I was flying 400 ft when this large plane flew by. Am I in trouble?

[Itzmyobsession]

I get the gut feeling here that someone is looking for attention with a lot of made up stores.
Can anyone else see thru this?

 

[JMC3]

Ill keep my response short. RTH can be a good thing with some exceptions. If you set your RTH at an altitude higher than your current altitude and your panicking like you did the drone will seek the higher altitude you set prior to returning. If you are trying to avoid a flying object say a flock of birds or strong winds your drone my fly up into the danger zone. Its best to maintain full control and use your sticks to manually fly. Obviously there are times when RTH should be used just keep in mind what your parameters you set in settings.

 

[John Locke]

Based on your post, you're at the training wheels stage for flying drones. But we encourage questions, any questions, to help you grow. The training wheel stage means you should be self restricting your to fly below 150' AGL (above ground level) for your level of knowledge of experience. Once you have studied the Part 107 course to understand the rules and guidelines, then you can start flying higher.

Today I'd recommend staying low and practice some fundamentals of flying drones. How good are you at estimating distances via LOS (line of site) and through the display? It takes time to acquire that skill. Try honing your skills at navigating high and low speeds (at low elevations) in an open field. You'll see how poor human eye depth perception is at 200' using VLOS (visual line of sight). In other words, be humble, walk before you run. It helps to know all the acronyms to flying by memorizing this page.

As vindibona1 compared a driver license requirement to drive a car as an analogy, it's very relevant. If you drive a car before acquiring knowledge and experience, someone's going to get hurt. It's the same for flying a drone..

 

[Bill Kennedy]

I get the gut feeling here that someone is looking for attention with a lot of made up stores.
Can anyone else see thru this?

Agreed. Maybe he needs a name change Walter Mitty maybe?

 

[Torcan]

I get the gut feeling here that someone is looking for attention with a lot of made up stores.
Can anyone else see thru this?

I am beginning to believe there is something else going on with all his posts. Trolling comes to mind, making up stories to get a reaction from everyone here. Is he really 16? One thing about the internet and the anonymity about forums is they are open to all kinds of BS stories.

 

[wardtom084]

No warning on your controller about the aircraft? I have found that one can decrease altitude faster by moving forward AND decreasing altitude at the same time.

 

[Galopin]

My young friend, according to your picture, this plane was flying no lower than 1 000 feet...

 

[kshaw]

First, at 400 ft. AGL, it is unlikely that you are going to interfere with an aircraft unless you are flying below the flight path of a landing aircraft. You should know where the flight path is before you fly your drone if you are flying around an airport. Aircraft are required to fly an altitude that provides sufficient clearance from the ground. That is usually at least 1000 ft. AGL for flat terrain and 2000 ft. AGL for mountainous areas. Next, hitting RTH is the wrong thing to do because it does not lower the drone at all from its current altitude but will cause the drone to ascend to the RTH altitude you specified before returning to home. If you are flying in an area underneath a lot of aircraft, consider building a Stratux ADS-R receiver [Stratux ADS-B | Stratux ADS-B - DIY/Low-cost Portable ADS-B] and having your VO monitor that for aircraft in the area. You can build the Stratux for about $200 and run it off a battery pack. You will not need an internet connection. You can install the free version of Wing-X for the traffic display. Commercial versions of the ADS-B receiver are available but will run around $800. If you are flying a drone under Class E airspace of an airport, consider taking an aviation handheld radio tuned to the airport's CTAF and if there are several planes around make an announcement something like this: "Blasko Aircraft Traffic, there is a drone operation 3 miles west of the field at 400 feet AGL."

 

[Kywon McCain]

I get the gut feeling here that someone is looking for attention with a lot of made up stores.
Can anyone else see thru this?

You mean like a fanfiction? I think there's a website dedicated to such you can make your own books and stuff. You have to make your own title and cover and stuff like that.

 

[spsphotos]

Aside from what Fogg said, DO NOT JUST SHUT OFF YOUR DRONE IN FLIGHT. Yes, it can be done and restarted....but it takes a LOT of skill, practice, and steady nerves. And even then it might not recover. If you fail to restart it will crash and could crash into something. The only time I would recommend that course of action is in an extreme emergency situation. Judging by the image you posted, the aircraft is well over 400ft. LOL.

But, other points made here are valid. Stop flying the drone until you have taken proper training. Do you have your TRUST certificate? If not, you need to do that before you fly again, it's required by the FAA for ALL UAV operators who are not Part 107 certified. It's free to take and you can't fail as it will allow you to keep answering till you get it right. FAA TRUST Online Portal for Recreational Drone Operators - Pilot Institute

Consider taking Part 107 training (lots of paid/free courses online) and getting your Part 107 before you go out and fly. So far I've seen you post about flying in store parking lots, being harassed by cops, and now being concerned about other aircraft.

BTW, no one here is trying to pick on you, we just want you to be safe, keep others safe, and actually enjoy flying the drone (safely). .

 

[tlswift58]

With all due respect, your posts all seem to read like a diary of unsafe flights. From questionable airworthiness of the drone due to damage/DIY repairs, to possibly illegal flying locations and possible health issues, it might be time to take a step back and focus on making sure you have a 100% airworthy drone and a much tighter grasp on the rules in general. If you regularly have to ask if you were allowed to do something, that is a red flag. I realize flying a drone is cool and exciting and that makes everyone want to just get out and fly ASAP with minimal preparation, but that is the wrong approach for a hobby like this, as tempting as that may be.

Flying at low altitudes in a large school field or something (in a legal area with nobody around) is a good place to build your confidence, work on your flight skills, and familiarize yourself with features of the drone. Just be honest with yourself and stay safe whatever you decide.

In this case, as long as you were within legal distance of all airports/airfields/helipads and flight paths for takeoff/landing, that plane was probably thousands of feet above you. As long as you obey maximum height rules, and stay far away from airports and flight paths, you should never be in danger of having a collision with an aircraft under any normal circumstances. If you ever find yourself in a situation out of the ordinary where an aircraft may look much lower than usual, or if you have any doubts whatsoever about the situation, land your drone immediately and wait for it to pass. Better safe than sorry in every instance.

I'm with you on the posts. I get the feeling "they" are just looking for attention. May be wrong, but the posts I read tell me that.

Sure, we all start at the beginning, yet some of this is just crazy.

They need to watch YouTube videos, do a lot of reading on their drone, take the TRUST Test if not already, and learn the RULES where they live. Every country has different rules, but many being the same across the board.

As for the jetliner overhead - yes, seems they are well above a few thousand feet and if lower - did they get the "MANNED AIRCRAFT NEARBY" message? If not, not within a zone they need to freak out over.

RTH would not do much of anything - should have down-sticked if the felt they were too high and on a possible collision course - which obviously they were not if truly at only 400 ft.

 

[Category 5]

I get the gut feeling here that someone is looking for attention with a lot of made up stores.
Can anyone else see thru this?

I think he is a young teenager, and looking to become a part of a community. I think it's great to see kids embracing technology instead of running around wreaking havoc. At least he's asking questions and genuinely seems interested in sharing and learning. Think of how many kids get drones and dare each other to break every rule in the book.

I think encouragement and education will go a lot further than criticism and accusations here.

 

[Zbip57]

I am beginning to believe there is something else going on with all his posts. Trolling comes to mind, making up stories to get a reaction from everyone here. Is he really 16? One thing about the internet and the anonymity about forums is they are open to all kinds of BS stories.

Be nice and cut the guy a bit of slack. On his profile page he describes himself as an autistic teenager.

We need to remember that ALL of us operate somewhere "on the spectrum". Toward which end of the spectrum, or how far away from the "normal", will affect how you are perceived and treated by society.

Mild cases of autism may sometimes seem only a bit "hinky" to others, but are otherwise perfectly capable to manage their lives.

DocASM, you should add your location to your profile. Maybe someone on this forum lives close by and can offer to help and mentor you to ensure you don't accidently end up doing anything dangerous with your drone.

 

[Kywon McCain]

It is now clear to me that I have alot to explain. Alot... Before it's too late and I get banned for rules I'm not even breaking...

Do I put it in general discussion or off topic

 

[Kywon McCain]

I'm with you on the posts. I get the feeling "they" are just looking for attention. May be wrong, but the posts I read tell me that.

Sure, we all start at the beginning, yet some of this is just crazy.

They need to watch YouTube videos, do a lot of reading on their drone, take the TRUST Test if not already, and learn the RULES where they live. Every country has different rules, but many being the same across the board.

As for the jetliner overhead - yes, seems they are well above a few thousand feet and if lower - did they get the "MANNED AIRCRAFT NEARBY" message? If not, not within a zone they need to freak out over.

RTH would not do much of anything - should have down-sticked if the felt they were too high and on a possible collision course - which obviously they were not if truly at only 400 ft.

I don't have ADS b. Newer drones after the Mavic 2 feature something called ADS B in. It's where it receives the information incoming from manned aircraft or anything with ADS b Out. Mavic 1 pros don't have that.

 

[snowghost]

First, at 400 ft. AGL, it is unlikely that you are going to interfere with an aircraft unless you are flying below the flight path of a landing aircraft. You should know where the flight path is before you fly your drone if you are flying around an airport. Aircraft are required to fly an altitude that provides sufficient clearance from the ground. That is usually at least 1000 ft. AGL for flat terrain and 2000 ft. AGL for mountainous areas. Next, hitting RTH is the wrong thing to do because it does not lower the drone at all from its current altitude but will cause the drone to ascend to the RTH altitude you specified before returning to home. If you are flying in an area underneath a lot of aircraft, consider building a Stratux ADS-R receiver [Stratux ADS-B | Stratux ADS-B - DIY/Low-cost Portable ADS-B] and having your VO monitor that for aircraft in the area. You can build the Stratux for about $200 and run it off a battery pack. You will not need an internet connection. You can install the free version of Wing-X for the traffic display. Commercial versions of the ADS-B receiver are available but will run around $800. If you are flying a drone under Class E airspace of an airport, consider taking an aviation handheld radio tuned to the airport's CTAF and if there are several planes around make an announcement something like this: "Blasko Aircraft Traffic, there is a drone operation 3 miles west of the field at 400 feet AGL."

is the Stratux ADS-R receiver going to give you any more info than the FR24 app?

 

[BigAl07]

Those of you who are suggesting and using FlightRadar24 (and any of the other Flight Tracking Apps) need to realize that unless you're near an airport or a Rx for the signal you're not seeing the whole picture. Also it's very important to know that ADS-B is not used in every aircraft flying around.

I use FlightRadar24 a LOT but it's smart to know it's short comings and potential LAG if you're using it as part of your Situational Awareness.

 

[kshaw]

is the Stratux ADS-R receiver going to give you any more info than the FR24 app?

It should be similar. The Stratux will work from direct transmissions from surrounding aircraft and if close enough to an ADS-B tower, it will display aircraft that ATC is working as well as weather radar. Key benefit of the Stratux is that you do not need an internet connection. I use it on an IPad without internet capability. Only aircraft in Class B or Class C airspace are required to have ADS-B out.

 

[PepperBird]

"I did not see it?" You get a warning on your screen that says "Manned Aircraft Nearby"
You seem to push the envelope quite a bit! But you do you!

 

[Kywon McCain]

"I did not see it?" You get a warning on your screen that says "Manned Aircraft Nearby"
You seem to push the envelope quite a bit! But you do you!

The first gen of the Mavic has no ADS B