Taking off and landing from a boat

[Ben F]

Found the guide on the link below pretty useful for a recent boat trip I took on a local lake.

Thought I would share it.

How To: Takeoff & Land A Drone On A Boat Or Yacht

 

[Meta4]

Found the guide on the link below pretty useful for a recent boat trip I took on a local lake.

That's fine if your boat is 50 metres long, otherwise hand launching and catching is necessary.

 

[PhantomFandom]

Found the guide on the link below pretty useful for a recent boat trip I took on a local lake.

Thought I would share it.

How To: Takeoff & Land A Drone On A Boat Or Yacht

The article is a good start but actually is woefully lacking, and will get some unsuspecting new pilot in trouble with false confidence. Taking off and landing on a boat (especially a moving one) is the one of the most difficult maneuvers for any drone pilot. It takes experience, planning, backup plans, and a very good knowledge of the entire flight environment.

 

[Capt KO]

Be sure your device (screen) is GPS enabled so the drone will return to you, Not the takeoff point. Set RTH as you. This also enables “Follow Me” mode. Both necessary for boat flights. Always hand catch. Practice boat flying by sitting in the back of a moving pickup truck ?
Enjoy, carefully

PS; Don’t try this with a Mavic Mini! It’s too dumb to safely fly from a vessel.

 

[Capt KO]

One more trick. Much easier to land in reverse aboard a vessel. The controls will now move exactly the same as the drone. Right slides right, left slides left, back comes toward you. Left stick only gets the correct height while the right stick brings it gently into your waiting hands. Easy enough, Practice makes perfect. Have fun.

 

[Boston Rob]

Most of my drone work is over water. I've splashed two drones in five years of flying; it happens. I'm flying a P3P and have been and am happy with the results. I don't have many of the features in later models so flying off boats gets very nerve wracking as you are trying to capture from a moving boat. If you can launch and recover from an anchored or stationary boat, that is always best. I splashed my most recent P3P in March as I launched off a moving boat and one of the props clipped the boat's antenna and knocked off a hunk of prop. From that point, recovery was futile and I watched helplessly as it flew wildly with little control from me until it ascended about 100' erratically, and then the engines shut down and it fill like a stone into the shipping channel and sank. ugh. Overall, flying over water pretty easy and more so than flying blindly over land where trees and other obstacles can come up on you without seeing them as are focused down on the water. Most of my work involves crew racing and training. The drone is tremendously helpful as a coaching tool. If you crash on land, you have a chance to recover the drone. Not so on water. The first crash I managed to recover but after being submerged in salt water, I didn't trust the drone. I put new engines on it and I did get it back in the air, but the risk of surprises was too great to risk dropping it on a crew team so that drone was retired. The second one is in Davy Jones' locker. The third P3P is good but I'm a lot more careful about launching from land whenever possible.

 

[Capt KO]

Most of my drone work is over water. I've splashed two drones in five years of flying; it happens. I'm flying a P3P and have been and am happy with the results. I don't have many of the features in later models so flying off boats gets very nerve wracking as you are trying to capture from a moving boat. If you can launch and recover from an anchored or stationary boat, that is always best. I splashed my most recent P3P in March as I launched off a moving boat and one of the props clipped the boat's antenna and knocked off a hunk of prop. From that point, recovery was futile and I watched helplessly as it flew wildly with little control from me until it ascended about 100' erratically, and then the engines shut down and it fill like a stone into the shipping channel and sank. ugh. Overall, flying over water pretty easy and more so than flying blindly over land where trees and other obstacles can come up on you without seeing them as are focused down on the water. Most of my work involves crew racing and training. The drone is tremendously helpful as a coaching tool. If you crash on land, you have a chance to recover the drone. Not so on water. The first crash I managed to recover but after being submerged in salt water, I didn't trust the drone. I put new engines on it and I did get it back in the air, but the risk of surprises was too great to risk dropping it on a crew team so that drone was retired. The second one is in Davy Jones' locker. The third P3P is good but I'm a lot more careful about launching from land whenever possible.

Any additional recommendations for water landings? Takeoff is easy, landings, not so much. I know what works for me but interested in how you do it.

 

[Boston Rob]

Any additional recommendations for water landings? Takeoff is easy, landings, not so much. I know what works for me but interested in how you do it.

Cap'n KO: Understanding that I fly a P3P with landing skids, I will approach from behind (whether moving or stationary boat) and then bring the drone in just above head height and have a "catcher" at the stern who will reach up and grab the landing gear. Once they have it, I can shut down the engines. The person catching has to know that the drone will fight with them to get free so they have to hold on tightly until the engines shut down. There's more stability in the stern when under way and also when moored or anchored. Have someone catch the landing gear and you should practice on dry land with them first so they know the drone will tug to get free with any movement of the boat which they can simulate by just taking a few steps.

My two cents...

 

[Capt KO]

Cap'n KO: Understanding that I fly a P3P with landing skids, I will approach from behind (whether moving or stationary boat) and then bring the drone in just above head height and have a "catcher" at the stern who will reach up and grab the landing gear. Once they have it, I can shut down the engines. The person catching has to know that the drone will fight with them to get free so they have to hold on tightly until the engines shut down. There's more stability in the stern when under way and also when moored or anchored. Have someone catch the landing gear and you should practice on dry land with them first so they know the drone will tug to get free with any movement of the boat which they can simulate by just taking a few steps.

My two cents...

I do the same but by myself (flying backwards). I don't trust anyone else to grab it. I use the P4 as the legs are much easier to grab than my mavic. The Mavic (Mini no less) has a "Getter Back" float hanging underneath to grab on to but not easy. Thanks, stay dry ?

 

[Capt KO]

Turn off OA on a P4P or it won't let you catch it. P4 no problem in reverse, no rear sensors.

 

[Meta4]

The person catching has to know that the drone will fight with them to get free so they have to hold on tightly until the engines shut down.

Having a catcher is a huge help.
Catching on your own from a moving boat is quite a challenge.

One thing you could try to stop the drone fighting (because it's trying to hold position) is to quickly flick the Flight Mode switch to Atti as soon as the catcher has the drone.
Then it's not going to try to hold position and things will be a lot calmer.
I also launch in Atti mode if I'm working from a moving vessel and then flick to P-GPS mode when the drone is clear of the boat.

 

[Boston Rob]

Unrelated to topic: @Meta4 - I just lost about an hour of my day enjoying your photographs of shipping. They are fantastic and very well presented. I am impressed. Thank you for your link.

 

[skiptv]

taking off and landing from a boar is very very hard.

 

[PhantomWetSuits]

taking off and landing from a boar is very very hard.

After loosing a phantom in the water , you come to realize quickly that having a back up plan is critical.

If your going to fly from the boat , there our circumstances that our going to challenge you that you cannot possibly for see..

Trying to rely on other people that our not really familiar with your drone can prove to be a disaster.

Once you know that your phantom will float , your less likely to PANIC which is the cause for most boating incidents with your drone.

Recommend you get the Phantom Rescue Ring, and take that stress away, you will be able to make much better decisions because of it.

If your wondering how it flys, you can check this video out.

Phantomrain.org
Gear to float your Phantom and Fly in the rain.

 

[Andy9]

Catching a drone on a moving boat when you flying it at the same time is very very tricky. It is impossible to operate both sticks and grabbing it.
Even a take off from a moving boat can do troubles if you don't do that from a stern.
The drone tends to hold it's position over a launch point and while the boat is moving and before you'll realise what is going on your drone will crash into something on the boat or worse - into some person.