ParaZero Parachute for Phantoms

skymonkey · Jan 28, 2019

LUISMARTINEZ said:
Ah, thank you. Thinking on pulling the trigger on a P4P Parazero soon...

Been thinking that with some pontoons or maybe the Phantomrain jacket and the parachute you’d be pretty safe flying over water.

Deleted member 29014 · Jan 28, 2019

skymonkey said:
Been thinking that with some pontoons or maybe the Phantomrain jacket and the parachute you’d be pretty safe flying over water.

Water? What's that? From central Arizona I have to drive miles to find water.

skymonkey · Jan 28, 2019

LUISMARTINEZ said:
Water? What's that? From central Arizona I have to drive miles to find water.

LOL...flew over water a couple weeks ago and felt apprehensive in doing so. As I watched my bird flying over the ocean I kept thinking would I be able to swim out and get it before it goes down under.

Deleted member 29014 · Jan 29, 2019

skymonkey said:
LOL...flew over water a couple weeks ago and felt apprehensive in doing so. As I watched my bird flying over the ocean I kept thinking would I be able to swim out and get it before it goes down under.

You don't have the Coast Guard standing by? When the Army first sent me to the desert I kept seeing freeway signs "so n so creek" and "so n so river," like a rube I'd pull over to see the water. Nothing but sand and tumbleweeds.

skymonkey · Jan 29, 2019

Maybe they’ll couldn’t afford to put subterranean on the sign.

Deleted member 29014 · Jan 29, 2019

skymonkey said:
The cord is used to secure the chute to the aircraft View attachment 107345 by turning the tension ratchet clockwise and locking it in place on teeth of tension ratchet View attachment 107346 afterward check by picking up drone by chute and swing gently to make sure it is not loose View attachment 107347
If you plan on getting this to apply for waiver don’t worry about the repacking. You will have to send to ParaZero or certified entity by ParaZero to get it repacked.View attachment 107348 I couldn’t tell you if those pieces will be sold separately but my guess is that they probably will. Hopefully with proper maintenance and not flying your bird as if it were a fighter jet the chances of it deployment will be greatly reduced.

Missed this important bit of info. the first time I read your post....bummer.

skymonkey · Jan 29, 2019

LUISMARTINEZ said:
Missed this important bit of info. the first time I read your post....bummer.
View attachment 107863

Don’t sweat the small stuff. Hopefully it will never Deploy.
Oh yeah...here’s another piece of information I should share with you.

Deleted member 29014 · Jan 29, 2019

WHAT??? BTW, I heard from David...(website inquiry)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Hi Luis,

Thanks for connecting and your interest in ParaZero's SafeAir!

ParaZero's SafeAir Phantom is readily available via our partners.

In addition to the SafeAir Phantom we are offering an ASTM add-on. The ASTM add-on will include an audio-warning buzzer, the ability to configure your system for a remote control, safety placard and most importantly, compliance documentation including data and report from 45 aerial deployments with 3rd party validation.

This documentation is a critical component of a waiver application for flight over people. ParaZero together with its partners has already received a waiver for flight over people based on similar documentation. The FAA has indicated that parachute systems that are compliant with ASTM F3322-18 are a good way to mitigate risk for such operations.

The ASTM documentation will be ready to share this week or next.

This system is the first ParaZero system available that will meet the standard.

What drones do you operate?

David
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

PhantomWetSuits · Jan 31, 2019

skymonkey said:
So after two flights on two different days here are my findings. Initial satellite linking went from about 30 sec with no chute to 1 min with chute mounted, and was a little slower acquiring more satellites with maximum GPS before take off of 15 with no chute and 10 with chute. Warnings received while flying were none for no chute, too Weak GPS signal, Satellite Positioning Off, and audio warning that I was flying in ATTI mode with chute. I’ve flown in ATTI mode several times and know how the wind drifts the aircraft in its direction. At no time while flying with the chute and with audio or screen warnings about GPS lost did I ever felt I was flying in ATTI mode. I took my hands off the sticks several times and the aircraft stopped as you would expect when flying P mode. The inflight average wind speed for first day was 15.8 gusting to 21.7, and second day 7.4 gusting to 11.7. I would say my flying skills in ATTI mode are fair.
I didn’t really notice much if any sluggish stick controls with chute. I only flew in P mode at a maximum speed of 21 mph as I don’t see why I would need to fly faster over people. The max speed rating on the manual has it at 43.5 and a recommendation not to fly in sport mode. The battery did see a decrease of about 4 to 5 minutes of flying time, keep in mind I was moving most of the time vs staying stationary.
I would not fly with the chute on unless I were to fly over people (only if acquired waiver of course). If you want chute for protection from mishap I would tell you get insurance, it is cheaper and you can fly longer times with less work of putting and taking chute off. If you want to try and get waiver then this I hope is a step in that direction.
View attachment 107309
IMG_8408.mov

I was really hoping they solved the problem with GPS as no one wants to loose satellites when flying . The last time I spoke with this company they were talking about adding a Secondary GPS chip in the Parrachute.

I understand the idea of flying over people , but this is a let down for something that I thought they had fixed.

Its going to be perfect for the back yard barbecue , but not even close yet to using it say in Torrential Rain Storm or high winds so very limited use.

Having to have it packed by someone else also adds some stress to the situation of having it deploy.

I keep picturing a festival where everyone is really oblivious and this drone coming down and no one being aware of it .

Out of all the rules I may consider breaking, flying over people was never going to be one of them.

I would want to practice deploying the Parrachute dozens of times over , I cannot see how you would ever get comfortable flying over a large group of people knowing that the Satelite signal is being blocked from its full potential.

Im also betting the DJI is not going to release the License for them to add the GPS satellites which is really going to hand cuff this technology.

Knowing its very limited use have you considered sending it back or are you firmly going to be comfortable flying over a large group of people. ?

skymonkey · Jan 31, 2019

PhantomWetSuits said:
I was really hoping they solved the problem with GPS as no one wants to loose satellites when flying . The last time I spoke with this company they were talking about adding a Secondary GPS chip in the Parrachute.

I understand the idea of flying over people , but this is a let down for something that I thought they had fixed.

Its going to be perfect for the back yard barbecue , but not even close yet to using it say in Torrential Rain Storm or high winds so very limited use.

Having to have it packed by someone else also adds some stress to the situation of having it deploy.

I keep picturing a festival where everyone is really oblivious and this drone coming down and no one being aware of it .

Out of all the rules I may consider breaking, flying over people was never going to be one of them.

I would want to practice deploying the Parrachute dozens of times over , I cannot see how you would ever get comfortable flying over a large group of people knowing that the Satelite signal is being blocked from its full potential.

Im also betting the DJI is not going to release the License for them to add the GPS satellites which is really going to hand cuff this technology.

Knowing its very limited use have you considered sending it back or are you firmly going to be comfortable flying over a large group of people. ?

I went flying yesterday and by accident realized that the parachute is not what is causing the major reduction in gps signal. As I was flying I noticed the near perfect gps reception that I would see when flying without the chute. I was very pleasantly surprised and dared to venture out even further to see if this continued, it did. After coming back down and powering down the motors I went to turn off the parachute and discovered I had not turned it on. It is the powered up electronics in the chute that is causing the major gps interference.
Like I said, I’ve had screen and audio warnings about being in ATTI mode but I have never felt the loss of control/drifting while flying, even taking my hands off the sticks the bird comes to a stop. Although nice to have gps signal the FAA does not require it.
I don’t understand why anyone would want to go flying during torrential rain storms or in high winds, would you even be able to see through your camera lens. It absolutely makes no sense.
In order to get your waiver you need to get the ASTM add-on that comes with audio warning buzzer ( alerting people beneath) and the ability to configure your system for remote control. This system has been tested and approved by the FAA, don’t understand the reason for one to test it out. This system requires complete replacement after 5 deployments and has a service life of one year. It is only required to be repacked by authorized vendor if using it under 107.39 waiver.
This system does exactly as advertised and it is approved by the FAA. What is limited is all the places we would like to fly over but cannot because of regulations. This chute is going to give me the freedom to fly over many places that 98% of other sUAS Pilot’s are prohibited from doing so. It also has potential to make serious money if you are so inclined.

PhantomWetSuits · Jan 31, 2019

Skymonkey thank you for the update on the GPS , im glad you got that figured out as your original review was BLEAK to say the least.

So i really appreciate the Update on that.

So hobbist can deploy and repack as many times as they want, this is also nice to hear .

I think having the Remote should be part of the program and not an add on as that extra control makes a lot of sense to me.

As far as you not having any understanding of why someone would fly in the Rain brings up a good point.

I just assumed everyone understood the economics of it from a business perspective.

So im gong to start a new Post on why anyone would fly in the rain.

skymonkey · Jan 31, 2019

I apologize for the crappy video quality but at least you can see how it responds with the chute on and powered up.

skymonkey · Jan 31, 2019

PhantomWetSuits said:
Skymonkey thank you for the update on the GPS , im glad you got that figured out as your original review was BLEAK to say the least.

So i really appreciate the Update on that.

So hobbist can deploy and repack as many times as they want, this is also nice to hear .

I think having the Remote should be part of the program and not an add on as that extra control makes a lot of sense to me.

As far as you not having any understanding of why someone would fly in the Rain brings up a good point.

I just assumed everyone understood the economics of it from a business perspective.

So im gong to start a new Post on why anyone would fly in the rain.

I said “torrential rain storm”, I wouldn’t even want to be driving under such conditions.
Looking forward to your post on flying in the rain.

PhantomWetSuits · Jan 31, 2019

skymonkey said:
I said “torrential rain storm”, I wouldn’t even want to be driving under such conditions.
Looking forward to your post on flying in the rain.

That was smooth, so just so Im clear , when you turn it on the GPS satelites increase correct. ? How many satelites were you flying with there. ?

skymonkey · Jan 31, 2019

When turned on it takes about 30 seconds longer to start acquiring satellites with chute. The satellites will vary as you fly, even when staying stationary. Lowest in this flight was 6 and highest 13.
My lowest without chute is 12, highest 18. The lowest are of brief duration.

msinger · Mar 9, 2019

The video below shows a ParaZero deployment test from Ready Set Drone. It looks like the Phantom could still come down pretty hard even with this parachute attached. In this case, the landing broke the landing gear.

PhantomWetSuits · Mar 9, 2019

msinger said:
The video below shows a ParaZero deployment test from Ready Set Drone. It looks like the Phantom could still come down pretty hard even with this parachute attached. In this case, the landing broke the landing gear.

To view this content we will need your consent to set third party cookies.
For more detailed information, see our cookies page.

Being that we fly in extreme weather , we looked at this company when they were just starting out and they had two issues that needed to be solved. The first issue was that material of the Parachute they wanted to go with was much heavier and provided a much softer landing.

The problem with that was that the Thicker material all but choked the number of satellites that the drone was locked into.

So to solve the issue they had to use the thinest material possible , this could explain the heavier landing.
it was a compromise that had to be made.

I would still not want to be whacked in the head with that drone and if you notice once the shoot deploys you have no control on where the wind takes it.

in some ways having the drone come straight down as you know where its coming down at , and if your in a safe spot off say flying near a highway your safe but if the shoot drifts your drone into oncoming traffic it could be fatal.

So this is a give and take.

I want to love it , but it has been compromised , but the good thing is that because it comes down faster with less float the more chances it comes down near your flight path.

Phantomrain.org
Approved Vendor

Gear for flying in and out of the storm.

skymonkey · Mar 9, 2019

PhantomWetSuits said:
Being that we fly in extreme weather , we looked at this company when they were just starting out and they had two issues that needed to be solved. The first issue was that material of the Parachute they wanted to go with was much heavier and provided a much softer landing.

The problem with that was that the Thicker material all but choked the number of satellites that the drone was locked into.

So to solve the issue they had to use the thinest material possible , this could explain the heavier landing.
it was a compromise that had to be made.

I would still not want to be whacked in the head with that drone and if you notice once the shoot deploys you have no control on where the wind takes it.

in some ways when you are flying your drone and it goes down, you know depending on what you are hovering or flying over is going to give you much more control.

Imagine if it just flew right into the highway with a 60 mph car coming at it.

I want to love it , but it has been compromised , but the good thing is that because it comes down faster with less float the more chances it comes down near your flight path.

Phantomrain.org
Approved Vendor

Gear for flying in and out of the storm.

I don’t think it is the material of chute that interferes with the gps. From my experience I say it’s the electronics when on inside the chute that causes the most interference. One day on a particular flight I noticed that I had as many satellites as I did without the chute. Upon landing I realized I forgot to turn on my chute. After turning it on the number of satellites went down to what was normal with the chute turned on.
If you look at the chutes placement inside casing you’ll notice the chute covers only half while the electronics covers the other half.

I will tell you that the number of satellites with the chute has increased since I first got it. I would say it was with second fw update.
I always pay attention to the speed and direction of the wind. Now when flying with the chute (100% of the time) I am always paying attention where the sUAS will drift if the chute were to deploy. I tend to stay away from very tall pine trees

PhantomWetSuits · Mar 9, 2019

skymonkey said:
I don’t think it is the material of chute that interferes with the gps. From my experience I say it’s the electronics when on inside the chute that causes the most interference. One day on a particular flight I noticed that I had as many satellites as I did without the chute. Upon landing I realized I forgot to turn on my chute. After turning it on the number of satellites went down to what was normal with the chute turned on.
If you look at the chutes placement inside casing you’ll notice the chute covers only half while the electronics covers the other half.
View attachment 109378
I will tell you that the number of satellites with the chute has increased since I first got it. I would say it was with second fw update.
I always pay attention to the speed and direction of the wind. Now when flying with the chute (100% of the time) I am always paying attention where the sUAS will drift if the chute were to deploy. I tend to stay away from very tall pine trees

Looks like it might have been both as I see they changed the design , one thing I am still unclear and that is the GPS is it connected to the Chute in some way or is it just sitting on top of the unit ? Thanks for that picture.

skymonkey · Mar 9, 2019

PhantomWetSuits said:
Looks like it might have been both as I see they changed the design , one thing I am still unclear and that is the GPS is it connected to the Chute in some way or is it just sitting on top of the unit ? Thanks for that picture.

The chute sits on top of the placement stamp shown below and is not connected to gps in any way. The chute is held to sUAS by a cord.