On a steep hillside in Daly City (near San Francisco), California, USA, I got overconfident on a very windy day, let my Phantom 2 Vision+ get too far away, and it lost contact. It dutifully executed its "return to home" procedure, but there was a hilltop in the way that rose more than 60 feet above the home point.
The outcome could have been (and probably should have been) disastrous, but I was very, very lucky. Not only was I able to find my Phantom, but it crashed with just a glancing blow off 'ice plant', which softened the impact. Remarkably, my Phantom (including gimbal and camera) suffered no damage at all!
Enjoy!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zMk4oDjxmYw
Morals of the story:
1/ If you're uncertain about the Phantom's orientation (yes, sometimes the "DJI VISION" app's 'radar' display can be slow to update), then don't wait for it to possibly get too far away. Instead, switch to "Home Lock" ASAP, and pull down on the right stick to be sure of bringing it back closer to home.
2/ When launching, look out for nearby hills that may rise more than 60 feet from your home point. If they exist, re-set the home point after gaining altitude.
3/ Overconfidence can be your enemy!
The outcome could have been (and probably should have been) disastrous, but I was very, very lucky. Not only was I able to find my Phantom, but it crashed with just a glancing blow off 'ice plant', which softened the impact. Remarkably, my Phantom (including gimbal and camera) suffered no damage at all!
Enjoy!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zMk4oDjxmYw
Morals of the story:
1/ If you're uncertain about the Phantom's orientation (yes, sometimes the "DJI VISION" app's 'radar' display can be slow to update), then don't wait for it to possibly get too far away. Instead, switch to "Home Lock" ASAP, and pull down on the right stick to be sure of bringing it back closer to home.
2/ When launching, look out for nearby hills that may rise more than 60 feet from your home point. If they exist, re-set the home point after gaining altitude.
3/ Overconfidence can be your enemy!