Hearst Castle - Note to self

OCsurfer411 · Dec 29, 2017

The Mavic Pro can not make it all the way up to Hearst Castle and back from Hwy 1. Got about halfway and had to turn back to have enough juice to make it back. I honestly didn't think it would make it all the way up there, but I had to try

Anthony Viscomi · Dec 29, 2017

I actually would have loved to see a pic of that. Big Citizen Kane fan

OCsurfer411 · Dec 29, 2017

I'll post some video when I get back home this weekend.

Anthony Viscomi · Dec 29, 2017

OCsurfer411 said:
I'll post some video when I get back home this weekend.

Thanks...looking forward to it.

javelina · Dec 29, 2017

Wow, now that would've been a cool journey. post a vid por favor!

go fast · Dec 29, 2017

Lots of beautiful shots to be had along the PCH , I was there this past summer and got some amazing footage looking forward to seeing yours as I didn't make it that far south on this trip...

Qoncussion · Dec 29, 2017

I did a little measuring. From the optimal take-off point on the PCH, you would be exactly 3 miles from the castle. I know that area is famous for the high winds in the hills. Any chance you'll try again?

OCsurfer411 · Dec 29, 2017

The problem isn't the 3 miles, it's the elevation you have to achieve as the drone approaches the castle.

No, won't try again this trip.

OCsurfer411 · Dec 29, 2017

go fast said:
Lots of beautiful shots to be had along the PCH , I was there this past summer and got some amazing footage looking forward to seeing yours as I didn't make it that far south on this trip...

I got some great shots of the coast near the elephant seal viewing area and of Morrow Bay and Rock. I'll post it all soon.

OCsurfer411 · Dec 30, 2017

A Few Things About this Video:

It hasn't been put to music yet, But it will soon.
It was in Sports Mode most of the flight, so you'll see the prop in the upper left portion of the FoV. This was done to get up and back as quickly as possible. In my experience, the overall distance you can get in regular versus sports mode is about the same, it's just a matter of how quickly do you want to get there, and in this case since it was really just an audit flight to see how close the drone could get before battery level forced a return.
Once the drone landed, it still had over 35% battery, so in reality, it could have probably gotten a bit closer, but generally going into the sub-30% of the battery should only be done in emergencies, and this wasn't.

Enjoy!