Can the iFlight Chimera 7 FPV Drone Summit the French Alps?

[@LukeMaximoBell1]

**Note. The drone footage of Nice and the alps in the beginning is stock footage and I did not film it. Additionally since filming and uploading this video I have found out that this area is the Mercantour National Park and drones are not allowed here. When I arrived I could not find any no drone signs and wrongly assumed they were fine to fly. I apologise for the error in my judgement and I will not fly here again in the future and do better in the future to follow local regulations correctly.

[@mlentsch]

Mass non-compliance, dude, or soon there'll be nowhere to fly.

[@pixeldude1335]

@@mlentsch Es gibt wenig interessante Orte wo man noch fliegen darf. 😭

[@filipehenry4340]

Hi !! Please Could you please tell me : WHICH battery Did You use? And… have u upgraded motor , or antenna? Thanks !!!!

[@christianmong-hansen1835]

Battery name: Iflight fullsend 8000 mah

[@droneeia]

I was about to ask you about this, I recently visited Europe from Brazil, and I did not dare fly my drone anywhere in France, since basically the whole country is a no fly zone.

[@pointblank1292]

Hey, nice video. One question mate, did you hack your goggles (FCC)? This is crazy far reception!

[@chriscflint]

Nice video. I would not have thought it could carry an 8000mA battery. I have the Chimera V1 (home built) and I have fitted the 03 air unit so far so good and I note you are also using the controller 2 which I also use but have thought of going over to Express LRS after Mads made a fuss about the controller. Any comments appreciated.

[@LukeMaximoBell1]

Hey! Yeh it handles the 8000mAh with ease. It’s a little more sluggish but definitely enough power to fly where you want to. I also had an issue with the controller 2 when it was first introduced with the O3 air unit. Got a failsafe mid flight very nearby. But I believe DJI fixed this problem and it’s been 100% ever since the firmware update. Now I trust it fully so I wouldn’t stress about it. express LRS is good too, but I would keep it simple and use the Controller 2 to be honest.

[@chriscflint]

@@LukeMaximoBell1 Thanks for the response. I have not had any issues with the Controller 2 and I have built all of my quads to Return Home and I use Betaflight 4.4.,,, and the RTH is amazingly good so I hope not to have any drama. Cheers.

[@LukeMaximoBell1]

@@chriscflint Ahh really? Is it a lot better? The RTH on betaflight previously has left a lot to be desired giving me less confidence in self built FPV drones. Maybe I'll give it another go.

[@azwansaedon]

create content !! looking foward to for more fpv content

[@MindRiderFPV]

Great flight, love my C7

[@LukeMaximoBell1]

Yeh it’s an awesome drone hey 🤩

[@LukeMaximoBell1]

Did you see the teaser for the new iFlight drone?

[@MindRiderFPV]

@@LukeMaximoBell1 Just a shot.

[@cebzzzzz]

hi, did u fly using the dji controller 2?

[@hateforall4012]

Great flight. How are you getting your goggles to stay connected that far out? My chimara7 just does not seem to want to keep video connection for more than 1k…. And that’s almost line of site

[@claudioBaldessari-t5q]

Amazing Video ! :) Lake name please at 0:20 ?

[@Elouan.Gaudin]

I'm also interested, If anybody knows...

[@stratometer]

Oh no using the dji radio? Asking for it dude

[@LukeMaximoBell1]

Have you even ever used it before?

[@stratometer]

​@@LukeMaximoBell1 yes, if the o3 video feed goes down - and it will freeze, the sbus link goes down too, at this point the aircraft is lost unless you have configured betaflight gps rescue. Go to the dark side tbs crsf. Take that 5th O3 wire - yellow? and burn it at the altar of lost quads.

[@PavelMy]

the video does not look smooth due to missing frames. The video needs to be rendered with the same fps as it was shot. For example, the frames here are 7:08 , jerkily due to fps mismatch

[@rhysezfpv]

You were only using DJI o3 system for the range of this flight ?

[@LukeMaximoBell1]

Yeh I was!

[@guillaumemetry1355]

Beautiful ;) What about the max flight time with this battery ? Thanks

[@LukeMaximoBell1]

Just hovering around in my garden with no GoPro on top I think I got about 30 minutes actually! 😂 it got quite boring

[@guillaumemetry1355]

@@LukeMaximoBell1 wow that’s amazing and I guess 20 min in réel condition with a GoPro ☺️

[@LukeMaximoBell1]

@@guillaumemetry1355 Mmmm, I would say closer to 16 minutes!

[@MrHansDolce]

nd filters bro

[@Antoine_Cloutier]

What is the legislation in France about drones and fpv?

[@crisnmaryfam7344]

@@LukeMaximoBell1 Ooof.

[@crisnmaryfam7344]

"Here are the most important rules to know for flying a drone in France: Users of the following unmanned aircraft types are not subject to the new EU registration requirements:" An unmanned aircraft with a weight of fewer than 250 grams and not equipped with a camera or some other sensor capable of capturing personal data, An unmanned aircraft that is considered to be a toy within the meaning of Directive 2009/48/EC, Control line model aircraft with a maximum take-off mass of no more than 1 kg All other Drone operators must register their drones in France. Registration costs 30€ for 1 year, 75€ for 3 years or 100€ for 5 years. Following registration, you must adhere to the following rules. Drones may fly up to 50 meters (170 feet) above ground or sea level in the Open category and up to 120 meters (400 feet) in the Specific category. (The Department of Civil Aviation may grant exemptions to operators of specific category drones.) Direct visual contact with the drone is required, and the operating distance should not exceed 500 meters. Avoid flying too close to residential areas or populated areas. Maintain a safety buffer zone of one kilometer around residential areas. Unless the owner/person consents, a safety distance of 500 meters from isolated buildings, people, vehicles, animals, and structures is required. Avoid flying near airports and heliports. Stay A minimum of eight (8) kilometers away from airports and three (3) kilometers from heliports for safety. At no time is it permissible to fly a drone at night. There shall be no flying over, within, or near military installations, public utility installations, archaeological sites, or public or private facilities. Open Category Given the low level of risk, neither prior authorization by the competent authority nor a declaration by the drone operator is required. The drone’s total takeoff mass must be less than 25kg and be operated within a visual line of sight at a maximum altitude of 120m. Specific Category Considering the moderate level of risk involved, flights in this category require authorization before the operation. The permission is given considering the mitigation measures identified in an operational risk assessment, except in specific standard scenarios where an operator declaration is sufficient. Drones weighing 800 grams or more must be equipped with a signaling device beginning 29 June 2020. It transmits the drone’s identification and flight information (coordinates, speed, and course) via radio signal at regular intervals (WIFI). Note for foreign operators Operator Registration (Non-EU Residents) If you are coming from a non-EU country and this is the first time you will fly your drone in an EU country, you MUST register as an Operator into the FCAA systems at the AlphaTango registration site. Upon registration, you will receive a unique Operator Registration number which you MUST attach to your drone. If you have several drones, the same number must be attached to all of them. You are not allowed to fly in NO FLY ZONES, and you must keep away a minimum of 8km distance away from airports/heliports. You must not register again if you have already conducted operations in another EU country before going to France. You always register to the first non-EU country you have conducted flights.Remote Pilot Certificate (Non-EU Residents) If you want to fly your drone in France and live in a non-EU country, you must hold a Remote Pilot Certificate from an EU country. You can get the A1/A3 Certificate by registering with a Remote Pilot School. The online training and exam are required for those who want to fly a drone in the ‘Open’ category in subcategories A1/A3. The pass mark is 75%, and you have three attempts to pass. Once you pass your exam, you will receive your remote pilot certificate. Its validity will be five years. You must have your Remote Pilot Certificate in your possession whenever you plan to perform drone operations in France and present it when the authorities ask. How to register as a drone pilot or operator in France? According to European Regulation (EU) 2019/947, registration is mandatory for UAS operators (not for UAS themselves). The UAS Pilot, also known as the Remote Pilot (RP), is the person physically behind the UAS flight controls. They are fully responsible for the safety of the flight throughout operations. The UAS Operator is the person or company who oversees operations and gives flight instructions. This person or legal entity bears all responsibility for the operations of the drone (s) on their behalf. Very often, in the OPEN category and as individuals, the Pilot and the Operator are the same people. Who should register? As part of the OPEN category, registration is compulsory for operators: UAS that has a mass of 250 g or more; UAS that has a mass of less than 250 g but: can operate at speeds greater than 90km / hare equipped with a camera or a microphone, if these UAS are NOT toys * * A UAS is a toy when a manufacturer intends it for children under 14 and meets the minimum safety criteria required to be so named. Compliance with these standards naturally limits the capabilities of the UAS (size, weight, non-dangerous spare parts, no powerful motor, etc.): see Directive 2009/48 / EC of 18 June 2009 on the safety of toys

[@mcronfpv8736]

google geoportail drone , clic first link map.

[@LukeMaximoBell1]

Thanks for this! 🙌🏼 I appreciate you trying to help. I just want to ask: The way I understand is that the 120m rule applies to above ground level. Not from where you take off from. So if I fly up a 200m hill I should not be 120m above that 200m hill. So 320m from where I took off from. Is this correct?

[@mcronfpv8736]

@@LukeMaximoBell1 absolutely it is 120m above the closest ground level, and you can even go higher than that if you need to fly over a building or other obstacle. Now where we are all illegal in FPV long range is the distance from takeoff. We are supposed to have the drone visible at all times. Meaning that 1- we need to have a spotter, that is actually the pilot in charge and can take control of the drone in case you loose video signal and 2- the drone needs to be visible and under 300m. Where it make sense is that when there is a helicopter coming and the drone is around you, you hear the heli and you just go down and the spotter helps you... Now when we are miles away it's impossible lol. helicopters are a little crazy in France, careful of the mountain paths.

[@TwinTurboFX]

Amazing location! cant wait to do some long range FPV! The o3 video actually looked really good! that was iflight li-ion pack right? you can totally fly that down to 2.8-2.9 volts. seemed like u were landing at 3.48 volts. You easily had another 10 mins or more of flight time left.

[@JSKCKNIT]

Amazing flight! Beautiful scenery. Great job. 🤙🏾

[@LukeMaximoBell1]

Thank you!! 🤩

[@mikewow]

How long did you fly? Wonder if my drone can make it too

[@michalczajka6421]

Hi, it's amazing footage mate. I thinking about Chimera 7 pro straight from I flight. Have you changed anything in the drone and beta? Pids and rates? Did you modify anything? Or just flew with the drone directly from shop? Thanks

[@danglad5546]

Excellent video, I constantly admired this mountain, and I planned to climb it. But somehow I put off this adventure because I am not a climber and this will not be a cakewalk). La Gordolasque has always been one of my favorite places around Nice. If you go further along the path towards Refuge Nice, then there will be a wonderful pass. My wife and I have been living here for 6 years and this and La Gordolasque require special attention to visit this place.

[@LukeMaximoBell1]

Aww awesome! Thanks for the tip! Next time I will definitely visit there. I’m going camping there in a couple weeks so I’ll check it out 😎

[@mattymonk100]

Amazing video!! How did you get such good range? I have same set up just crossfire controller

[@ShadowWolf2201]

This is incredible, imagining that this could be used to search and rescue people is exciting, as much fun as it must be for you

[@Ausbert]

waaait... isn't this the Watzmann in the thumbnail? like, the watzmann in germany, not france? xD

[@waltzhang8791]

I cant believe you could use DJI radiao for long range fly. I just lost my drones last mouth because i lose the controler singnal.

[@h-dawg969]

For long range like this, is there any additional stuff that needs to be done regarding controller or anything, or is it good to try summin like this so long as the ham file has been put on the goggles?

[@TheParadigmShiftTV]

I have that same RabbitFilms edition of the Chimera V2.🐰 I can confirm that it does indeed make it up mountains.

[@gladperson116]

Love the video but the way to said Chimera gave me whiplash

[@stephaniejoubert365]

Incredible footage! Such a beautiful part of the world. Well done for also acknowledging that you were in the wrong for some of these shooting locations - everyone makes mistakes 😁 Keep up the good work!

[@LukeMaximoBell1]

Aww thanks! 🤗

[@haroldofkernow9279]

Is everything on your set up the exact stock kit on the Bind n Fly from iFlight? Antennas, Goggle antennas etc? I'm just enquiring about how you get such a good range? Have you changed anything on the Chimera 7 or is it the exact same kit as what comes on the Bind n fly? I have the Bob57 myself. I own one of the 4000mah Lion batteries, but I'm wondering if it will handle this 8000mah battery? That's some wicked range you're flying at. Such a sick location. I'd love to some day take a trip to the Alps. What is the furthest distance or longest flight time you've ever pushed it out to?

[@totheknee]

FPV has come a long way...

[@maartenleonvideo]

Hey Great Channel! i am looking for a drone I can fly without the pain of no fly zone etc but still use my dji goggle and remote. How does that work?

[@miwcowymuroos1018]

Wow, this is such great footage! I didn't know O3 could be that good at a range. What kind of certification is required to fly the drone? As I know, France's regulations are more or less in line with the EU recommended, and this looks too fat for the VLOS required by the Open category. Thanks! P.S. I missed the note above that it's a restricted zone, but the question about the required certification is still relevant.

[@LukeMaximoBell1]

Hey! Yes France is the same as EU. Yes for VLOS of this distance you do need a spotter higher up to try and keep the drone in sight

[@maosw]

Yeah, from what I can tell by looking at the video he broke all kind of rules: VLOS and not flying into clouds, probably maximum altitude rules, possibly transmit power to get that kind of radio reach, lacking an airspace observer while flying FPV and so on. And considering he unknowingly flew in a restricted zone, he obviously didn't clear the flight plan with air traffic control either which I assume is required in France just like the rest of EU airspace. My guess is he doesn't have the required licenses to begin with either because if he had, he'd knew all those afore mentioned rules and the associated fines for breaking them... which are no joke. The EU/EASA can be quite the killjoy when it comes to flying drones but most of those rules exist for a good reason I'm afraid.

[@VideoAve]

Awesome! It must have been an amazing experience! I noticed you used DJI controller and goggles. How is the range with those? Have you ever experienced any issues and if yes, did it failsafed? Do you have GPS rescue set up? How is it? Thanks

[@un_ours_blanc]

Thanks for enjoying my beautiful country :D

[@LukeMaximoBell1]

Thank you! It’s so beautiful in France 🇫🇷

[@tankm1a1_15]

Hello! I Now find your video! Thats amazing video, but i have a question. When i buy this long range fpv drone and i have a remoter controller 2 but i have a DJI Goggles V2 is good for this or Change something in goggles like antennas? or stnadard things is good for this drone?

[@AbhiFPV]

hey luke , hope you are doing good ! can you please share me your chimera 7pro v2 CLI dump or saved bacup from betaflight . i messed up my original setting including pids and filters on my flight 7pro v2

[@botondvasvari5758]

would need longitude, latitude and altitude values, do they provide access programmatically for this kind of data? is there some kind of API or sdk

[@boltonperry9227]

Very, very cool!! Look forward to more! Have the same bird, just not the kickass mountains!!!

[@TomHerriman]

At 2.2K the video dropped to 15Mbps. I have yet to see a DJI O3 video at 8-10Km.

[@marc123436]

That's amazing job man, love it!!!! Congratulation from Brazil!

[@tekpiksapasifika3494]

ELRS?. Commado 8??

[@brin6494]

This is amazing!

[@LukeMaximoBell1]

Thanks! 🤩

[@estebiuivanu5824]

Oooh that's amazing! I also live here! isola2000 is an amazing spot to fly ;D The italian part is also nice

[@LukeMaximoBell1]

Aww that’s epic! I must make my way over there in the future 😎

[@eoinj3929]

Hi Luke, The mountain area behind Nice is a flying area for full size gliding. You should contact the gliding club in Fayance to ensure you are not risking a pilots life due to collision with your drone. Fly safe! EJ

[@mlentsch]

Hah - check out those mini-cars! Can you rent an F-150 over there?

[@LukeMaximoBell1]

Hahahaha I have never seen an F150 in France 😂😂😂

[@suneethapothireddy-c2n]

He got 26 satelites.......😊

[@jankucera8505]

very jaggy

[@LukeMaximoBell1]

Jaggy? 😂

[@jankucera8505]

@@LukeMaximoBell1 there is just this weird lag that ive seen inmany fpv longrange videos, what kind of stabilization software is being used? gopro?

[@onimus93]

Whats the orange border you see in your goggles? is that direction of pilot or some sort of warning?

[@TimMcgimpsey]

Orange for when your video link is getting weak, red when its really bad and black when its gone.

[@LukeMaximoBell1]

Yeh the orange is when you need to gain more altitude or turn around 😂

[@Mike-Bell]

🤩

[@LukeMaximoBell1]

🗻🦅

[@pixeldude1335]

What remote control and protocol do you fly with? Mit welcher Fernsteuerung und Protokol fliegst du?

[@LukeMaximoBell1]

O3 Air unit with the DJI RC 2!

[@gonebdg]

Beautiful ... thank you for share.

[@LukeMaximoBell1]

Of course 🤩🙌🏼

[@leigh6223]

This is incredible! nice!

[@the_reaper_fpv]

Subbed! That was awesome

[@LukeMaximoBell1]

Thanks man! 🙌🏼🙌🏼

[@hans-jochenschmitt9314]

As i live in Nice too: i guess you know that the region you was flying is a national park/nature reserve with very strict rules, especially drone flying. Minimum fine is 250 Euro the first time you get caught. Ask me how I know: I got caught by a park ranger 3 weeks ago flying my Chimera 7 😊

[@LukeMaximoBell1]

Oh man, I actually didn’t know that. I know it’s a park, but I could not find any no drone signs which are normally very easy to spot. And I really did look hard. A couple weeks after this I went back and was flying over the river and a ranger told me I could fly around the river, but not across the river because that was the park. But I didn’t get a fine. Lucky I guess. Thanks for the heads up though 🙌🏼

[@LukeMaximoBell1]

Any mountainous areas close to Nice where you are allowed to fly drones? FPV and normal?

[@hans-jochenschmitt9314]

What I did not know: there are park rangers and they are not obvious to spot, so please be careful 😏

[@hans-jochenschmitt9314]

en français: pas vu pas pris …

[@mcronfpv8736]

you guys are such idiots... why can't you just follow the basic rules... just read a map, fly where you are allowed to... Any 6 years old can do this... All the FPV community is suffering from such dumb habits. And if you really want to do something illegal don't go brag about it online filming your face, in a stupid video where you pretend you did something extraordinary... 3k/1.4k is nothing extraordinary

[@ruanbotha9372]

These are some epic shots!

[@LukeMaximoBell1]

Glad you enjoyed it! 🤩

[@pierresu]

Very clean man !

[@LukeMaximoBell1]

Appreciate it! 🙌🏼

[@mariokotlar303]

Awesome! What was the maximum distance?

[@LukeMaximoBell1]

On this day about 3km away and 1.4km high. Pretty epic! 🤩

[@crisnmaryfam7344]

@@LukeMaximoBell1 Not bad for something with a sub 10 min flight time. Why this and not a DJI with 40 ish mins of flight time? Honest question im looking to buy soon and I just dont see it when side by side comparison a dji.

[@FPVREVIEWS]

Distance requires speed, with limited flight time. The iflight is much much faster than a dji and can also dive and maneuver etc which is important for filming in a more aggressive style. The larger battery also helps extend flight time. Still neither are a match for fixed wing autonomy

[@taylormetcalfe9335]

Amazing!

[@LukeMaximoBell1]

Thanks so much 🙌🏼

[@dnenis3162]

I am pretty damn sure this was an illegal flight. Way to far and no flight planning whatsoever. If you had really flown for big productions you should be aware of the most basic drone rules ..... Especially if you have your drone licence. You are gonna get in big trouble doing stuff like this. People will report this kind of stuff eventually and you will get fined a horrendous amount.

[@LukeMaximoBell1]

Read the pinned comment

[@dnenis3162]

@@LukeMaximoBell1 you make it really easy for yourself. You should know that it is required to make yourself familiar with the area before you take off. Signs showing the ban of drone usage are really rare. Your preflight briefing should also take drone maps like :"geoportail.gouv.fr" into account. There you can see where it is forbidden fly. All of this should be basic knowledge to every drone pilot. I dont know how you were able to acquire your licence without that basic level of understanding and recklessness of operating a UAV. People like you are the reason restrictions are getting tighter and tighter. Sure it might not interest you because you only visited that location for a quick buck, but please respect other members of the community who lawfully operate an UAV.

[@fellpower]

huh...all that copied flights, that tbs did 10 yrs before. why u dont make your own way? all that "fpv pros" are like each other. its boring to watch

[@mcronfpv8736]

lol he's just starting fpv, he's more a youtube pro :) TBS did much better than that 10 years ago :)

[@LukeMaximoBell1]

@@mcronfpv8736 Hahaha, I'm not just starting 😂 I've flown normal drones and FPV for Netflix, Sky and BBC productions.