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Welcome to the Louisiana Helicam blog!
Kiroli Park | Pappadeaux's Playground - 3/12/18The following is from our latest shoot of the new West Monroe Civitan Club - Pappadeaux's Playground. The new playground project is located in Kiroli Park, home of the new Smiles Park playground. VIDEO
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Lincoln Builders | LaTech Pressbox Expansion - 1/31/18Lincoln Builders of Ruston recently completed the LaTech Press Box Expansion project. The project added a great deal of space and was completed in less than a year. Links of Interest:
Drax Biomass | The Biomass Sustainability StoryLouisiana Helicam provided all aerial footage for the South Mississippi segments of the recent Drax Biomass Sustainability video. Tony Juniper (environmental campaigner) explores the Drax wood pellet supply chain. More from Tony Juniper on if using biomass can be the right thing to do for forests and climate change. Informational links:
Louisiana Helicam | Construction Progress Via Drone and Full Scale AircraftThis video is an example of the drone services we provide commercial and industrial customers on a recurring basis. Louisiana Helicam specializes in drone and aircraft photography, video, mapping, and panoramic services for the entire United States. However, much of our recurring project work involves the utilization of drones in the following areas: Louisiana, Arkansas, Mississippi, Texas, Alabama, Oklahoma, Baton Rouge, New Orleans, Shreveport, Alexandria, Monroe, West Monroe, Ruston, Houma, Thibodaux, Dallas, San Antonio, Waco, Tyler, Northeast Texas, Midland, Lubbock, Odessa, and more.
Talladega National Forest | Cheaha State ParkI recently travelled through Talladega National Forest while shooting several aerial photography projects in the North Alabama area. I decided to go back to the summit at Cheaha State Park to stay at the park lodge one evening. Nature Located in the middle of the Talladega National Forest, the park is ideal for access to the Kentuck ORV-ATV Trail. Additionally, the park is home to the Cheaha Trailhead of the Pinhoti Trail, which connects with the Appalachian Trail and accesses the Odum Scout Trail, and the Chinnabee Silent Trail. Here hikers can experience tranquility, native wildlife and beautiful waterfalls. Dining Delicious, country-style food combined with panoramic views of the Talladega National Forest and valley below are found at the park’s restaurant. A traditional Sunday buffet is also available. Catering is available in the park for pavilions and Bald Rock lodge contact our sales staff 256-488-5885 (let us handle the grilling or cooking, so you can enjoy the park!). Accommodations In addition to lodge rooms, cabins and A-frame chalets, we also offer improved camping in the park’s campground, semi-primitive camping near the highest point, and primitive camping near Cheaha Lake. In addition, there is primitive camping along mountainside trails, offering campers numerous options for getting close to nature. Weddings The perfect atmosphere for a wedding, Cheaha Resort State Park staff can provide couples with everything needed for their special day. Area Attractions Nearby attractions include the Talladega National Forest, the Talladega Super Speedway, the Dale Jarrett Racing Adventure, and the historic Kymulga Grist Mill Covered Bridge and Park. Links of interest:
CastlePost | Martin Castle | The Kentucky Castle - Lexington, KentuckyI recently had a chance to photograph and stay at CastlePost just outside of Lexington, Kentucky. CastlePost is often referred to as "Martin Castle", or "The Kentucky Castle." It was a surreal experience and one of the most beautiful places I've ever photographed. Martin Castle was built by Rex and Caroline Bogaert Martin in 1969 after returning from a German vacation. They were inspired by the architecture and many famous buildings that they'd visited while in Europe. The Martins divorced before the castle was completed and it sat unfinished for many years. The structure was sold to a Miami attorney in 2003 but the structure burned during renovations during 2004. Reconstruction was completed in 2008. The castle was purchased again in 2017 by a group of investors. Links of interest:
I stayed in a "chalet", often referred to as a "turret":
The castle sits on working 55 acre farm and has a farm-to-table restaurant. The food was excellent.
The rooftop terrace is perfect for weddings, parties, and any other large gathering:
Here is a collection of images taken while walking the grounds that evening and the next morning:
Brown Builders | North Village Plaza Apartments | Ruston, LouisianaBrown Builders teamed with former NBA star Karl Malone and other investors to build Ruston’s newest luxury apartment homes, North Village Plaza Apartments. The 120-apartment unit includes six multi-unit buildings along with clubhouse, garage buildings, in-ground pool with pool house, paved parking and access drives. The community clubhouse will include a business center, 24-hour fitness center, kitchen, covered patio, ping pong patio, fire pit and dog park. The in-ground pool, pool house and cabana includes volleyball courts, bocce courts and a shaded pergola at the pool. There is also a set-aside outside area for children to play. The luxury apartments have gourmet kitchens with stainless steel appliances, and stone counter tops. Bathrooms have garden tubs. Plank flooring finishes the luxurious 1, 2 and 3 bedroom apartment homes. There are 11 floor plans from which to choose. The apartments are designed to meet the national green building standards and criteria. As a green certified project, the following must meet specific criteria: lot & site development, resource efficiency, energy efficiency, water efficiency, environmental quality, and home owner education. For more information, visit:
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Louisiana Tech University vs. Mississippi State - 9/9/17Louisiana Helicam was proud to serve our alma mater for the Louisiana Tech University vs. Mississippi State game at Joe Aillet Stadium on 9/9/17. A full collection of aerial photos, aerial panoramic images, and aerial video clips were gathered for Louisiana Tech University's photography department. For more information, visit:
Enjoy!
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Drones for Agricultural SprayingThe following is from our September article for a national pulp and paper publication DRONES FOR AGRICULTURAL SPRAYING I can remember my first radio-controlled airplane project like it was yesterday. The small kit consisted of balsa wood, monokote covering, and a small glow fuel engine. My goal was not to become an RC enthusiast. You see, I grew up on a sugar cane farm and the local crop dusting service was less than a mile from our home. I spent much time riding my old BMX bicycle to and from the airport. I was fascinated with the two Air Tractor planes that took off many times during the course of the day. The goal that I had in mind as a ten year old was to provide a spraying service for local gardeners. I had it all planned out. Straws were glued to the wing tips and several “TeeJet” spray nozzles were taken from my family’s farm shop (thanks to the help of my trusty BMX bike). An extra RC fuel tank would be used for chemical storage. The project, however, never left the ground. Fast forward thirty years later. We now have the ability to spray small-acreage tracts with both single and multi-rotor aircraft. This can be done manually (by row) or by flying an automated GPS grid. Most states require a commercial applicators license in addition to an FAA Part 107 certification.
The Yamaha RMAX, a single rotor autonomous helicopter, has been used for spraying crops since the 1990’s. The RMAX is almost 12ft in length, weighs just over 200lbs, and has a chemical tank capacity of up to 68lbs. The machine has an average flight duration of 1hr.
The Gaia 160 is another large multirotor spray drone. The 160 has a 6 gallon chemical capacity and a flight duration of around 18 minutes.
Stay tuned for more articles as well delve into the world of crop spraying with unmanned systems.
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In 2016, DJI introduced the Agras MG-1, a large octocopter with a 2.6ga chemical tank. The MG-1 has a hovering time of 10 – 24 minutes depending on payload. 
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