Chapter 594

9/8/2021

Empire Plaza

increasing local flight time

By logging more local flight time it gives me an excuse to use my two motorcycles for pleasant rides with the compactness of the drone.

Loved walking by the plaza each day morning and afternoon from my bus stop under the plaza the last three years working downtown Albany. The architecture was so pleasing and inspiring. 

In 1971 working for DOT we toured the construction as part of our training. Went up maybe 30 floors in the construction elevator into the 40 floor Tower building. Special emphasis was on the 70 foot H piles being driven down through the clay to resistence load with the steam pile drivers.

Had a foggy morning so it was off to the Twin Bridges for a quick test. 

My launch site is a dead end road that goes under the abutment. Turns out they are doing repainting job. I used to inspect the contractors painting work on the I-90 and I- 787 bridges.  Flew down underneath the deck over the water. At one point the drone started going up river by itself. Got back out of there quick. Ocassionally there is interference with my transmission signals.

Short trip up to Ballston Preserve  for a trial. Launched just next to two high power lines but didn't get any electrical interference.

You can drop right down low, but it's a bit unnerving. Got to make sure you're not hitting some odd tree or losing signal. Did many previous chapter on the owls, crows, osprey & Herons here.

The house on the hill center went for $2 million last year Saratoga Lake, Manning Cove. They have to mow the lake for weeds. But this end of the lake is the best I feel. 

An meso-eutrophic lake. Seems somewhat futile harvesting the weeds but nobody wants to stop fertilizing their lawns.

Many years ago I knew members of this Saratoga Lake Sailing Club and went out with them on their sail boats. 

On a gloomy mid week day there was only a couple members in the parking lot. Did ask permission and got the OK.