Flying to islands 2-3 km from beach

[AusFlyer]

Hi al,
So happy to be member of this great forum. I live in Western Australlia, and we have some great, uninhabited islands on our rugged coastline. Where I live there are 3 islands that are 2-3 km from the beach. I am so tempted to fly from the beach, where I will always have a direct connection to my drone without interference or buildings in the middle to fly my drone (Mavic Air 2, regular controller with Iphone) to these islands have a quick look and return. I have a few questions, as the typical anxiety kicks in here, and not sure if my DJI replacement insurance would cover it if I ditch my drone.

There are no restrictions on flying in that area.

1. Is there a risk I will still lose drone contact even if it says you can go 10 km distance ?
2. How high should I fly in order not to ditch the drone, I know the altitude warning is not enough when flying over water and then there are waves.
3. can I rely on my RTH if the battery empties, will it be able to make it home to the beach ? Any shortcoming here means loss by ditching.
4. Would you recommend flying there in sports mode to be quicker or would that drain my battery even quicker ?

Thanks so much for your answers, can't wait to do this.

 

[Drbobk]

With regard to #3, make sure that you are not flying to the islands “with the wind” and would have to return against the wind. That’s a RTH recipe for disaster. Even a cross wind will make it harder for the drone to return in an RTH scenario. I’m pretty sure that the methodology used to determine when the drone initiates RTH doesn’t factor any wind into the calculations.

 

[AusFlyer]

Thanks Drbobk, that is a very good one. I have read about somebody who tested his drone over a busy beach (would not be allowed here), he was very happy about the 7 km when the drone signalled RTH, but then it crashed into bathing people on the beach as it did not have the force to fly back against the wind.
Am I OK with the other questions ?

 

[Drbobk]

Thanks Drbobk, that is a very good one. I have read about somebody who tested his drone over a busy beach (would not be allowed here), he was very happy about the 7 km when the drone signalled RTH, but then it crashed into bathing people on the beach as it did not have the force to fly back against the wind.
Am I OK with the other questions ?

I don't know the answers to the other questions.

 

[Deleted member 103366]

"Flyaway" coverage might cover you but I do not think a normal care refresh policy will cover you UNLESS you can recover the drone.

Yes there is a risk in losing connection so make sure the loss-of-signal / failsafe response is set to RTH.
AND practise Failsafe RTH's, by switching the controller off, in a safe place BEFORE a real flight, just so that you know what the drone will actually do in a Failsafe RTH.

My long distance flights over water have been at 60+ft, it keeps clear of any low flying birds and croc's etc., and wave splash and gives you some time (not much) to react to an unitended descent, I also tend to make it climb a bit as it gets further out.

The low battery RTH is fairly reliable but MAKE SURE you do not fly the outbound leg DOWNWIND. Flying the outbound leg downwind would mean that the return leg was UPWIND, not a good thing if distant is involved.
Though, to be honest, I would not wait for the drone to decide the battery charge is approaching the minimum necessary to return, it is not a nice feeling watching the percentage get low when your drone is still over water.

I doubt max speed in sports mode is the best for the situation.
If the air 2 logs show distance covered, either in the app or via one of the readers such as DJI Flight Log Viewer | Phantom Help or airdata, it might be a fairly easy thing to check.
Fly two flights back to back with each flight being loops around a fair sized circle (so that the drone is never too far away yet not being stop and start flights that to and fro would be) and with a 'freshly' and fully charged battery. One flight flown at max speed in sports mode and the other at max speed in normal mode.

 

[Lasidora]

As long as your battery is in decent condition & is 100% charged ( and the controller/phone ) then 2-3km should be no problem at all, as some have already said, just make sure you are NOT flying into the wind on way back, also make sure you are above 60/70% battery left before getting to max distance, that way you have room to get back without ditching it, also keep an eye on your height as the wind can be a lot stronger a few hundred feet up, I would keep it at around 150ft or more depending on current winds, have your RTH height set correctly as if too high up & it gets windy, the drone will try RTH at the current height thus using more power against any wind.
I've flown my Mavic 2 Pro across the River Mersey in breezy conditions and that is 2-3km across, the signal never dropped below full & battery power used was only around 20-25%.

 

[vindibona1]

As others have said, the key is battery management. If the return trip is with a tailwind you can more easily judge the remaining battery flying out into whatever headwind there may be. Obviously the less windy the day the better.

I'm not sure how far you can fly an Air 2 out, but I have flown my Mavic 2 Pro (at night with strobes) over water, unobstructed maintaining VLOS as far as 10,000 feet (3.4km). Maintaining VLOS for such distances will be an issue, but hopefully you'll have enough signal strength. Does your controller have a FCC or CE rating?

 

[hiflyer201]

Attempting a flight like that is always going to be iffy. First of all it's not legal in respect to line of sight but beyond that it's going to require maximum legal altitude and that limits the photographic value. Then there is going to be the maneuvering ability once you reach that distance because the drone will probably be flying in and out of range depending on direction its heading. If you want to do it just to say you've done it I would say it's possible but you're going to have to decide if it's worth the risk. I wouldn't worry about the RTH. It will work fine and will probably kick in before you've reached your destination. Don't disable it!

 

[StantonZ]

Only thing I would add is: stick to Normal mode (not Sports).
I've flown out over water to an "island" (although not quite as far), and think you can definitely pull it off if you pay attention to the battery conditioning/wind recommendations posted previously.

 

[crlmjohnson]

battery, wind, and height over the water is very important.

 

[Meta4]

1. Is there a risk I will still lose drone contact even if it says you can go 10 km distance ?

You need to read the Failsafe RTH section of your manual.
But for what you are planning, you need to be ahead of things and be coming home before the drone wants to come home.

2. How high should I fly in order not to ditch the drone, I know the altitude warning is not enough when flying over water and then there are waves.

What altitude warning?
Don't fly at an altitude where there's a risk of flying into the water.
20-25 metres or so should be fine.

3. can I rely on my RTH if the battery empties, will it be able to make it home to the beach ? Any shortcoming here means loss by ditching.

Flying long distance over water is an unforgiving environment and you don't want to be learning out there.
You need to know what you are doing, what the drone can and will do and also allow a comfortable margin for safety and unexpected issues.
A few test flights to become familiar with how things work might be a good idea before diving in.

4. Would you recommend flying there in sports mode to be quicker or would that drain my battery even quicker ?

Sport Mode is a good way to burn the battery faster and not very good when you have to watch battery economy.
Full speed in Normal Mode will give maximum miles per battery.

 

[Gagey52]

With regard to the replacement insurance, my understanding is that unless you can produce the drone there is no replacement.
Regards

 

[John Locke]

Do what Meta4 said. LEARN about your drone by flying 3KM over land, then 4KM over land, then 5KM. Do this a few times and discover how much hover time you have at those distances, and learn how to return with 20% battery, RELIABLY.

Learn how to maintain elevation below 10% while flying back to home. Then you'll want run your battery in flight down to 0% to prove to yourself you can fly down to 0% and a little past, before the drone descends slowly, uncontrollably. However this should never be the end result of a flight, ever. You should ALWAYS target to land by 20% to keep your batteries healthy. Learning what to do at various stages below 15% is key to being able to STAY CALM if you get into a windy situation and you burn more battery than anticipated.

Like Clint Eastwood said.... "A man's got to know his limits".
You have to know your drone's limits too, and you need to do that first hand. Prove the drone's capabilities to yourself OVER LAND and you'll gain the confidence you need before going island hopping.

BTW, 3KM island hopping is an easy mission without wind. I do it all the time. Also, look into a yagi directional antenna (clip on) for your RC. They help extend your control/video range.

 

[skippyscage]

hire a small boat and get closer, then you'll have way less stress and worry and still have VLOS

 

[LA 2020]

Hi al,
So happy to be member of this great forum. I live in Western Australlia, and we have some great, uninhabited islands on our rugged coastline. Where I live there are 3 islands that are 2-3 km from the beach. I am so tempted to fly from the beach, where I will always have a direct connection to my drone without interference or buildings in the middle to fly my drone (Mavic Air 2, regular controller with Iphone) to these islands have a quick look and return. I have a few questions, as the typical anxiety kicks in here, and not sure if my DJI replacement insurance would cover it if I ditch my drone.

There are no restrictions on flying in that area.

1. Is there a risk I will still lose drone contact even if it says you can go 10 km distance ?
2. How high should I fly in order not to ditch the drone, I know the altitude warning is not enough when flying over water and then there are waves.
3. can I rely on my RTH if the battery empties, will it be able to make it home to the beach ? Any shortcoming here means loss by ditching.
4. Would you recommend flying there in sports mode to be quicker or would that drain my battery even quicker ?

Thanks so much for your answers, can't wait to do this.

1. as long as you have line of site the distance "should" be OK but that is pretty far so I wouldn't want to take that chance
2. Stay well above the water lots of strange things happen over water. I'd guess 100 feet
3. you should get a low battery warning at about 25% but at that distance I'd set that warning (in your controller) higher
4. If you fly faster it will use batteries faster. You don't need sport mode for typical speeds

 

[PhoebeSnow]

I fly 1.5 miles one-way to capture video on the other side of our lake. That is where the action is being a sand beach on the eastern shore or Lake Ontario. As newbie 4 years ago, one of my first flights, the drone stopped over the lake giving me a notice of "obstacle avoidance". Say what? Obstacle Avoidance over the middle of the lake??

No one told me and there were no posts that sun reflecting off of the lake fooled the sensors. My battery was low, I panicked, didn't know what to do, but went back to the beach and followed the shoreline home landing with just 4 minutes of battery power left. With more knowledge i could have flown home backwards or simply turned off the sensors but again I was too new this being one of my first flights.

But 90% of my flights are across the lake almost daily so you shouldn't have to worry too much if you fly with full power and with GPS home being recognized for disconnects. I've had a fair number of disconnects and the drone came home each time,

 

[DavidBlezard]

Hi al,
So happy to be member of this great forum. I live in Western Australlia, and we have some great, uninhabited islands on our rugged coastline. Where I live there are 3 islands that are 2-3 km from the beach. I am so tempted to fly from the beach, where I will always have a direct connection to my drone without interference or buildings in the middle to fly my drone (Mavic Air 2, regular controller with Iphone) to these islands have a quick look and return. I have a few questions, as the typical anxiety kicks in here, and not sure if my DJI replacement insurance would cover it if I ditch my drone.

There are no restrictions on flying in that area.

1. Is there a risk I will still lose drone contact even if it says you can go 10 km distance ?
2. How high should I fly in order not to ditch the drone, I know the altitude warning is not enough when flying over water and then there are waves.
3. can I rely on my RTH if the battery empties, will it be able to make it home to the beach ? Any shortcoming here means loss by ditching.
4. Would you recommend flying there in sports mode to be quicker or would that drain my battery even quicker ?

Thanks so much for your answers, can't wait to do this.

1) all depends on other electronic noise in the area. I fly from boats and the video recording gets wavy when a VHF radio transmits. The drone does NOT lose connection.
2) most posts about crashes over water are when flying below 25 ft. If the water is completely still like a mirror can be problematic. I usually fly above 25ft.
3) most have answered this question. you will need to think about the winds at higher altitudes are usually stronger than a sea level. There are apps that show you the wind profiles by altitude.
4). I fly in sport mode quite a bit to get into position. Then normal for controlled maneuvers for video. Regardless of mode you will need to know wind direction and impact on turning around and flying home. Basically you need to watch battery percentage and calculate when your turn around.

5) you did not ask. DJI care covers fly away loss. Instead of the $60/$70 replacement fee when you can send a drone to them they have a $299 replacement fee. May vary in your country. May also depend on flight record review by dji.

If it was me I would fly many test flights with increasing distance.

The other topic is VLOS. Check this out in your country.

 

[smashse]

For battery Meta4 is right. Max speed also incurs max wind resistance. With a good tail wind, you might be best in Sport, but that's the return trip if you do it right. Getting there, Normal mode, roll on throttle, roll off throttle, no quick movements in altitude.

 

[Super Dave O]

Send it !!!!

 

[Tas47]

I'm in southern Tasmania and I regularly fly my Mavic Pro out to an island ~1.5 - 2Km offshore from where I live. With tall trees on the shoreline (and on the island) I set the RTH height to 50m to clear them. Fortunately, prevailing winds here are usually onshore, which helps when returning the drone.