Line of Sight

Petiebear · Jan 1, 2017

Do you guys always try to keep your drone in sight? As a newbie I always try to do that. I know to get some of the great video I see on this forum, you must fly places where you can't see the drone. How long does it take to get over the fear of just trusting your mobile device, or that the great features of the Phantom 4 will always work like they are suppose too?

Thanks in advance

msinger · Jan 1, 2017

Petiebear said:
Do you guys always try to keep your drone in sight?

Not everyone does, but you might have rules in your country that require you to do so. The FAA requires hobbyists to fly within VLOS if you live in the US. See more details here.

Samuraiz · Jan 1, 2017

For Me Line of sight can change in an instant. Some days I can see the AC when it is over 1000 feet away, other days due to sun, clouds etc, It disappears within 300 feet.

glen e · Jan 1, 2017

Being brand-new I thought the line of sight was something that was a good idea to do. However after I figured out how to use the display, and how far up to go to eliminate obstacles in my flying area, I quickly realized that it's going to go out of sight quickly ,especially if you're trying to shoot things that are Not in your current view. I can't speak for others ,but I pretty much lose it is soon as I go above 150 feet.

Smotz · Jan 1, 2017

sorry to threadcap but can someone clarify "line of sight" to me? I thought line of sight and actually being able to see the bird was two different things?

Langstonius · Jan 1, 2017

Smotz said:
sorry to threadcap but can someone clarify "line of sight" to me? I thought line of sight and actually being able to see the bird was two different things?

For the purposes of signal transmission, Line of Sight means there are no obstructions between you and the bird.
For the purposes of seeing the bird, Line of Sight mean you can see the drones position and attitude clearly with unaided (glasses ok) vision.