This was the annual Hoka One One Bandera 100k event sponsored by https://www.TejasTrails.com out in the Hill Country State Natural Area. HCSNA is a Texas State Park and requires written permission in advance from the Park Ranger before flying any drones from inside the park. Permission was obtained, thanks to the help of the event sponsor, and this video resulted from only about an hour’s worth of flying.
Our primary purpose, during the Bandera 100k event out at Hill Country State Natural Area, was to help with the communications between the YaYa Aid Station and Net Control at the Finish Line, not to fly drones. Flying drones was an optional task. We took advantage of a brief free time (less urgent) to fly around the YaYa and Equestrian Aid Stations, plus the “Lodge” at the Start / Finish area.
We were somewhat restricted in how much driving around we could accomplish, due to the runners out on the course, plus a couple of no-show Ham Radio volunteers whose presence we had counted upon to help free up my schedule on Saturday. Something about being exposed to Covid-19 the week before and not wanting to share it with the rest of us over the weekend. So therefore, our flying time was more limited than originally planned.
On Sunday morning, a storm front moved thru the area around 4:30am and kept raining for the next 12 hours, so I did not stick around to fly again on Sunday morning. Rain and drones don’t mix well. Something about electronics and water.
There were 3 other Aid Stations, Chapas, Nachos and Boyles, where we had other Ham Radio crews monitoring the runners and relaying the runner bib numbers over the Ham radio using a computer program called WinLink. We didn’t have any Hams at the Aid Station called “Last Chance” and we’re not sure if they even used that location this year.