Best method to hand catch solo

Always hand catching. Right rear leg, thumb close to the battery button just in case. Neck strap and left control down.
Using my case as a starting platform so never problems with dust and sand.
 
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I hand catch as well - but always with safety glasses. I use yellow or orange polycarbonate hunting glasses to improve the contrast.


Sent from my iPad using PhantomPilots mobile app
 
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Not everyone. After all, this discussion has only 3 pages.

I usually care about electronics way too much, but landing a Phantom is a different story.
I like having fingers much more than having non-scratched propellers.
 
I seldom hand catch, but when I do, it is because I'm flying over rough ground like a boulder field, and though I may find a flat rock or space to take off from, I am not always sure I can land there without crashing instead on the side of a boulder or into a pile of dusty sand.
I do like most of the rest of you do: My controller hangs from a lanyard around my neck, I bring the Phantom backwards toward me, stop it about 10' above ground and in front of me, then I walk toward it and slowly bring it down, grab one back leg in my right hand and shut down the motors with my left hand by pulling straight down on the left stick. It gets a little dicey when I have to watch my footing among the boulders.
 
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This subject gets bandied about so often ... it always surprises me the number of people who consider Hand Catch as THE way to finish a flight.

Like a couple of others who post here : I only Hand Catch when absolutely necessary ... with an occasional practice just to keep my 'hand in' ...

One item that I really like and feel lost without : Neckstrap. With it - I can control by left hand with weight of controller supported ...

I have 3 items I regard as basic for landing :

1. Get to know RTH / Landing / Take-off controls via APP and Controller ... it is not unusual to lose your display APP ...
2. Learn to manually land on a small square of carpet or other you have to be able to land proper;y and safely.
3. Practice Hand Catch for those times that it is really needed..... such as on boat or bad ground ...

Nigel
 
Can someone please explain why someone would hand catch everytime ? I understand if flying in bad landing area / on a boat etc. - but if ground is reasonable .. why not land out properly ?

Nigel
 
I understand if flying in bad landing area / on a boat etc. - but if ground is reasonable .. why not land out properly ?

My thoughts exactly.

I love to smooth it in and put 'er down nice and easy when not windy, or prove to myself that I can put it down right side up even when gusty... i also keep VPS turned off so it doesn't interfere.
 
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Not tried hand catch yet as I need to hone my landing skills. My P3 is actually my son's and comes in a Peli carrying case because he frequently flew with it out to Indonesia where he was a jungle pilot. He used the P3 to suss out newly created strips in the jungle before flying his P6 Porter into them. This very tough case makes an excellent take-off/landing strip!
IMG_5089.jpg
 
Can someone please explain why someone would hand catch everytime ? I understand if flying in bad landing area / on a boat etc. - but if ground is reasonable .. why not land out properly ?

Nigel
Dusty desert floor does not make for good landings. Quick take-offs I can handle. Hovering over flying dust for more than a couple of seconds scares the crap out of me, don't want the fine grit in my gimbal.

I do practice landing on smooth, solid rock every once in a while, however.
 
Dusty desert floor does not make for good landings. Quick take-offs I can handle. Hovering over flying dust for more than a couple of seconds scares the crap out of me, don't want the fine grit in my gimbal.

I do practice landing on smooth, solid rock every once in a while, however.


That is what I call unsuitable ground ...

Nigel
 
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I so agree with everyone having their opinions on this... When I am not working, I almost always hand catch.. I live on the beach, so I definitely do NOT want beach sand in the motors/camera/vents... Sure, there is a parking lot, but don't want to have to wait til its not active just to land (vehicles/cars/kids). The rest of the time, I am flying in wooded areas (hunting camp) where the ground has a lot of dirt and uneven terrain. At work, I almost ALWAYS land the UAS in a predetermined marked landing zone for safety reasons/media. So, I can see everyone's views on this..
 
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I always land... Usually on my hard carry case. Only time I will consider catching is if I have to get down in a hurry (starting to rain etc.) or if its really windy and can't reliably land on my case and the ground is loose dirt or otherwise unsuitable for landing on.

I, too, don't understand why people insist on catching the thing. If you don't land it, you likely won't learn how to do it properly and safely. We should rename the "Landing" gear as "Hand hold" gear. lol
 
I only hand caught once and that was while working on an abused P2 that decided to take off completely on its own from my kitchen table and I snatched it out of the air before it hit the ceiling lol!!! My P3 has always been landed and never hand caught.
 
Thats funny right there... I guess I hand caught mine too... It was on my hard case, I spun it up, and it was windy enough that it started to half take off on its own, just enough to tip off the side of the case, and I grabbed it before it hit the mud... Made a nice job of my fingers LOL
 
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Thats funny right there... I guess I hand caught mine too... It was on my hard case, I spun it up, and it was windy enough that it started to half take off on its own, just enough to tip off the side of the case, and I grabbed it before it hit the mud... Made a nice job of my fingers LOL
Ouch sorry to hear that! I was quite thankful I had already read this thread so i knew exactly where and how to grab the AC. Despite the fact it was trying to get away from me I safely held it and shut off the battery without injury. It definitely can be done safely but I avoid it.
 
Yeah, I learned too... When I am taking off in windy conditions, I activate the sticks, then immediately put a finger dead center of the drone to hold it down while it does its spin up tests... That stops it from semi taking off in the wind.
 

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