DSAR Search and rescue meeting near a lake. Suggestions?

[Former Member]

We will be having the next DSAR Drone Search and Rescue (www.dronesar.info) near a lake, and some members will be asked to do recon over a small portion of the water. This will be the first time many will have flown over water, so Im wondering what members would recommend in terms of safety and and caution.

Everyone will be using Litchi during the mission, and all missions will be preplanned and preapproved so that we know where everyone will be flying.

Im thinking of having a Jon boat handy in case a drone goes in the water, but do you have any other recommendations when it comes to flying over water?

 

[RCdancer]

We're on the same sheet of music. We want to expose them to water SAR operations and boost their confidence to safely operate in such circumstances.

I was thinking put someone out in a boat or in the water with a life jacket for the recon target. Flying over water involves higher risk, and even an instant of carelessness can result in a damaged or lost drone. Early that day before we start the session, I want to do a test fight with the Spark to ascertain wind conditions, possible obstacles and identify potential emergency procedures.

We should also have a water-specific safety briefing emphasizing:

• thorough preflight checklist on both the drone and controller
• emergency procedures
• No speed mode over water
• be comfortable controlling the drone in ATTI mode in case GPS is lost
• landing with a minimum 20% battery after RTH
• manually updating the home point and ensuring it is recorded after liftoff
• initial minimum flight height of 100 ft over water; can drop no lower than 50 ft AGL to inspect possible targets
• ensure RTH height is set to a minimum of 100 ft
• at least 1 formal observer for the flight to not only watch the drone but also pay close attention to birds which sometimes exhibit aggressive behavior towards drones
• Be very cognizant of wind speed and direction. Wind is almost always a bigger factor over water.
• Expect people on the water if the temperature and weather are right.
• Do not to launch close to the water. If your home point is recorded with you standing 5ft from the edge of the water and something goes wrong where you need to RTH, you want more than 5ft of cushion…unless you like to live life on the edge and/or have that much faith in GPS.
• Consider disabling the Vision Positioning System in case you need to go low; otherwise, the drone can easily get disoriented when flying low over a moving surface such as water. The VPS on most DJI drones works up to 10m or 30ft. The general consensus is that it's good practice to disable the VPS when flying under 30ft, as the drone's sensors are affected by the movement and transparency of the water.
• Stay away from obstacles that could interfere with the drone’s compass or signal. Objects like lighthouses, boat transceivers, antennas, electronic devices and everything in between should be avoided no matter what
• When flying over water your depth perception will be off. Try to use objects in the area as reference points to give you an idea of just how close to the water you really are. The altitude readings on the DJI GO apps can't be trusted when you are flying over water, especially if you are flying low as the sensors cannot judge distances accurately.
• In addition to guiding the pilot through the water exercise, I envision Thunderdrones acting as the "Safety Officer". Whatever he tells the pilot to do (i.e., take the drone higher, bring the drone home now, hit the self-destruct button, etc.) is law

Remember that the worst thing that might happen on an over water flight is an unexpected loss of the drone, whereas an accident when flying over land could damage other property and injure people and result in much bigger costs. So, stay calm, act professionally and remember that if you’re a safe pilot when flying over land, you’ll be a safe pilot when flying over water as well ...... especially with Thunderdrones as your copilot.

 

[BigAl07]

I highly suggest researching the "Get-R-Back" device just in case of a water ditching.

 

[Former Member]

I highly suggest researching the "Get-R-Back" device just in case of a water ditching.

Yes, Seems like a great value for $39. And we could swap it from drone to drone if someone doesn't bring one.

 

[BigAl07]

Yes, Seems like a great value for $39. And we could swap it from drone to drone if someone doesn't bring one.

I carry one in each flight case. Cheap insurance that "might" at least help get the aircraft back. It's probably toast by the time it deploys but maybe get it back none the less.

 

[BigAl07]

I've only lost (knocks on wood) one sUAS and it was lost in our local lake. That was BEFORE I started using Get-R-Back unfortunately. But the good news is I DID get it back but it was 16 months later when they lowered the lake level to repair the dam.

 

[Kneebeard]

Yes, Seems like a great value for $39. And we could swap it from drone to drone if someone doesn't bring one.

Good investment! Just looking at their site they are on sale for $29. Amazon still shows $39.

 

[Former Member]

I carry one in each flight case. Cheap insurance that "might" at least help get the aircraft back. It's probably toast by the time it deploys but maybe get it back none the less.

Especially if you have DJI Refresh and need a "body" to send in.