Christmas Eve "Depends" moment

horsepowerphoto · Dec 25, 2023

Hey folks, Happy Holidays.

Keep this in mind when reading below. I have flown phantoms for 10 years, and this year got a Mavic 2 Pro second hand, and I am still exploring with it..

I went out on Christmas Eve to do an inspection job on a wind turbine that was destroyed by a wind storm.. In the midst of circling behind the turbine, I lost connectivity to the drone... Aircraft disconnected.... As I was dancing around trying to re-establish connection, I noticed that it was on its way back to me, DIRECTLY TOWARDS the turbine... I had a major pucker moment as the drone passed just over the turbine....

So, my main question is this... Yes, it was incredibly close, and I was very lucky, but this thing should stop and avoid if it was heading directly into it, shouldn't it? This is not something I really want to try out.... All I know is that if I try to stick handle it towards something it will stop.... I just don't know how it behaves in a RTH situation..

Thanks in advance..

SkyeHigh · Dec 26, 2023

As per the manual - see attached:

horsepowerphoto said:
Hey folks, Happy Holidays.

Keep this in mind when reading below. I have flown phantoms for 10 years, and this year got a Mavic 2 Pro second hand, and I am still exploring with it..

I went out on Christmas Eve to do an inspection job on a wind turbine that was destroyed by a wind storm.. In the midst of circling behind the turbine, I lost connectivity to the drone... Aircraft disconnected.... As I was dancing around trying to re-establish connection, I noticed that it was on its way back to me, DIRECTLY TOWARDS the turbine... I had a major pucker moment as the drone passed just over the turbine....

So, my main question is this... Yes, it was incredibly close, and I was very lucky, but this thing should stop and avoid if it was heading directly into it, shouldn't it? This is not something I really want to try out.... All I know is that if I try to stick handle it towards something it will stop.... I just don't know how it behaves in a RTH situation..

Thanks in advance..

Kuiper Denizen · Dec 26, 2023

My first Return-To-Home event occurred as I was bringing my Mavic 2 Zoom in under a tree. I knew the battery was getting low, but the drone was maybe 15 feet to my right at maybe 4 ft. above ground and the landing pad was 20 feet to the left.

The low battery warning started to signal as did the R.T.H. warning. With the propellor noise adding to the confusion, I got addled and tried to override the system, flying the drone into the tree where it bounced off down the hollow, careening into several trees as it disappeared and wrecked.

I learned two important lessons. First, turn down the volume on my iPad to a more comfortable, less urgent level. That relieves some of the panic that sets in.

Next, learn how my drone responds to the R.T.H. command.

Flying in a field free of obstacle at various distances and altitudes, I observed what the drone did each time until I understood any differences in its behavior.

It’s now a routine that I do from time to time with both my drones. I’ve read the manual, but don’t trust any technology to perform 100% as promised.

These are all controlled events and will build familiarity with what to expect and confidence in how to respond.

I’ve had a few loss-of-signal events, but this training alleviated the surprise and panic that might set in. As soon as contact is restored (quite quickly for the times I had - after all my drone started home immediately and had not strayed all that far from the signal), I was back in control.

l try to learn how all the automated systems work and perform before relying on the drone to do anything autonomously.

This video of the return of the drone over a damaged wind turbine does look awfully close. (Maybe it was “thinking” it didn’t need to ascend.) Either way the drone should have been capable of an ascend command. If it was returning because of a loss of signal it certainly seems to have had enough time to have regained the signal. If it was returning because of low battery it should have still been capable of being controlled.

In any event, I recommend on some flight time studying how each drone is going to behave on an R.T.H. command from as many different angles, altitudes, and distances from the home point as one has patience for.

twickers14 · Dec 26, 2023

The last time I tested my RTH (on my dear old Spark) I was as a newbie and had TO from under a tree as it was so hot in the direct sun! Doh! I didn’t realise (‘cos I hadn’t read the manual properly) that I could cancel the RTH so my Spark slowly and carefully descended into the tree I was sheltering under. Got it back a couple of weeks later-too long a story for here but it was a happy ending. Still have my Spark. Good advice above.

Lets Fly · Dec 26, 2023

horsepowerphoto said:
Hey folks, Happy Holidays.

Keep this in mind when reading below. I have flown phantoms for 10 years, and this year got a Mavic 2 Pro second hand, and I am still exploring with it..

I went out on Christmas Eve to do an inspection job on a wind turbine that was destroyed by a wind storm.. In the midst of circling behind the turbine, I lost connectivity to the drone... Aircraft disconnected.... As I was dancing around trying to re-establish connection, I noticed that it was on its way back to me, DIRECTLY TOWARDS the turbine... I had a major pucker moment as the drone passed just over the turbine....

So, my main question is this... Yes, it was incredibly close, and I was very lucky, but this thing should stop and avoid if it was heading directly into it, shouldn't it? This is not something I really want to try out.... All I know is that if I try to stick handle it towards something it will stop.... I just don't know how it behaves in a RTH situation..

Thanks in advance..

Those things are big, looks like you missed by at least 10 feet or more, and it didn't need to adjust.

Daytona500 · Dec 26, 2023

I found that with my mini 3pro I could still control it in RTH mode but with my mini pro 4 I can't . I miss that

horsepowerphoto · Dec 26, 2023

Thanks Skyehigh... I kinda figured that it would do something like that... Just never was in a position to need to worry about it like that.... As letsfly said, it was probably not as close as it looked from the ground, and on the video

Mrprop365 · Dec 26, 2023

close call

jephoto · Dec 30, 2023

Everyone has their own strategy. When I get to a new location, first thing I do after "Home Point recorded" is look at my surroundings, and my subject and rise up with the camera level, do a slow 360º and determine the height I need to be to MISS those objects , towers, trees, etc if I had a RTH situation. Then make sure my RTH height is set a good 10' higher.
And if there's overhanging trees or bridges eat. possibly set the Loss of Signal setting to Hover rather than RTH. Obviously each situation has to be considered.
If you'd be too far away to get closer & reconnect, Hover isn't a great idea....

guzewski · Dec 30, 2023

horsepowerphoto said:
Hey folks, Happy Holidays.

Keep this in mind when reading below. I have flown phantoms for 10 years, and this year got a Mavic 2 Pro second hand, and I am still exploring with it..

I went out on Christmas Eve to do an inspection job on a wind turbine that was destroyed by a wind storm.. In the midst of circling behind the turbine, I lost connectivity to the drone... Aircraft disconnected.... As I was dancing around trying to re-establish connection, I noticed that it was on its way back to me, DIRECTLY TOWARDS the turbine... I had a major pucker moment as the drone passed just over the turbine....

So, my main question is this... Yes, it was incredibly close, and I was very lucky, but this thing should stop and avoid if it was heading directly into it, shouldn't it? This is not something I really want to try out.... All I know is that if I try to stick handle it towards something it will stop.... I just don't know how it behaves in a RTH situation..

Thanks in advance..