The Falcon Project

[hiflier]

11 minutes ago, Believer57 said:

I agree but was afraid to post it. Thank you.

 

Question everything. The Forum is wide open for that because we are all here to give input either as experience or opinion. My advice? Never be afraid of the dreaded downvote, LOL. Especially if one is on a mission of sorts to dig at the truth, because digging at the truth is way more fun and rewarding than being "shy."

 

So my question, which is really more of a simple musing than anything else, is why would one wish to float (literally) a surveillance platform when the best surveillance network one could ever hope for (i.e., government) is already out there? I mean, why would Meldrum et.al. think they could possibly do any better? That said, on a rather harsh note, even with the then $250,000 price tag, one would think the biggest discovery of the last century and a half might be worth a few second mortgages or  equity loans? But the real bottom line for me is why fund that when the best (and getting better all the time) has already been deployed. The airship was only designed to be in the air 6-10 hours as it was.

[Believer57]

26 minutes ago, hiflier said:

So my question, which is really more of a simple musing than anything else, is why would one wish to float (literally) a surveillance platform when the best surveillance network one could ever hope for (i.e., government) is already out there?

It's a good question. It did produce much fanfare that reached the public, regardless of the result. Perhaps this was the intended purpose.

 

[hiflier]

Yes it did, and it reinforced the idea that there were people who were fairly serious about possibly discovering the creature. I wonder what would have happened if the project became a reality and after five years didn't succeed in its intended purpose. Would the operators conclude that the Bigfoot didn't exist? Of course, cynical me, could see that outcome as possibly hurting the BF biz side of things. Some folks would insist that the creature always detected the thing and so just stayed away from it. And I could go along with that somewhat considering the thing's history with trail cameras and other video devices On that note, however I still think a good thermal imager is the best device in a researcher's tool kit.

[Marty]

I'm in agreement with Thermals being the best we have atm. You can't deny a good thermal image as much as you can with a photograph. Thermal is thermal, you can't beat it. Wasn't there a thermal drone device for $1900 that's meant to "chase" game? I can't for the life of me remember the name of it but it's fairly new.

Edited December 21, 2020 by Marty

[Believer57]

So far, the best thermal video I have seen is still from Stacy Brown Sr.; and that unit cost a bundle. Most field researchers can't afford the high-end ones so I hope that they are coming down in cost. Some of the latest FLIR Scout videos by a BFRO expedition created "blob squatch" images. People can't afford the higher end units which is why I feel there is nothing wrong with asking for money. A simple GoFundMe setup could very well enhance the next expedition.

 

[Believer57]

45 minutes ago, Marty said:

Wasn't there a thermal drone device for $1900 that's meant to "chase" game? I can't for the life of me remember the name of it but it's fairly new.

I actually posted a link to it on page 1 of this topic.

 

Parrot - ANAFI Thermal Drone

[Marty]

Aah yes, ok, I should've looked again and thank you

[Arvedis]

4 hours ago, Marty said:

I'm in agreement with Thermals being the best we have atm. You can't deny a good thermal image as much as you can with a photograph. Thermal is thermal, you can't beat it. Wasn't there a thermal drone device for $1900 that's meant to "chase" game? I can't for the life of me remember the name of it but it's fairly new.

 

There's all kinds of price options and if you are willing and able to customize a payload. The trick is going to be control of the vehicle to get to where you need to go and control of the imager to get the best shot. Not so simple but it would start with a stable platform. Cheaper drones give you all kinds of frame noise and vibration that interfere with the imaging equipment.

Edited December 21, 2020 by Arvedis

[Believer57]

In researching the Falcon Project, I came across Google's Project Loon or Google balloons. I hadn't realized they were doing this. The idea is to create a wireless network across the globe in places where towers can't easily be constructed. It makes me wonder if they are sometimes mistaken for the "mysterious lights" or orbs in the sky.

 

17 hours ago, Arvedis said:

There's all kinds of price options and if you are willing and able to customize a payload. The trick is going to be control of the vehicle to get to where you need to go and control of the imager to get the best shot. Not so simple but it would start with a stable platform. Cheaper drones give you all kinds of frame noise and vibration that interfere with the imaging equipment.

So true. My DJI S900 hexacopter below originally cost around $3K without any camera. If the camera was anything besides a common visual spectrum camera (like a Sony or Cannon) then it became the most expensive component on the rig. On the images below, we mounted a $20K multispectral camera to scan some algae or foliage for a local college (which owned the cameras). This was often a 2-man setup with me or the flight controller flying the drone and another guy on the camera. When using the multispectral camera for mapping, it was always pointed down so we would just bungy it into position. I recall a few times when the flight controller became sentient and fly where it wanted to, in which case I would take over with the flip of a switch on the transmitter.

 

I still have my S900 but it is considered old technology today with its DJI A2 controller. It sits next to a wealth of drones that have now become outdated...much like me.

 

[Arvedis]

That's a nice looking ride!  Drone tech is progressing where you can buy a recon unit out of the box. For legacy tech,  you can build your own by welding on some brackets fitted with a gyro stabilized carbon mount to integrate thermal cameras on the unit. Let's say wireless command to the thermal cam is working, supposedly up to 5 miles but realistically with conditions, you get 1-2 miles of reliable control on a phone/tablet app that we also developed or used the FLIR app. What will come into play is range. These drones are not stealth so let's say a hypothetical scenario of an active area, and the Believer I drone with its mounted thermal cam is able to veer into that area at a low altitude, a few hundred feet above the area. The real test is going to be at what range you get the most reliable images back or if BF decides to zap the unit, can the electronics handle it or will the investment crash back to earth.

 

Thermal imaging has come a long way since the original Falcon project. At the time Barnes was touting the capabilities of the drone though, he was talking about 7-10,000 feet. You can use a telephoto lens at that altitude but no such thermal range existed on the commercial market in 2013. I still question if a thermal cam can get reliable heat maps from that distance.  I don't think Barnes had any special tech or contacts developing the tech.  I think he had ideas and probably got excited when Hersom or someone else showed interest. The project never moved forward but I do like the ideas that came out of it.

Edited December 22, 2020 by Arvedis

[Believer57]

Somebody mentioned it here or on another thread that "boots on the ground" is still the best approach. I have to agree with that. Use the new technology but keep it on the ground. However, it still gets expensive so without a sponsor and budget, there becomes limitations in people, their time, equipment used, and planning. I keep going back in my mind to the Ron Moorhead camp where the hunters all "disappeared" inside a group of trees. It seemed to make the Sasquatch nuts.

 

[BlackRockBigfoot]

Great topic, @Believer57.  Lots of good discussion.

 

I remember Meldrum discussing the Falcon Project on Rogan's show.  I believe that was the last time that I heard it mentioned.  

 

iirc, funding was the biggest problem...which has been mentioned in this thread.

 

 

[Arvedis]

I like the idea by Audi on their AI:Trail vehicle. Headlamps can be deployed as drone scouts to fly ahead and illuminate the road. For a BF expedition, maybe 1 drone is used for a mobile headlamp, the other can serve as a wireless hub, extending the range of the mobile command unit as long as there is road to drive on.

 

Edited December 23, 2020 by Arvedis

[Catmandoo]

Welcome to the forum Believer57.

The Falcon Project was air and words......nothing to see there. I remember Googling the main players. Not much to go on. The poofy bag never existed. The website for the designer/builder, Stephen Barkley, Remote Aerial Tripod Specialists, (RATS),  had nothing.  The Aurora MKII airship was simply 'air'. The promoters were unhappy that the public did not throw hundreds of thousands of dollars at them. 

 

There is a thread called "is a drone worth getting?" in the "In the field" subforum.  Comments touched upon drones, kites, balloons, helium assist. Before powered small drones, we had kite photography and balloons. KAPshop has a selection of aerial equipment. RC vendors have a huge selection of supplies for builder/operators. There are an estimated 2 million plus drones in the US.

 

Drones have a limited flight time. Less than 30 minutes.  The specs on your DJI S900 list a hover time of 18 minutes with a take off weight of 15lbs. The Parrot thermal drone claims 26 minutes of flight time with no load. I have not researched the Parrot drone sales info to compare day and night thermal images. Not very sneaky since flying at night will require the Nav lights and anti-collision strobe to be on. Drones are location sensitive. UAVs are not allowed in or over Wilderness Areas. I am in National Forests with Wilderness Areas. One has to have a map with the Wilderness Area boundaries.  Flying in restricted areas is a VBI ( Very Bad Idea ). Many drones use a persons smart phone as part of the controller. You are/ will be tracked by the phone company.  

 

Use of a drone is a 'roll of the dice'. Choosing  a 30 minute time  period for flight during daylight requires patience, good guessing and luck. Extra batteries will add a little time.

At the end of the day, boots on the ground is still the main game. Eyes and ears.....batteries not included.

 

And Arvedis, what happens to the Audi when the headlamps fly away and don't return? 

[wiiawiwb]

On 12/21/2020 at 12:04 PM, Believer57 said:

So far, the best thermal video I have seen is still from Stacy Brown Sr.; and that unit cost a bundle. Most field researchers can't afford the high-end ones so I hope that they are coming down in cost. Some of the latest FLIR Scout videos by a BFRO expedition created "blob squatch" images. People can't afford the higher end units which is why I feel there is nothing wrong with asking for money. A simple GoFundMe setup could very well enhance the next expedition.

 

 

I have a thermal imager (Pulsar) and believe it is a game changer.  One does not have spend a bundle although that's a relative term to begin with.  A group of people who go sasquatching together can "chip in" buying it for the group and use it on expeditions or have individuals use it when out alone.

 

I'm also not sure what is meant by a "higher-end" unit. $20,000 or more? Pulsar's top-of-line Helion 2 XP50 costs $4,000. Mine was much less than that. Here is a video from my Pulsar showing two chipmunks running about in the woods. If it can clearly identify a chipmunk, imagine what an 8' , 800lb sasquatch would look like walking or even peeking from behind a tree.

 

 

I'm still not sure about drones. A buddy of mine, who joins me sasquatching, has a drone equipped with a camera but not a thermal imager.  They are loud and a sasquatch would hear it a mile away.  It could drop to the ground, coil itself up, and if the thermal picked it up it might look like a large rock that had been heated during the day.  Granted, if the sasquatch was walking or running then the thermal could be invaluable.

 

I think a thermal-equipped drone would be an excellent tool if you had a large group of people that could encircle an area then have the drone fly within it. If movement is detected, members of the group could begin to enclose the area. That would take a fair number of people and have to be equipped with 2-way radios and more. Personally, I'm more interested in going out alone or with one or two other people.