Althouse: A slow aerial view of Madison.

August 20, 2019

A slow aerial view of Madison.

Via r/Madison, where somebody asks "Isn't it pretty dangerous to just fly a drone above traffic and people?"

48 comments:

tim maguire said...: Chicago learned the hard way that you don't let just anything fly over your city.; 8/20/19, 3:10 PM
stevew said...: Looks like a lovely place. Is there an "other side of the tracks" in Madison? I've never been.

Is that central street during the opening few minutes bicycles and pedestrians only?; 8/20/19, 3:13 PM
chuck said...: My takeaway: Madison hates right angles.; 8/20/19, 3:15 PM
Ron Snyder said...: No, the drones usually fare okay.; 8/20/19, 3:27 PM
madAsHell said...: Voyeurism unleashed!!; 8/20/19, 3:34 PM
readering said...: Not a lot of traffic in Madison (says the guy from LA).; 8/20/19, 3:39 PM
MadisonMan said...: Why were the flags at half-staff?

Was also wondering where the person controlling the drone was.; 8/20/19, 3:44 PM
Jupiter said...: I live fairly close to Mahlon Sweet Airport, and I often find myself looking at the sky and wondering, "Isn't it dangerous to have a 100-ton machine packed with gasoline and passengers screaming through the sky over my back yard?" Apparently, the answer is "No." What could go wrong?; 8/20/19, 4:19 PM
BarrySanders20 said...: "Is that central street during the opening few minutes bicycles and pedestrians only?"

Only toward the end. State Street is full traffic until the UW Madison campus begins at Lake Street. That opening clip ends at Bascom Hill, which is a few blocks into campus. This film was shot on an early morning summer day. It's usually much busier all over.; 8/20/19, 4:19 PM
Jupiter said...: From that altitude, you can't really see the syringes and feces clogging the sidewalks.; 8/20/19, 4:22 PM
Jon Ericson said...: Off topic, but Insty just found a new chew toy.

www.yourtango.com

It's just full of the degrading, useless crap we have come to accept from our coastal betters.

Our hostess could find many irritating things to blog about here.; 8/20/19, 4:33 PM
gilbar said...: Jupiter said...
From that altitude, you can't really see the syringes and feces clogging the sidewalks.
Hello! This is Wisconsin! More like Cheese curds and Old Style cans; 8/20/19, 4:34 PM
Marc in Eugene said...: "I live fairly close to Mahlon Sweet Airport...."

On target for over a million passangers this year, I wonder?

Told an acquaintance a few months ago that he should fly one of his (multiple) drones over Eugene, to shoot a video like the Madison one; he said it would be all sorts of illegal, as the Reddit people confirm: I thought he was just being persnickety. My next bright idea is to combine drones and the cleaning mechanism that's in the Port-whatever public toilets project so that when someone is observed indulging in antisocial behavior he gets drenched. I expect the water is too heavy. Lasers, perhaps.; 8/20/19, 4:38 PM
h said...: http://knowbeforeyoufly.org/learn-the-drone-laws/

others have pointed this out: the above link includes,
"Do not intentionally fly over unprotected persons or moving vehicles, and remain at least 25 feet away from individuals and vulnerable property.
Contact the airport and control tower before flying within five miles of an airport or heliport."

There is a general belief among the young: that rules do not apply to them, or do not apply to them if they are artistic, or do not apply to them if they are just being cute and funny, or do not apply to them if they are opposing Trump.; 8/20/19, 4:52 PM
Chest Rockwell said...: Madison looks wealthy, and nice!

Do they have a minor league soccer team? Because that's a prime piece of real estate.

A visit is definitely on my bucket list. I'm a sucker for medium sized Midwest cities.; 8/20/19, 5:19 PM
Marcus Carman said...: https://www.forwardmadisonfc.com/ Yes Madison has a football club that plays at Breeze Stevens Field.

State Street is pedestrian, buses and bikes only.; 8/20/19, 5:27 PM
tcrosse said...: I didn't expect the drone to go east on Willy or south on Park. And it didn't.; 8/20/19, 5:29 PM
Gahrie said...: If the idea of drones flying overhead bugs people...what's going to happen when we finally get flying cars?; 8/20/19, 5:46 PM
Will said...: I could smell the brats at 2:26!

This first street (State Street) is where the marathon of Ironman Wisconsin takes place, lined with spectators and diners enjoying the race and the brats/beer in the afternoon sun... this is why Ironman Wisconsin is often credited as the best crowd support of any Ironman race... Don't miss it!; 8/20/19, 5:51 PM
Black Bellamy said...: I have no sympathy for people who get hit by drones. You want to live in the Space Age, you better watch your head. You got robots licking your asshole clean, plastic livers and magical talking toasters; there is a price to pay for all that. Shin Shin is yelling from the top of his giant pile of floating plastic, you're dodging drones. Life goes on.

The drone you're dodging might be legal - you can apply for a 107.39 waiver from the FAA and you can fly right over traffic.; 8/20/19, 5:51 PM
jaydub said...: "Isn't it pretty dangerous to just fly a drone above traffic and people?"

Depends on the drone's weight. Those weighing less than 251 grams have no restrictions by the FAA, i.e., they are light enough so as to be unlikely to cause damage/injury. Those 251 gm and above have to be registered with the FAA because they could cause harm (e.g., the Global Hawk has ruined many people's day.); 8/20/19, 5:52 PM
h said...: Inquiring of jaydub: So the regulations I cited above at 4:52 do apply to drones below a certain weight? I'm not well informed enough to dispute this, but it seems to me to be an odd exception. If I were queen, I would not allow even very tiny drones to fly close to airports, because I've heard about how geese sucked into jet engines can cause problems, and I can imagine how a small drone with an explosive device could cause even larger problems.; 8/20/19, 6:02 PM
h said...: modifying my comment at 6:02 "do NOT apply to drones below a certain weight"; 8/20/19, 6:04 PM
bagoh20 said...: I hear there are a lot of lefties there, so where is the poop? Do they make the deplorable pick it up?; 8/20/19, 6:19 PM
bagoh20 said...: I'd rather have a drone over my head than a pigeon.; 8/20/19, 6:21 PM
Dear corrupt left, go F yourselves said...: Beginning is...State Street. Starting at the capitol and flying ...west?; 8/20/19, 7:06 PM
jaydub said...: h: As I understand it, the FAA does not consider a half pound drone to be a threat to aircraft because it's too small. Birds, on the other hand could be because even though they individually may weigh less than half a pound, a flock of them would put a lot of meat into a jet intake. The fact that a drone doesn't have to be registered with the FAA doesn't mean there are no restrictions on it. For example, they can't be flown over an airport or next to your neighbor's window, but they can be flown in the airspace over your neighbor's house. Putting explosives on them is also considered to be a no no. But, no one is tracking an unregistered micro drone that is flying down main street at 100 feet, so the queen is not going to know about it, hence, no harm no foul?; 8/20/19, 7:15 PM
chickelit said...: The video clearly shows how slightly off axis State St and Bascom Hill are. This probably could have been righted easily in the city's history, but the city planners chose not to -- perhaps reflecting that the University and the State Government are permanently askew.; 8/20/19, 7:41 PM
traditionalguy said...: What are the Drone seasons?Is the early one for or bow hunter and the later one for rifles?; 8/20/19, 7:42 PM
Ken B said...: Anyone remember the short lived phenomenon of smell-o-vision? Movies with scents pumped in to the theatre.

San Francisco, drone, smell-o-vision. Some assembly required.; 8/20/19, 8:32 PM
stephen cooper said...: Drones should be illegal.

Just another way for weird hobbyists with money to make life worse for decent people who just want to live their life in a decent society.; 8/20/19, 8:34 PM
Richard Dolan said...: Hard to see any danger to traffic and pedestrians when there is almost no traffic and even fewer pedestrians to be seen. The place looks semi- deserted.; 8/20/19, 8:49 PM
walter said...: It's also a pretty in demand component of professional video projects.
But doing so for business incurs additional training/certification for staying legal.
I know two people who went through the process.; 8/20/19, 8:49 PM
effinayright said...: chickelit said...
The video clearly shows how slightly off axis State St and Bascom Hill are. This probably could have been righted easily in the city's history, but the city planners chose not to -- perhaps reflecting that the University and the State Government are permanently askew.
*********

OK, I'll bite: off "what" axis?

What should have been "righted" and why?

p.s. ever tried to navigate Washington DC in a car for the first time?

Off-axis? I got your off-axis right HERE!; 8/20/19, 8:58 PM
The Godfather said...: Thanks. I always kind of wondered whether I would be happier living in a university town than in my little Dixie village. To me, Madison's not all that appealing, but you do have that reproduction of the Hitler Mausoleum that highlighted the end of the video.; 8/20/19, 9:09 PM
chickelit said...: OK, I'll bite: off "what" axis?

What should have been "righted" and why?

The Capitol and State St. were layed out in a perfect line. Bascom Hill including the lawn, the older buildings and even Van Vleck Hall (which looms out over Bascom Hall in the end of the video) are all in another line. The 2 lines intersect around Park St. They are perhaps 5 - 10 degrees off-axis. This is also apparent on maps.; 8/20/19, 9:21 PM
JML said...: People fly drones over forest fires. That grounds the air tankers and help drops. Smokey says, Give a hoot: Don't fly drones over forest fires.; 8/20/19, 9:26 PM
h said...: jaydub: thanks for the polite and informative reply.; 8/20/19, 9:31 PM
walter said...: "Is there an "other side of the tracks" in Madison?"
A couple..; 8/20/19, 9:34 PM
chickelit said...: Is there an "other side of the tracks" in Madison?

Not since many tracks were converted to bike paths.; 8/20/19, 9:50 PM
Original Mike said...: I grew up in this town. The trip down State Street is pretty jarring. Not how it is in my mind's eye.

Why spend so much time on East Wash? Campus is much more attractive.; 8/20/19, 10:00 PM
David Begley said...: What is the Wisconsin Idea on climate change?; 8/20/19, 10:41 PM
chickelit said...: David Begley said...What is the Wisconsin Idea on climate change?

Snowbird to FL or AZ. Save on heating CO2 emissions.; 8/20/19, 11:10 PM
Bruce Hayden said...: “Snowbird to FL or AZ. Save on heating CO2 emissions.”

Not really that much. We spend half the year probably 100 miles from the Canadian border. With the thermostat set at maybe 50, we will still go through most of a tank of propane for a bit under $1k over the winter. The house is about a decade old, well insulated, but has some large windows for the view. It’s the other side that is expensive though. House in AZ is 2 1/2 years old, well insulated, and without a lot of windows. This time of year, we are happy when we get the utility bills under $300. Have seen them nearing $600. House has two floors, so two zones of air conditioning. Utility rates drop in half after 9 pm. So, I have the thermostats programmed to start cooling then, bringing the temperatures down to maybe 65 by 6 am, at which time I set air conditioning to turn on at 85, which I run until 9 pm. Currently, it is 10 pm in AZ, the outside temp is 101, and the two zones are down to 75. Should be down to 65 by midnight.

We could run the house hotter in the summer, except that the heat dries out good wood furniture. We probably now have more expensive wood furniture upstairs in the bedrooms, esp with the new set I bought for the master suite, and esp now, after giving the wood dining room set to my partner’s daughter last year. But warm air rises, so cooling just the upstairs wouldn’t work that well, since that would put all of the stress on the upstairs A/C cooling the whole house. And, yes, the interior of the house does usually get to 85 before the A/C kicks in at 9 pm, when it is over 100 during the day (and well into the evening, like today).

Am a firm believer in programmable thermostats. Paid for both of them in one month’s savings in utilities at the AZ house. Having them connected to the Internet allows me to cool the house down to being livable in advance whenever we visit during out time officially in MT. House there is my partner’s, which means dumb rotating thermostats. Which is fine, since we are just trying to keep the pipes from freezing (we do drain the system, and put antifreeze in the toilets). For some reason that she can’t actually explain to me, she won’t let me have the water to the house turned off, which means turning off 21 internal valves - didn’t get the 7 valves upstairs turned back on until July this year when we had company.

Being snowbirds has big advantages. For one thing, you can do things comfortably outdoors year round. We have A/C only in the master bedroom here in MT, and have had to use it for only a couple weeks total this year. It has been a very mild summer so far, and we are better than half way through August. And our AZ bills haven’t been that bad this summer either. But I do feel good about our well needed contributions to the earth’s CO2 levels, necessitated by heating and esp air conditioning two houses. We are just about 60 miles up river from the location of the ice plug that created Glacial Lake Missoula during the last major ice age. At that time, there was barely enough CO2 in the atmosphere to support plant growth. Now, the Earth is greening up very nicely.; 8/21/19, 12:49 AM
Bruce Hayden said...: “What is the Wisconsin Idea on climate change?”

I would expect WI to not be that much worse than NE in the winter, and a little cooler in the summer. Of course, I have spent more time in the west end of your state, than the east side (I got snowed in for most of a week one time in Gerring/Scottsbluff when they warned me that they expected a foot of snow. We laughed at a foot of snow in the CO mtns. But in western Nebraska, snowing a foot meant that the drifts were over 20 foot high).

One of the nice thing about this part of MT is that a lot of the heat in the winter is generated by burning wood. That is one of the most efficient ways to return much needed CO2 to the atmosphere, plus it helps thin the forests, reducing the runs of the fires that have become ubiquitous throughout the west over the last several decades. You can heat a nice sized, not overly well insulated, house for a winter for maybe $100 or so in Forest Service permits.; 8/21/19, 1:07 AM
J. Farmer said...: For any old Bloggingheads fans out there, Mickey and Bob have a new video.; 8/21/19, 2:22 AM
Rusty said...: Madison from above is a boring place.; 8/21/19, 5:52 AM
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