Get trained if you loose the video link

[KBerrah]

Hi,

I experimented once the experience of briefly loose the video link ... quite scary if the drone if far away. So I decided to train myself to bring him back without video link, and without pressing the panic button "RTH":

- make your done fly high enough (40m) to be sure to be above any tree or power line
- make it turn around itself a few seconds without looking at your mobile or ipad (if you are courageous later, unplug the mobile or tablet)
- now keep exclusively your eyes on the RC.

While having an eye on Altitude,
1) move the drone forward or backward and check the distance.
2) if distance is decreasing, good and continue with step 1)
3) if distance is increasing, not good, turn your drone in one direction (let say slightly to left) and goto 1)

You'll end up hearing back your drone and fine tune the above steps until you'll be able to land

Now, I feel myself more confident while flying. However, If I loose again the video link, I start immediately increasing the altitude, before starting the above procedure.

Thoughts, similar experience, or other algorithm?

 

[Mavicao]

If this happened to me I think I'd hoover it at 60m and drive to it or else, if in a clear area I'd just hit RTH. Flying without a camera even with the obstacle sensors is just too risky.

 

[Haloweenhamster]

Had to do this a few times, found that even without video the map works so you can see orientation, but I have had to bring it back manually a few times when phone has crashed or shutdown

 

[UAVXTC]

Good advise, KBerrah, I also got used to flying ATTI on the phantom back in the day of P1 & P2 in case of GPS failure. Although not as common as it used to be in the early days, it's good practice and like you say just raises your confidence.

 

[whiskey_throttle]

Good thoughts. I think having a plan for failure modes is as important as pre-flight checks.
These issues range from routine to rare.

1) Tablet Disconnects or Android GO4 App quits working (my experience is about 1/40 flights, I RTH until A/C gets close to home and land manually)
- maybe try to reboot app or tablet first depending where the drone happens to be .
2) RC Disconnect ( Some people fly distance until this happens routinely- happens to me accidentally about 1/100 flights)
- it automatically starts the RTH - typically the RC reconnects when it gets closer.
3) Image Transmission Lost ( I often fly until this starts intermittently, raise altitude or reduce distance to clear typically)
- actually this is what I do on a P3P - the Mavic is so well behaved on signal that I just stop at 1 bar on signal strength,
still flies further than my P3P with antenna mods.
4) Lost GPS Signal (has only happened once to me, it switched to ATTI mode and I landed ASAP)
5) Compass Calibration Error in Flight ( has only happened twice to me, it switches to ATTI mode & I land ASAP)
6) Wind increased in flight such that drone not making headway towards home (happened once to me - reduced altitude and found lower wind)

I fly Mavic and P3P - I like your method but the P3P doesn't have the separate control screen to see distance and altitude if the tablet dies.
So I practice the RTH on each about every 5 flights just so I will be comfortable knowing how it behaves when needed.

 

[Path Finder]

I wish the MP RC would have a heading or some type of direction indicator, even though it would be small it would be faster than "hunting" for a movement of the MP that is getting closer to the RC. (Of course keeping it close enough to "see" solves the issue. . .)

Thanks for the food for thought OP!

 

[Doecliff]

years ago I had a Turbo ace 830 and it got pretty far away from me and I panicked and could not figure out its orientation. I went left/right forward/back but couldn't tell which way it was moving. It was near the freeway and rather than lose it all together I pulled the stick back and let it crash while I still knew the general area where it was. I have it all on video, I was a total rookie, return to home or home lock never even occurred to me (it was a DJI Naza FC). I was so panicked that I was guaranteed to fail. If I just would have calmed down and took my time I could have experimented with the controls a little more and figured out my orientation and brought it back. These are the days of zero feed back from the craft. No video or flight data only your eyes on the craft. I was more worried about losing my go pro then the drone. It came down at a law office and lucky for me it didn't hit a lawyers car. You kids don't know how lucky you have it today. LOL Cant believe I just said that. I have turned into my parents.

 

[royster]

I do think owning a Phantom3A with a useable ATT mode & learning to fly in ATT mode has saved my little Mavic more than I can count!
I;m sure its been asked before but I do wonder why the DJI "geniuses" didn't add an ATT mode to the MP.

 

[Wakesetter101]

All well when you can see it, for most of us flying FPV, better hit that RTH if your phone crashes.

I do have lots of practice though, coming from flying RC airplanes. Those don't stop for you to figure it out, you only have seconds to determine orientation before you lose it.