Oops

Hey community I finally found a way to reply. Because administration had shut my ability to post any further after that last post. I have a confession for everyone. I have broken GUIDLINE # 1. I have also intruded on a very private space sacred in a way. I See you

I really was trying to be sincere with my apologies, this was definitely not my objective. I promise non of this was ment to be malicious in any form. I most definitely didn't mean to threaten anyone. I am a commercial pilot. I am always trying to be the upmost diligent when it comes to being in compliance with the law. I also as PIC felt that I had left enough space between myself and the climbers to mitigate any potential danger to the climbers.

However I now realize, that is not really the point Here is it? It was wrong of me. I read that last post and if a climber would have fallen or anyone would have been injured. I just would never be able to forgive myself. To think my actions may have lead to something so terrible. Makes me feel incredibly bad for this approach. This was a very poor strategy.

This forum, the mountain project, and these mountains are a refuge for escaping all the intangible chaos that is all of our reality. I was scouting all summer for a mountain lake. Where I could hike in to a remote area and go brookie fishing ALONE! like my dad and I use to do when I was a a Kid. However the complete saturation of hikers trying to climb a 14ner kind of ruins the adventure. I hiked from loveland to other side of grizzly to argentine. The other side of guanella pass towards square top. I don't even want to talk about it.

So I hope that I can respectively pick up the pieces of my reputation and hopefully; If any of you would like to kick my ass. You can respectfully do it up and down the next crag.

You guys are passionate. I love it. You all crag me up! I don't really have feelings so well that's that.

Most hated guy in all of rock climbing. Thats a hell of a lot better than, the most popular observer... KCCO let me know if I should remove my account here or just the drone? Happy new years

This is a bad idea.
Nobody likes drones.
Climbers are cheapskates who will never pay for this kind of video anyway.

You were recording other people, without their permission, and now you want them to buy your photos? Drones outside are contentious enough, I'd probably consider looking for another way to pay for flight school. Most people with commercial rotorcraft licenses get someone else (like the military) to pay for them. A couple hundred hours at $350 per hour adds up fast.

Get a job, leave the drone at home, and quit filming people without their permission.

Colton Mefford wrote:I would like to provide videos and still shots. To promote climbing on more main stream social media to get more exposure for this sport.

LOLZ.

Drones are annoying. Don't be surprised if the next time you're at a crag someone starts throwing rocks at it.

I hope you get to flight school, but this ain't the way to do it.. Maybe try prostitution?

If you want to go to flight school, the normal way to do it is to get a line job at a local FBO: they will cut you an employee discount on aircraft time. Typically you try and get the fixed wing cert out of the way first, because that way you are learning how airspace and airports work at a rate of ~$150 per hour instead of ~$350 per hour. Some of the fixed wing time will apply towards a commercial rotorcraft license. I know there's a glider school that's even cheaper in Boulder, and they are often hiring wing runners, and they give scholarships to high school and college students.

Be careful about doing commercial work with a drone right now though, from what I've heard you need to have taken some classes to do that. Offering to do work for money can be considered "holding out", and it's something that the FAA will come down hard on you over. I have not heard of them hitting drone operators for holding out yet, but I'm sure that day is coming.

Alternatively, the Air Force Academy is in Colorado Springs. Maybe that's a better direction?

climbing friend,

nothing is worse than unwanted drone at your climbing rock!

I shtomp on it and I sqvuish it!!!!

What everyone else said... and that is the shittiest drone footage I've ever seen. Happy new year.

Whoa whoa whoa DISCLAIMER:...

Please be prepared for the graphic nature of this material. This content may contain verbal nudity, cursing, poorly articulated sentences, and for these reasons. This content should not be viewed by anyone.

Colton Mefford wrote:In response to all comments! My hope by posting the footage was only to give the footage to the people in the film. It was a recommendation by a fellow climber to post it here so they may see it. Yes, I was hoping that someone else would be interested, but i think i have my answer. I didn't mean to be intrusive in any way. I am really shocked at how angry and judgmental everyone has been. I am 27, I'm married I have a home and work 6 days so can go to school for two. Then on occasion in the evening, I can sneak up to the mountains. I'm trying everything that I possibly can to help get through furthing my education. Lessons are $310.00 an hr plus 55 an hour for my instructor. plus 180 per cedit hour for my aviation science degree. I am trying to finish my Certified flight instructor instrument so I can teach others and pass on my passion to the next generation. I'm going pull the post sorry to the community for being THAT GUY!

Colton, it sounds like you meant well. Just think it through a little better next time - "How will my actions affect others?" You sound like an industrious guy and will be better for this beating. :)

Oh one last thing before I go. FEI YES, these are registered with the FAA exactly like any other "certified aircraft". So before your short fuse leads to throwing rocks or stomping on an FAA certified aircraft. Which just so happens to be streaming live 4k video of the event to a remote server. Just keep in mind If you distroy one You may be wise as to look up the legal ramifications for: Actions that result in the damage/crash of a certified aircraft in the United States. It has one of the harshest penalties our judicial system can give. It almost carries the same penalties as treason. So KCCO, play nice and remember we are all just trying to enjoy this life.

Aleks Zebastian wrote:climbing friend, nothing is worse than unwanted drone at your climbing rock! I shtomp on it and I sqvuish it!!!!

+1, but without the accent. :)

Colton, it was nice of you to post that and I have such few photos and zero video of myself climbing I would have liked it if I was in the video. Some people don't like drones but I don't mind them as long as they don't hit me.
Only thing I didn't agree with, and you can't have known, is how mainstream climbing has already become even in the past few years & no reason to commercialize more- climbing is going to be in the 2020 olympics. This causes crags to clog up & more ppl to move to climbing areas and no one likes that.
I feel bad you were just trying to be nice and everyone jumped down your throat! But happens to everyone here.

Ana Tine wrote: I feel bad you were just trying to be nice and everyone jumped down your throat! But happens to everyone here.

Although I personally have a strong dislike towards drones at the crag, this thread seems unnecessarily aggressive towards you Colton, and I hope that you don't find that negativity is this prevalent in the climbing community, rather than just a standard part of internet commentary.

I'm not sure how crowded the crag was when you made the videos, but I'm sure you can practice photography and videography in a way that may be less disruptive, even if you continue to use a drone (such as asking if you may record them, especially if the area doesn't have many climbers.)

Assuming you're not a troll...

"Streaming 4K video"

Dude, I've never seen worse quality drone footage and the music was like an infomercial that comes on at 4:30 am.

Take your FAA certifications and shove them.

Seriously, drones are really that annoying and your whining and crying doesn't make the sound any better to those "just trying to enjoy this life"

Gimme a break man.

Are you really shocked that people don't want that shit buzzing around their heads while they're trying to do one of their favoite outdoor activities and that it's creepy?

Judgmental? The situation is pretty clear.

Are your feelings hurt that people have a strong opinion? You want a hug?

I believe you need a permit for commercial activity on Jefferson County Open Space.

This is not a climber out to shoot a few cool images of his friends. It's a guy trying to make a business out of having a drone routinely filming people at the crag.

If it takes a few hurt feeling to pre-empt someone's plans to station a drone at a CCC crag, well let the insults fly!

Cue the truck noise loving contingent to come to his defense.

Colton, my brothers fly and film with quadcopters and I am a former fixed-wing pilot (fighters-USAF). I also admit to enjoying some of the drone footage you often see of top climbers on amazing routes in unusual parts of the world--the aerial perspective is unique. So I can empathize with you on a number of levels and, yes, there might be opportunities out there--if you are very careful and sensitive to the climbing community and the property involved. However, as you can see from this thread, many climbers don't appreciate the sudden and unannounced arrival of a quadcopter buzzing around them as they work their climb. Having said that...some of these same climbers, though, might actually be cool with showing off some aerial footage of their adventure to their friends, later! So, my recommendations...adhere carefully to the rules where you want to fly/film, make sure you have done what you need to do for working commercially (FAA), pre-arrange the filming session with the particular climbers involved, and avoid crowded crags/routes (ultimate goal: you and the climbers who have agreed to be filmed are the only ones out there). For mentoring purposes, maybe you could hook up with other professional videographers who already are shooting this kind of stuff? As to the quality of your video--work on smoother movement as you pan up and down...and you shouldn't see any blades spinning in any of your scenes...and, yes, consider, more "neutral" music (legally obtained and used). You seem highly motivated, so good luck with your aviation and video career--always clear your flight path, keep your airspeed up, and check six. (P.S. As to helicopters, too many external moving parts for me--I can't figure out how they actually get airborne!)

Andy Novak wrote: LOLZ. Drones are annoying. Don't be surprised if the next time you're at a crag someone starts throwing rocks at it. I hope you get to flight school, but this ain't the way to do it.. Maybe try prostitution?

I already like you Mr Novak and we haven't even met.

This post violated Rule #1. It has been removed by Mountain Project.

Sanllan wrote:Hi Colton just wanted to say that you are the most unwelcome guy in the climbing community. You should meet o-dub and climb with him in maybe Australia; he might even do a rap song for you. Here is the Colton kid who wanted to climb But all his dreams where all just lies Went to the crag to get respected But all he finds that he was hated…

Guideline #1 was flagrantly violated in this post.

Colton Mefford wrote:Oh one last thing before I go. FEI YES, these are registered with the FAA exactly like any other "certified aircraft". So before your short fuse leads to throwing rocks or stomping on an FAA certified aircraft. Which just so happens to be streaming live 4k video of the event to a remote server. Just keep in mind If you distroy one You may be wise as to look up the legal ramifications for: Actions that result in the damage/crash of a certified aircraft in the United States. It has one of the harshest penalties our judicial system can give. It almost carries the same penalties as treason. So KCCO, play nice and remember we are all just trying to enjoy this life.

That sounds like a threat. I didn't feel like speaking up until I read this, but now I will. The appology looked like manning up and looked sincere. This post... yeah, that's not a veiled threat. Why threaten people if you are not planning to continue to harass them when they are in a dangerous position.
Imagine that since your drone is spewing 4k live footage to your server, and you paid for that server, which is also subject to subpeona. And that you, while nosing in on climbers, film someone taking a bad fall. And that you posted here that you have a profit motive.
Now imagine that they suppose that the distraction of the unexpected thing flying about them either surprised them, distracted them, or prevented good communication with thier belayer and that they got hurt.

You want to threaten people with consequences?
"It might be good for you to look up the legal ramifications" for messing with people in dangerous situations. They signed up for a climb, it is not a patently obvious risk that a drone will enter the scene. Welcome to your personal liabilities.

Here is my free advice: If you want to film someone, esp with a drone, get their permission in advance, and probably a waiver.

Hitherto this post of yours, I'd kind of thought you might be "an industrious guy and will be better for this beating" as Frank put it. But now I am not so sure. This one kind of made you sound like a jerk.

In conclusion: If the drone was close to me, and I was cruxing, you might find a sling with biners in your props at the base of the crag. I don't like distractions when I am cruxing. I might have a great defense on my case that I' had no idea that this was a legally operating flight under the protection of the FAA if it was filming me in particular for no reason in public and creating an objective hazard for me. I don't give 2 shakes about your implied threat. I have the cash to let the courts find a precedent on that, and the Chutzpah to believe that I would not be facing prison.

I bet the courts would sooner think that flying drones around people in dangerous situations that require communication with a belayer is more obviously a patent danger to someone than it should be obvious to a climber that it is some sort of FAA protected flight.

Also, does the FAA protect flights that are done illegally? IE: flying for commercial purposes without a permit from the land management agency? Hmmm...