Advice flying around harvesters and chaser bins?

[ContentedVideo]

Hi guys,

i"ve had my Mavic for a while but use it mostly for photography, landscapes generally. I'm about to capture my second harvest year but I don't own a farm so I don't practise around working machinery often. Could you tell me please how close I can fly to harvesters without risk of losing control of the Mavic. On Sunday it was awfully windy so I flew at height (which of course made the wind even worse) and not too close to the machinery so now I'm hoping to get some closer shots.

I've been asked if I would like to fly over four harvesters (headers in Australia) this year so I imagine there's some risks involved in that!

Thank you,
Anna

 

[Meta4]

Could you tell me please how close I can fly to harvesters without risk of losing control of the Mavic. On Sunday it was awfully windy so I flew at height (which of course made the wind even worse) and not too close to the machinery so now I'm hoping to get some closer shots.
I've been asked if I would like to fly over four harvesters (headers in Australia) this year so I imagine there's some risks involved in that!

Hi Anna ... the risks are nowhere near what you are imagining.
If you are far enough back to see the whole machine rather than parts of the machine, you'll have no worries.
Five metres or more would be fine.

 

[Robert Mitchell]

Hi guys,

i"ve had my Mavic for a while but use it mostly for photography, landscapes generally. I'm about to capture my second harvest year but I don't own a farm so I don't practise around working machinery often. Could you tell me please how close I can fly to harvesters without risk of losing control of the Mavic. On Sunday it was awfully windy so I flew at height (which of course made the wind even worse) and not too close to the machinery so now I'm hoping to get some closer shots.

I've been asked if I would like to fly over four harvesters (headers in Australia) this year so I imagine there's some risks involved in that!

Thank you,
Anna

I’ve done some of that here in the US. If you talk to the operator in advance and let him know what’s up, they won’t be are surprised by the drone coming out of the blue.

As for how close, if well planned you can come within a few feet and be fine. It’s not as if they are fast or unpredictable, and the terrain is generally close to level on most farmland I know. Keeping your obstacle avoidance on, might be helpful but will drive you crazy when near the machinery. Also be aware of overhead wires in advance as many fields here in the US, often have them passing over the fields.

Doing orbits slightly higher than the machinery yet still keeping the background terrain/horizon in view is always dramatic and cool. Flying directly overhead might or might not be an issue with your regulations. I don’t know how it is there.

I’d love to come there sometime though, as I understand it is a beautiful place!

 

[PAW]

Some quick outtakes from our walnut harvest this fall. Not a finished product, have not mixed sound back into it, etc.... be sure to note the loss of GPS at the end.

 

[RadioFlyerMan]

Hi guys,

i"ve had my Mavic for a while but use it mostly for photography, landscapes generally. I'm about to capture my second harvest year but I don't own a farm so I don't practise around working machinery often. Could you tell me please how close I can fly to harvesters without risk of losing control of the Mavic. On Sunday it was awfully windy so I flew at height (which of course made the wind even worse) and not too close to the machinery so now I'm hoping to get some closer shots.

I've been asked if I would like to fly over four harvesters (headers in Australia) this year so I imagine there's some risks involved in that!

Thank you,
Anna

I don't think you will experience any interference. I did a similar kind of thing with no problem, although I was probably not as close as you want to.

 

[MAvic_South_Oz]

Hi Anna, nice project.

You've been asked to film these harvesters, I expect by the farm operators ?
If so, that's permission to fly as arranged / needed for desired footage.
All you need to do now is plan the flight and make sure all know exactly what flight moves etc you'll be doing, so no surprises for them on the ground.

As far as proximity to the harvesters, yes all good up to virtually full framing one . . . you probably don't want to go any closer than that anyway.

I have flown over a wheat harvester from some height / distance early on in my drone ownership, only got a few photos clipped from a very out of focus video.

You are right about the wind !!
If it's in the SA / Vic mallee areas, the wind is such a darn menace, always seems to be blowing, but then you will get what I think is the very best for filming, a light breeze of 5 - 10km/hr, just enough to blow the dust away from the harvester, and it's such good footage seeing that long dust trail.

So, if possible, bide your time and get the best footage at early for late daylight hour, in the right conditions, will be stunning.

 

[Bob1956]

Are dust clouds an issue? Remember being in a Cessna years ago and we spotted a huge brown cloud on the horizon . When we got enough it was actually a tractor pulling a wide disc plow across a field of dirt. Wonder if those harvesters throw up grain dust?

 

[MAvic_South_Oz]

Are dust clouds an issue? Remember being in a Cessna years ago and we spotted a huge brown cloud on the horizon . When we got enough it was actually a tractor pulling a wide disc plow across a field of dirt. Wonder if those harvesters throw up grain dust?

Yep, it'd be wise to stay out of those !!
One of the reasons a light breeze is good, to clear it away in one direction that you can avoid.

 

[crlmjohnson]

Hi guys,

i"ve had my Mavic for a while but use it mostly for photography, landscapes generally. I'm about to capture my second harvest year but I don't own a farm so I don't practise around working machinery often. Could you tell me please how close I can fly to harvesters without risk of losing control of the Mavic. On Sunday it was awfully windy so I flew at height (which of course made the wind even worse) and not too close to the machinery so now I'm hoping to get some closer shots.

I've been asked if I would like to fly over four harvesters (headers in Australia) this year so I imagine there's some risks involved in that!

Thank you,
Anna

I fly around big construction vehicles all the time. no issues.

 

[mmlaverman]

It's a blast! As others indicate watch the wind and dust but in the end you will end up with awesome footage.

 

[Dave Maine]

Two issues:

The biggest for working close is Obstacle avoidance. It will abruptly stop or alter the flight path. Worse, it won’t see any support wires on the equipment

The ability to maintain sharp focus if you don’t have a camera with focus control will limit you to staying back from the subject at least 3 or 4 feet.

 

[pmshop]

Just watch tons of videos for tips and tricks.

 

[ContentedVideo]

Thanks everyone, I had a practice run around a single harvester on Sunday morning. Conditions were optimal for flying. At one point I took perfect footage but forgot to press record. Been a while since I've done that. Flying again tomorrow. Interesting to read to switch off obstacle avoidance. I'm not sure I'm that confident a pilot. Also read that switching off downward facing sensors occasionally if terrain not level (hilly). Anyway, practice, practice, practive. Loving the videos. Thanks, Anna

 

[sdold]

Just a thought. It's probably better to stay over the part that's already been harvested. You know, in case it auto-lands or something ;-)

 

[ContentedVideo]

Just a thought. It's probably better to stay over the part that's already been harvested. You know, in case it auto-lands or something ;-)

I have actually had it repeatedly go into auto landing mode a couple of years ago while filming a harvester using POI and Helix mode. It was really annoying and so now I just fly manual.

 

[Meta4]

Flying again tomorrow. Interesting to read to switch off obstacle avoidance. I'm not sure I'm that confident a pilot. Also read that switching off downward facing sensors occasionally if terrain not level (hilly).

There shouldn't be a lot of obstacles over a wheat field.
When there's nothing to hit, there's no need for obstacle avoidance - enjoy the extra speed without it.