Drones flying around

RavenTBK · Jun 12, 2017

scott rand said:
... but when they are high, even only 100 feet high, you really can't hear them, so you really wouldn't notice them.

Both me and my kids either know what to listen for, or we've got super hearing. Within a few hundred foot circle overhead, my boy and I each can pick it out up to near 900ft up. My daughter can pick it out at 1150ft if I make a pass, but not hovering direct overhead.

scott rand · Jun 12, 2017

RavenTBK said:
Both me and my kids either know what to listen for, or we've got super hearing. Within a few hundred foot circle overhead, my boy and I each can pick it out up to near 900ft up. My daughter can pick it out at 1150ft if I make a pass, but not hovering direct overhead.

That's pretty damned good. I'm gonna have to test myself out on that and see if I hear it. I have really good hearing, so I should be able to have similar results.

I wonder if drone pilots look up more than non drone pilots ? I'm gonna start looking up more lol. But I guarantee you, non drone pilots don't even notice drones are up there most of the time. The Mavic, because of it's size, becomes a dot in the sky pretty quickly.

frankiez · Jun 12, 2017

I was just in Germany and staying out in Farm country. I flew my mavic and the next day in the evening I thought about taking it up but felt it was getting a little late. Then all of the sudden, I heard that familiar buzzing off in the distance. It got louder and low and behold, there was another Mavic flying about 200' up. I was amazed that someone else had a Mavic out in THE COUNTRY. I ran to get my Mavic on hopes maybe I could fly up there so that the PIC would see my Mavic also. By the time I got my bird up, the other Mavic was gone. The rest of the 2 weeks I was there I never saw it again. Small world.

wez130 · Jun 12, 2017

I can hear my mavic at 120m high flying over, but then, it's pretty quiet where i live. It's relieving when i hear her returning though so it's not a bad thing

Johnmcl7 · Jun 12, 2017

I've never seen another drone out and about apart from at races, I wonder if the cheaper Spark will be more numerous.

John

Pac · Jun 13, 2017

I was in Australia (march this year) and often saw drones, mostly Mavics. Sometimes talked to the pilots. Seems like we chose the same spots for flying cause it was somehow crazy that I met so many there.

Kestrel · Jun 13, 2017

Never seen one accept for mine, and never seen one when i'm not flying either.

rizakayan · Jun 13, 2017

Except for jobs, which needed a drone around, i have only seen one real drone in Turkey. I don't count the toys.

mikesher · Jun 13, 2017

I live in Seattle, and I've seen a few Phantoms and one Mavic as recently as last weekend over the Marina where I usually fly. There is also drone racing sometimes in a park near the Marina. While in Mexico (Cabo) in April, there were two other Mavics (besides mine) and a Phantom 3 Pro in the same resort.

BluesDragon · Jun 13, 2017

I've seen one other in my neighborhood since owning my MP.

Boog0822 · Jun 13, 2017

charliesRig said:
nope as of right now I'm the only "Eye in The Sky"
.
in my little burg
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.View attachment 14775

What in the world is everyone parked on that road for?

Boog0822 · Jun 13, 2017

scott rand said:
I've never noticed one in the sky. I've seen people set their drones up ready to fly, then of course I see them fly up there, but when they are high, even only 100 feet high, you really can't hear them, so you really wouldn't notice them.

I did a test yesterday to see at what altitude, straight above me, I could no longer hear my MP. At 400 feet up I could still barely hear it. So to be in complete stealth mode I'd need to be around 425+ feet. It was very low winds so it was pretty quiet out there. Maybe with more wind it would get the leaves on the trees rustling and cover up more noise. But in my test, 400 feet up was not stealth.
At 100 feet it is actually quite easily heard.

regdawg · Jun 13, 2017

I was on vacation a couple weeks ago in Maui and sitting on the beach and a phantom flew right over. Looked around and did not notice a pilot so figured he was not LOS. Anyways he flew all over and even hovered above a small wedding reception that was occuring on the beach but nobody said anything. Nonetheless.....I went and grabbed my Mavic and started flying too....LoL.

Other than that other time, I seen a guy fly once near my house in an open field. As many drones are supposedly outthere...suprising I don't see more.

DodgeP · Jun 13, 2017

Twice in Philly.
Once in Miami.
Once in Brooklyn.

In 4 years!

charliesRig · Jun 13, 2017

Sheep dog trials

Turnerm · Jun 13, 2017

I saw one about two weeks ago. We were pulling into a Whole Foods shopping center and there was an Inspire hovering around about 30ish feet up in the air. It looked like he was getting store front photos or something. I'm guessing he was doing work because that would be an awfully boring photo shoot for any other reason. I drove around a bit and finally found him around the corner packing up. I didn't stop to ask. That's the only other drone I've seen.

nickmavic · Jun 13, 2017

scott rand said:
The Mavic, because of it's size, becomes a dot in the sky pretty quickly.

Actually takes over 1000ft altitude for it to really start becoming small. I can see mine at 1640ft -- takes a few secs to look closely, but it's there. Can't tell orientation/direction, but can def spot it. It's easy to lose temporarily though.

Also, I'd imagine the Phantom would be even harder to spot since white blends into the sky decently well, esp with any clouds.

Boog0822 · Jun 13, 2017

nickmv said:
Actually takes over 1000ft altitude for it to really start becoming small. I can see mine at 1640ft -- takes a few secs to look closely, but it's there. Can't tell orientation/direction, but can def spot it. It's easy to lose temporarily though.

Also, I'd imagine the Phantom would be even harder to spot since white blends into the sky decently well, esp with any clouds.

Not buying you can see it at 1640 feet. Maybe the blinking lights at night, but no way in the day.

nickmavic · Jun 14, 2017

Boog0822 said:
Not buying you can see it at 1640 feet. Maybe the blinking lights at night, but no way in the day.

Lol I've been through this before with another member. Myself and a few other members have just fine eyesight and can see their Mavics at max altitude. At 1640 ft it's a tiny black spec on the sky, but it's there, and you can see it move around. Can't be near the sun either -- even sunspots in your vision can cover it up.

Have you actually bothered to try? Be safe if doing.

Nightowl702 · Jun 14, 2017

I was at a traffic incident management training a few weeks ago and while they were preparing the scenes I heard a familiar buzzing sound above. I looked up and there was a phantom buzzing the entire scene. It turned out to be the local highway patrols own phantom and they were just getting a birds eye view of the entire set of mock crashes. So far that is the only other one I have noticed flying around.