Helicopter pad takeoffs

CThruU · Jul 31, 2016

Last week I got access to our medical helicopter landing pad. Fully authorized by everyone involved. For some reason that I can't fully explain, I had a blast just taking off and landing over and over. I also took some shots of town surrounding the hospital. But those takeoffs from the pad just fascinated me.

Compass calibration was impossible at that spot. Large generator right behind me. Cars everywhere. I tried 4 times in different spots and then just took the risk and flew.

Takeoffs and landings were unstable below 12' or so. The Phantom kept wanting to rotate or step sideways on its own. Zero wind. It refused to come down straight onto the H, as well. As it neared the pad, it continually veered away from center. You can see two attempts in the video. I probably tried it 10 times. Those were the best.

Do you guys think the landing instability at that spot was due to VPS, compass calibration problems, or interference from all the surrounding electrical stuff? Thanks.

Original footage better than the YouTube downgrades. Shot in 2.7k, then edited 1080p. Apologies for the poor sound editing. Put it together during short breaks at work yesterday on my iPad.

Meta4 · Jul 31, 2016

CThruU said:
Do you guys think the landing instability at that spot was due to VPS, compass calibration problems, or interference from all the surrounding electrical stuff?

The issue is that the pad is reinforced concrete.
If you had X-ray vision you'd see that it's full of steel reinforcing.
That much steel has a significant magnetic field of its own that swamps the earth's natural magnetic field ... the one your compass was calibrated for.
If you have to launch in a location like that, never calibrate there and get up out of the distorted field as quickly as possibly.
Just as you worked out.

Corey Tucker · Jul 31, 2016

that's really cool - i want to do that too. I want to land on a heli-pad and take off. there's a hospital that i know has one, so was thinking about trying it there (as long as no helicopter was coming). so are all like that with the concrete? don't want to land if i can't take off again..

CThruU · Jul 31, 2016

Meta4 said:
The issue is that the pad is reinforced concrete.
If you had X-ray vision you'd see that it's full of steel reinforcing.
That much steel has a significant magnetic field of its own that swamps the earth's natural magnetic field ... the one your compass was calibrated for.
If you have to launch in a location like that, never calibrate there and get up out of the distorted field as quickly as possibly.
Just as you worked out.

Rebar. Didn't even think about at. I was mostly concerned with the building sized generator behind the pad. Thanks.

BTW, I DO have X-ray vision. My username says so.

CThruU · Jul 31, 2016

Corey Tucker said:
that's really cool - i want to do that too. I want to land on a heli-pad and take off. there's a hospital that i know has one, so was thinking about trying it there (as long as no helicopter was coming). so are all like that with the concrete? don't want to land if i can't take off again..

Be sure to contact both their version of Med Base Control and any local airport, because both parties are involved in the medical flights. Give them usual required info plus the cell phone number that you will be carrying at the time. Do NOT place it in airplane mode.

I had no trouble taking off or landing. I just wanted a smooth, centered landing right on the H for my videos. It just wasn't possible. Rotation occurred randomly on takeoff abruptly 10-20 degrees both clockwise and counter. I checked my stick position several times, and I was rock solid. It was the unit.

Never felt unsafe or too unstable to land, just wobbly videos every time.

Try it out if you can. I was full-geeked about it.

BDFlyer · Aug 1, 2016

Is that the Denver medical center being repurposed as apartments as your thumb nail? I thinks it's cool they want to do that.

Sent from my iPad using PhantomPilots

CThruU · Aug 1, 2016

BDFlyer said:
Is that the Denver medical center being repurposed as apartments as your thumb nail? I thinks it's cool they want to do that.

Sent from my iPad using PhantomPilots

No. Charleston, WV Women's and Children's Hospital. One of three hospitals I cover.

The river below me was the sight of the big water supply contamination scare a few years ago. Right at the spot of the video and a little upstream. About 5-10 miles upstream from there is one of the sites of massive flooding here in June.

NoWheels498 · Aug 1, 2016

I recognize that Marriott and the WestVirginia American Water plant. Sweet video

Sent from my iPad using PhantomPilots mobile app

CThruU · Aug 2, 2016

NoWheels498 said:
I recognize that Marriott and the WestVirginia American Water plant. Sweet video

Sent from my iPad using PhantomPilots mobile app

Thanks. I have a lot to learn about taking, editing and presenting video though. Other than vids of my kids and some vacation stuff for the family, this is my first real attempt at putting anything together.

I was working on some watersports stuff with my son until my crash. I don't have enough footage yet to do anything, so I'll have to wait for the repair.