborne scarecrows that deter the live birds from venturing close to the predetermined hazardous sites. Clear flight has built two prototypes that look and fly like the peregrine falcon and the bald eagle. These 3D printed nylon and glass fiber composite bird uses a small battery powered motor to propel the foam wings. Piloted by remote control the birds soar around and simulate the same combination of silhouette and wing movement as a real predator bird would. The company continues to test these units and plans to launch these birds formally in 2015. 

Fresno State Using A DJI Phantom To Film Practice

Fresno State University is catching on to the UAV trend and has purchased a DJI Phantom 2 to film fall football camp. They have attached a GoPro camera and use the Phantom to fly 10 feet behind the quarterback, giving the coaches a video game like point of view of the practices. With the phantom flying above the field, the coaches and players have a different perspective and a much bigger picture of the plays occurring below. The coaches have agreed that the Phantom has been helpful, and allows them to do a better job determining some of the detailed moves the defensive and offensive lineman make. It will be interesting to see what other sports follow suit to using UAV's for training purposes.

GoPro: Kite Buggy

Besides flying, what do you do with your GoPro? Why not try using it to film as you kite buggy across the sand! This seems like a unique idea, but I think your arms would be very tired after.... 

Red Rocket's 10 Year Anniversary!

Red Rocket Hobbies is Celebrating 10 Years of Business Today!

10 Years ago Red Rocket Hobbies was started in the corner of a small computer repair shop in Eastern Oregon. 10 years ago Red Rocket Hobbies was renting half of a small computer store in the small town of Enterprise, Oregon. After a couple moves, we are now based in sunny Southern Oregon in Klamath Falls. We currently fill online orders from over multiple locations and ship just about everywhere!

Thanks to all of our customers for your support and making this possible. We appreciate your business very much! It is amazing how much radio control technology has changed over the past decade, and we look forward to seeing what the future holds!

Amazing photos over the Oregon Gulch Complex Fire

Any local customers are likely familiar with the fires that are burning around the Oregon-California border, but few have seen the smoke from F-15C's. While returning home from a training mission the 173rd Fighter Wing of the Oregon Air National Guard flew over the pyrocumulus clouds of the Oregon Gulch Fire. 

These pictures had been posted to the National Weather Service Medford, Oregon Facebook page and have given an aerial view of the smoke that clouds from the fires below.  Keep the men and women working these fires in your thoughts!

VertiKUL, The prototype for the future of drone delivery.

Drone delivery has been a huge topic over the past year, with a promising demand for delivery drones students are accepting the challenge to meet the future needs. After a year of developing, three master students developed have taken a maiden flight with their fully functioning drone that can pick up and deliver packages to a destination within a 18 miles away. Seeing what the previous ideas of delivery models lacked the students were able to make improvements to their concept. Unlike many other delivery drone concepts VertiKUL uses the high speed and efficiency of an airplane, and the takeoff and landing capabilities of a quadcopter. The drone uses the four propellers to take off and land, then transitions from vertical to horizontal flight by rotating the nose by 90 degrees. Who knows when drones will make there way into the delivery business, but for now these students are working of the technical challenges ahead. 

UAVs becoming popular wedding tool

In the search for that one great shot photographers are beginning to use UAV's to get aerials of weddings like never before. Using a UAV, like a DJI Phantom 2 Vision+, the possibilities are endless, allowing photographers to get shots no other basic ground photographer can get. Even with the legality being a gray area with the FAA photographers are taking the risk and offering UAV aerials as an added package for around $400. With the ability to be above the subject, the angle and lighting differs from the photographers ground view, and capture remarkable images, that before would not have been possible. I don't know how a UAV fits into the imagined fairytale wedding, but for one of a kind photos I think I'd give it a try.

Crows now enforcing no fly zones for radio control gliders!

It appears that it's not just the FAA trying to regulate radio control aircraft. Now crows are enforcing no fly zones in certain areas! 

Check out this Crow Vs. Rc Glider video and you will see what we are talking about.