Our most recent TATTS event showcased 'Paratrooper Mario'. Given that TATTS team members are so crazy about all things Mario, we thought it'd be cool to have him parachute from the F550 hexarotor. We built a harness and goggles from Duct Tape (after all, you can't parachute without goggles) and a parachute from a good sized piece of plastic.
Mario with his goggles, harness and chute
Mario ready to launch. White sheet is target to hit when landing
The goal was for the kids to fly the drone, estimate wind direction to determine a good spot to release Mario and then to release him and see if he hits the target (the white sheet). We offered a $5 cash prize to anyone who could pull it off. We came close a few times but no cash winners.
Paratrooper Mario making his descent
The kids enjoyed watching the action at the base station which was fed by the real-time video download from one of our other drones - a Phantom 2.
Kids enjoying the base station views of Paratrooper Mario
Drones in the air
We were also fortunate to have a beautiful fall day to fly. Fall color was peaking which is evident in the aerial shots we took.
Take a look at a quick clip of one of Mario's flights.
