A Quick Aerial View of Holland, MI

So check out of the campground in Holland, MI wasn’t until 1pm.  We were only driving a couple hours north so we decided to go out in the morning and try to shoot the lighthouse down the road at Holland State Park.

The day before the winds were not cooperating. So we couldn’t get the copter out of the air.

Monday though was another story.

So, David set up the copter on the fishing pier. He donned his FPV (First Person View) goggles and away he went.

If you click on the Big Red Lighthouse picture above, you can see that tiny spot in the sky.  That’s the quadcopter.

The first lighthouse that was ever built here was built in 1872.  Except for it’s color, it has a twin, the Kewaunee Pierhead Light, just across Lake Michigan in Wisconsin.

Fun fact about Lake Michigan…It’s the only Great Lake that resides completely in the United States. The other four Great Lakes share a border with Canada. It has a surface area larger than 22,000 square miles and is the 5th largest lake in the world.

Just thought I’d throw that out there. Everyone likes fun facts…right?

OK, so back to the flight. David flew all the way down the inlet (outlet?). He then flew around the lighthouse and made his way back. Let me just say, it’s very nerve wracking flying an expensive quadcopter with your video gear, over water. If anything happens, and I mean anything, it’s all over. It could end up in the water and that my friends would be game over. Theirs no way of getting it back then. Let alone recouping any electronics after it’s taken a bath.

After the lighthouse we shot one of the many marinas around this area.

Again, scary flying over water and now add in these very expensive yachts and sailboats. And yes, we attracted some attention from the locals. Their were two guys at the gas station at the end of one of the piers and they said it startled them at first. You don’t hear the copter until it’s right near you. We, of course, did not even know they were there. They followed it over to us and of course, they said what everyone else says, “Where can I get me one of those?” .

The sun was at an angle in the sky that when I took this picture it gave an interesting shadowing effect. At least I thought so.

David has included a very nice piece of footage of the lighthouse, the marina and a cool wood carving that we found at the campground right before we left. Hope you enjoy it! I know I did.