The Great Big GADC 6th Birthday and Treasure Hunt Challenge!

@group-challenges

Please read the rules (below) carefully. Even if you think you remember them from previous challenges. They have changed. Entries that do not conform to the rules may lose points or even be disqualified.

Please be aware that this is a competition run by drone pilots in a UK wide drone fliers forum. Unless stipulated otherwise you are required to use a drone to create your image and that image should obviously be from a drone that is in flight at the time

The Challenge

  • You have a list of 25 objectives that form the Treasure Hunt.
  • You gain a point for posting a photograph or video that matches the requirements of each objective.
  • Each objective has one or more bulleted bonus items underneath. A clear picture of the subject and any bonus items earns points. We accept still and video images from drone cameras, single frames from video and screenshots of phone apps all with or without OSD overlay.
  • There is no need to achieve all the objectives or to gain maximum points for each, or indeed do them in a specific order.
  • The object is to “collect” items to amass points. There is no requirement, other than your own pride in your artistry, for aesthetic appeal, this is NOT a photographic competition. A picture that clearly shows the subject and bonus items is far more appreciated than an arty picture with the bonus items being so far away that they become a couple of disputed or unrecognisable pixels.
  • At the end of the Challenge the person who has accrued the highest number of points as determined by the judges will be declared the winner.

Rewards

  • The first-placed contestant will win the top ÂŁ200 cash prize. They will also win the unique 1st Place Gold Trophy Badge for the 2023 Birthday Challenge that can be displayed on every post that you make in the forum.
  • The person who achieves the second-highest number of points will be awarded ÂŁ100 cash and the 2023 Birthday Challenge 2nd Place Silver Trophy Badge.
  • The contestant who has accumulated the third-highest number of collected items will be awarded the 2023 Birthday Challenge 3rd Place Bronze Trophy Badge and a cash prize of ÂŁ50.
  • In the case of a tie for first, second or third place(s) the relevant prize(s) will be apportioned equally between the tying contestants.

How to submit an entry

Example entry:

Item 33. Monument

  • With a statue
  • Fountain(s) adjacent
  • Listed building

I claim 3 bonus points for:

Nelson’s Column
Nelson’s Column - Wikipedia

Trafalgar Square, Central London. 30/08/2023 DJI Matrice 600, Zenmuse z30

I claim 4 points total, please

The Rules

1. To enter an item for the Challenge you need to make a post in this thread containing the following

  • Your photo or video - entries should consist of single still images unless otherwise specified.
  • Subject and bonus items being claimed must be clearly visible.
  • The number and name of the objective it relates to.
  • Which, if any, bonus points relating to that objective you are claiming.
  • The location from where the picture was taken and the aircraft used.
  • Any other information that has been requested or a link to it.

Failure to include the required information may result in your image being rejected.

2. Entries

  • You may only post a maximum of TWO entries per day during the Challenge which will run from 00:01 Monday the 24th of July until 23:00 on Saturday, September 9th…
  • All entries must be taken within this time frame, any photos or videos taken outside of this time will not be accepted.
  • Once your entry has been confirmed as eligible and/or added to the Leaderboard it may not be replaced or substituted by another entry at a later date.
  • Entries must have been obviously taken from a drone in flight (unless stated otherwise) and within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland except for our overseas members, all media must have been captured exclusively in their home country.
  • In the case of any dispute or query, the committee may request the original, unedited and uncropped image that has formed part of a submission. This may be sent to them by means of a message to @Challenges_Committee.

3. Format

  • The objective illustrated must be framed as the dominant subject of your image; the judges may disqualify images they consider do not match this requirement.
  • Only one image is allowed per post unless stated otherwise, the image may only illustrate one objective. Two or more images captured from the same location will be disallowed.
  • Unless otherwise specified the image must be a still image as it came from the camera, a single frame from a video or a screenshot from a phone/tablet/controller screen.
  • The image may show OSD information. Cropping is allowable but no colour manipulation, copy/pasting of other images or erasing of any objects in the original images is not permissible.
  • Our Leaderboard will have regular updates and these will be tagged @group-challenges so if you join the group @group-challenges you will receive notifications for the Leaderboard updates and any other important updates.

4. Help

  • If you are unsure about the definition or specific requirements of any item in the treasure hunt list or require clarification of a rule please ask first, before going to the effort of capturing your intended subject.
  • If you are uncomfortable asking in public, private message @Challenges_Committee for clarity and confirmation. Any non-members are unable to initiate PM so, in this case just post a message in the Birthday Challenge thread, tagging @Challenges_Committee , stating you have a question and we will initiate contact via PM for you to ask your question. Please be patient in waiting for a response, it might take a little while as the ChallCom members are all volunteers with normal lives to lead.

5. The stern stuff

  • It will save a lot of energy, time, irritation and possible unpleasantness if competitors expend their creativity searching for images to comply with the instructions rather than attempting to find loopholes to exploit.
  • Please note that the use of models or scale representations of real-life objects is NOT permitted unless the instructions specifically allow it… (This year they don’t!)
  • If, when definitions or links to definitions are given which are international in scope, only those parts pertaining to the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, the Isle of Man and the Channel Islands will be applicable
  • The Challenge Committee reserve the right to modify the rules at any time, including retrospectively to existing entries, should the committee decide there was an unforeseen loophole that has been exploited.
  • Any concerns or issues regarding other competitors entries should be expressed in a private message to @Challenges_Committee for investigation. Again, non-members are unable to initiate PM so, in this case just post a message in the Birthday Challenge thread, tagging @Challenges_Committee , stating you have a question and we will initiate contact via PM for you to ask your question. Attacks on fellow contestants in the challenge thread, whether justified or not, will not be tolerated and may lead to the loss of points or disqualification for the complainant.

The Challenge Committee’s decisions are final

Please remember

All flights are the sole responsibility of the individual conducting them. Each competitor must abide by the drone code and adhere to the limitations and restrictions imposed upon them by aviation law, the aircraft being used and the qualifications they hold. Landowners wishes and permissions must be respected and adhered to. Flying in restricted zones is allowed only after permission has been obtained from the relevant authority

If you have read all the way to here then well done, good luck and, above all, HAVE FUN!

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The Subjects

These are the subjects we would like you to find. Each has a number of bonus items that will increase your points tally if they are clearly present in the photo or video you submit. The person or persons with the greatest number of points wins. There are no prizes for finding all the subjects in the quickest time.

Unless requested all images are to be still pictures. Videos, when required should be hosted on YouTube or Vimeo and the link posted on its own line in your submission. 360-degree panoramas should be similarly hosted on Kuula.

Some bonuses depend on an object being a specific colour. We have provided some not very cryptic clues to the specific requirements just for our own amusement. To keep the tension going we will not add the cryptic colour bonus points to the scoreboard until the end of the contest!

1. An Illuminated Building (Must be illuminated from an external source)

  • Bonus point if the building is illuminated all around (360 degrees) and not just at the front.
  • Bonus point if the illumination colour matches a capital-increasing inquisitor, once a trans-Atlantic ferry pilot.

2. Vehicle light trails (Still Image)

  • Bonus point if light trails are on a roundabout.
  • Bonus point if there are light trails on each of the roads serving the roundabout - minimum 4 roads.
  • Bonus point for Timelapse or Hyperlapse (seperate from main subject and other bonus points)
    Speeded up video is acceptable with a compression of atleast 5-1

3. A Steam Locomotive - x-6-x configuration ( six driving wheels). The track on which it runs must be at least 7 1/4 inch gauge

  • Bonus point for having a separate tender.
  • Bonus point for visible steam/smoke from the steam engine.
  • Bonus point for both steam and diesel engines in the same shot.

4. A Graveyard

  • Bonus point if there is a mausoleum.
  • Bonus point if there is someone famous (which most people would have heard of, not just a local celebrity) buried in the graveyard (wikilink or photo of the gravestone or similar for proof).

5. Public Art - be it a large sculpture, or street painting, it must be a work of art that can be seen by the casual passerby i.e. not in a gallery. Witty or Banksy-style graffiti is acceptable, plain old tags are not

  • Bonus point for a Wikipedia link.
  • Bonus point if six or more people are looking at it (not just passing).

6. A Drone in Flight

  • Bonus point if has six or more motors.
  • Bonus point if it’s not DJI.
  • Bonus if its colour matches King Charles’ mistress’s wares.

7. A Telehandler - Video only

  • Bonus point if it’s neither red nor yellow.
  • Bonus point if it is in the process of lifting or lowering a load (provide a 10-second minimum video).

8. A Service Station - must have a café/coffee shop attached (with seats) as well as fuel

  • Bonus point for the cafĂ©/coffee shop not being Costa or Starbucks (and not self serve). Photo required for proof (any means)
  • Bonus point if there is another attraction attached such as a farm shop or garden centre (a photo or web link is required for proof).

9. A DHL delivery vehicle

  • Bonus point for the driver carrying the delivery toward the customer’s premises.
  • Bonus point if a Royal Mail or Parcel Force van is recognisable in the same shot.

10. Construction plant - (dozer, excavator or dump truck)

11. An Island - in a Lake/Loch/Lough

  • Bonus point if there is a building on the island.
  • Bonus point if it’s a house.
  • Bonus point if the house is inhabited.

12. This may be your Mission Impossible - a railway track passing under a road bridge

  • 3 bonus points if a train is passing underneath the road bridge (not approaching or leaving) and there is a full-size articulated lorry (tractor unit and 40-foot or longer trailer) completely on the bridge. - i.e.within the confines of the bridge walls.
  • Bonus point if the truck cab colour matches Christie’s ornamentation of the aged Quercus.

13. A Vessel on water with two or more masts

  • Bonus point for raised sails.
  • Bonus point for towing a dinghy.

14. A Tower Crane - still or video

  • Bonus point for slewing (spinning round) - video only.
  • Bonus point if it has a suspended load completely clear of the ground - video or still.

15. A Castle

  • Bonus point if it was built pre-1350.
  • Bonus point for flying a flag.
  • Bonus point for having an entry in Wikipedia.

16. A Hillfort - as shown on the definitive Oxford University Hillforts Map

  • Bonus point for Pre 800 BC.
  • Bonus point for Wikipedia entry.

17. A Listed Building - within an FRZ and photographed from within that FRZ - permission must be obtained prior to flight and proof of permission posted along with your image.
A successful submission will be awarded 3 points.

  • Bonus point for Wikipedia entry.
  • Bonus point for 360x180 (spherical) panorama (host on Kuula).

18. An Agricultural Tractor - in a field. Still or video

  • Bonus point if two or more tractors are working in the same field.
  • Bonus point for 10-second hyperlapse.
  • 2 bonus points if one tractor’s colour mirrors a daring firefighter’s hue and another reflects the Cheeky Chappie’s audience’s book colour choice

19. A Car or Van - with a canoe/kayak on the roof

  • Bonus point for red car or van.
  • Bonus point for more than one canoe/kayak.
  • Bonus point for at least one yellow canoe/kayak.

20. A single occupancy dwelling (house) with roof-mounted solar panels

  • Bonus point 6 or more separate panels visible on the roof.
  • Bonus point 3 adjacent homes each with 6 or more visible separate solar panels.
  • Bonus point 3 adjacent homes each with solar panels, one home with a red car in the driveway or on the road immediately adjacent to the property.

21. Intermodal Containers - six or more (shipping containers)

  • Bonus point for more than 15.
  • Bonus point for all one colour and logo.
  • Bonus point for all being 40-foot dry freight (general purpose) ISO containers.

22. Park Life - a photo or video of activities in a town or city park (not a national park like the lake district)

  • Bonus point if there is a Bandstand.
  • Bonus point if the bandstand is being used as intended.
  • Bonus point for a timelapse or hyperlapse of 10 seconds or longer.

23. A Flight - more than 120m above ground level - permissions must be obtained and shown in your posting - 3 points

24. A Car or a Truck - towing a boat on a trailer

  • Bonus point if the trailer is backed into the water to launch.
  • Bonus point if the boat is a RIB or an inflatable.
  • Bonus point if a person is standing in the boat.
  • Bonus point if the car or truck matches William Brown’s female nemesis or, alternatively, The Duke’s mood in 1930.

25. A Telephone Box

  • Bonus point if it’s the old-style red box (K2 or K6).
  • Bonus point if it has been repurposed. Supporting evidence can be from any camera.

26. Birthday celebrations - host a party with at least five guests (and yourself). At least one guest must be a fellow GADC member - 2 points - You can advertise the meet with a post in here

  • Bonus point for a single photograph showing all the attendees holding a homemade GADC 6th Birthday Card (Drone Picture)
  • Bonus point for a GADC 6th Birthday Cake with six candles (Any Camera)
  • Bonus point for blowing out all six candles with the drone in one pass (Video from any source)
  • Bonus point for all participants lying on the ground forming a giant 6 (Drone Picture)
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@group-challenges

This is the final LEADERBOARD showing the results of the 6th Birthday Challenge and Treasure Hunt with points for both subjects and bonuses added to the points for solving the cryptic colour clues

Towards the end @john768 stayed in front with the second and third places hotly contested. In the end one point separated second-place @DroneGeek from newcomer @Stomper. Those three led the field by a comfortable margin - full results below

LEADERBOARD

Dateline: Saturday, 09 September 2023

@John768 94 1
@DroneGeek 90 2
@Stomper 89 3
@GMP 81 4
@BadManners 79 5
@AdrianR 77 6
@Acedrone 67 7
@paulg0 52 8
@MartG1960 48 9
@JockyB 45 10
@Drumsagard 44 11
@ANDMUL 37 12
@hharron 29 13
@Kirky 27 14
@TallTakes 22 15
@MA2Flyer 16 16
@Coastie 15 17
@JoeC 9 18
@bmsleight 6 19
@Jon0774 3 20
@Philipy 1 21

E & OE Any queries to @Challenges_Committee, please.

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There are some great subjects again this year! :clap: :clap: :clap:

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Great list guys :+1:t4::ok_hand:t4:

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Sorry to ask, never done one of these before, looks very challenging for sure, do I / we have to do it in the order set out 1 - 25, sorry if it’s up there & I’ve missed reading it, thanks

Edit just re read, sorry it’s at the top

Doesn’t have to be in specific order, sorry

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No problem Richard @Kirky we know youre new to the Birthday Challenge so we will let you off this time :smile:

We suggest having a thorough read through when you have a little spare time, and good luck in your quest

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Thankyou :smiley:

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Well, pwb luc one and all.

I haven’t been getting out myself but will see what can be achieved… and if nothing else use it as an excuse to get my lardy arse out the door.

All the best to everyone who decides to take part.

94 points according to my infant school maths… (so maybe a 6 pointer to come?)

47 days, 13 hours & 19 minutes to go…

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On paper looks the toughest one yet, good luck to those going for the full house this time round, you’re going to need it.

For the 1st timers, take your time, take advantage of rubbish weather days like today, have patience, and PLAN!

I’ll see what I can bag while I’m out and about at various places, we’re also getting ready to move house next month, so there should be a great opportunity for someone else to finish 4th this year! :joy:

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Your next entry will be your 50th in all the Birthday comps.

Good luck with the move. Shame removal lorries are not on the list :grinning:

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… going to need it for this challenge :joy: :joy:

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Brilliant, looking forward to this.

some of you have got way too much time :rofl: :rofl:

" * Bonus point if the cab colour matches Christie’s ornamentation of the aged Quercus."

Thanks to the committee for the hardwork this must have taken.

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Not just alot of time but alot of alcohol and bickering was neened to extract agreement from all members of the committee. In some cases bribes of days off were offered.

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Equal 4th Ade …:thinking: :rofl::rofl:. Its not for the faint hearted that’s for sure and cost me a fortune in gas to get those that were based on water sports.

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We hope that this challenge is just that - challenging There are, we think, some easy subjects, some reasonably difficult and a couple of absolute stinkers to ensure that nobody gets maximum points. Maybe someone will prove us wrong!

The challenge is also set up in the hope that you will have fun attempting to find the subjects; to that end a few days with Messrs. Google, Wikipedia, Google Earth and, of course our own highly valuable Dronescene should make planning your journeys more economical and less time consuming.You might even consider disguising your actions as a family summer day out!

Good luck to you all!

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