Does anyone else get that pit in their stomach...

[Drone Views Media]

... when flying over water? And/or do you get nervous the moment you can no longer see your quad (even though it's techincally in LOS)? It has just occurred to me that one of the reasons for flying is to be able to capture things from a perspective that no other traditional method has been able to (economically) do until now. So while one can totally avoid those circumstances, it doesn't make any sense to as those scenarios are a large part of why we get drones in the first place.

I suppose I haven't become that seasoned yet to fully trust the technology or even fully understand what the camera is showing me- or can't show me. Does anyone else get hyper-alert to the point of nerves as soon as you take off? I think all these rules, regulations, ordinances, authorities ready to pounce make me a bit apprehensive as well.

So, what is your level of anxiety or plain ol' matter-of-fact attitude when you take off, whether it be over water, when your drone becomes no more than a spec in the sky- somewhere up there?

I've done probably 90% of my YouTube flights over water, and yes, even now I still get a moment of apprehension. It's absolutely normal, but it lessens with time. It's beneficial in one way; it makes you concentrate....and you definitely need that.

 

[Tentoes]

I often felt a little uncomfortable with my spark, which did things like disconnect 5 meters out or say "compass error" while out over nothing. My MA2 stays connected. I feel much more confidence with it.

 

[Rchawks]

It took several months to get over the fear of flying to full legal height and to the edge of VLOS and I've come from a world of model sailplanes where height and distance was what you strive for with every flight. Now, I don't have that fear about the flying manually, in fact I've become very confident with that aspect of it. My next hurdle is becoming comfortable with using the programming features of the app as well as making my control inputs automatically without conscious thought just knowing what to do by instinct. Trying to sync what you're seeing in the air with watching controls below you and then reconnecting visually is a very difficult thing to master.

 

[RadioFlyerMan]

I just flew over the Presque Isle river just yesterday. The scary part was if I turn on Active Track Spotlight on a waterfall, will the AC try to follow the moving water right into the river? Well I was pleased it did not. Got the drop in shot I wanted! But didn’t go lower than 25 feet to the river. It’s just too scary for me.

 

[vindibona1]

I just flew over the Presque Isle river just yesterday. The scary part was if I turn on Active Track Spotlight on a waterfall, will the AC try to follow the moving water right into the river? Well I was pleased it did not. Got the drop in shot I wanted! But didn’t go lower than 25 feet to the river. It’s just too scary for me.

What's active track spotlight? I haven't used any of the automated features of my M2 yet. I have used Litchi for a few missions.

It took several months to get over the fear of flying to full legal height and to the edge of VLOS and I've come from a world of model sailplanes where height and distance was what you strive for with every flight. Now, I don't have that fear about the flying manually, in fact I've become very confident with that aspect of it. My next hurdle is becoming comfortable with using the programming features of the app as well as making my control inputs automatically without conscious thought just knowing what to do by instinct. Trying to sync what you're seeing in the air with watching controls below you and then reconnecting visually is a very difficult thing to master.

As noted above, I haven't used the automated features of Go4 yet, but have done Litchi. Thank God for obstacle avoidance sensors. I came pretty darn close when the building's published height was about 40' off and RTH kicked in after an automated mission. Mercifully the drone went up over the building then came back. I have been super careful in planning missions and making sure that Home and the last waypoint have nothing inbetween that could possibly be a near miss.

 

[RadioFlyerMan]

What's active track spotlight? I haven't used any of the automated features of my M2 yet. I have used Litchi for a few missions.


As noted above, I haven't used the automated features of Go4 yet, but have done Litchi. Thank God for obstacle avoidance sensors. I came pretty darn close when the building's published height was about 40' off and RTH kicked in after an automated mission. Mercifully the drone went up over the building then came back. I have been super careful in planning missions and making sure that Home and the last waypoint have nothing inbetween that could possibly be a near miss.

View attachment 113611

Active Track is an intelligent flight mode in Go 4 to enable following a moving target. Spotlight is an option specifically for the camera to keep the subject in frame while manually flying (excluding yaw capability).

I use it to perform “drop in” shots in very tight environments. It enables a very smooth tilt of the camera while I focus on the flight path. Here’s an example...

 

[JoelP]

I reduced my anxiety by doing 2 things: adding strobes and becoming disciplined about knowing from the map, direction indicator and altitude to know where to look for my drone. I have gotten that feeling on two occasions when I was out at a large distance over terrain that I couldn’t hike and I experienced battery failure. The battery began to decline at a rate that was above normal. In both cases I recovers my drone

 

[Made2Phly]

... when flying over water? And/or do you get nervous the moment you can no longer see your quad (even though it's techincally in LOS)? It has just occurred to me that one of the reasons for flying is to be able to capture things from a perspective that no other traditional method has been able to (economically) do until now. So while one can totally avoid those circumstances, it doesn't make any sense to as those scenarios are a large part of why we get drones in the first place.

I suppose I haven't become that seasoned yet to fully trust the technology or even fully understand what the camera is showing me- or can't show me. Does anyone else get hyper-alert to the point of nerves as soon as you take off? I think all these rules, regulations, ordinances, authorities ready to pounce make me a bit apprehensive as well.

So, what is your level of anxiety or plain ol' matter-of-fact attitude when you take off, whether it be over water, when your drone becomes no more than a spec in the sky- somewhere up there?

I always get a slight twinge of nervousness in me belly when I fly, no matter the location. I compare it to my having ridden a motorcycle for 35 years, where I still get a twinge of nervousness every time I get on it: tt keeps me sharp and aware that I need to be cautious.
Obviously the stakes are higher on the bike than with drone, but you get the idea.

 

[6 String Fan]

I'm still very much a 'newbie' and I'm still a bit anxious just flying over the terrain around my home.
I'm certain that with experience gained I won't feel the butterflies quite as much as I do currently.
I once flew sailplanes when I was younger and the thrill of that never left me.
I had to quit when I had kids and it became too expensive to keep up.
But I can remember my instructor telling me that you just can't be too cautious.
It's the 'experienced' pilots who sometimes get too cocky and make sometimes fatal mistakes.
I'm loving the 'rush' of flying my toy though....I enjoy seeing the footage I record later too.

 

[6 String Fan]

I reduced my anxiety by doing 2 things: adding strobes and becoming disciplined about knowing from the map, direction indicator and altitude to know where to look for my drone. I have gotten that feeling on two occasions when I was out at a large distance over terrain that I couldn’t hike and I experienced battery failure. The battery began to decline at a rate that was above normal. In both cases I recovers my drone

I just received my 'strobe' light in the mail. I haven't trusted my skills enough to let it very far out of my sight yet though....
I haven't trusted the automatic landing features on my Mini yet either although my next flights will be studying that feature....

 

[MavicMan64]

I've owned my very first drone now (MA2) for approximately 2 months and I still get that sinking feeling whenever I take off. I've had to push the RTH button a few times because I've lost VLOS and didn't want to take any chances. Thank goodness it has always returned and as soon as I see it, I take control again. I have a house on the lake (Lake Erie) and have only built up the courage to fly over it 3 times in 2 months. For now I'm best comfortable with wide open fields. I think that nervous feeling is very healthy to have. Whenever one gets too complacent, that is when issues arises.

 

[Galopin]

I can imagine what your launch might feel like. My sister-in-law lives on the top floor of a 30 story building, adjacent to Millennium Park in Chicago. She has line of sight to Navy Pier, only a few blocks to the east and much of the park to the south. I've been flying since late June and haven't yet developed the courage to launch off of her roof.

As far as identifying front from the back of your drone, I STRONGLY recommend colored strobes (and a white one). Velcro is your friend as it gives you mounting options. Initially I got the clear strobe with the "headlight" mount (purchased unmounted). But as I got more courage to send it further and higher I wanted the clear strobe on the bottom and then purchased the red and green strobes. If all you're looking for is orientation the clear headlight is really good. You may also see that I have the red and green strobes attached with elastic bands, the idea which I ripped off from someone on YouTube. All my strobes were purchased from Firehouse Technologies. Here is their 4 light kit, which is the best value (and wish that I had purchased it in a bundle). Firehouse 4 light strobe kit

View attachment 113570

Why did’nt you use the international port and starboard official colours for your strobes? Green is on the right side (starboard)(in the direction of flying) and red on the left side (port). Just a question...

 

[Graham Davie]

... when flying over water? And/or do you get nervous the moment you can no longer see your quad (even though it's techincally in LOS)? It has just occurred to me that one of the reasons for flying is to be able to capture things from a perspective that no other traditional method has been able to (economically) do until now. So while one can totally avoid those circumstances, it doesn't make any sense to as those scenarios are a large part of why we get drones in the first place.

I suppose I haven't become that seasoned yet to fully trust the technology or even fully understand what the camera is showing me- or can't show me. Does anyone else get hyper-alert to the point of nerves as soon as you take off? I think all these rules, regulations, ordinances, authorities ready to pounce make me a bit apprehensive as well.

So, what is your level of anxiety or plain ol' matter-of-fact attitude when you take off, whether it be over water, when your drone becomes no more than a spec in the sky- somewhere up there?

but these things become tiny specs in just a few hundred yards.

All of the above and more.

I bought the Mini as soon as it came on the market, my first drone.
Used it over fields and woods at home to gain confidence/experience.
Went out to watch my mate, stood in the middle of the river whilst fishing, hovered the Mini 3ft above the surface and got some great footage.
Then went home and watched you tube, as in “ dangers of flying low over water” ?
Now I keep a lot higher over water, but the “ nerves” are still there.

I’m a lot more confident with the M A 2, the improved connectivity from enhanced wi fi was a god send and probably the main reason I upgraded, but still the nerves take a beating at times.

It’s a great hobby, sometimes the risks are not always obvious.

Take care, safe flying,
Graham.

 

[GB1Yorkshire1]

... when flying over water? And/or do you get nervous the moment you can no longer see your quad (even though it's techincally in LOS)? It has just occurred to me that one of the reasons for flying is to be able to capture things from a perspective that no other traditional method has been able to (economically) do until now. So while one can totally avoid those circumstances, it doesn't make any sense to as those scenarios are a large part of why we get drones in the first place.

I suppose I haven't become that seasoned yet to fully trust the technology or even fully understand what the camera is showing me- or can't show me. Does anyone else get hyper-alert to the point of nerves as soon as you take off? I think all these rules, regulations, ordinances, authorities ready to pounce make me a bit apprehensive as well.

So, what is your level of anxiety or plain ol' matter-of-fact attitude when you take off, whether it be over water, when your drone becomes no more than a spec in the sky- somewhere up there?

Unless you have no imagination, any extended flight over water should cause any drone user some increased anxiety! I find myself double checking all variables and confirming that battery and propellers are secure etc.
When that speck comes back to land it’s always a great view! My location is surrounded by tidal marsh and I have been involved in several searches over very difficult terrain.

 

[vindibona1]

I always get a slight twinge of nervousness in me belly when I fly, no matter the location. I compare it to my having ridden a motorcycle for 35 years, where I still get a twinge of nervousness every time I get on it: tt keeps me sharp and aware that I need to be cautious.
Obviously the stakes are higher on the bike than with drone, but you get the idea.

I can relate fully. This anxiety is fatiguing, no? I can relate it to many years ago when I used to photograph weddings for a living. Initially the anxiety borderlined on nausea. But even after 10 years that sense of responsibility was always looming, knowing that the trouble was "not if, but when, and how bad". Luckily training helped me overcome the issues that came out of nowhere and I escaped relatively unscathed. In 2001 I went completely commercial because I couldn't stand the stress... which leads me to a joke...

What do you call a baseball player that bats .300? A multi-millionaire. What do you call a wedding photographer who bats .300? A litigant. [Sorry to go off topic]

 

[Rex Peters]

... when flying over water? And/or do you get nervous the moment you can no longer see your quad (even though it's techincally in LOS)? It has just occurred to me that one of the reasons for flying is to be able to capture things from a perspective that no other traditional method has been able to (economically) do until now. So while one can totally avoid those circumstances, it doesn't make any sense to as those scenarios are a large part of why we get drones in the first place.

I suppose I haven't become that seasoned yet to fully trust the technology or even fully understand what the camera is showing me- or can't show me. Does anyone else get hyper-alert to the point of nerves as soon as you take off? I think all these rules, regulations, ordinances, authorities ready to pounce make me a bit apprehensive as well.

So, what is your level of anxiety or plain ol' matter-of-fact attitude when you take off, whether it be over water, when your drone becomes no more than a spec in the sky- somewhere up there?

I know how you feel. There is a certain amount of anxiety every time I fly. I think part of it is the amount of money that I have invested into the drone and the fact that there’s always a possibility of accidentally crashing or losing it. In my case , that would be the end of my flying because I could not justify buying another one. I’m sure with more flight time will come the confidence but for now I have to live with that pit in the stomach feeling.

 

[Jet skier]

Flying over water does not make me nervous except one it is flying lower than 10 feet above the water and the drone tends to slowly dive lower and lower and would go right in the water

 

[vindibona1]

Why did’nt you use the international port and starboard official colours for your strobes? Green is on the right side (starboard)(in the direction of flying) and red on the left side (port). Just a question...

I copied models like the marine one pictured below with red on the right, green on the left thinking that it was correct. What I hadn't realized is that marine and aircraft nav light positions are opposite of each other! Isn't that interesting? Why do you suppose that is? Perhaps I should reverse them.

 

[Little bird]

... when flying over water? And/or do you get nervous the moment you can no longer see your quad (even though it's techincally in LOS)? It has just occurred to me that one of the reasons for flying is to be able to capture things from a perspective that no other traditional method has been able to (economically) do until now. So while one can totally avoid those circumstances, it doesn't make any sense to as those scenarios are a large part of why we get drones in the first place.

I suppose I haven't become that seasoned yet to fully trust the technology or even fully understand what the camera is showing me- or can't show me. Does anyone else get hyper-alert to the point of nerves as soon as you take off? I think all these rules, regulations, ordinances, authorities ready to pounce make me a bit apprehensive as well.

So, what is your level of anxiety or plain ol' matter-of-fact attitude when you take off, whether it be over water, when your drone becomes no more than a spec in the sky- somewhere up there?

Its always Great to have another person with you for those extra set of eyes, but some times its not possible.

 

[Talkenrain]

Flying is like public speaking. I get that pit every time (espicaly just before takeoff) but once I get started, experience takes over and within a few minutes I'm feeling more like "I've got this"