Broken hearted today...

What do you guys think are the chances that the Phantom washes up on shore? Given it dropped at about 150-200 yards out into pretty deep water?

The tide is rough right now, and may have strong currents.

Call a few diving shops in your vicinity, where they refill scuba tanks, and inquire about any local divers that would like to earn a few bucks extra, for his tank refill and trouble of travel & time....

RedHotPoker
 
Much agreed, but the blood was too red for insect blood (unless it was some very big mosquitoes). You did remind me though to break out the canned air and give it a good once over.

Oooo, canned air, to blow out what?
One thing missing from our summer this year, very little rain, equals hardly any Mosquitoes around. It's been too dry, except for a few days this week. And a few others, but very dry this year. Yes, those would have been, very large blood suckers indeed. ;-)
Must have gone after me, and found trouble instead.

RedHotPoker
 
There's a Facebook page for those grieving the loss of their Phantoms. I think it's for real. See here:
https://www.facebook.com/djiflyaway?ref=ts&fref=ts

Good grief. No pun intended...
There's an Inspire 1 being rescued at sea...

image.jpg


There are actual RC submarines now, a friend bought one to search for hot fishing spots at the lake. ;-)

RedHotPoker
 
It's funny you mentioned your search areas. I'm in Seagrove on 30a as we speak, and that's where my incident occurred. I was in PC the week before, but wouldn't dare fly there....way too crowded.

Do you also live in this area?

I regularly drive out onto Grayton Beach. I've done a lot of metal detecting from Inlet Beach to Blue Mountain. I live within 7 minutes of Seaside and ten minutes of Grayton. Once the summertime tourists thin out a little, I plan on doing some flights from Grayton Beach. As you mentioned, I would never fly in PCB due to how crowded the beaches are but also, due to how many drunk people are on those beaches. I hate flying or metal detecting around drunk people. They're SO unpredictable.

This Sunday I'm going to do an overfly of a lot my brother in law bought right next to the Red Bar and another one on the North side of 30A in Seaside. Both lots are heavily overgrown. The one on 30A will be tricky since there are power lines on two sides of the property as well as tall plant growth. Will likely take off from the neighbors driveway and do the recon from there. Will be hand launching and recovering on both sites.

If you live nearby, we should meet up. I don't know any other hobbyists in this area. Today I'm busy with a few family members in town through tomorrow. Since I'm retired, I'm free at all times during the week and will be free of family obligations after about 2pm Sunday.
 
Rob, I hope you do continue on, and replace the lost bird.
It's a large investment but well worth it.

hychewright,
I always thought bugs had green blood?
What ever it was, must have been flying very high up...
Although I suppose it could have been struck, at any elevation we had traveled.
Perhaps we need abrasion shields along the leading edge? ;-)

I have yet to fly over any bodies of water. It unnerves me, plus I don't want to ruin a great thing. Although our N. Saskatchewan River valley is quite awesome this time of year. I also have a large park, I like to visit, fairly near by, that has a reservoir lake/pond on it. There are geese and other birds that nest and hang around there, I think if would also make a cool looking video. If I can record, while high enough up, not to disturb anything...

RedHotPoker

Flying in Blackhawks for so many years, I can tell you this. We had flights where we were always above 4500' and below 6,000' while doing aerial refueling. Except for taking off and landing of course. Especially during the summer, we would land at the end of the two hour mission and the windscreens would be dotted with hundreds of smaller insect remains and we would have big splotches from larger insects. It was even worse after a night time flight. I was so surprised the first couple of times because I didn't realize bugs flew around that high.
 
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Blackhawk, I visit Seagrove once a year every year...today's my last day in the area. Heading back to my home in Atlanta, GA tomorrow. Visited Red Bar two years ago, and Pandoras this year. Good stuff.
 
These bugs must be flying so high, to stay above the hungry bats. ;-)

RedHotPoker
 
Ya know robfern, sometimes when I read a story about a bird hitting the water and vanishing, I feel a bit of relief knowing that one isn't going to smack someone in the head and make the news. In your case I am saddened by your loss. I hope you jump right back on the horse and ride even farther with your new bird. :D

Go man go.
Can you picture yourself without a Phantom? :( That would just suck. :(
I honestly can't see myself without one, left a big hole for sure!

Thanks for the encouragement
 
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If you buy another one. B and H sells a SquareTrade policy for 137.00, that would have bought you a new bird. Two years of coverage, I read it over, and bought through B and H. It really does cover everything.
 
Oooo, canned air, to blow out what?
One thing missing from our summer this year, very little rain, equals hardly any Mosquitoes around. It's been too dry, except for a few days this week. And a few others, but very dry this year. Yes, those would have been, very large blood suckers indeed. ;-)
Must have gone after me, and found trouble instead.

RedHotPoker
Tiny particulates and debris. Having worked on servers, workstations and what have you I am a deep believer in a good shot of canned air for the soul (in the machine).
 
If you buy another one. B and H sells a SquareTrade policy for 137.00, that would have bought you a new bird. Two years of coverage, I read it over, and bought through B and H. It really does cover everything.

Before you buy ANY Square Trade policy, I would suggest your CAREFULLY read all the terms, exclusions and especially DEDUCTIBLES.

I bought a policy on a phone and by the time I was done with cost of the policy plus deductibles...it wasn't worth it imo. But....YMMV. Just read all the fine print is all I'm saying.
 
Hey Robfern,
Is it at all possible that someone took a shot at your drone?
I doubt it....but it crossed my mind when I read your OP.

Do you know about these?
http://www.savemyphantom.com/getterback/


No chance at all in that area. He was 100+ meters off the beach and those beaches are highly regulated, protected, visited and patrolled. However, this area is extremely well known for nesting birds. From something as small as Sparrows to Falcons, Hawks, Bald Eagles, Brown Pelicans (the prior three being too big at this time though) and on to Seagulls. Most likely a small Seagull.

Hell, there are even dragon flies and Junebugs so big I had one crack a prop literally ten feet in front of me in a hover this morning. The Quad sounded like a fast farting Honda until I got it on the ground and the motors off. Had to spend 20 minutes cleaning the camera up so I could then go out and fly some recon for my brother in law who is about to build a couple of multi-million dollar homes for people. My skids currently look like a blender crapped out bug guts on them. Cannot recall if I was recording at that time or not. I just landed and shut everything down, but got some nice footage of the area I live in.

Flying near the beach here requires a set of balls as big as a bowling ball. Lots of natures creatures in the air all the time, 24 hours a day. And if he was out 200yds, that's 45'+ deep water. If he had a water proof enclosure on the GoPro, it might still be worth recovering. But the Quad itself will be hammered by now. With some of the wave action we've had the last week, even in 50' of water, it may have been covered within a day or so. The currents here in the Gulf are pretty stiff. The sudden drop off in depth makes for some very active sand bars. Along one stretch of beach in Grayton, 300m long, people are allowed to drive on the beach with a county issued permit. Also, there are about 14 boats that run fishing charters out of there. They are authorized to place orange launch and recovery cones on a 25m wide stretch of beach and no one can interfere with them. Those cones literally change every day depending on the currents and movement of the sandbars.
 
Ok. BH. Is it unusual for a prop to let go without hitting anything? If so, this was something more like a bird strike or something?
 
You know, Robfern and I are on opposite ends of the same spectrum.

Today was my very first flight with my new 1.1.1
It's a really good flying machine. I hope I have AT LEAST as long a run with mine as Robfern had.
 
Ok. BH. Is it unusual for a prop to let go without hitting anything? If so, this was something more like a bird strike or something?

I can only assume. I don't personally know the condition of his props at the time he lifted off.

At the distance he was from shore, his Quad could very well have ingested a small bird which caused the resulting crash. It would be extremely hard to see from that distance, especially with the sun glare that's present from the very white sands in this area. From morning until about an hour before sunset, these sands can cause sun blindness. Also, the water itself can reflect the sun badly. I wear prescription polarized sunglasses and still get washed out images from time to time at just 50m. Using a large screen device is a practice in deftly considered sun orientation just for FPV flight. Naked eye flight at that distance is difficult. Ask any snow-loving Quad flyers about that! lol

Without recovering the Quad and the GoPro, we will likely never know what happened. One thing I can assure you of. Any gun shots in this area of the beach would be extremely unlikely. The ocean front homes are set on lots that are priced around the $2-5 Million mark. The homes themselves are then another $3 M to as much as $40 Million to build. Those people aren't the type to shoot at drones 150-200M off shore. Even if they COULD see them, which I highly doubt. ;)
 
lol
funny you say that. I was recently at a semi celebrities home in an affluent area on the intracoastal.
multi million dollar homes as far as you could see.

When I told him about my drones his first (and serious) reply was "don't fly it over my home unless you want it shot down". I looked at him with a smile and said " yeah, sure"...he just looked at me....
 
lol
funny you say that. I was recently at a semi celebrities home in an affluent area on the intracoastal.
multi million dollar homes as far as you could see.

When I told him about my drones his first (and serious) reply was "don't fly it over my home unless you want it shot down". I looked at him a smile and said " yeah, sure"...he just looked at me....

Flying over a home here may get one shot down. However, 150-200m offshore, not so much.
 

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