Flew drone over 4 miles and lost it in a field, amazing recovery

[Ohana]

hi I was trying to get a new personal distance record and I flew it over 4 miles but when I started to returned I only had 45% battery. I was 1000 feet from home and it started landing and I couldn't stop it. The next day I looked a my flight record and tried to find it but it had landed in a giant field. I though of trying to use the gps codanates and so I downloaded a cordanate finding app and then found the cordanates that it landed at. I miraculously stumbled upon it. So happy

 

[atlasx2001]

Eventually I will get brave enough to let the Mavic go out of sight but not yet. I'm curious why it started landing on its own with 45% battery power. Did you re-calibrate the home point?

 

[Stach]

I'm curious why it started landing on its own with 45% battery power. Did you re-calibrate the home point?

He wasn't landing at 45%, he was at the 1/2 way (turnaround) point at 45%, so if the wind wasn't favorable, he wasn't going to make it back home. He says that he flew it back as far as he could and then landed when the battery was near the end.

I successfully made a 3.5 mile out run this week (stock P4) and made it back safely, but it is both tiring on the fingers and hands (keeping the throttle steady and the RC pointed perfectly in the correct direction). It's also nerve racking wondering if you have enough battery to make it back and also hoping that the wind doesn't change. But for whatever reason I too find it fun, exciting and AMAZING how good these transmitters and receivers are to beam a clear HD video stream that far, with so little power!

I'm glad that you found your quad, and I had selected a few alternate potential landing spots on the way out, so if the battery got too low I was somewhat prepared. I'm still amazed by those that push their luck with distance runs over water....

Happy Flying!
Stach

 

[Mavic Ray]

hi I was trying to get a new personal distance record and I flew it over 4 miles but when I started to returned I only had 45% battery. I was 1000 feet from home and it started landing and I couldn't stop it. The next day I looked a my flight record and tried to find it but it had landed in a giant field. I though of trying to use the gps codanates and so I downloaded a cordanate finding app and then found the cordanates that it landed at. I miraculously stumbled upon it. So happy

You can type in the GPS coordinates into the search bar of Google maps and it will show you that spot.

 

[GerdS]

Ever heared of "flight planning" before? Such guys are those who cry "FLYAWAY" or "MAVIC LOST" because of their stupidness to fly their drone responsibly!
Even a child in groud school would be aware that one must fly home latest if the power reserves are going below 50%. And everyone with just a LITTLE experience with drones and battery is aware that the batteries don't like to be totally drained and that a drone will land by itself long before the battery is at 0% (about 10% for Mavic), so flying home from a distance flight needs to start long before the battery is at 50% and also dependent on wind strength and direction!
And finally, if I ever have to land somewhere far away because of low battery there is still time for looking for a prominent site where it is easy to recover instead of landing in the middle of nowhere!
And by the way, GO4 has a special funktion called "Find my drone"...

So, no reason to be proud for that "performance"...

 

[Stride8]

If you want to be daring with your $1000 and risk losing it.. have fun ..glad you got it back lol

 

[Kate]

You can always just look at the cached video on your phone/tablet. People never seem to try that.

If your a in field in Nebraska or wherever I suppose it could all look the same

 

[Brojon]

Ever heared of "flight planning" before? Such guys are those who cry "FLYAWAY" or "MAVIC LOST" because of their stupidness to fly their drone responsibly!
So, no reason to be proud for that "performance"...

Feel better now? I suggest reading some material on transactional analysis to help that communications problem you're having. Hint: You're using "parent" mode instead of adult. But if you are enjoying your role as giftzwerg - feel free.

 

[Brojon]

A useful technique when flying against the wind is tacking - as in sailing. You can use the radar to get an idea of prevailing wind.

 

[Anthony]

Also remember if you are caught out by a stronger head wind drop your Hight as often you will have a lesser head wind at a lower altitude .... and an FYI for the drone police don’t fly so low that you might hit something or someone !!

I don’t think anyone goes out to intentionally loose there drone but maybe just be more aware of the impact the weather can have on your flight and most of all have good safe fun.

 

[Brojon]

You can always just look at the cached video on your phone/tablet. People never seem to try that.

If your a in field in Nebraska or wherever I suppose it could all look the same

Cache can be disabled but it is a good point.

 

[Kilrah]

A useful technique when flying against the wind is tacking - as in sailing.

Completely useless for a quad. You're actually using extra time/energy.

 

[Brojon]

Completely useless for a quad. You're actually using extra time/energy.

You do realize that the energy to overcome air resistance goes up as a square of the air speed - right?
If you tack at an angle you add a trivial distance while decreasing the energy needed to overcome a straight on headwind. That's energy needed to get back. The speed the Mavic can deliver is limited to the amount of forward tilt which is a configured limit.
So past a certain point you start losing velocity AND you are consuming much more energy which decreases the time you have to fly. Tacking is a way to decrease your energy consumption at a minimal cost in extra distance.

 

[Kilrah]

The speed the Mavic can deliver is limited to the amount of forward tilt which is a configured limit.

You just contradicted yourself.

Yes the limit is an angle limit, which precisely means no change in consumption or airspeed regardless of direction.

 

[Brojon]

?? No - the max speed is limited by the tilt plus rotor speed limits which are current and temperature defined.. Once max tilt has been achieved that's it. No more mph/kph since both rotor velocity and attack angle are at max..
So if you have a max speed of 25 mph with a 10mph headwind the max you can go is 15 mph. Change you angle (vector) and your speed goes up because the wind speed is relative to incident angle.
But - y'know, there's just not much point in debating this so let's call it a day. Look up wind speed and aircraft groundspeed. Used to be some calculators out there that can show you the increase in groundspeed by changing your angle against the wind.
I was actually able to bring my bird home a month ago using this technique since the windspeed equaled my max speed and I was stuck. Coming home by shifting the angle I was able to make forward velocity and get it home.

 

[gremlin16]

I don't think tacking would make the slightest difference, if anything it would make it less likely to get back.

 

[danman999]

Ever heared of "flight planning" before?
So, no reason to be proud for that "performance"...

He did not do anythIng except gain valuable experience, which everybody here does every time they operate their drone. It was his risk to take, and he made it home safe.

Ohana, thanks for sharing your experience and pay no attention to people like GerdS, who is just another toy operator who thinks he is an aviator.

By the way GerdS, how many flight plans of actual aircraft have you computed using TAF/METAR/Winds Aloft reports and an EA6-B? Ever calculate a reverse wind problem? Didn't thInk so.

 

[GerdS]

Tacking with a multirotor is just a waste of the remaining energy for flying into unwanted directions. The shortest flight path is always best. Either do it in sports mode or disable obstacle recognition to get higher speed in GPS mode and fly as low as possible for less wind strength.

 

[Kilrah]

So if you have a max speed of 25 mph with a 10mph headwind the max you can go is 15 mph. Change you angle (vector) and your speed goes up because the wind speed is relative to incident angle.

Your GROUND speed yes which gives you the illusion of going faster, but you're actually going slower towards where you need to than if you went straight. Tilt angle = airspeed. It tilt angle is the limit (which it is) then airspeed will be the same regardless of the direction you fly, if you tack the component of that airspeed that goes the right direction will be lower since some is needed to go sideways.

 

[jamesw]

Just fly at lower altitude or below the treeline if you can - chances are there will be less wind.
Find a couple landing spots that you know you can recover it.
I wouldn't waste your time or energy tacking.

Also, going for distance just for distance sake is pretty boring IMHO.