Successful Litchi Missions

[MassDrone]

Here's a video I made today (Independence Day) using a P3S and Litchi. The starting and stopping point for each mission was my own driveway. Winds were essentially calm - at 390 feet the wind speed was 2mph. This allowed me to fly several missions at fairly slow speeds. Most of the missions took about 17-18 minutes, and still the batteries were above 40% on returning home. Watch full screen, 1080p.

 

[saltire]

Great video plenty of nice houses in view and some mega expensive real estate.

 

[Hayabusa1]

Very nice! Are you just setting way points and letting it go? How far out are you going?
Do you have full control?

 

[MassDrone]

Very nice! Are you just setting way points and letting it go? How far out are you going?
Do you have full control?

Yes, just programming the waypoints using Litchi Mission Hub on a web browser. I have to adjust the altitudes to climb safely over some local hills and then dip down over the water.

Once a mission is started in Litchi, it runs autonomously until the mission is completed. So long as the drone is in range of the controller I can take control and fly manually.

 

[MassDrone]

Great video plenty of nice houses in view and some mega expensive real estate.

Thanks. Although the waterfront properties are pricier than others, this is not an especially expensive part of Massachusetts. We're about 30 miles west of downtown Boston.

 

[FlyingCircles]

When creating a mission does Litchi figure-in the upper winds when it displays the calculated flight time?

 

[MassDrone]

When creating a mission does Litchi figure-in the upper winds when it displays the calculated flight time?

No, it has no way to estimate winds, so the flight time estimate is based on distance and planned ground speed. So long as the ground speed is possible, the flight time should be accurate.

 

[FlyingCircles]

That's what I thought. I am concerned about flight time and battery capacity. If I create a mission and Litchi calculates flight time at 18 minutes with no effects for the wind and then in reality the winds are such that the battery reaches critical level before the mission ends- what happens?

 

[53-63-6f-74-74]

That's what I thought. I am concerned about flight time and battery capacity. If I create a mission and Litchi calculates flight time at 18 minutes with no effects for the wind and then in reality the winds are such that the battery reaches critical level before the mission ends- what happens?

Smart RTH will still be able to activate, unless you specifically turn it off in DJIgo.

 

[Fester]

That's what I thought. I am concerned about flight time and battery capacity. If I create a mission and Litchi calculates flight time at 18 minutes with no effects for the wind and then in reality the winds are such that the battery reaches critical level before the mission ends- what happens?

Lets change the question a bit. If you were flying a full size aircraft and pushing your fuel to the limit, would you???

 

[FlyingCircles]

Not a good analogy since I'm not sitting in the drone. IMHO

 

[FASTFJR]

Here's a video I made today (Independence Day) using a P3S and Litchi. The starting and stopping point for each mission was my own driveway. Winds were essentially calm - at 390 feet the wind speed was 2mph. This allowed me to fly several missions at fairly slow speeds. Most of the missions took about 17-18 minutes, and still the batteries were above 40% on returning home. Watch full screen, 1080p.

Nice! I've been using the App for a while and really like it. I've done a bunch of videos including a time lapse.

 

[Fester]

Not a good analogy since I'm not sitting in the drone. IMHO

Well, if you consider keeping what is a considerable investment for most of us, happily intact, its a very good analogy. If you lose it (even if it effects no one else), because of poor judgment (like many other tales of woe here and elsewhere), do not expect sympathy.

As a postscript, since passenger carrying autonomous drones are close to being placed into service in some areas, the analogy absolutely applies.

 

[anotherlab]

Not a good analogy since I'm not sitting in the drone. IMHO

It's still a valid point. If you plan on flying for the full charge of the battery, it just takes a change in the wind to make the difference between a successful flight and the drone coming down out of your control.

 

[FlyingCircles]

It's still a valid point. If you plan on flying for the full charge of the battery, it just takes a change in the wind to make the difference between a successful flight and the drone coming down out of your control.

This was exactly my concern and reason for asking. The winds aloft are available and it wouldn't be impossible for Litchi or any other software to access that data and include in the time calculations.

 

[anotherlab]

This was exactly my concern and reason for asking. The winds aloft are available and it wouldn't be impossible for Litchi or any other software to access that data and include in the time calculations.

The problem is how up to date the wind speed data is and how precise it is.

 

[macoman]

Nice! I've been using the App for a while and really like it. I've done a bunch of videos including a time lapse.

Great videos, are you from the Philly area? I live in the Northeast and I been around Philly too making drone videos too.

 

[anotherlab]

One thing to remember with Litchi is that it may not have the most accurate terrain information. I flew my first real Litchi mission over some farmland in central NY last weekend and I did not allow enough height over a hill. It said the ground level differential was 7m, but that was off by at least 10m. I didn't hit anything, but it went by a tree so close that I nearly needed a change of clothes. Lesson learned. On the plus side I had a great time flying over acres of farmland.

 

[FASTFJR]

Great videos, are you from the Philly area? I live in the Northeast and I been around Philly too making drone videos too.

Yes, I live in Wyndmoor