First Test Flight of the HeliCam Drone System

Technical notes and behind-the-scenes look at the initial calibration and test flights of our custom RC camera helicopter.

Before the HeliCam could be deployed on active archaeological excavations, it required extensive testing and calibration. These are the notes from our very first test flights.

We set up our ground station on an open runway, configuring the multi-axis camera gimbal and testing the remote trigger systems. Flying a heavy professional DSLR payload on a custom-built RC helicopter was a white-knuckle experience, but the initial test shots proved the viability of our custom stabilization rig.

Overview of First Test Flight of the HeliCam Drone System

An aerial view of three identical, newly built modern three-story apartment buildings standing in a dry, grassy field against a backdrop of distant mountains.

A close-up aerial view of three modern three-story houses standing in a line in a dry rural landscape, with agricultural fields and distant hills in the background.

A top-down, high-angle aerial view of a three-story residential house, detailing its red tile roof, concrete courtyard, enclosed yard, and adjacent garden.

Technical Specs

Date: June 2006
Location: First test flight, Greece
Technology: Custom-built HeliCam Remote-Controlled Helicopter
Imaging: DSLR Payload with Multi-Axis Gimbal Stabilization