Scared to fly too far....

[Cosmic Skeptic]

I got a separate policy, its under personal items, 36$ a year and covers everything is what I was told, State Farm

I bought mine with a MasterCard and they have automatic insurance no deductible as long as I can prove I had the drone. Used it once already.

 

[JSKCKNIT]

The best tip we can give you it to use RTH every chance you get , so you can gain some confidence with it and than every day just go a bit further.

This!!!
If you have an empty field, try it out a few times.

 

[spaceweasel]

You're not alone. I rarely go much beyond visual line of sight. It's not that I beleive it's going to fly away, I just don't need that kind of distance. And it IS a bit scary when you cannot see or hear your machine!

Most of the losses from long distance missions I read about are due to high winds at high altitudes. The AC simply gets stuck in the high winds and can't make it home.

I can assure you, as a former USAF Weather Specialist, what you say is absolutely true. It can be calm at the surface, but aloft, the winds can be tearing, There are several good weather programs for drone pilots, and I suggest everyone get one. They will tell you what the wind speeds are aloft.

 

[spaceweasel]

(Sorry for posting twice, I didn't see my first come up.)As a former USAF Weather Specialist, I can assure you, wind can be calm at the surface, but a couple of hundred feet up or less, the winds can be ripping. My advice to all is get one of the weather programs, for drone pilots, to find out what the winds aloft are. These programs will tell you when it is safe to fly.

 

[LarBear360]

(Sorry for posting twice, I didn't see my first come up.)As a former USAF Weather Specialist, I can assure you, wind can be calm at the surface, but a couple of hundred feet up or less, the winds can be ripping. My advice to all is get one of the weather programs, for drone pilots, to find out what the winds aloft are. These programs will tell you when it is safe to fly.

UAV Forecast is a good one and includes a wind profile. Today the winds are 6MPH at 33 feet and 20 - 25 MPH at 400 feet. Up to 250 feet is green, 250 feet and above is red.

 

[Mark J Colbert]

You're listening to the wrong stories.
Phantoms don't "just fly away" and although there can be rare hardware faults, almost all lost Phantom incidents I've investigated were due to things the flyer did (or didn't do).
Phantoms are much more reliable than you imagine.

Properly understanding RTH is one of the best things you can do to build confidence.
Have you experimented with the RTH function so that you are comfortable with it and know what it will do and how it will do it?
After you are familiar with the basics of how RTH works, try flying out 100 feet or so in a large, open area and switch off your controller to simulate losing signal.

I agree completely. There have been many times when I've demonstrated my drone's capabilities by switching the controller off. In just a few minutes, it'll be back overhead and getting ready to land. Then, of course, I'll turned the controller back on.

I've also tested the range of my P3S, and P4P along a roadway or area I was very familiar with. If the drones were to have come down unexpectedly, locating them wouldn't have been too difficult. Beginning with a 99% battery, the P4P, I found, reaches bingo power prior to discovering how far it will actually go.

I've found the RTH function to be reliable (even over water) and I trust it to bring my drones back safely.

 

[Madcaravanner]

Well I too do not fly to excess and I'm still on my second Phantom due to the first developing a motherboard fault and packing up completely

Although her in the UK it is illegal to fly out of sight and technically FPV is illegal too but lots do it

Just fly when you can - where you are allowed - and ENJOY

 

[VictorBravo77]

You're not alone. I rarely go much beyond visual line of sight. It's not that I beleive it's going to fly away, I just don't need that kind of distance. And it IS a bit scary when you cannot see or hear your machine!

Most of the losses from long distance missions I read about are due to high winds at high altitudes. The AC simply gets stuck in the high winds and can't make it home.

NEVER fly beyone line of sight unless you have a relay operator's position system set up (pretty difficult), a waiver from Part 107 for commercial purposes, or exceedingly well-trained VOs. No excuses. I know your intentions are good, but it takes one mistake to ruin it for all of us (see the recent FAA reauthorization act that strikes part 133 for models!).

 

[VictorBravo77]

I think if your setup is right, when batteries get to ~5 percent (your choice?) the RTH kicks in.

 

[Peick]

Just curious... What kinds of better safety features do other quads have?

Not "other quads," but there is a specific model of the Phantom that now has obstacle detection in multiple directions. I feel like if I had used that drone, I could have avoided my friend, the tree.

 

[LarBear360]

Not "other quads," but there is a specific model of the Phantom that now has obstacle detection in multiple directions. I feel like if I had used that drone, I could have avoided my friend, the tree.

Even a P4 could have hit the tree. Obstacle avoidance is not that reliable when trees are the obstacle. It works best when faced with solid objects that can reflect the optical flow.

Another maneuver you could have deployed to save your drone was to cancel the RTH and re-take control. You never mentioned attempting to cancel RTH so I'm guessing you didn't know you could? I think it's your lack of understanding as to how to safely fly more than the lack of obstacle avoidance.

Should you decide to invest in a replacement, please spend some time reading the manual.

 

[Twilightdrone]

The Phantoms are quite reliable. I watched a video of guy testing his RC antenna mod and he flew straight away a total distance of 6800 meters. Thats over 4 miles. He never did lose signal, the AC initiated RTH on its own due to battery level and it just made it home and did a critical battery landing in his yard. Amazing video.

Nice one - got a link to that video, please?

 

[bdooley]

You can always see where and orientation of your craft using the DJI app. Some basic things to do before you fly should help easy your fears.


1. Always try to start your flight with a fully charged battery

2. Check wind direction and speed. Try to fly away in to the wind so you have a tail wind on return.

3. Make sure the wind speed is less than your top speed.

4. Make sure your home point has recorded exactly where you are.

5. Make sure you’re app setting are as you intend them to be , RTH height is set high enough for your surrounding Incase of loss of signal

6. Learn to use the app fully.

Hope someone finds this helpful.

I live in rural Ireland and regularly fly my P3P over 2km away and have never used RTH I always switch to map view and fly the craft back manually.
My P3P is 16m/s or 50 kmph I need the wind speed to be less for the craft to return.

Very good suggestions here. Although I will respectfully disagree with intentionally flying BVLOS. If you follow those suggestions above, your drone should return to you. But going 2 Kilometers out, you can't tell everything that is going on around you - only in front of you - If you haven't lost signal.

 

[SteveP55]

Let's not get carried away, terrorist, THAT sounds just like something one of the people who are scared to death of RC drones would say, if you fly a mission responsibly like way out in the country as I have done many times, and you can't even find a person for miles, it is terrorism.
What ever flips your button I suppose...lol

 

[SteveP55]

Hi, Jordan
I do know the “itch” to want to really spread er wings and fly to the limits! But I got over that, never did it and am really glad. I firmly believe that flying out of unaided visual sight is totally irresponsible, and poses a significant potiental threat to others- in fact in some ways is the definition of terrorism. Please get over it and fly by the book, FCC and the book of common sense. Thanks Guy.

I think the definition Terrorist Threat is just a bit over board here, If you fly out in the country away from others what is the threat besides you might lose your drone, come on... I have flown many missions responsibly way out and away from others and not once have I harmed any one, I didn't spend thousands of dollars on drones to fly around my back yard, I could've done that for about fifty bucks. Unless you have tried it Don't knock it ok, just like any thing in life, SAFETY first of course, But lets not create un founded fear of exploring new horizons..... Just a thought.
SteveP55

 

[Geepixey]

You are right to be scared. The Phantom 3 Standard has few protections against crashing into things. I flew out of range a couple weeks ago, and the automatic return function kicked in, but it had memorized the wrong home point and came down into a tree and damaged the gimbal and cable. I'm about ready to sell it for parts and find a drone with some more built-in protections.

How close was the tree to take off point? Everytime I fly my p3s I take it to max range and let it return without issue, the p3s doesn't have great range anyway, my mavic goes 7km and returns every time, I've built up confidence with the rth system however my bigger quad(650)with naza scares the crap out me Everytime I flick the rth

 

[3rdof5]

Nice one - got a link to that video, please?

Here's the video. My mistake 5800 meters not 6800. Still crazy tho.

 

[SteveP55]

Here's the video. My mistake 5800 meters not 6800. Still crazy tho.

Hi Twilightdrone,
Nice flight brother, I love flying missions with some distance, great job, some on here call us terrorists for these kind of flights. Lol, fear mongering is what I call remarks as such, I call it discovering new horizons... good job, you beat me by a long way, !
SteveP55

 

[3rdof5]

Hi Twilightdrone,
Nice flight brother, I love flying missions with some distance, great job, some on here call us terrorists for these kind of flights. Lol, fear mongering is what I call remarks as such, I call it discovering new horizons... good job,
SteveP55

To be fair that wasnt me lol. And thats a crazy flight. All safety and legality issues aside, I think that's a very clear demonstration of the reliability of the P3. Like Dji says, it always comes home.

 

[SteveP55]

Oh OK, but yes that does prove the point ! On my missions I have only flown 2.4 mile missions round trip and all three of my Birds have not once ever not came home safely, and I do understand the ones who have a fear of this sort of flying , but some common sense and flight preparation and I just don't see calling it a sort of terrorism LOL. This is a cool video Thanks for sharing !
SteveP55