The Port Fairy man thinks it gives the remotely controlled airborne video cameras he flies as a hobby negative connations, such as spying and military uses.

Mr Viayaboon prefers to use the name quad-copter and has had a lot of fun taking stunning landscape footage since taking control of his first one about a year ago.

He said people shouldn’t worried that the quad-copters would be used for spying  — their loud noise and the need to get up close to get reasonable quality images meant people were aware of their presence.

Mr Viayaboon was a keen still image photographer, but said aerial videos had become his passion because the quad-copter had given him what photographers strive for — a new perspective.

He has filmed numerous vision over picturesque south-west locations such as The Twelve Apostles and Tower Hill, as well as in Melbourne and Sydney, and posted it online at his facebook.com/hangingpixels page.

He said good stability control technology on the quad-copter’s camera allowed it to provide high-quality vision. Video taken by the camera on the quad-copter is transmitted to a monitor above the controls held by Mr Viayaboon. 

He said getting the quad-copter to fly did not require much skill “but it takes a lot more not to crash into things”.

It took about six months, and a number of repairs, before he developed a high level of competency on the joysticks that direct the quad-copter’s flight. But, he said, “Gravity still sucks.”

One crash left the aircraft stuck about 20 metres up a tree, forcing him to construct a big pole to knock it down.

He has flown the quad-copter up to 2½ kilometres out to sea but usually likes to keep it within his field of vision so he can target areas he wants to film.

Mr Viayaboon usually flies it at a height of about 120 metres. 

The quad-copter’s batteries give it a flight time of about 10 minutes.

If it loses the signal from the remote controls, it returns to whatever point was locked in before take-off.

Mr Viayaboon said regulations governing use of the new technology were still being developed. Presently they cannot be flown within 30 metres of people, cars and buildings.