Damage air 2s by hand catching?

ncuozzo · Jun 2, 2021

Hello all,

New to the drone world. Long story short I was trying to hand catch my Air 2s the other day due to me being on a boat in rough waters. When I went to catch it the motors spooled up really fast and it fought me, it did this for about 20 seconds while I tried to turn the drone off. Could this have caused any damage to my drone? Sorry if it's a stupid question and I know I should not be hand catching but I had no other choice.

thanks!

Gagey52 · Jun 2, 2021

Welcome to the forum from the land of Oz, mate. Should not have damaged the motors, fairly resilient little buggers.
Sit back and relax and enjoy your drone.
Regards

ncuozzo · Jun 2, 2021

thank you!

MARK (LI) · Jun 2, 2021

The sensors probably reacted to your hand and tried to avoid a crash.....taking off or landing in hand is not something that should cause any problems...let's see the pictures / video from the boat!

ncuozzo · Jun 2, 2021

Meet Google Drive – One place for all your files

here's one, it wasn't a very nice day out!

MARK (LI) · Jun 2, 2021

Thank you...but you have to grant access

EyesWideShut · Jun 2, 2021

The reason it fought was because while being held, the AC sensed it's altitude going lower as your hand moved up and down with the waves, it sped up the motors to retain it's altitude, even if it only moved down a few inches. If you had released it (or raised your hand), it would have just climbed slightly and hovered, then you could continue holding the left stick down to repeat and finish the landing shutdown.

Other option if you can't hold your hand level because of the waves and it starts "fighting", just quickly keep the grip and turn the AC over (90 degrees or so) and the motors will immediately stop. It won't harm the motors as long as you don't put it on it's back every shut down.

If you are going to hand catch/land in the future, I suggest on dry land you first try using the flat hand method and lowering your hand and see the AC climb the few inches and hover. Then do it again gripping it and when you lower your hand and it fights, turn it over.

DronePhotosNZ · Jun 3, 2021

I hand catch all the time and in the early days I had this issue ( along with a few cut finger ends )
If you bring your hand up from underneath the drone, the obstacle avoidance will try to make the drone gain altitude

Slide the upturned palm of your hand under the drone from the side, turn your fingers / thumb up ready to catch ( remember to keep them bent so they won't be able to touch the props ), and left stick down so it will land on your hand. Keep the stick down and the motors will turn off
Keeping left stick down will solve the 'fighting against you' issue as it thinks you are doing a regular landing
Stu

Yeunglings · Jun 3, 2021

It's not something I do regularly because it sure FEELS like I'd damage the drone but plenty of people on here and youtube swear by it where you get the drone to hover just above your hand and then grab from underneath and flip it upside down in a barrel roll style motion. Somewhere between 45° and 90° the sensors realize that the drone is becoming inverted and shut down the motors to prevent a larger catastrophe. When I have done it you can feel the immense torque of the motors trying to keep it upright and then suddenly they go limp. I prefer having a lanyard on my controller so I can do a palm landing one handed but on a boat that probably isn't as good of an option. I'd suggest finding a small open field, or even your back yard where you don't have any obstacles within say 10 feet of you, and practice both until you feel comfortable with one or the other. And some bandages for your fingers since might come away with some nicks or gashes.

brett8883 · Jun 3, 2021

No. That’s suspected behavior in that situation.

I consider any landing on a boat with no injuries, damage, nor soiled underpants to be successful.

jaybee2786 · Jun 3, 2021

Maybe a stupid question but did you turn off landing sensors. I have seen them being caught in landing nets on a boat.

bkushner · Jun 3, 2021

Catch towards the front of the drone away from sensors.

nobsyogi · Jun 3, 2021

I hand catch / launch with an outstretched arm at a 45 degree angle above my head most of the time. On landing just remember to hold the left stick fully down & the AC will lower perfectly into your grip.

Hamad · Jun 6, 2021

I guess it won’t be a problem it’s just sensors fighting back .. I always male it land on my hand just make sure to position your hand right under the drone before it land at least 1-2m and keep holding the down stick so the drone will understand that this is a landing procedure when notify your hand as surface and not trying to avoid it .. WARNING be very careful if you land in your hand at night the other day I cut my self beacuse the night vision wasn’t acting properly although although I turned on the LED under the drone .. it just suddenly dropped fast and took off again but my finger catched that propeller!

Phantomrain.org · Jun 7, 2021

No not at all , we fly the drone is 30 Mph wind and that racing is not going to do any damage at all.
You might consider getting one or Our Lunar Landing Pads for landing on the boat which makes this easier.

Phantomrain.org
Gear to fly your AIR 2S in the Rain and Land on the water.

Hi-Flyer · Jul 22, 2021

Gloves?

ZX14Racing · Mar 22, 2022

I'm new to the drone world too and fly my Air 2S off of a boat in the ocean w/hand launch and catch, had the same problem it throttled up full speed and didn't shut down when I turned it on its side, like it does on land. Had to keep a pretty good grip on it as 20 sec's felt like a long time to hold on to it, their pretty strong when full blast! I like the one answer about holding down the left stick like its landing, then turn it on its side. I also tried both sticks down and towards each other and both sticks up and apart from each other, neither worked. I definitely know what you're talking about!

bkushner · Mar 22, 2022

It happens sometimes. Just make sure the stick is in the landing position and it will be a short burst. It doesn’t do it all the time and I don’t see how it would damage the drone. Another option is to move drone into landing position and hit the landing button and key it drop into your hand.

UKAdrianJ · Mar 22, 2022

I have my wife catch mine on the boat - if your boat is drifting in the wind/current and moving up and down on waves you can forget about graceful landings in the palm of your hand. I get it in sport mode to turn off the sensors, then fly it into my wife's hands. We practiced on dry land before the first time, and I told her to get a good grip and hang on tight! Boat landings are much easier with a friend....

Single-handed the easiest way is to get it in a hover down-wind/-current at a height that you can reach either in a wave trough or on a peak, and let the boat drift you under the drone for the catch. Again, collisions sensors off - you don't want that little bugger getting all worried at the last minute and pulling away. In big waves single-handed catching is too risky IMO.

MS Coast · Mar 22, 2022

A glove is a great idea. I try to remember to take one of those Kevlar gloves I have for cleaning fish with me.

I practice the left-stick-down, open palm, hold with thumb and fingers until the motors stop method.

Damage air 2s by hand catching?

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