Crashed P3A into wall today.

[lenmcgilvary]

Epic! Have seen the video of the person using follow me and the truck he was following went up hill and the P3 crashed into the side of the hill into the rocks?

That's a video from autopilot



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[AlexSP]

LOL yeah the video IS funny, the P3 just going head straight into the wall at full speed. Indeed it´s a mix of agony by the crash and the funny way it took place

Try and move your motors and gimbal with your hands to feel if there´s any sand in there. Just move it around for a while, if hear of feel nothing intefering with the parts, then it should be OK.

 

[San Diego Jimmer]

Thanks Alex!! I flew it yesterday after cleaning sand out of gimble etc etc and it was working perfectly. Appreciate the advice. I'm amazed at how incredible these things are. Head first into a wall and flying the next day.... Remarkable technology.


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[San Diego Jimmer]

Another fine example of why the FAA, CAA, CASA, city/county/state governments, etc. are hopping onto the "ban or control drone flying everywhere" pulpit and establishing rules, regulations, laws all over to limit the use...

The reaction you're getting is actually quite mild.... and this from a group of users familiar with the craft and hobby and issues... consider how it would look from John Q. Public eyes (maybe someody living in that building you rammed)... or John Q. Officer-Of-The-Law...

BRO. I crashed. Please chillllllllllllllllllllllllllll. It was a mistake. I realize now that the goal is not to crash. Thank you for this invaluable insight. Surely "John Q Whoever" won't be so sanctimonious. I say GOOD DAY.


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[AlexSP]

Yeah sure is, certainly not as fragile as it seems. But you were lucky, it was flying fast and dropped quite a bit too. It could have been worse, sometimes it is. Happy flyin´ anyway ;-)

Re.: sand - I´m only concerned when it comes to the motors, they spin a lot and any dirt inside can accelerate wear. But if it´s clean then it´s OK. The gimbals not so much, of course it also hate dirt but they basicaly pivot so spin a lot less, wear is less of a problem. If not obstructed somehow, it´s fine.

 

[San Diego Jimmer]

Thanks Alex! Any idea if there's a way to give the motors etc a good, thorough clean out? Do drone/hobby shops do stuff like that?


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[yawnalot29]

Yeah, you are always going to get sanctimonious pricks that has the holier than thou altitude lecturing on what people should do or not do. Pretty much all the John Q Public I have encountered aren't as skiddish as half of the members on this forum. And that included the guy that let me on to his property, climb his fence, lend me his equipment so i can retrieve my drone from his roof.

These things just aren't as fool proof as people like them to be. They don't behave the way they should. Given that, if it comes right down to it, with concerns for safety and all, no one should be flying anywhere near people nor private properties.

And anyone that says otherwise should explained why P2 loses altitude bin ATTI mode when the manual says otherwise or why some P3 just drop out of sky all of a sudden.

So if we are being honest, no one should be flying anywhere near people or private properties until the drone is bug free.

 

[yawnalot29]

I think you are fooling yourself into thinking that as long as you follow FAA guideline then no more additional control measure will be introduced.

Each time something happens that catches FAA or public attention, it will result in postmortem analysis and more measures introduce to "short up" the gap.

So perhaps we shouldn't be flying these birds unless we are flying away from people and private/ public properties since they can be unreliable at times.

 

[Reed L]

Tell us more, type up the story, like ... The wall wasn't there when I started, it just came up out of the ground and attacked me Were you trying to hit your friend? I mean we had shotgun wars when we were kids and personally, drone wars will be a blast - the first one to drop there controller and run while being attacked with a drone loses... lol. I've watched it a few times now and I'm still scratching my head... How did you hit the wall again? hehe

 

[Grae]

Here's a link to video of crash. It's pretty embarrassing.

Impressive with the high speed approach!


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[AlexSP]

Thanks Alex! Any idea if there's a way to give the motors etc a good, thorough clean out? Do drone/hobby shops do stuff like that?


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I honestly can't see how a shop could do a better cleanup than you could. Except of course if they open up the whole shebang, and that includes disassembling the motors entirely (removing the C clips, popping off the bearings, the works...). I personally wouldn't bother, unless your P3 got really buried in a dune of wet sand.

IMHO mud is worse, it's finer and stickier and thus can def get into crannies and nooks of everything. Water can be bad too, not only to the pivoting and spinning parts but also the electronics. Still, the motor bearings are quite small and have seals, so if everything moves freely then my guess you're OK.

If you don't feel confident, then you could take your P3 to someone with RC/quad experience and have a look. Better safe than sorry and P3s aren't exactly cheap. Yet the motors aren't expensive or hard to replace, if needed or as a precaution.

 

[San Diego Jimmer]

Tell us more, type up the story, like ... The wall wasn't there when I started, it just came up out of the ground and attacked me Were you trying to hit your friend? I mean we had shotgun wars when we were kids and personally, drone wars will be a blast - the first one to drop there controller and run while being attacked with a drone loses... lol. I've watched it a few times now and I'm still scratching my head... How did you hit the wall again? hehe

Hahahahahahah. I'm dying. [emoji23].

It was a cold January day and it was just me, my bird and the wall (and a few, now controversial friends in attendance)... It was a game of chicken see. The wall wasn't gonna back down and I **** WELL wasn't either. I stared directly into the walls dead, black eyes and hit that throttle with everything she had!!!! In the end I guess you could say I won. They tyranny of unyielding walls is over. We fought the battle for quadC pilots everywhere. And for America. [emoji631]


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[RVD98072]

I get that you're a new pilot, etc. but I'm still a bit puzzled as to how you crashed like this. Was your orientation off (i.e., were you standing and looking at the phantom looking towards you instead of away from you)?

I've never really crashed my phantom. I had a very minor crash the first time I used it because i took off indoors right next to my bag with VPS turned off so as soon as it started to launch, it moved backwards into my backpack (but it was very slow and just at takeoff).

I don't really see how anyone could crash one of these things unless it malfunctions in some way, has GPS mode turned off, you misjudge altitude (try to get really low to trees and a branch blows up, etc.), etc. but it looks like from the video you basically took off and flew it straight into the building...

 

[AlexSP]

...

I don't really see how anyone could crash one of these things unless it malfunctions in some way, has GPS mode turned off, you misjudge altitude (try to get really low to trees and a branch blows up, etc.), etc. but it looks like from the video you basically took off and flew it straight into the building...

In RC we used to say that if it flyes, then a crash is only a matter of time - unless it's a bird or an insect (btw we have a same motto in cycling... if you ride, then you'll crash at some point. I'm living proof with both femurs fractured in 30 yrs of cycling and lots of ACs crashed in all manners in 10 or 15 in RC lol ).

It's simple really, there's always A LOT that can go wrong - pilot, machine, surroundings, etc. - even when we're careful and all. If we think about it flying is only natural for birds and insects. All the rest is at odds with gravity, as a friend used to say.

P.S.: Still, men will keep flying in all manners. And riding bikes, of course

 

[King Luff]

Toddler's eyeball sliced in half by drone propeller - BBC News

This happened here in the UK, they were all friends as well. Have fun and show it off obviously but just be safe. Hopefully you've read the replies and taken it on board, I get the feeling however that you find it funny that all these people are having a go at you on a forum.

 

[Frankc]

We have all been there. I flew up to a tree in practice. Hovered. Then moved away, except the control for forward was reversed and nearly flew into the tree instead of away. Lesson learned.

Really pleased its working again. Relief eh?

 

[impilot51]

BRO. I crashed. Please chillllllllllllllllllllllllllll. It was a mistake. I realize now that the goal is not to crash. Thank you for this invaluable insight. Surely "John Q Whoever" won't be so sanctimonious. I say GOOD DAY.


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Nope, they will be callin the PoPo about the scary drone that smashed into their house. Not trying to be sanctimonious, just tired of noobs doing stupid things that call unwanted attention to a really cool and fun hobby in this wonderful day and age of Govt regulating the crap out of anything that they either don't understand, or that they think could be used in the next terrorist attack, or that endangers controlled airspace or just because they can and it grabs some headlines that they are actually doing something to protect the public (when it does nothing to stop those intent on doing their own thing).

So yeah, there is a faction that takes the attitude of "yo, bro, chill. I just crashed and didn't kill anyone, so stay out of my business". This group is usually the self-entitled, I'll do what I want, where I want, when I want kinda guy, brand new to the hobby, has no clue what they are doing and is too proud or ignorant to ask for advice and assistance (although they do come out of the woodwork after the first or second flight that ends horribly). Forget about actually following advice when given. They are too busy being offended that others might actually call them out for their actions. And frankly, it's not the action itself. Everyone makes mistakes but what gets me is the attitude of not wanting to accept that they have done something wrong and potentially pretty dangerous, and get defensive rather than truly wanting to get better or safer.

Then there's those that have been in the hobby for a while, may have flow RC airplanes or helicopters for a while, in an era that did not have GPS/accelerometer stabilized quads that frankly are pretty easy to fly in comparison to an RC helicopter with single axis stabilization, and they see the hobby getting ruined because of the aforementioned group and their antics. You know, those who will probably fly for a short while, then either crash badly and not want to spend any more money and will move on to the next big thing or that just get bored with it and fade away. And those that really enjoy the hobby, that try to follow the rules, learn from others and be as safe as possible get left with the crappy Government regs and intervention due to the irresponsible actions of the few that garner media attention. There is something to be said for a high cost of entry into any hobby, be it monetary cost or the cost to develop some skills and understanding before flying solo. Unfortunately, it looks like those days are over, and this is what we get instead.

So go right ahead and call me sanctimonious, or whatever else you want (like I really care what you think of me). Just learn from it, fly away from people (friends are people too) and private property and NFZs, and try not to be the next headline for 24 hours on cable news everywhere. It's not that difficult, especially for the first dozen or so flights until you get more comfortable flying and can exert at least minimum control over your quad. Those of us that would like to not be regulated out of the air would greatly appreciate it.


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[AlexSP]

Nope, they will be callin the PoPo about the scary drone that smashed into their house. Not trying to be sanctimonious, just tired of noobs doing stupid things that call unwanted attention to a really cool and fun hobby in this wonderful day and age of Govt regulating the crap out of anything that they either don't understand, or that they think could be used in the next terrorist attack, or that endangers controlled airspace or just because they can and it grabs some headlines that they are actually doing something to protect the public (when it does nothing to stop those intent on doing their own thing).

So yeah, there is a faction that takes the attitude of "yo, bro, chill. I just crashed and didn't kill anyone, so stay out of my business". This group is usually the self-entitled, I'll do what I want, where I want, when I want kinda guy, brand new to the hobby, has no clue what they are doing and is too proud or ignorant to ask for advice and assistance (although they do come out of the woodwork after the first or second flight that ends horribly). Forget about actually following advice when given. They are too busy being offended that others might actually call them out for their actions. And frankly, it's not the action itself. Everyone makes mistakes but what gets me is the attitude of not wanting to accept that they have done something wrong and potentially pretty dangerous, and get defensive rather than truly wanting to get better or safer.

Then there's those that have been in the hobby for a while, may have flow RC airplanes or helicopters for a while, in an era that did not have GPS/accelerometer stabilized quads that frankly are pretty easy to fly in comparison to an RC helicopter with single axis stabilization, and they see the hobby getting ruined because of the aforementioned group and their antics. You know, those who will probably fly for a short while, then either crash badly and not want to spend any more money and will move on to the next big thing or that just get bored with it and fade away. And those that really enjoy the hobby, that try to follow the rules, learn from others and be as safe as possible get left with the crappy Government regs and intervention due to the irresponsible actions of the few that garner media attention. There is something to be said for a high cost of entry into any hobby, be it monetary cost or the cost to develop some skills and understanding before flying solo. Unfortunately, it looks like those days are over, and this is what we get instead.

So go right ahead and call me sanctimonious, or whatever else you want (like I really care what you think of me). Just learn from it, fly away from people (friends are people too) and private property and NFZs, and try not to be the next headline for 24 hours on cable news everywhere. It's not that difficult, especially for the first dozen or so flights until you get more comfortable flying and can exert at least minimum control over your quad. Those of us that would like to not be regulated out of the air would greatly appreciate it.


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impilot51, I agree with a lot you said. You bring up some important topics and indeed facts. I'll just chime in with my usual 2c by saying "that's how it is". That's just how things are. And nothing we say or do will change much how this whole drone thing will develop in the near future. Please don't take that as a conformist rhetoric, I'll try to explain.

I'm also a hobbyist (for the past 15 yrs) but I've come to realize - and accept - that drones (and quads in general) aren't RC, or a hobby. It's got TX and motors, it flyes and all but it's something else entirely, far from our niche. It's more of a consumer movement, in some ways like smartphones. Not sure if it will reach smartphone size. But it certainly won't be like RC hobby either, and will draw a lot more people for that.

I have no crystal ball so I have no idea how it will develop and where it will go. But I have a feeling it won't kill RC, in fact I've seen a growth in interest since this Phantom tsunami struck in the last few months, at least in my area. IMHO it's not a coincidence. In regards to regulations, accidents, public perception and acceptance, attitudes, rights and obligations, etc. the pendulum will swing heavily for some time, but eventually it'll reach a balance somehow.

I've got RC friends who embraced quads like me and are loving it like me, but many are keeping a purist attitude towards new pilots. Fair enough, to each one. I'm trying to be open and positive towards it all, mostly because I believe I can help more by being helpful in a positive way, just I was helped when I first took RC myself.

That's not to mean be cool about everything that new (or old) pilots do. Just that the bad will come with the good for some time, but it will also help in the process somehow - pushing limits is necessary sometimes - and eventually people will learn one way or another. It's a new tech, bringing up new questions and reaching new publics in new and different ways. Stupid things and mistakes will come along positive findings and applications, it'll all happen regardless.

Even though I have past experience with quads, and still fly other models for fun and practice, for some reason the P3 (more than the P2) has given me a newfound pleasure in flying. Yes, many who are jumping the drone bandwagon now will be gone like that, soon following whatever new fad comes in next summer or CES... I see no one - person, company or entity - I can fault for that. That's just how things are I guess. Education is a slow process, we need to persevere but not everyone will take it the same way. But everyone will take it, one way or another. It can be positive.

Anyway, that's just my perspective and my opinion. I hope everyone have a good debate and we can all get along. And sorry for the long post.

 

[San Diego Jimmer]

Nope, they will be callin the PoPo about the scary drone that smashed into their house. Not trying to be sanctimonious, just tired of noobs doing stupid things that call unwanted attention to a really cool and fun hobby in this wonderful day and age of Govt regulating the crap out of anything that they either don't understand, or that they think could be used in the next terrorist attack, or that endangers controlled airspace or just because they can and it grabs some headlines that they are actually doing something to protect the public (when it does nothing to stop those intent on doing their own thing).

So yeah, there is a faction that takes the attitude of "yo, bro, chill. I just crashed and didn't kill anyone, so stay out of my business". This group is usually the self-entitled, I'll do what I want, where I want, when I want kinda guy, brand new to the hobby, has no clue what they are doing and is too proud or ignorant to ask for advice and assistance (although they do come out of the woodwork after the first or second flight that ends horribly). Forget about actually following advice when given. They are too busy being offended that others might actually call them out for their actions. And frankly, it's not the action itself. Everyone makes mistakes but what gets me is the attitude of not wanting to accept that they have done something wrong and potentially pretty dangerous, and get defensive rather than truly wanting to get better or safer.

Then there's those that have been in the hobby for a while, may have flow RC airplanes or helicopters for a while, in an era that did not have GPS/accelerometer stabilized quads that frankly are pretty easy to fly in comparison to an RC helicopter with single axis stabilization, and they see the hobby getting ruined because of the aforementioned group and their antics. You know, those who will probably fly for a short while, then either crash badly and not want to spend any more money and will move on to the next big thing or that just get bored with it and fade away. And those that really enjoy the hobby, that try to follow the rules, learn from others and be as safe as possible get left with the crappy Government regs and intervention due to the irresponsible actions of the few that garner media attention. There is something to be said for a high cost of entry into any hobby, be it monetary cost or the cost to develop some skills and understanding before flying solo. Unfortunately, it looks like those days are over, and this is what we get instead.

So go right ahead and call me sanctimonious, or whatever else you want (like I really care what you think of me). Just learn from it, fly away from people (friends are people too) and private property and NFZs, and try not to be the next headline for 24 hours on cable news everywhere. It's not that difficult, especially for the first dozen or so flights until you get more comfortable flying and can exert at least minimum control over your quad. Those of us that would like to not be regulated out of the air would greatly appreciate it.


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People don't really say "PoPo" anymore. I stopped reading this snoozefest after that. [emoji99][emoji99][emoji99][emoji99][emoji99]


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[impilot51]

You must be a very happy guy, cause as they say, ignorance is bliss. Didn't mean to use an out of date slang there "Jimmer", guess your easily offended. Not surprising.


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