Landing in a boat

[Tim3459575]

I fly my M3 mostly from a boat. If the boat is very large and stationary, landing on the boat is fine. However, even at anchor it can be moving a fair bit which makes landing this way challenging. With the M3, I find hand catching more challenging (than M2) due to bigger props/wing span and less clearance between props and body. I would only do it with a rubber glove and eye protection. But my preferred solution is a home made catch handle as shown below. The pipe is 3/4 pvc conduit about 6” long. This interferes with the vps system but isn’t really much of an issue. VPS cannot be turned off on M3 but it is only activated in below 40. Even with covering one sensor it still records correct height though. However, if it does record less than 2’ and you pull down on the stick, the auto landing sequence will be initiated. However, this can be aborted by going up with the left stick. Due to these issues, I keep the drone above 40’ when flying with the stick, except for landing of course.

 

[Jarek44]

Hi, I had the same situation but on kayak with MA2, takoff from hand was easy.
Landing, last time I ve done it. No more. first I had to get on the edge of river bank, i was kayaking so not many places where I can embark and land normally. Luckly I was able to slow enough and catch it by hand. But it was last time especially that you have to catch in one hand and keep controler in another.
What I would suggest You can land on boat and use momentum when drone is beeping in landing phase approx 1m or 3ft above ”ground„ and then move yoke towards place to addapt to speed of boat to land but it has to be solid and both hands on controller. I wouldn’t reccomend do it with hand.
You can practice this on land too see how much manouver you can do durring this phase before touch down.

 

[Tim3459575]

I’ve used the stick for catching from a moving boat and would never attempt it any other way.

 

[Pieter Einthoven]

I launch and recover from a moving sailboat using my MPP (larger than the Mini). I mount a handle on the bottom, similar to the video someone shared). Makes it easy to catch and turn sideways to kill the motors, which would not stop otherwise because the boat is still moving. I would be very nervous hand catching without the handle on anything but a very still boat (I.e. at anchor or in a slip) and I would wear gloves as others have suggested. I think you can find some small landing gear for the Minis that would work a bit like a catching handle.

 

[MA2 317]

I've enjoyed this video clip from an ocean yacht race a while back.

It is indeed possible to launch and land from a boat.

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[John4744]

I had difficulty getting my mini 2 to land in the boat on Lake Ontario recently. Boat was anchored but drifting slightly. It was a challenge to get it to land. I don’t feel comfortable hand catching the drone. I took off from a recycle blue box which was small so I tried landing it on the boat’s metal floor. The floor was lower than the take off elevation by maybe two feet. I eventually got it down into the boat but it wasn’t fun. Any ideas why?

Yes, Get a sheet of 1/2" foamcore 30" x 30" square. Paint it orange on all sides Mark an X on it. Use it as a light weight landing platform. Make your boat into an aircraft carrier. It worked for me.

 

[mooncusser]

All these people on boats and nobody uses a net?

 

[MA2 317]

All these people on boats and nobody uses a net?

Whether it's a fishing net or the Internet, they're probably flying with a "net".

Just teasing.

 

[Pieter Einthoven]

I've enjoyed this video clip from an ocean yacht race a while back.

It is indeed possible to launch and land from a boat.

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Yeah, those guys are amazing drone pilots. I would never launch my drone in anything like that. But they all use the Phantom drone which has large gear that works as a catching handle.

 

[LoudThunder]

You might be able to build something light weight as a landing pad and attach it to the top of the boats roof with suction cups. A little more real estate up there.

I definitely agree on having a large enough landing pad, but I would think that you can buy a cheap, rubber backed mat that you could just toss up there, the rubber backing is suppose to prevent slipping on floors so it should not slip off the roof...

 

[LoudThunder]

Purchase a stick to assist with hand launch

I would think that if you had to land it without hand catching it, the stick would "high-point" the drone and as it settled down, it would tip over and the propellers would wack the ground...

 

[Fleek]

I don't recommend hand catching, especially on a moving boat! You can use a box or small table to land on which should raise the landing zone up to a better level.

Hand catching is the norm for most drone pilots.

 

[Azarov]

Catching in your hand is easy (however needs a practice).
Make sure the control stick is firmly down, drone will detect your palm as a landing surface, catch it from both sides with all your fingers (you will avoid getting a finger into the propellor area).
Catching with your hands will give you extra distance from the boat metal/ferrours surface.
It works well with my Mavic 2 Pro, however didn't try it on a boat yet.
I'm using landing pad only for practicing landing drone in a distance, AIRPROX.

 

[MA2 317]

I would think that if you had to land it without hand catching it, the stick would "high-point" the drone and as it settled down, it would tip over and the propellers would wack the ground...

I agree. You're committed to the hand when using this device.

Have spare props handy if one has to "stick" the landing on land as they will probably be destroyed when it falls over.

 

[Rondog]

I lost my Mavic in the lake when I tried to fly from a boat but because we moved from where I took off from and it went back to land there and landed in the water. I jumped in and tried to swim to it as it was slowly coming down but didn’t make it, unfortunately. I almost always hand launch and catch my Air 2 because I primarily shoot surfing at the beach and can’t land in the sand but in a moving boat it would be hard unless it’s still. Floating pads on the drone would work.

 

[danwnz]

Maybe you should spend time flying the drone and tyring to land it manually on land same blue box before you venture to the water, or get floatation device for the drone so if your can't then land it on the water then go and pick it up

 

[LoudThunder]

I lost my Mavic in the lake when I tried to fly from a boat but because we moved from where I took off from and it went back to land there and landed in the water.

Two 20-20 Hindsight future possibilities, when going out in a boat, launch it before you leave in the boat from the land or if you are out in a boat, set the RTH to hover, not land, then you might get back to it before it takes a dip... But the best advice is get the pontoons/floatation device and it will not get to meet Davey Jones...

 

[tlyons]

I had difficulty getting my mini 2 to land in the boat on Lake Ontario recently. Boat was anchored but drifting slightly. It was a challenge to get it to land. I don’t feel comfortable hand catching the drone. I took off from a recycle blue box which was small so I tried landing it on the boat’s metal floor. The floor was lower than the take off elevation by maybe two feet. I eventually got it down into the boat but it wasn’t fun. Any ideas why?

I have been boating and owned a boat since I was a college kid. Boats move up and down a lot and tip as you move around. Even with a hand catch, a *small* 12" wave bouncing the boat at the wrong moment is going to cut a finger or slap the drone into the boat or some kind of boat hardware.

My take is that it's a 50/50 thing you will wreck your drone on flying from a boat. I've done it (not with my Mini 3 Pro yet) but I wasn't kidding myself. My boat is a relatively steady 34' wide beam catamaran but it is on the ocean which is less smooth. It's not about flying skill, it's just that a boat is not a steady platform.

I also kayak regularly. I can't imagine trying to control a kayak or canoe single handed and trying to land a drone safely.

 

[tlyons]

Maybe you should spend time flying the drone and tyring to land it manually on land same blue box before you venture to the water, or get floatation device for the drone so if your can't then land it on the water then go and pick it up

Will DJI Care cover water damage if you recover the drone? It seems they do:

DJI Care Refresh: Everything You Need to Know - DJI Guides

What is DJI Care Refresh, what is the difference compared to DJI Care Refresh Plus, and why should you get it? We've got all the answers to your questions!

store.dji.com

In that case, I am taping a piece of foam to the drone and flying from my boat!

 

[MS Coast]

I have been boating and owned a boat since I was a college kid. Boats move up and down a lot and tip as you move around. Even with a hand catch, a *small* 12" wave bouncing the boat at the wrong moment is going to cut a finger or slap the drone into the boat or some kind of boat hardware.

My take is that it's a 50/50 thing you will wreck your drone on flying from a boat. I've done it (not with my Mini 3 Pro yet) but I wasn't kidding myself. My boat is a relatively steady 34' wide beam catamaran but it is on the ocean which is less smooth. It's not about flying skill, it's just that a boat is not a steady platform.

I also kayak regularly. I can't imagine trying to control a kayak or canoe single handed and trying to land a drone safely.

I flew from a canoe in a Vermont lake several times last week, taking off and landing from the space in the center between the thwarts. I just paddled the canoe into a weed bed for each take of and landing. No sweat.

Drifting with a significant wind or current would be out of my league given the tight quarters in the boat.