Architecture by Air - St Joseph Cathedral

[sidd finch]

Well after a pretty solid month of smoke from the CA fires we got a small window of manageable air to go out and record. Inspiration for this came after watching Steve's cool video of St Josephat in Milwaukee.

This St. Joseph's Church was built on the site of the the original basilica built in 1803, and was the first non-mission parish built in California for the benefit of Spanish settlers instead of the Ohlone native Americans. Current Cathedral is the 5th building on this site and was built in 1877 and completely restored in 1981. In 1985, the church was elevated to a cathedral, pending completion of the restoration in 1990. The cathedral was made a minor basilica by Pope John Paul II in 1997.Church is listed on the Historic register.



Sidd

[Steve Grisetti]

Beautiful work as always, Sidd.

Do you ask permission or get any kind of city permit before you shoot a building, or do you just show up with your drone and start flying it around?

I'm still a little shy about flying around downtown and around even public buildings.

Also, are your drones FAA registered with registration numbers printed on the sides? Or is that just a formality?

[sidd finch]

Hi Steve, Yes all drones registered and labeled with FAA registration number. The registration only costs $5 and is easy and inexpensive. Not doing it can have a big financial impact.

Since it is a hobby drone my understanding is that no FAA approval is required. I also rarely fly higher than 50 feet. I only fly when there is nobody around and I stay off the property. I also do not fly for long extended periods. Maybe 10 minutes max. With that said I am taking a risk and will not be doing anymore downtown videos. This one was very challenging due to its location and proximity. I did try to stay over the streets and there were no cars present, or any folks walking around. I am not a great drone pilot so I try to be really cautious and respectful flying.

Sidd

[Steve Grisetti]

Thanks for the advice, Sidd. I've got my registration, but I haven't actually labeled by drone yet. Guess I need to dig out my old Labelmaker.

As I said, I'm still a bit shy shooting in public, but I'm getting bolder daily. This summer there was some harmless but odd guy at the park who used to take pictures of pretty much every train that passed through. A bunch of teenagers decided he was really pervert, taking pictures of children and they chased him out of the park. It was a strange, isolated event, and the park is my favorite place in town to take my grandson. But I don't want to be the next crazy guy with a camera who gets chased away!

[TreeTopsRanch]

Another good video Sidd. Also a very good choice of background music. Wife wants to know if you have a link to the music.

[sidd finch]

Steve it is a huge hassle saver to make sure you have identified the drone. I just used a sharpie paint pen for mine.

There are some crazy people and some over vigilant folks too. But always better to be safe than sorry. With that said I am very careful of where and when I fly, nothing is foolproof but I try to get up super early when there is not a lot of folks around and traffic is at a bare minimum. This video was cutting things a bit close as the recent video is something that is a bit out of the norm for me flying downtown in public. Its just your video you just posted was ...... well..... inspirational .... lol

Glad you enjoyed the video Treetops. The music is from a CD that is one of my favorites. I would love to here it played in a big cathedral as I bet is would sound great.



Sidd

[Dave McElderry]

I think this is your best building video so far Sidd! Really enjoyed some of your creative angles and moves. And of course the music was spot on. Now you’ve got my creative juices flowing. We have quite a few churches in our area that would lend themselves well to a project like this. Some pretty old structures for the U.S. Hmmmmm...

[ Post made via Mobile Device ]

[sidd finch]

Dave thank you High praise indeed.

I look forward to your church recordings. I think that would make for some engaging video. Removing the religious aspect from the equation I absolutely love the aesthetics that the craftsman used to build these structures especially when you think that some are over 100 years old and what there were able to create.

*** TANGENT ALERT*** I was watching a documentary called "The Code" presented by Marcus du Sautoy. he premise was that Numbers are the rulers of the universe and that hidden in a particular cathedral was a a mathematical code, said du Sautoy, then showed how mathematics showed up in its design. In particular the relation with harmonious combinations of notes. For example the altar divides the nave into a ratio of 8 to 5 which is a minor sixth in music.

But interesting enough is that these old structures were based on the Fibonacci sequence used since roman times. *** TANGENT now completed*****

Regardless I would love to see some of your work...

Sidd

[TreeTopsRanch]

And thanks for the music link.

[sidd finch]

And thanks for the music link.

Anytime

Sidd

[Paz_Pazzaz]

Another magnificent building, and your drone footage is SO stable, Sidd! Truly looks professional.


Steve, I get the feeling that the Feds take drone labeling quite seriously. Hobbyist vs. professional use - I don't think that is their only concern. I think they decide based on the weight of the drone.

[Steve Grisetti]

I did register when I got my first toy drone a couple of years ago, but I've been lax about labeling my new ones. So far I guess I've been lucky. I'll make a point of being more legal. Even when I'm just putting around park.

[Chuck Engels]

He is getting so big !!

[sidd finch]

Thanks Pazz, These are really a huge amount of fun to record. It is especially fun to see the buildings from the air after only being able to see them from the ground. It is almost like looking at the completed plans of what the building was designed to look like.

You are also spot on for FAA registration. Since you are already registered it is really just a matter of labeling the drone. But for those folks think that the $5 is not worth it here is the FAA penalty.

“Failure to register an unmanned aircraft that is required to be registered may result in regulatory and criminal penalties. The FAA may assess civil penalties up to $27,500. Criminal penalties include fines up to $250,000 and/or imprisonment for up to three years.”

As you can see, the FAA appears pretty serious in requiring drone registration. Realistically speaking, if you are just an average playing around with a drone in your backyard, then you probably won’t have the FAA knocking on your door. However, if you figure in a drone-related accident and the FAA finds out that you have not registered as a drone pilot, then you could be in a lot of trouble.

Stay Safe
Sidd