Flying over water...

[dronerdave]

The more I flew when my MP was new, the more I began to gain confidence on how well this thing operates. I always figure a hard landing will wreck it anyway so if it hits the water...oh well. Good idea to learn how to control the quad when things go wrong. Understand how it operates in ATTI mode. If you loose signal have a plan to regain control or fly it back without stressing you out. You're supposed to fly without visual aid and I do but at distance it may be difficult to really get a feel on what the quad is doing, so I keep a pair of binoculars on hand just to make sure I get it home. Always nice to have a spotter report on the flight while the operator pays attention to the height above ground level and the map position. I had my camera gimbal go nuts on me a mile out over water. I thought the mavic was hit by a bird. Not knowing what really happened, I just flew back paying close attention to the flight data. It was gut wrenching until I was close enough to see there was no problem.

 

[tcope]

Does anybody have any tips or just guidance to avoid any problems when flying over water?

You have nothing to worry about when fly over water. It is, landing or crashing no water that is of concern.

 

[tcope]

Here's the deal- If you are flying over land at an altitude of 100 feet and it falls out of the sky- The drone is done- Same applies to ocean.

True.. but I still feel differently.

I'll be at 100' above ground and feel fine but as I'm moving over the edge of a cliff that has a 300' foot drop, I get nervous. As if that additional distance is going to change anything. That is what I need to tell myself.

 

[Goldengate98]

I'm landlocked most of the time but I live near a series of small lakes. My first flights were and still are over water. In December I was on the left coast and few out over the ocean. in T mode. I had a scary moment when the wind starting pushing the bird out to sea! Turned out I had flown in front a break in the coast that was funneling the wind. I managed to keep my panic under control long enough to figure out what to do. The nice thing about the MP's is that I can pause for a moment, collect my wits and figure it out.

 

[Turn11]

guidance to avoid any problems when flying over water?

@Mossiback in post #9 made some good points. These pictures are from the M2 User Manual v1.8




I commented to an OP a couple of days ago that was going to fly his M2 about 1 - 2 foot above the lake. He is the OP of his AC but I would never think of doing that with mine.

 

[Turn11]

I'm moving over the edge of a cliff that has a 300' foot drop

Just a comment, your elevation will show a negative number when you descend below takeoff elevation towards MSL (mean sea level).
No big deal, just don't be shocked. I use an app called GPS TEST to give me a lot of information I want from time to time.

 

[tcope]

Just a comment, your elevation will show a negative number when you descend below takeoff elevation towards MSL (mean sea level).
No big deal, just don't be shocked.

I'm not shocked at the altitude number... I'm more worried about the pee running down my leg when I fly over the edge of a cliff.

 

[Turn11]

. . . . fly over the edge of a cliff.

Kinda like sky diving. Little apprehensive until you take the first step then pure joy.

 

[Charles De Mar]

I live on a lake and put my first F550 in the drink within 3 weeks of getting it airworthy. My second custom I told myself I’m not flying at all around my area, just not going to risk it. But I soon found that just about everywhere I fly I’m at risk. I’m surrounded by mountains, lakes and the Pacific so unless I’m just flying around a golf course or something, I’m pretty much going to lose it anywhere i fly if I run into technical issues. The first crash made me cautious enough to do a TON more planning into each flight, but I dont worry anymore what the ground surface is under me. The only exception is updates or mods. I always test new stuff at a local park, then head out to my favored spots.

 

[Charles De Mar]

Kinda like sky diving. Little apprehensive until you take the first then pure joy.

My first jump was from a skyvan which is basically a giant shoe box with wings. Pure joy from the minute they swung the back door up. My daughter was a little more apprehensive, but one jump and she was hooked. The feelings can be very similar and I find even though I’m on the ground, I still get a rush form piloting in certain area’s, whether it’s the view, or the risk of where I’m flying.

 

[Gringorio]

I love flying over water now. Though I remember my first time flying across the San Juan *river* with my Phantom 1 I was really terrified. Now I've flown many times from ships in coastal areas, around islands and the open ocean and I love it. I learned that you have to just go for it, trust the drone. Just use good judgement about wind, battery life etc. and make sure your drone and app are all up to date.

 

[SoCalDude]

Generally speaking, your drone doesn't know it's over water.

Seriously, just don't get too low. That type of flying is best left for terra firma until you become more proficient and comfortable. Flying at a higher altitude gives your a greater margin of error and more time to recover, if necessary.

 

[PanthersFan]

If you plan on flying from a boat, Return to Home is a very bad thing. Don’t get yourself into a situation where Return to Home is necessary.

 

[RBeaton]

Anytime I fly over water (which is almost every time), I just remind myself that this is why I wanted a Mavic in the first place. If I lose it (hopefully not), I’ve had tons of great flights, gotten amazing footage/pics, and sometimes there’s no reward without some risk.

Just remember your preflight checks (especially props) ane be aware of your battery level and temperature.

 

[clydesur]

So I've had the Mavic 2 Zoom for about a month now and have already racked up quite alot of hours so would say I'm fairly proficient at piloting this thing!

I've been so scared and almost intimidated of flying over water, but I feel the time is approaching for me to make this bold move!

Before I do...

Does anybody have any tips or just guidance to avoid any problems when flying over water?

So scared of it just dropping out of the sky!


Thanks guys!

Fly about 60% time over water and learned to keep it a minimum 6-8 ft above water. I have a spark and M2Z and they are both unstable close to the water. Here is footage on a steamy evening on the Mississippi. You notice right at the beginning when I turn right the drone bobs down and causes me to adjust several times to bring it back up. Scary but not to worry much.

 

[PanthersFan]

Generally speaking, your drone doesn't know it's over water.

Neither does my golf ball... . But still...

 

[SoCalDude]

Neither does my golf ball... . But still...

LOL! That's what I'm saying—it's not the object in flight, it's the person behind it. It's all psychological.

 

[Victorian Aerial Vision]

I fly over water more often than not & so far no issues. I keep a close eye on the craft though, I have seen it dip when close to the water's surface.

@LenSavage That's some awesome footage in your videos, that's the level I aspire to.

Watch Victorian Aerial Vision Videos

 

[ScubaBob]

So I've had the Mavic 2 Zoom for about a month now and have already racked up quite alot of hours so would say I'm fairly proficient at piloting this thing!

I've been so scared and almost intimidated of flying over water, but I feel the time is approaching for me to make this bold move!

Before I do...

Does anybody have any tips or just guidance to avoid any problems when flying over water?

So scared of it just dropping out of the sky!


Thanks guys!

I live in Cancun, MX and have been flying over water for over a year without a problem. Friends have lost several drones in the same water because they got reckless, didn't watch wave heights, sent drones further than VLOS, etc. I have plenty of postings about flying over water. Read them if you can. Write back if you have questions.

 

[rmb]

The only thing that was not covered here is hovering or flying very low and slow over water. I tried flying my first Mavic over a small stream and it played hell with the bottom sensors. The bird would not stay still and would wobble and climb unexpectedly. I get why it would do that, but I have not had the guts to try it with my Mavic 2. Does anyone here have experience with this and is t as simple as disabling the bottom sensors?