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Frequency of loss. I want one but . . .

Xooterpust

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I'm thinking about getting a drone but am warned that people frequently lose them. If that's the case, I don't want to start out with an expensive drone. I want to fly it over salt marshes and waterways, sometimes half a mile away and sometimes perhaps further, but in view. I read that drones don't fly well over water, that they can't detect their altitude over water or some such. Even so, I don't want a super cheap drone that you can't fly as much as a mile away. And I want it to take good pics. I think Mavic drones have the abilities I want, but as a novice flyer will I lose it?

If you can speak to the frequency at which novice flyers lose their drones and the problems of flying over water I'd certainly appreciate hearing your opinions on those subjects.
 
Although some do "get lost" I would not say that it is a frequent occurance...start off with a cheapie one to see if you can handle operating one...if you are comfortable with it then step up to a good quality one...good luck with it
 
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Hello from the Crossroads of America Xooterpust.


I'm thinking about getting a drone but am warned that people frequently lose them.

It's usually due to pilot error. A new pilot that takes it out of the box and flies it without reading the manual on how it operates.



I want to fly it over salt marshes and waterways, sometimes half a mile away and sometimes perhaps further, but in view.

A half a mile is a bit much to keep it in VLOS, let alone going further.

VLOS doesn't mean you can see a speck in the sky and be satisfied, you must also know the orientation of the aircraft by looking at it, not the monitor. Different colored strobe lights attached will help.


I read that drones don't fly well over water, that they can't detect their altitude over water or some such.

Drones fly fine over the water, it's when they get within 10 feet of the surface that may affect the visual position sensors.

Good luck with your future purchase.
Read the manual a few times.
Watch YouTube videos.

And welcome to the Forum. :cool:
 
I read that drones don't fly well over water, that they can't detect their altitudDrones can read their altutude over water or some such.
A lot of what you might read is unreliable information posted by people who don't really know.
Good drones fly just as well over water as they fly over land.
Just like a bird or plane, it makes no difference what's down below.
Drones have no problem with altitude over water
I think Mavic drones have the abilities I want, but as a novice flyer will I lose it?
That's up to you.
If you learn how it works and fly properly, there's no reason you couldn't fly it for years.
If you don't bother learning common mistakes and how to avoid them, if you fly recklessly, etc you could easily lose it.
If you can speak to the frequency at which novice flyers lose their drones and the problems of flying over water I'd certainly appreciate hearing your opinions on those subjects.
There's a ton of technology built in to modern drones.
If the drone is lost, 99% of the time it would be down to operator error and 1% to rare genuine hardware problems.
There are no problems involved in flying over water, that you won't encounter flying over land.

I've flown thousands of miles over open ocean over 7 years.
I've been flying the same drone for nearly 5 years, without incident.
Flying over water is safer than flying over land.

* When I mention drones, I'm referring to DJI drones.
I can't vouch for others
 
I'm thinking about getting a drone but am warned that people frequently lose them.
Online drone forums (like most other forums) share a common problem. You rarely see new threads about drones working as expected, which makes threads about problems seem much more common that they really are. Of those threads, many (most) of the issues can be traced to pilot error. If you add up all the individual threads about serious issues (not the replies) I'd be surprised if you'd see more than a few hundred. If you consider that there must be millions of drones owned world-wide, those posting with problems represent a very, very small fraction of the total. Modern drones tend to be surprisingly reliable - it's rare for people to lose them due to hardware or electronics defects.
 
@Xooterpust as others have stated nearly all crash and drone loss incidents ,are mostly down to pilot error ,and this doesnt just apply to new pilots ,but in the scheme of things ,unless the drone is being flown in an inappropriate manner ,then the modern drones are very reliable
yes the technology can malfunction ,but this can often be attributed to outside influences ,or lack of knowledge ,about how the drone is best looked after ,ie maintained ,there is much much more to drone ownership than just flying it ,and that is what makes it a great hobby
 
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I'll agree with everything in the comments above.

I'm a newbie at drones. I've been flying for a little more than a year with no issues. I started by reading everything on my MA2 that I could get my hands on, watching all of the available videos, and then started with some basic-level flying in my back yard. For the first half-dozen flights I didn't get more than 100 yards from the launch point. Only when I was comfortable that I understood the controls did I venture further afield. I'm really enjoying my drone!

Get your drone and take an incremental approach to learning it and you should be fine. Buy the loss & damage insurance. Better than wistfully watching others having fun with their drones and wishing you bought one!
 
Common sense goes a long way. Dont fly on windy days, stay higher than everything else, and watch tutorials on youtube, they are very helpful in learning all of the (too) many features.
 
I have been flying DJI drones for 5 years (P3 4K, MA1, P4 adv) with no flyaways at all, ore even any potential ones. 3-4 minor crashes with the first as I learned how to fly.
 
I'm thinking about getting a drone but am warned that people frequently lose them. If that's the case, I don't want to start out with an expensive drone. I want to fly it over salt marshes and waterways, sometimes half a mile away and sometimes perhaps further, but in view. I read that drones don't fly well over water, that they can't detect their altitude over water or some such. Even so, I don't want a super cheap drone that you can't fly as much as a mile away. And I want it to take good pics. I think Mavic drones have the abilities I want, but as a novice flyer will I lose it?

If you can speak to the frequency at which novice flyers lose their drones and the problems of flying over water I'd certainly appreciate hearing your opinions on those subjects.
As with most things, its usually pilot error. I started with the Air 2S because it had all the features I want. I watched at least 4 hours of video, before ever flying it. 1st flight, I reduced the range to not 1000ft, and altitude to 100 ft. and kept it there for a month. Flying every other day.

Even though I am a hobbyist, I can still be an expert pilot.
 
Welcome to droning. Latecomer to the scene here, but after getting my first, I wish I'd done it years ago.
I'd agree with all of the comments above and would like to add a new thought. I personally am bad at clicking the 'ignore/cancel' button when the controller tells me the battery is low and the drone thinks it should return to home. I tend to push the boundaries, which over land can be a little more forgiving if you miscalculate your return and are forced to land before it gets all the way home. Like most of the others, I'd had no issues over water, even when flying low and close to the surface, HOWEVER, I would always recommend letting the drone return to home when it thinks it should when over water. Landing prematurely doesn't end well over water :)
 
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I'm thinking about getting a drone but am warned that people frequently lose them. If that's the case, I don't want to start out with an expensive drone. I want to fly it over salt marshes and waterways, sometimes half a mile away and sometimes perhaps further, but in view. I read that drones don't fly well over water, that they can't detect their altitude over water or some such. Even so, I don't want a super cheap drone that you can't fly as much as a mile away. And I want it to take good pics. I think Mavic drones have the abilities I want, but as a novice flyer will I lose it?

If you can speak to the frequency at which novice flyers lose their drones and the problems of flying over water I'd certainly appreciate hearing your opinions on those subjects.

It's like airplanes,, you don't hear about the ones that don't crash. I've been flying my Mavic 2 Zoom for over 2 years with no problems, but I don't fly a half mile away. You can get insurance as well, which may help provided you can recover the wreckage.
 
I am also a new guy at this drone thing , less than a year, what I'll tell you is do not go buy one of those cheapos to try it out! I did that a couple years ago and it was so hard to fly it kept me from trying again for a couple years.. move ahead to Nov 2020, I got a DJI MA2... scared to death to fly it for fear of losing/crashing it!! That only lasted an hour or so of flight time.. these good ones are so easy to fly... pay attention, read the manual (Twice) and watch a bunch of you tube videos and you will be having a blast in no time!
 
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I understand where you're coming from. I was 64 when I got my first one. I bought a cheaper fixed body drone for 2 reasons. 1. To see if it something I would like doing. If not, I could sell the drone or give it to one of my Grandsons. 2. To see if it was something I could do to get over any nervousness about crashes or loss. Well, I found out, "Yep" I did like it and the more I flew it, the more comfortable I got. Yep - I crashed it....more than once. Had to replace gears and props. I even got it stuck 50' up in a tree where it stayed for about 3 months while figured out a way to get it down. Finally, I did - amazingly it still flies. I think there is a GPS issue with it, but it was cheap(er). That experience gave me a comforfort level to step up to a Mini 2. LOVE this thing. Flying is like butter compared to the other one. Better by leaps and bounds.

When you fly, be aware of your surroundings. Trees, birds flying around, cell towers or power lines. Like others have said, start slow - get comfortable doing maneuvers with it facing away from you and facing you so you know what it will when you move the controls. (YouTube has videos on maneuvers any drone pilot should know) when comfortable, step up your flights.

Also as others have said, think about how many drones are flying compared to how many are "lost." Very low #. And...you don't hear much about the successful flights (check out the "Photos and Video" section to see many). Only the messed up ones.

Seriously consider all the info in this thread. One thing you'll find here - pilots with more experience are very willing to help other pilots regardless of experience. I, personally, can use all the help I can get.
 
I'm thinking about getting a drone but am warned that people frequently lose them. If that's the case, I don't want to start out with an expensive drone. I want to fly it over salt marshes and waterways, sometimes half a mile away and sometimes perhaps further, but in view. I read that drones don't fly well over water, that they can't detect their altitude over water or some such. Even so, I don't want a super cheap drone that you can't fly as much as a mile away. And I want it to take good pics. I think Mavic drones have the abilities I want, but as a novice flyer will I lose it?

If you can speak to the frequency at which novice flyers lose their drones and the problems of flying over water I'd certainly appreciate hearing your opinions on those subjects.
Agree with everyone else. I started flying drones in 2018 flying mostly next to the beaches near my house and over marshes and lagoons. Have yet to lose one. Came close once when low battery didn't quite get me back home but DJI's "find my drone" feature really did find my drone about 200 yards in some bushes that it autolanded safely in. Know where you're flying, respect the wind, the laws of physics and the FAA.
 
I'm thinking about getting a drone but am warned that people frequently lose them. If that's the case, I don't want to start out with an expensive drone. I want to fly it over salt marshes and waterways, sometimes half a mile away and sometimes perhaps further, but in view. I read that drones don't fly well over water, that they can't detect their altitude over water or some such. Even so, I don't want a super cheap drone that you can't fly as much as a mile away. And I want it to take good pics. I think Mavic drones have the abilities I want, but as a novice flyer will I lose it?

If you can speak to the frequency at which novice flyers lose their drones and the problems of flying over water I'd certainly appreciate hearing your opinions on those subjects.
Water is like any other obstacle - get too close and it may go in. Some drones don't have avoidance sensors which if you're flying out of VLOS (need to understand that phrase) means you don't get a warning of those obstacles. Water is a bit different than say trees, so knowing your altitude when flying above water is key. I don't think people lose more drones over water than any other obstacle.

You do state you want to fly more than 1/4 mile away from where you take-off from. That is getting where VLOS is non-existent and other aids like binoculars are not considered VLOS per the FAA. Now, if you had a spotter using them - then maybe. Most of us hate the "VLOS" requirement as it is really restrictive for most flying; but it is a rule that is out there and the government expect everyone to comply. A drone like the Mini / Mini 2 and even the Air2 / Air2S cannot be seen without some bright strobes at a quarter of a mile. Going beyond that makes it even less so. Just because a drone says it can fly up to 1 mile or more does not make it legally possible - so don't fall for that stat as a buying point. Also depending on where you fly and the surrounding environment - it is easy to lose contact with the drone - loss of signal. Many things can happen at that point and losing the drone is a real possibility if it too far out and can't make it home.

Highly suggest understanding many of the very basic rules for drone flight, even for Rec Users and the FAA now requires all of us to do a "TRUST" test, which covers most of them. You also have to carry the certificate with you when flying in case you are asked to show proof of compliance.
 
I'm thinking about getting a drone but am warned that people frequently lose them. If that's the case, I don't want to start out with an expensive drone. I want to fly it over salt marshes and waterways, sometimes half a mile away and sometimes perhaps further, but in view. I read that drones don't fly well over water, that they can't detect their altitude over water or some such. Even so, I don't want a super cheap drone that you can't fly as much as a mile away. And I want it to take good pics. I think Mavic drones have the abilities I want, but as a novice flyer will I lose it?

If you can speak to the frequency at which novice flyers lose their drones and the problems of flying over water I'd certainly appreciate hearing your opinions on those subjects.
I'm thinking about getting married and having children but if there is a problem I would not do it.
 
PB, I'm also a new drone pilot. I bought my Mini 2 back in May and I'm still practicing in my back lot. I'm trying to build up my muscle memory so I don't have to think too much about what I want the drone to do. I do basic stuff such as forward and back, left and right slides, etc. I occasionally throw in some practice on manual orbits, but I'm in a very open space so I can do that safely and it also helps my muscle memory.

One other thing I did was to get a couple of strobe lights for the front arms. I'm an old Navy officer and I put the red one on the left arm for port and the green one on the right for starboard. They make it very easy to keep sight of the drone and the colors quickly tell me the attitude of the drone.

Finally, I fly slow to allow for mistakes. I video everything I do and I can speed up in post if I need to.

Keep practicing and be patient as you build up your skills and memory muscles.
 
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I would say it depends on your expectations. If you're looking for close up photos and videos of insects, birds and and other swamp life you will probably be disappointed and more than likely lose your drone as well. Safety of any flight always depends on keeping safe parameters. Proper number of Satellites, safe distance from obstacles, safe weather conditions, safe altitude and speed.... etc. I don't care how proficient you are as a pilot, at distance of one mile away you are always in danger of losing your drone if you are attempting low level close up flight. All that being said, I'm sure you would be thrilled with the new perspective you get with the view from unobstructed flight at a safe altitude.
 

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