Any tips for flying near the ocean/water/beach?

[theskyisthelimit99]

In the coming week or so.. i'm planning on taking my mavic with me onboard a delta flight, using the lowerpro viewpoint 250BP bag as a carry on personal item (either under the seat or by the legs) with dji goggles stuffed inside (if they get here in time, via bhphoto)..

Down in pensacola fl, i've seen some drone videos, apparently you can fly there so long as the blue angels arent flying and you arent in the no fly zone.. and apparently you can fly during peak hours and noone should bother you, though i dont like flying over people (obviously i guess).

I'm thinking ill wait till after 4pm and take it up, staying just at the border of the water/beach avoiding going over people where possible.

My concerns are winds.. i flew yesterday locally with 20mph.. it was ok for the most part.. but near the ocean those breezes can get bad, maybe not so bad on the gulf, unsure.. i havent been there before.

I dont plan on flying under any bridges or structures over water, so i guess there is no need to adjust sensors..

Any general beach suggestions/tips/experiences.. i'm probably going to avoid going much over the water as a general rule, despite having the whole insurance state farm policy just in case.

Hoping this is pretty cut and dry, take it out, fly up and around, take some nice shots or nice evening shots/video.

Thanks in advance

 

[DomoDan]

I flew out over the water a ton on vacation these past couple of weeks. Just keep VLOS when you're around people. One thing with the beach is landing on sand. Take a cooler or something with a solid top to land and take off from.

 

[theskyisthelimit99]

I flew out over the water a ton on vacation these past couple of weeks. Just keep VLOS when you're around people. One thing with the beach is landing on sand. Take a cooler or something with a solid top to land and take off from.

Nice ok.. did the winds play havoc on things much? I have one of those 42" landing pads with pegs, but they may blow away even with the pegs.. then again, if they are blowing away, i guess its too windy What do you view the cutoff as far as winds go? 20mph gusts?

 

[DomoDan]

I've flown in sustained winds of 20 MPH and done just fine. I should also add the VLOS is, in my opinion, when you're closer than about 30-40 feet to the ground. I feel safe just looking at the camera higher than that but when I buzzed along the water line about 15 feet up my eyes were on the bird itself.

I should also add that I'm a new pilot. Both to the Mavic and drones, but I have done extensive RC place flying in the past so I'm pretty comfortable in most ways.

 

[theskyisthelimit99]

I've flown in sustained winds of 20 MPH and done just fine. I should also add the VLOS is, in my opinion, when you're closer than about 30-40 feet to the ground. I feel safe just looking at the camera higher than that but when I buzzed along the water line about 15 feet up my eyes were on the bird itself.

I should also add that I'm a new pilot. Both to the Mavic and drones, but I have done extensive RC place flying in the past so I'm pretty comfortable in most ways.

Excellent ok..

What about keeping it in a hot car on an 85F day when not flying and at the beach.. i assume thats not the greatest idea for more than an hour anyway?

 

[DomoDan]

Excellent ok..

What about keeping it in a hot car on an 85F day when not flying and at the beach.. i assume thats not the greatest idea for more than an hour anyway?

Honestly I think you'd be fine. It got shipped to you in the back of a dark brown semi trailer by UPS, right? It's 150° in those trailers. I'd put it in the trunk and not give it another thought.

 

[Gerry65]

I live at a condo in Pensacola Beach but haven't been there in over a month due to family matters going on in Illinois. I have FW v600 and have been wondering if I'd even be able to get in the air because I haven't tried that FW version there yet. Last I checked the B4UFly app when at the beach it was very restrictive as there were heliports, NAS and special military operations that covered Pensacola Beach. In the old version of the GoApp I would be reminded of these restrictions and had to check boxes indicating I knew that I was in a restricted area and that I'd gotten permission. At that time I was using the AirMap app as a way to notify folks and identify my route. I was just hoping that would suffice if authorities accosted me, but I'm not sure it would have.

I do believe there is a great place to fly, and legally so, past the Portifino Condos which are east on Via DeLuna drive. Not populated and a place where they fly those contraptions with parachutes with big fans attached to them.

Anyway, take a look at this thread where myself and others have posted about flying at Pensacola Beach:
Looking for drone pilots in NWFL

I definitely would warn against flying over the beach when folks are staring to set up out there. I only fly early in the morning and usually to catch the sunrise and to stay away from crowds. I'm gone by 8:30 or so. I go almost exclusively over water to avoid folks and I can make a case if accosted that I'm only out in the Gulf. in fact, maybe you've seen some of my videos on YouTube and noticed that they're water shots and sunrise conditions. I also fly over the Sound during the day as it's my back yard, but I inform folks out there I'm flying and promise not to bother them. It's illegal to fly over crowds anyway and I guarantee that all it would take is a lifeguard or sunbather seeing you and I bet they'd call authorities and they'd be on you in a NY minute. Authorities are looking for this kind of stuff and beach-goers are especially sensitive about their privacy. AND, definitely don't fly in Fort Pickens Park.

Sorry this got so long but I just want you to be careful and considerate, which I'm sure you probably are. BUT, don't fly over beach crowds as it's not legal and be advised that there are military helicopters flying training missions just off the beach and they fly very low.

Oh, and have fun. It's paradise.

 

[Robert Mitchell]

I was just down there a few weeks ago. There are a LOT of NFZs on Pensacola due to the Naval Air Station. Just look at Airmap and you will be stunned by the NFZ circles and military restricted air spaces around there. Many of those you can ignore as their ceilings are way above surface.

But, there is one area down on Santa Rosa Island, just before you get to the Gulf Islands National Seashore where is it not NFZ, and the beaches out there are stunning.

Also, if you continue east a little further, you will exit the National Seashore (off limits also) and get into Navarre, which is where you are good again.

Be careful. This is where I had to self authorize and after taking off I got a forced NFZ landing, just before setting out over the gulf.

I don't need to tell you what a bad day you would have if If you get a forced landing over the Gulf.

There are several threads on how to avoid getting an erroneous forced landing due to NFZ.

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[newnan3]

I was just down there a few weeks ago. There are a LOT of NFZs on Pensacola due to the Naval Air Station. Just look at Airmap and you will be stunned by the NFZ circles and military restricted air spaces around there. Many of those you can ignore as their ceilings are way above surface.

But, there is one area down on Santa Rosa Island, just before you get to the Gulf Islands National Seashore where is it not NFZ, and the beaches out there are stunning.

Also, if you continue east a little further, you will exit the National Seashore (off limits also) and get into Navarre, which is where you are good again.

Be careful. This is where I had to self authorize and after taking off I got a forced NFZ landing, just before setting out over the gulf.

I don't need to tell you what a bad day you would have if If you get a forced landing over the Gulf.

There are several threads on how to avoid getting an erroneous forced landing due to NFZ.

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Where did your bird self land at??

 

[Robert Mitchell]

Where did your bird self land at??

Navarre Beach, right in front of the pier you see in the thumbnail... in fact it was just a few minutes before I got this shot. Once I re-authorized I was able to continue without incident.

But it took me totally by surprise, as I had already successfully self authorized, and once it started there was no stopping it. Luckily I was not out over the water yet, and I was able to walk over and hand catch it before it went into the sand.

 

[newnan3]

Navarre Beach, right in front of the pier you see in the thumbnail... in fact it was just a few minutes before I got this shot. Once I re-authorized I was able to continue without incident.

But it took me totally by surprise, as I had already successfully self authorized, and once it started there was no stopping it. Luckily I was not out over the water yet, and I was able to walk over and hand catch it before it went into the sand.

Was it a controllable forced landing or did it just go down and you had to run over to it??

 

[Robert Mitchell]

Was it a controllable forced landing or did it just go down and you had to run over to it??

The latter. I had no control once it started it's countdown and I was only about 20 ft or so from it.

 

[Gerry65]

I believe this is the general area mentioned in Robert's post where it's safe to fly without notifying folks. Between Gulf Islands National Seashore and Navarre:
Dropbox - Photo May 26, 12 19 57 PM.jpg

 

[boone]

I don't think people on a public beach would have much of a valid complaint about privacy honestly. It's back yards where privacy is protected, not a public beach.

I fly over the water here in Melbourne Beach all the time. People have mostly been very nice, but I do make a point to reach out and show it to people if they seem interested.

My Beach flying tips:
Turn off OAS if you plan to fly lower than 10 feet or the water may cause you problems. We've heard everything from fly always to fly down into the water, and most of believe those problems were related to the sensors getting tricked or confused. If you're above 10 feet, they shouldn't be a problem, but I still disable them any time I put my Mavic over water, especially if there are waves.

Pay attention to which way the wind is blowing. If it's blowing around 15-20 steady with an onshore heading, you're fine. However, if it's blowing that same amount but OFF shore direction, I'd just not take the chance. Once you get out over the water there will potentially be large swings in the gusts and their direction (vertically). Just be mindful that however fast the wind is blowing, you will need to subtract that from how fast your Mavic can go when you're heading into the wind. That will also greatly affect battery performance so don't think that just because you used 20% of a battery to get to a location that it will only take 20% to get back. It could be more than double that depending on which direction you're going.

Sand and the Mavic are not good bedfellows

Finally, and this one is important, watch out for birds. I have had several incidences where I had to take evasive action to avoid a flock of birds who were strafing my Mavic and making several passes at it. The larger sea gulls are especially tough because they like to fly low and fast before they shoot up to make a dive to grab a fish out of the water. Don't go out of line of sight, or I'd strongly advise against it anyway.

If you have State Farm, I wouldn't stress about flying over the water. Honestly I wouldn't stress about flying over the water anyway. I find it much more relaxing personally. No obstacles. No people to hurt. The only thing I've experienced that to avoid now is a crowd of people who want to distract you from your bird. Just focus on your aircraft regardless of who comes up to talk. Just tell them you have to focus for the moment and then get it back in a nice safe hover before engaging with anyone.

 

[theskyisthelimit99]

I was just down there a few weeks ago. There are a LOT of NFZs on Pensacola due to the Naval Air Station. Just look at Airmap and you will be stunned by the NFZ circles and military restricted air spaces around there. Many of those you can ignore as their ceilings are way above surface.

But, there is one area down on Santa Rosa Island, just before you get to the Gulf Islands National Seashore where is it not NFZ, and the beaches out there are stunning.

Also, if you continue east a little further, you will exit the National Seashore (off limits also) and get into Navarre, which is where you are good again.

Be careful. This is where I had to self authorize and after taking off I got a forced NFZ landing, just before setting out over the gulf.

I don't need to tell you what a bad day you would have if If you get a forced landing over the Gulf.

There are several threads on how to avoid getting an erroneous forced landing due to NFZ.

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For more detailed information, see our cookies page.

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Great video.. at 50seconds onward in this video.. is this the Santa Rosa Island location you mention.. or is this the Navarre area? i'm not familiar with this area/state as of yet, but i'm hoping my relatives may know how to get there. This area looks more my speed. I dont like flying near crowds and there is more terrain to go over vs being over water (i have state farm but still very nervous).

Does this area have a specfic name by chance?.. Was it this area you had to self authorize as well? Or just the other location near the pier? I'm not familiar with the NFZ forced landings.. how do you avoid it suddenly ending up in the drink if so? I know there is a check box to acknowledge the NFZ but i think you are saying despite this it still auto landed randomly? At least i thought this much, that if you get a GPS lock and take off and encounter a NFZ it should just avoid the area, not do a forced landing.. was there a gps lock, safe to take off option initially?

All in all after reading these last posts i'm more nervous about this and having second thoughts on bringing the mavic along, except for maybe this stretch of area in your video perhaps.

I hadnt thought about the bird strike aspect either.

What is the best bet for take off and landing from the sand since they dont mix well? I have a landing pad, but its too big to bring along most likely.. i was thinking large beach towel

Should i definitely turn off object avoidance even flying at say 100 feet above the water.. not sure i'm ok with coming within even 20 feet of the water, but maybe for that downward view of the edge.

I have the uavforecast app.. are there toggles on there i should set to match up with what the mavic software will detect as no fly areas?

 

[Robert Mitchell]

Great video.. at 50seconds onward in this video.. is this the Santa Rosa Island location you mention.. or is this the Navarre area? i'm not familiar with this area/state as of yet, but i'm hoping my relatives may know how to get there. This area looks more my speed. I dont like flying near crowds and there is more terrain to go over vs being over water (i have state farm but still very nervous).

Does this area have a specfic name by chance?.. Was it this area you had to self authorize as well? Or just the other location near the pier? I'm not familiar with the NFZ forced landings.. how do you avoid it suddenly ending up in the drink if so? I know there is a check box to acknowledge the NFZ but i think you are saying despite this it still auto landed randomly?

All in all after reading these last posts i'm more nervous about this and having second thoughts on bringing the mavic along, except for maybe this stretch of area in your video perhaps.

I hadnt thought about the bird strike aspect either.

What is the best bet for take off and landing from the sand since they dont mix well? I have a landing pad, but its too big to bring along most likely.. i was thinking large beach towel

Should i definitely turn off object avoidance even flying at say 100 feet above the water.. not sure i'm ok with coming within even 20 feet of the water, but maybe for that downward view of the edge.

I have the uavforecast app.. are there toggles on there i should set to match up with what the mavic software will detect as no fly areas?

Thanks, and yes that was Santa Rosa Island, between Pensacola Beach and the National Seashore. It is a popular place for paramotors also. I did get an airspace warning there, but if I recall, it didn't require me to self authorize.

No, the forced landing was near the pier at Navarre, on the other side of the National Seashore. There is an excellent thread on how to avoid a NFZ forced landing: How to: avoid GEO System-induced forced landing and crashes

Which I wish I had known before hand.

 

[nveer]

I live at a condo in Pensacola Beach but haven't been there in over a month due to family matters going on in Illinois. I have FW v600 and have been wondering if I'd even be able to get in the air because I haven't tried that FW version there yet. Last I checked the B4UFly app when at the beach it was very restrictive as there were heliports, NAS and special military operations that covered Pensacola Beach. In the old version of the GoApp I would be reminded of these restrictions and had to check boxes indicating I knew that I was in a restricted area and that I'd gotten permission. At that time I was using the AirMap app as a way to notify folks and identify my route. I was just hoping that would suffice if authorities accosted me, but I'm not sure it would have.

I do believe there is a great place to fly, and legally so, past the Portifino Condos which are east on Via DeLuna drive. Not populated and a place where they fly those contraptions with parachutes with big fans attached to them.

Anyway, take a look at this thread where myself and others have posted about flying at Pensacola Beach:
Looking for drone pilots in NWFL

I definitely would warn against flying over the beach when folks are staring to set up out there. I only fly early in the morning and usually to catch the sunrise and to stay away from crowds. I'm gone by 8:30 or so. I go almost exclusively over water to avoid folks and I can make a case if accosted that I'm only out in the Gulf. in fact, maybe you've seen some of my videos on YouTube and noticed that they're water shots and sunrise conditions. I also fly over the Sound during the day as it's my back yard, but I inform folks out there I'm flying and promise not to bother them. It's illegal to fly over crowds anyway and I guarantee that all it would take is a lifeguard or sunbather seeing you and I bet they'd call authorities and they'd be on you in a NY minute. Authorities are looking for this kind of stuff and beach-goers are especially sensitive about their privacy. AND, definitely don't fly in Fort Pickens Park.

Sorry this got so long but I just want you to be careful and considerate, which I'm sure you probably are. BUT, don't fly over beach crowds as it's not legal and be advised that there are military helicopters flying training missions just off the beach and they fly very low.

Oh, and have fun. It's paradise.

Hi there,

I'm a new Mavic owner and am tickled silly to find this online discussion and community. I live in Navarre and am looking for places to fly where I want be shot down by our friends at Elgin or at least get fined. Do you have any more info on where this place near Portofino is? Have we (in the Pensacola to Destin area ever scheduled a meet up?

 

[Gerry65]

Hi there,

I'm a new Mavic owner and am tickled silly to find this online discussion and community. I live in Navarre and am looking for places to fly where I want be shot down by our friends at Elgin or at least get fined. Do you have any more info on where this place near Portofino is? Have we (in the Pensacola to Destin area ever scheduled a meet up?

Hi nveer. I hear ya about being excited about others with Mavics in the area. But, no, the plan for NWFL to meet never materialized, which is too bad but you should post there and reignite the interest. Were you able to open my picture from my post above. I believe that is where Robert's open beach shots came from.
Dropbox - Photo May 26, 12 19 57 PM.jpg

https://www.dropbox.com/s/0ulzayyimmncw45/DJI_0037.jpg?dl=0
I got the above sunrise shot from Casino Beach in Pensacola Beach but it was back in mid January when I had my P3S quad. Launched from a dock in the back of a place called, appropriately, 'The Dock'. It's actually just a stones throw from the Beach cop station. I was on the fringe of Special Air space but didn't have any issues flying as it was before DJI started cracking down on this behavior. I did, however, plan my flight using AirMap just in case I'd get approached. I don't think I'd be able to fly from there now with the restrictions but I plan on trying when I get back there. I flew a lot back in Jan and Feb from from the back of our condo which is on the sound side near the entrance to Fort Pickens. That area is even closer to NAS so I'm thinking my bird will blow up if I tried to go from there again. I made a couple of vids of my condo neighbor and his grandkids wind surfing which allowed me to get my first real practice at using the tracking modes. Not bad for a first try:

Windsurfing Santa Rosa Sound

Windsurf & SUP

I'll make a note to contact you when I return to the area in, maybe, 2 weeks or so. We spend most of our time at our condo as my wife and I are retired but in Illinois now helping the in-laws. I will try flying from 'The Dock' when I get back and will let you know if it's restricted or not. Otherwise, you should try the spot depicted in the photo.

Nice to have another Mavic in the area. Let me know in the interim if you find a place to fly anywhere around the area.

 

[theskyisthelimit99]

Just a warning. Johnson beach is in a federal park. Your not allowed to fly anywhere in federal parks. Just asked the guard at the gate. Maybe the general public area of perdido key would be a better bet

 

[nveer]

Hi nveer. I hear ya about being excited about others with Mavics in the area. But, no, the plan for NWFL to meet never materialized, which is too bad but you should post there and reignite the interest. Were you able to open my picture from my post above. I believe that is where Robert's open beach shots came from.
Dropbox - Photo May 26, 12 19 57 PM.jpg

https://www.dropbox.com/s/0ulzayyimmncw45/DJI_0037.jpg?dl=0
I got the above sunrise shot from Casino Beach in Pensacola Beach but it was back in mid January when I had my P3S quad. Launched from a dock in the back of a place called, appropriately, 'The Dock'. It's actually just a stones throw from the Beach cop station. I was on the fringe of Special Air space but didn't have any issues flying as it was before DJI started cracking down on this behavior. I did, however, plan my flight using AirMap just in case I'd get approached. I don't think I'd be able to fly from there now with the restrictions but I plan on trying when I get back there. I flew a lot back in Jan and Feb from from the back of our condo which is on the sound side near the entrance to Fort Pickens. That area is even closer to NAS so I'm thinking my bird will blow up if I tried to go from there again. I made a couple of vids of my condo neighbor and his grandkids wind surfing which allowed me to get my first real practice at using the tracking modes. Not bad for a first try:

Windsurfing Santa Rosa Sound

Windsurf & SUP

I'll make a note to contact you when I return to the area in, maybe, 2 weeks or so. We spend most of our time at our condo as my wife and I are retired but in Illinois now helping the in-laws. I will try flying from 'The Dock' when I get back and will let you know if it's restricted or not. Otherwise, you should try the spot depicted in the photo.

Nice to have another Mavic in the area. Let me know in the interim if you find a place to fly anywhere around the area.

Hi Gerry65,

Thanks for your response and for re-posting those images. That's not too far from me. Navarre Beach is pretty much off limits both due to Eglin being so close and it being a national park.

The links you sent me, for some reason keep redirecting to my own Youtube channel so I wasn't able to view them. Would love to see wha you shot.

On another note, I went out to the sound on the Navarre side today to practice some shots. It stopped raining for exactly an hour and I as able to sneak in some flying. It still terrifies me to fly over the water. I had obstacle avoidance turned off based on some online suggestions but that added to the terror.

Here's a few shots from today's adventure.
Santa Rosa Sound, Navarre FL

Do let me know how your experience is flying out of your condo when you're back down here. I may go explore those areas as well. Did you have any trouble flying on the beach due to it being a national park? How strictly is that enforced?

P.S. My family and I moved here from St. Louis 2 years ago. Feel like you're my neighbor.