helicopter pilot joining the drone movement!

[Hemspilot]

hello all. I finally made a jump into drone flying. A keen photographer for many years I was looking for a new “angle” and interest to my photography. I am so excited about the dji Mavic Air I now own. After a few flights and some very amateur films I am thoroughly hooked.
In my day job I work as an air ambulance helicopter pilot, so I spend a lot of time in the 3D environment but rarely am I able to take pictures while flying at work.
I am simply blown away by the capabilities and technology in this little drone.
Looking forward to learning and contributing to this forum as I get a bit more competent.

 

[frogbmth]

Hey that’s awesome, welcome aboard!

 

[msinger]

Welcome to Mavic Pilots!

 

[Gizmo]

Welcome! Question: do you think an helicopter could be taken down by a collision with a Mavic?

I always fly LOS and to the height limit imposed here in Mexico (120m), but some times there are some Federal Police helicopters that fly over my house really low, or at least they seem very low (80m), thank god helicopters are really noisy so whenever I hear one, even if I can't see them, I go down immediatly to 50m. Just to be clear, I don't live near an heliport.

 

[Hemspilot]

Welcome! Question: do you think an helicopter could be taken down by a collision with a Mavic?

Hi Gizmo. Thanks for the welcome.
In answer to your question - I have to say unfortunately YES. It’s a very relevant question and all drone flyers should work to spread awareness of the risks.
It is one of our major concerns these days flying around especially low level and when coming in for landing at an accident site.
Any collision with a helicopter can and will do serious damage. At the speeds we travel it could very likely go through the windscreen. Worse is any collision with a main or tail rotor. That could prove fatal. I don’t mean to be dramatic but just to raise awareness.
We will almost certainly not see the drone until it’s too late.
My best advice is to do as u do and keep below 120m. If u hear or suspect any helicopter traffic then lose height as quickly as u can and land. If it is an emergency helicopter or military there is a very good chance it could fly over again in a few minutes. Use common sense and if there is any doubt - always act on the side of caution.

 

[tcope]

Welcome! Question: do you think an helicopter could be taken down by a collision with a Mavic?

That's not a loaded question at all.

Of course they could... and that is the only answer.

Another question might be, what is the likelihood of a collision. But that is completely different.

 

[dirkclod]

Welcome to Mavic Pilots .
I hope you will find our site helpful and look forward to any input , photo's/video's you might post .
Don't be shy and ask anything if you can't find it by searching .

 

[Hemspilot]

That's not a loaded question at all.

Of course they could... and that is the only answer.

Another question might be, what is the likelihood of a collision. But that is completely different.

Exactly. And that is where the common sense comes in. Learning and knowing when and where to avoid flying. One of our main worries now is basically freelance media arriving at an accident site and throwing up a drone to get media footage. In this instance you could argue the likelihood of a collision is significantly increased. Often in summer time we are called to tourist areas, often by the coast and beaches. Again here the risks are increased. Bottom line - use common sense.

 

[Gizmo]

Thanks for your answer, the mavic weighting 700grams I thought for sure it could cause some damages, like a bird strike, I never thought it could actually conpletely take it down on impact.

 

[LuvMyTJ]

Hello,
It is a pleasure to welcome you to the Mavic Pilots forum.
I hope that you will be able to use the forum to further your safety knowledge and for the exchange of innovative ideas and as a resource for current developments in Mavic quadcopters.
Enjoy!
*MAVIC PRO/PLATINUM MANUAL: https://dl.djicdn.com/downloads/mavic/Mavic Pro User Manual V2.0-.pdf
*MAVIC AIR MANUAL: https://dl.djicdn.com/downloads/Mavic Air/20180213/Mavic Air User Manual_v1.2.pdf
*GO 4 APP MANUAL: DJI Go 4 Manual

 

[Bunny Too]

hello all. I finally made a jump into drone flying. A keen photographer for many years I was looking for a new “angle” and interest to my photography. I am so excited about the dji Mavic Air I now own. After a few flights and some very amateur films I am thoroughly hooked.
In my day job I work as an air ambulance helicopter pilot, so I spend a lot of time in the 3D environment but rarely am I able to take pictures while flying at work.
I am simply blown away by the capabilities and technology in this little drone.
Looking forward to learning and contributing to this forum as I get a bit more competent.

Howdy from Wyoming @Hemspilot , welcome to the community, plenty of fine folk and excellent information here.