Phantom Rain - Why you should hand catch every single time you land your drone .

When I was very new (less than 10 flights) I used the auto land function. The issue was with wind, the drone takes on a angled stance as it lands and cannot touch down reliably when being buffeted (we're not talking gale winds here; 20-30 km/h gusts).

One landing my P3P was gently buffeted and moved sideways whilst landing and flipped over whilst still running. I was less than happy I must say.

I hand catch nearly every flight since then including my Spark. It's simple and allows you to fly when it would be too windy/gusty to land reliably or be able to land in rough terrain or sand etc (that would get into the motors).

Take off is much easier than landing IMPO.

You should not tip over if you learn to land properly manually and do not use TWO sticks down CSC ...

The wind enduced 'tilt' reduces significantly as you near the ground due to ground effect and friction. Air movement close to ground is significantly less than 10m up. Bring it down slowly that last 2 - 3m .. hover momentarily to set landing point and put it down ... once touches LEFT STICK FULL DOWN to stop motors.

I have never tipped over a P3 in all weathers and conditions doing that. I have hunderds of flights of P3S .. P3P ... and various other quads I have including aerobatic quads ... Only time I need to Hand catch is when there is no suitable landing point.

Nigel
 
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Terrible, terrible, terrible advice. if something breaks or gets damaged due to a hard landing it can be replaced with new parts, monetarily. to help prevent hard Landings, Phantom Pilots should practice Landing-simply said. If one of those nine and a half inch blades hits your skin, you're going to the hospital- guaranteed. It's not worth it.

I have been flying Phantoms for 3 or 4 years, I haveflown in many different conditions and landed on many different terrains in over a dozen states. From the start I have Incorporated a doormat to my gear for landing purposes and no matter the condition my Phantom lands on it.

while I have not and probably will not taken off and landed on a boat, I understand the necessity at that time to probably hand catch. And your neoprene landing gear rap sounds like a great idea. but hand catching is extremely dangerous, and doing so every time only increases your chances of an injury-fact. who cares what bystanders or your clients see other than the pictures and or videos you are taking for them
 
Absolutely right. It's TOTAL BUNK!!

I've landed thousands of times with zero tip-overs, and I use the left stick to shut off the motors. NOT ONCE have I ever had a problem.

1. Wear and tear on the landing gear? I don't know what you guys are doing but after two years with my P4P I have absolutely no damage to the landing gear.

2. Scratched lenses? GIVE ME A BREAK!! The lenses are recessed. How could they possibly get scratched? Show me one scratched lens due to landing. Just ONE!!

3. If you land a quad on the ground it spreads fear in the crowd? Ha ha ha ha ha!!

I've never heard so much BULL about landing a DJI drone in my life.

Bud


Sorry ... but total bunkum ...

Nigel
 
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We started Catching the drone with one hand , because we were constantly flying in severe weather and it was essential for a safe landing. Let alone being on a boat.

Here is what we learned:

It takes practice to get good at hand catching . So doing it every now and than in an emergency is a bad idea, better to do it all the time every time.

One of the added benefits is , there is much less wear and tear on the drone in several ways.
All it takes is just one bad landing for the Leg Clips to become loose or cracked open or for a lens to get scratched or tip over.

Also the skid pads take a beating and when you go to sell it, all that wear and tear is going to show on the skid pads, the color green is not good nor is brown and black. Goo gone only goes so far.

We also found that bringing the drone down to a hover above your head gives you plenty of time to Inspect the drone much more easily than when you land it and than pick it up , your just not as apt to hold it over your head and inspect it well so this really is great training.

So the inspection would be : , check for debris, check the lights , that its keeping a stable hover.

We have also found that it show Confidence to others in your ability to handle the drone.

We have a tendency to gather a small crowd when flying , and what normally happens is if I let it land on its own, the crowd will stand way back as if its a JET or something and so that fear spreads but when you hover it for just a few seconds and everyone watches it , and you reach up and grab it, everyone feels safer and not so fearful.

You can create the Fear , and you can take it away.

Bringing the drone to hover is actually easier than letting it land ever so softly , hoping that it lands on very flat ground and that the camera does not flip on the grass and that its not a hard landing , you skip all that nonsense by learning how to Hand Catch.

If you have ever seen a drone tip on a bad landing the Props crack and fly everywhere not safe for bystanders.

So when an emergency does happen you can run out with confidence and capture your drone , no one will know you were in panic mode.

Seriously taking the Fear out of the Drone is really powerful especially for your clients.
Were not saying that there are not some beautiful landing , but the more of those you have the less prepared you will be for the emergency one hand catch..when it has so much to offer.

This is one of the Reasons why we built the Phantom Wet Suits with all 4 Legs covered with Neoprene was to provide a really nice handle for one hand catches that feel secure ..
Keep in mind that you really only have two chances to show the client that you are Professional , Take off an Landing, that is what they will be watching very carefully as do crowds.

Landing a drone and watching it tip over is a nightmare for you, the client and bystanders.
We recommend you master the skills needed to protect yourself , the drone and the bystanders and take the fear away.



Phantomrain.org
Approved Vendor
Coal
Do you offer a military discount?

Where does this ship from?
 
IDK... I have never hand caught my P4P+ or Mavic Pro. Never needed to.
My drones have always landed properly. Then again I choose my Take Off and Landing spots carefully and don't fly in adverse conditions.
I've heard of Phantom Drone Shells stress cracking under normal use. I don't think repatedly hand catching them on one leg (maybe the same leg) will help those issues... IMO
 
Do you offer a military discount?

Where does this ship from?

Yes we do offer a Millitary Discount, just email us on are website : Ships from Ohio :
We also send you 2 color designs.

The Trauma 1 and the Eclipse:
Phantomrain.org
Approved Vendor

Screen-Shot-2017-10-04-at-5-01-46-PM-59d54f09e11a7.png


Screen Shot 2018-11-14 at 10.50.09 PM.png
 
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As usual we are treated to another load of tosh from a marketeer with a product to sell.

There is a risk of injury with every hand catch. There is zero risk of injury to you if you learn how t land properly.

Learning how to land is an important part of learning to fly - they both come together :D
 
I agree 100% and to arbitrarily promote hand catching is irresponsible, and reckless as well. I can't imagine the results of the lawsuit when someone new and inexperienced tries it and injures themselves, and tells the court that it was some retailer on the Phantom Pilots Forum that told them to do it.

Bud

As usual we are treated to another load of tosh from a marketeer with a product to sell.

There is a risk of injury with every hand catch. There is zero risk of injury to you if you learn how t land properly.

Learning how to land is an important part of learning to fly - they both come together :D
 
I alway hand catch but with all the sensors it now getting harder to do, one has to play dodge the sensor or it runs away. :)
 
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Been hand catching since I was flying a P2V as it is my choice .I wouldn't suggest newbies did it till they had some flying time but do what's comfortable to you .
Now to all that want to stay on the OP cause he is a vender take note anymore post bashing at him will be deleted as well as you taking time off . You guys need to ignore him if you don't care for him so
just take this as a forewarning .Nothing to post on hand catching just don't post .
Have an issue with that PM me do not post it .
 
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Hand catching :: injuries
directly proportional
(like suggesting always play tackle football instead of touch
football because you never know when you'll be tackled in real life)

Cheap landing pad = unfolded FedEx box
 
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I've been hand catching before many of our membership were out of diapers. I have literally 1000's of hours in just multi-rotors (if you include all sUAS I'll be in 10's of 1000's) so I have "some" experience here. The Doom & Gloom I see posted above about hand catching is pure rubbish and disappointing. If you don't have catch that's fine and your option. If you have a need, are a capable operator, and your feel comfortable doing so then hand catching is an option.

Hand catching is a very viable and many times preferred option as opposed to landing on loose, uneven, or dirty environments. Protecting the aircraft, trying to keep the camera lens clean and scratch free, and keeping the area as a whole safe are VERY important reasons to Hand Catch. We even professionally TEACH hand catching to our students once they are proficient at flying in a controlled manner (day 5 of 5). When flying in Emergency Services we don't always have the luxury of a nice flat landing area when flying from a rock cliff, rocking boat and other harsh situations.

For those of you saying hand catching is so dangerous and should NEVER be attempted I can't help but laugh. We hand catch (by we I mean our company) about 99% of the time and that's flying hours and hours each week year round from job sites all over the southeast. Just like any other aspect of our industry it needs to be done carefully and only after you're experienced and qualified to do so. No different than flying at night, in close quarters, near other aircraft and so on . . . .

On a side note, many of you are going to get a PM from STAFF here about the behavior we are seeing on this forum. I personally am very disappointed in several of our members for your behavior towards other members.
 
Been hand catching since I was flying a P2V as it is my choice .I wouldn't suggest newbies did it till they had some flying time but do what's comfortable to you .
Now to all that want to stay on the OP cause he is a vender take note anymore post bashing at him will be deleted as well as you taking time off . You guys need to ignore him if you don't care for him so
just take this as a forewarning .Nothing to post on hand catching just don't post .
Have an issue with that PM me do not post it .
OK guys I don't know what part of my post you didn't understand but I will continue to do as I said so 3 have 2 weeks off now and if you continue more will.
Another staff member cleaned most of the post in this thread as I was posting .
If you have an issue with what I said PM me or an Admin. Don't post it .
 
OK guys I don't know what part of my post you didn't understand but I will continue to do as I said so 3 have 2 weeks off now and if you continue more will.
Another staff member cleaned most of the post in this thread as I was posting .
If you have an issue with what I said PM me or an Admin. Don't post it .

Folding table and landing pad

Not getting in to the hand catch/ landing debate, but I use a small bi-fold table with extendable legs and then use two spring clamps to secure my landing pad to the top of the table. I have a couple of sand bags to level the table on uneven ground if needed. Doesn’t matter if I’m in tall grass, mud, rocks, etc. (Construction and inspection sites don’t have the best terrain) It also puts the drone at a higher working height for putting on props and changing batteries as well. It even helps eliminate magnetic interference from rebar in reinforced concrete by elevating the drone. Take off and land into the wind and I hit the mark every time.
 
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Sorry ... but total bunkum ...

The DJI AC are designed with landing out properly ... hand catching is a method when terrain is unsuitable / on a boat etc.

There is nothing 'clever' or 'fancy' about hand catching. Once you see the results of a bad catch or any other prop strike - i am sure you will then understand ....

Learn to fly your AC properly. Tipping over is a product of poor landing technique ... stop using auto land all the way down to ground ... stop using TWO stick CSC to stop motors ... - learn to manually land out and LEFT stick only motor stop and tip overs are a thing of the past for others to learn how to avoid.

Hand catching lies in the same 'game' as the guys who taxi models back to pit area after landing ... 99.9% of the time - no problem - all goes well ... but having had it happen to me and seen others do it as well ... trip over on way back and model then out of control ... imagine the carnage that can happen.

Get real folks ... even some Club and general rules actually 'outlaw' hand catching unless really unavoidable.

Nigel

100 % AGREE!!!!!

Learn your Aircraft.
Learn how to fly.

If landing is always in question then the endeavor if flying ANYTHING UAS/UAV is not for you.
 
I fly rc helicopters and years of aircraft....no way in ( Heaven? is that better, mods? )would I hand catch those! It can kill you if if the high spinning rotor hits your neck. Too dangerous, the drone is high powered with little knifes spinng around ready to take your eyes out with one slip up. Nope...learn to land it nice....better to break a prop, than cut yourself wide open
 
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Terrible, terrible, terrible advice. if something breaks or gets damaged due to a hard landing it can be replaced with new parts, monetarily. to help prevent hard Landings, Phantom Pilots should practice Landing-simply said. If one of those nine and a half inch blades hits your skin, you're going to the hospital- guaranteed. It's not worth it.

I have been flying Phantoms for 3 or 4 years, I haveflown in many different conditions and landed on many different terrains in over a dozen states. From the start I have Incorporated a doormat to my gear for landing purposes and no matter the condition my Phantom lands on it.

while I have not and probably will not taken off and landed on a boat, I understand the necessity at that time to probably hand catch. And your neoprene landing gear rap sounds like a great idea. but hand catching is extremely dangerous, and doing so every time only increases your chances of an injury-fact. who cares what bystanders or your clients see other than the pictures and or videos you are taking for them

VERY VERY Well said!!
 
Need to hand catch because it is too windy to land??

Pick a different day to fly!

With that much wind/poor weather conditions what is your reason to launch in the first place?
 
When I was just starting out, I always used the auto takeoff and auto land. I still do it occasionally. I then started hand catching. After a while I started landing my P3S manually and do it anytime I don't hand catch. The P3S does not have any bottom sensors or precision landing so it can be a bit harder than say my Spark that has precision landing.

Now that we have colder weather here, I am landing on my landing pad more because I don't feel safe hand catching with my gloves on, and oftentimes have cold fingers so for me it is safer to land. I am going to have to get a rubber mat since the circular fold-up one I have doesn't work well with the frozen ground or snow since it cannot be secured which is necessary so it doesn't blow away.

I don't think one method of landing (hand catching/landing pad) fits everyone. Everyone has different comfort levels and the landing method often varies with the environment you are flying in, so again the landing technique will vary.

Chris
 

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