My crash on the 1st flight of a brand new Phantom 4 Pro V2
- Thread starter C Squared
- Start date
That is so true. Even without using a drone, I’m always wondering what I’ve missed every time I do any kind of photography or video project. Add to that the complications of a “flying camera,” and it really is a lot to juggle.
Add to the pile "automation" for an even more volatile work flow.
I do a lot of mapping. The work flow is down to a science. The client sends a KML file of the property they want mapped, I build a map, go fly the site and then bring the photos to the client, where he builds a map in Pix4D. Sounds simple enough, until you actually try to do this. How does one import a .kml file into GS Pro or MapPilot? GS Pro recently added the ability to import .kml files and automatically build the mission, which is awesome. But not so easy for MapPilot, which requires an iTunes hack still to this day.
Once you build these missions, how do you archive them and make copies for redundancy in case something goes wrong?...and on and on... All hacks.
Flawless missions...the Holy Grail of mapping...
I started my mapping business using Ground Station Pro. This worked well for a while on level terrain. The work flow was tedious. I would have to look at the KML in Google Earth, then look at GS Pro and build a point in GS Pro, find land marks in Google Maps, then add a second point and on and on. It was VERY tedious. But then GS Pro added an import function which completely changed the work flow. Now I can import .kml files and GS Pro builds a basic mission automatically. This was a huge time saver. But I digress...
Jobs got bigger and hillyer™...
I started getting larger jobs mapping very hilly areas that often had dozens of hills with over 500' of elevation from the lowest point to the highest point. MapPilot had just come out with a "Terrain Aware" function, but it was buggy. I got a job mapping close to 2,000 acres, and was discovering as I go that sometimes MapPilot would crash. It would just leave the screen without warning. SOMETIMES I could re-open MapPilot and it would maintain the previous flight data, but often times I would have start all over again. So I learned quickly to divide my work into smaller jobs of 4 or 5 batteries as opposed to these 40 battery monster missions. This greatly reduced the odds of losing work and/or having to start over. That's just one kink I overcame in a very long work chain.
Another time the client pointed out ON SITE that my mapping mission wasn't going to quite cover the area they needed. So we upped the work flow to include GCP's (Ground Control Points) in the KML file they were sending. This REALLY helped a lot. Then, in return, I would send a screen capture of my missions for their approval. This removed all mission shortcomings.
Then there's the weather. We utilize amazing wind-prediction and weather-prediction websites to insure we can even fly on a given day.
And then there's the Sun. We utilize websites that can predict shadow for those jobs where shadow may be an issue. And on and on...I could go on all day about this s***.
I basically learn something new every time I fly. After a day of flying, me and my partner will always ask one another, "Okay...what did we learn today?" Rarely is a day "perfect." Rarely are there no lessons. I would guess the odds are about 20:1 that we have a perfectly flawless work flow...this, after literally dozens (over 100) jobs. But look at all the technologies we employ.
The drone, all on its own, employs accelerometers, barometers, gyrosensors, GPS, electronic compass, Electronic Speed Controllers, Flight Controllers, brushless motors, digital cameras that have their own set of technology, WiFi and other communication protocols and on and on. Then you have Google Earth and Google Maps and waypoint programs that utilize SRTM (Shuttle Radar Topography Mission) data, which is a whole other technology all on its own... Pix4D for building the maps and on and on and on. It's an amazing amount of technology with a LOT of links in the chain...and it's all cutting edge, which means we are pioneers...beta testers. This is why I ALWAYS use legacy firmware and software, and ALWAYS have an exit strategy should said FW or software suck (which is a HUGE hack all on its own). Try telling your iPad that you don't like this new version of GS Pro, and you want to go back. LOL...Apple doesn't like it users having that kind of control...jerks...but I digress...
One of the reasons I have two iPads is so I can run one with the latest/greatest iOS and software, and the other with legacy iOS and software. I have to see AT LEAST a good month of solid functionality before I move on to new iOS or software update. It's not uncommon for me to be 2 or 3 updates behind.
Sometimes I don't move on at all.
I never update firmware. All my birds utilize legacy firmware, and both my iPads utilize legacy software. iOS 12 has been out since Oct. I JUST installed it on my second iPad like 3 nights ago.
But anyway...I'm getting into a novel here. My point is that our work flow and the technologies we utilize is pretty amazing. And while a lot of it is sold as "plug-n-play," I would venture to say that literally NONE of it is. Every link in the chain presents its own set of problems. The only way to overcome these problems is to vehemently, passionately and diligently keep records and make sure you have backups, redundancy and exit strategies for every step of the work flow. It's a real skill that insures no high school kids or weekend warriors will be taking my job any time soon.
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