Thanks for the tips Hands Down. I'll try to relax and pay more attention to the compass display next time I fly. I'm waiting for the day when I can go "Ahh no problem!" and trust its homing instincts.
2nd flight and I'm a bag of nerves.
- Thread starter Mike T.
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So this has been a long running issue on the Forum with many threads.
My average flight is 2500 ft out 100 ft high during the day to stay within VLOS so I can negotiate the birds over the water.
If i go any further than I do like a flashing light on the drone.
Phantomrain.org
Gear to fly in the Rain, Land on the Water.
My average flight is 2500 ft out 100 ft high during the day to stay within VLOS so I can negotiate the birds over the water.
If i go any further than I do like a flashing light on the drone.
Phantomrain.org
Gear to fly in the Rain, Land on the Water.
Welcome to the forum. I was also very nervous the first time I flew. I also dare not let the drone out of my sight. But after I get used to it slowly, I won't be nervous anymore. I believe it will be fine after you fly a few more times. Trust yourself! If you happen to look for a handy case to carry and protect it, check out our MA200 hard case. Enjoy!
I fly a Mini 3 Pro and it is Tiny and too often the same color as the sky in SE Michigan, and I had similar experiences and questions to yours when I started flying. Also, I have an aversion to adding more stress to my life and although I started flying with a purpose in mind, I had hoped the drone would help relieve stress and would add amusement in my life. So....I had to figure out how to get "comfort" and the box of my "this is cool" flight parameters. As for the visual part of in-flight tracking and being able to fly to a predetermined distant destination without the map, I went about it very purposefully.
Probably the most important things I did as a new pilot was to train my brain and to not fly beyond my comfort and capability.
Next most important thing--I spent Many of my early flight hours purposefully training myself with "Fly, Find, Repeat" exercises: Visually track and fly to a certain predetermined height and approximate distance (to over that tree, that barn, that house, 100 yards away), look down briefly and note the actual distance and height, look right back up at the stationary drone. Repeat. Look somewhere away from the drone (like scanning for a plane you just heard), look back at the drone. Repeat. Turn your body around 180 degrees (like talking to the person who just walked up behind you). Repeat.
I Repeated it with different heights, different distances, and in each new place I flew. I learned things like what my aircraft even looks like at 100/200/400' feet, at 500/1,000'/2,000' feet distance. I trained my brain to know for what it is looking. (and I sorta trained my brain to ignore the floaters in my eyes when looking at a grey sky--some floaters being much bigger than the drone). I learned a few visual aids, like at a distance of 1,000 feet and 200' elevation, the drone is about "2 fists" above the horizon, how blue sky is different from grey sky, etc...I really don't enjoy flying nervous--It is a sign of some "marginality" in flight conditions, and although I can manage it if I know to what margin I am close (on purpose), it is an indication of impending "danger" if not.
I did Fly/Find/Repeat with longer times of eyes off drone, then at the next position, then the next, etc. For me it went much better when I progressed in an orderly fashion along a wedge shape--I added distance and height for each new station. it seemed much more difficult for my brain to "get it" when I added only one or the other.
I learned to scan with small eye movements paying attention to peripheral vision.
I learned to Rock the Drone fore and aft to help me find it--especially if using strobes.
Then, when I knew for multiple heights and distances what my visual target probably looked like and what probably was the best head and eye angle to use at first glance, I started adding motion---Look down while flying some direction, look up and locate, look down, look up.... although much of this is accomplished when doing serial stations in the exercise above.
I also "Flew the Map" for Fly/Find/Repeat. I found this exercise built on and was somewhat accomplished by doing the prior exercises. To Fly the Map I flew to some predetermined position and height by monitoring only the map (and flight radio). Next, while still looking down, I visualized in my mind where I was going to look, what my head and eye position would be, what the drone was going to look like before I looked up. It feels great and is a Super confidence builder when these go well, especially if you are doing it in a visually noisy environment (crowded skyline, many fast-moving bright clouds, dusk, etc.)
I do some amount of all of this when I go to a new place. At the very least I will fly the first battery for fly find repeat hitting the major stations--Overhead, high and far, low and far, near the greatest obstacle in the flight path. (I find the high cone overhead to be the hardest positions.)
I haven't flown in about 2 weeks due to my cra-cra job, so I am going to fly for the maintenance Fly/Find/repeat--and stress relief.
If this seems like a lot and a lot of time just remember this while you're flying these missions, just remember while you are flying the exercises--You Are Flying! How Great Is This! It is a really nice "excuse" or purpose to fly when you want to go up but have no rhyme or reason to do so.
Enjoy your new drone and best to you!
Mike107
Probably the most important things I did as a new pilot was to train my brain and to not fly beyond my comfort and capability.
Next most important thing--I spent Many of my early flight hours purposefully training myself with "Fly, Find, Repeat" exercises: Visually track and fly to a certain predetermined height and approximate distance (to over that tree, that barn, that house, 100 yards away), look down briefly and note the actual distance and height, look right back up at the stationary drone. Repeat. Look somewhere away from the drone (like scanning for a plane you just heard), look back at the drone. Repeat. Turn your body around 180 degrees (like talking to the person who just walked up behind you). Repeat.
I Repeated it with different heights, different distances, and in each new place I flew. I learned things like what my aircraft even looks like at 100/200/400' feet, at 500/1,000'/2,000' feet distance. I trained my brain to know for what it is looking. (and I sorta trained my brain to ignore the floaters in my eyes when looking at a grey sky--some floaters being much bigger than the drone). I learned a few visual aids, like at a distance of 1,000 feet and 200' elevation, the drone is about "2 fists" above the horizon, how blue sky is different from grey sky, etc...I really don't enjoy flying nervous--It is a sign of some "marginality" in flight conditions, and although I can manage it if I know to what margin I am close (on purpose), it is an indication of impending "danger" if not.
I did Fly/Find/Repeat with longer times of eyes off drone, then at the next position, then the next, etc. For me it went much better when I progressed in an orderly fashion along a wedge shape--I added distance and height for each new station. it seemed much more difficult for my brain to "get it" when I added only one or the other.
I learned to scan with small eye movements paying attention to peripheral vision.
I learned to Rock the Drone fore and aft to help me find it--especially if using strobes.
Then, when I knew for multiple heights and distances what my visual target probably looked like and what probably was the best head and eye angle to use at first glance, I started adding motion---Look down while flying some direction, look up and locate, look down, look up.... although much of this is accomplished when doing serial stations in the exercise above.
I also "Flew the Map" for Fly/Find/Repeat. I found this exercise built on and was somewhat accomplished by doing the prior exercises. To Fly the Map I flew to some predetermined position and height by monitoring only the map (and flight radio). Next, while still looking down, I visualized in my mind where I was going to look, what my head and eye position would be, what the drone was going to look like before I looked up. It feels great and is a Super confidence builder when these go well, especially if you are doing it in a visually noisy environment (crowded skyline, many fast-moving bright clouds, dusk, etc.)
I do some amount of all of this when I go to a new place. At the very least I will fly the first battery for fly find repeat hitting the major stations--Overhead, high and far, low and far, near the greatest obstacle in the flight path. (I find the high cone overhead to be the hardest positions.)
I haven't flown in about 2 weeks due to my cra-cra job, so I am going to fly for the maintenance Fly/Find/repeat--and stress relief.
If this seems like a lot and a lot of time just remember this while you're flying these missions, just remember while you are flying the exercises--You Are Flying! How Great Is This! It is a really nice "excuse" or purpose to fly when you want to go up but have no rhyme or reason to do so.
Enjoy your new drone and best to you!
Mike107
Visual Aides--
I use different strobe configurations when flying depending on what I am doing and if there are people around, and I have experimented with reflective tape (almost to the extent of a "semi skin of Solas).
If I plan to fly far I use 5 strobes: Vifly multicolor strobes attached to each front arm by hairbands and a third one on the bottom, one multicolor Firehouse Arc V on top, and one multicolor Arc V White on the rear. I can see my M3P and tell orientation by lights to a distance over 3,900'. "Rocking" the drone is really helpful when you are having trouble finding a lighted drone. Most lights strobe lights are too columnated...
I find the Vifly less powerful but also less columnated than the Arc V, so Vifly are often better for visually locating the drone at "kinda" long distances at all times in flight. They are also small, light, multicolor (but only two white configurations use multiple LED's). the Arc V are so powerful but are lensed to a tighter cone by design (although the owner said they'd look into adding some Fresnels for added lateral dispersion in future lens designs.)
Two Vifly on the rear make it really easy to find the drone as it speeds away from you but will peter out before one arc V white strobe does--but at very respectable distances. The Arc V stops being well visible in straight line flight way earlier than two Vifly, but you can get one Arc V Way Way out, orient the light to yourself according to the controller, and rock the drone. It'll show up. Oh, yeah.
I am so far not comfortable flying beyond 3/4 mile or so and I don't have the right light combo to give me aircraft orientation beyond this distance... yet. I used clip-on holders to mount two Arc V to the front arms, which was certainly visible at distance, but I didn't like the feel of the aircraft with that set up so I aborted my test flights at that time, because I had other flight objectives. I plan to try again.
I have also experimented with reflective tape after getting and education at Reflective Inc. and other places. When you choose a tape, be sure you know if its purpose is to reflect light back to the source (turn it around 180 degrees) or is meant to reflect it in a wider dispersion pattern. You also have to know its flexibility if you are not placing it on a flat surface.
If you get a tape that reflects primarily back to the source (sunlight back to the sun) you will get different results than if you get a wide angle/dispersion tape. For example, the SOLAS tape doesn't help much "at all times." I generally don't see any reflectance during flight. However, it is capable of producing huge flashes randomly while in flight and sometimes yawing--I thought my quad blew up in a "lipo conflagration" the first time I saw it! It is also more likely to show up when rocking a stationary drone. It is a bit hit and miss if it shows, but when it hits it is very visible in both the brightest daylight and at dusk.....but it is hit and miss unless you cause it to show.
Tape trade-offs are like strobes... like Vifly strobes you can see often in flight but not as far away, vs. the Arc V which can show up far far away but is "too shy" to be seen all the times.
Mike107
I use different strobe configurations when flying depending on what I am doing and if there are people around, and I have experimented with reflective tape (almost to the extent of a "semi skin of Solas).
If I plan to fly far I use 5 strobes: Vifly multicolor strobes attached to each front arm by hairbands and a third one on the bottom, one multicolor Firehouse Arc V on top, and one multicolor Arc V White on the rear. I can see my M3P and tell orientation by lights to a distance over 3,900'. "Rocking" the drone is really helpful when you are having trouble finding a lighted drone. Most lights strobe lights are too columnated...
I find the Vifly less powerful but also less columnated than the Arc V, so Vifly are often better for visually locating the drone at "kinda" long distances at all times in flight. They are also small, light, multicolor (but only two white configurations use multiple LED's). the Arc V are so powerful but are lensed to a tighter cone by design (although the owner said they'd look into adding some Fresnels for added lateral dispersion in future lens designs.)
Two Vifly on the rear make it really easy to find the drone as it speeds away from you but will peter out before one arc V white strobe does--but at very respectable distances. The Arc V stops being well visible in straight line flight way earlier than two Vifly, but you can get one Arc V Way Way out, orient the light to yourself according to the controller, and rock the drone. It'll show up. Oh, yeah.
I am so far not comfortable flying beyond 3/4 mile or so and I don't have the right light combo to give me aircraft orientation beyond this distance... yet. I used clip-on holders to mount two Arc V to the front arms, which was certainly visible at distance, but I didn't like the feel of the aircraft with that set up so I aborted my test flights at that time, because I had other flight objectives. I plan to try again.
I have also experimented with reflective tape after getting and education at Reflective Inc. and other places. When you choose a tape, be sure you know if its purpose is to reflect light back to the source (turn it around 180 degrees) or is meant to reflect it in a wider dispersion pattern. You also have to know its flexibility if you are not placing it on a flat surface.
If you get a tape that reflects primarily back to the source (sunlight back to the sun) you will get different results than if you get a wide angle/dispersion tape. For example, the SOLAS tape doesn't help much "at all times." I generally don't see any reflectance during flight. However, it is capable of producing huge flashes randomly while in flight and sometimes yawing--I thought my quad blew up in a "lipo conflagration" the first time I saw it! It is also more likely to show up when rocking a stationary drone. It is a bit hit and miss if it shows, but when it hits it is very visible in both the brightest daylight and at dusk.....but it is hit and miss unless you cause it to show.
Tape trade-offs are like strobes... like Vifly strobes you can see often in flight but not as far away, vs. the Arc V which can show up far far away but is "too shy" to be seen all the times.
Mike107
Not always. Beware of higher winds as you go higher.
Situational awareness is another key. Ask me how I know (look up when you take off...)
Tarmactripper
Well-Known Member
Tarmactripper
Well-Known Member
I know exactly how you were feeling, i had a similar experience when flying R/C helicopters many years ago, I transitioned to drones fairly recently, it was not difficult for me, but keeping los on a small drone, is totally different to larger R/C helicopters with practice comes experience, keep it relatively low and close till your confidence comes up, enjoy you flying, I do.
Thanks for the comforting words Tarmac. I'm sure I'll feel much better in time and by taking baby-steps and not getting ahead of myself i'm getting better daily.
a2tomm
Well-Known Member
Trust the technology
Trust the technology the Air 2 is not a toy and will not act like one ,take the bird up about 300 feet fly it around take it out a few hundred feet hit the RTH button .Stop worrying about the LINE OF SIGHT thing .YOUTUBE is a great place to ask any question ,there have been thousands of videos on your drone
Most places that I fly have so many tall (as in 100 foot or so) trees that I often need to navigate branches on take-off, so I've never used RTH. The altitude also needs to be set high enough to clear obstructions (those tall trees for me...) but not so high that it catches high level winds. Or does 400 feet always work?
You folks that live in more open places have it easy!
You folks that live in more open places have it easy!
baddog
Well-Known Member
1043+ flights in my career as a professional drone pilot and today, flying a 100 acre, photogrammetry flight....
Attachments
frcaloy
Well-Known Member
I sometimes fly in areas with high rise buildings, some exceeding 500' AGL. My RTH is 400' and I don't fly 'behind' tall buildings that block the LOS of the RC with the drone.
So far, no problems with the winds aloft at 400'. I execute smart RTH from time to time with no problems. I am conservative when it comes to battery power. I always land with plus 20% battery life.
Again, if you are a newbie, altitude is your friend. Just don't exceed 400'. Most crashes occur at low altitudes.
Good tips fr ! Thank you for taking the time to answer. I'm learning slowly and tips from experienced people are helping lots.
Superb, Mike107. Great advice. Thanks for taking the time to relate your experience.
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