Light aircraft scare

[TA147]

I had a bit of a scare the other day. I was flying my Air 2s on a tracking hyperlapse mission, the drone flying away from me at about 100m. I had it in sight when I heard a light aircraft approaching low and from my right, on a course intersecting where I'd last seen the drone. There had been no ADS-B warning on my screen. Of course I looked at the plane and was about to bring the drone down as quickly as possible, but then I thought... what if the drone is above the plane and I bring it down directly into its path? Things were happening very fast and of course when I looked away from the plane and back to the drone, I couldn't immediately spot it again. I knew the drone was at 100m, and the plane was low but really hard to tell the altitude. By now the plane was intersecting the drone's path, in my panic I still couldn't spot the drone, so I decided rather than risk dropping the drone into the plane's path, best to do nothing and hold my breath.

As soon as the plane passed I found the drone again, it was a bit ahead of where the plane crossed over. I brought the drone home and packed up for the day...

I wasn't near an airport or any other kind of no fly zone, the plane came suddenly and with no on-screen warning. I'm not sure what I should have done? Looking back I could have dropped into Sport mode and flown away from the path of the plane, but that would have taken some quick thinking and reactions. Anything else I could have done?

 

[Starz]

You did not mention your altitude which may help determine the best course of action. I have had a very similar incident and it does happen too fast to make proper decisions. Wasn’t enough time for a prayer.

 

[msinger]

Anything else I could have done?

You noted the following:

"when I looked away from the plane and back to the drone, I couldn't immediately spot it again"

Maybe keep your drone at a distance where it can easily be spotted? Had you known exactly where your drone was located, you probably could have seen it was really not in the flight path of the plane (since they didn't end up colliding).

 

[TA147]

You did not mention your altitude which may help determine the best course of action. I have had a very similar incident and it does happen too fast to make proper decisions. Wasn’t enough time for a prayer.

Drone was at 100m. It was hard to judge the altitude of the plane, but it seemed like it was somewhere close to that.

 

[bmwbob]

I was out in the country last year on a slightly overcast day with an air 2 and my controller started screaming at me there was a plane near as a glider emerged from the mist above the drone quite a ways above. The controller makes lots of noise if a plane is near!!!

 

[Cafguy]

One of the best tools for Drone pilots is a VFR low altitude navigation chart of the area you are Flying. It will tell you what the planes are doing and where.

 

[Starz]

Drone was at 100m.

Distance or altitude?

 

[MS Coast]

One of the best tools for Drone pilots is a VFR low altitude navigation chart of the area you are Flying. It will tell you what the planes are doing and where.

How would a sectional chart have been of use in this instance?

 

[TA147]

Distance or altitude?

Altitude - can't say I was watching the distance on the app, but I could see it slowly moving away - as mention I was doing a hyperlapse on a track, so very slow speed. If I had to guess I'd say it was about 200-300m away from me. So visible, but not easily visible against a cloudy sky.

 

[Cafguy]

How would a sectional chart have been of use in this instance?

Just a few things charts can help you I.D:
All airports are listed and their classification. Helipads public and private, Training areas, Military corridors, Parachute and glider activity in the area The list go's on.
If you just want to see and aviod without prior study THATS Fine BUT there are low flying aircraft where you are and its best to find out why!

 

[MS Coast]

Just a few things charts can help you I.D:
All airports are listed and their classification. Helipads public and private, Training areas, Military corridors, Parachute and glider activity in the area The list go's on.
If you just want to see and aviod without prior study THATS Fine BUT there are low flying aircraft where you are and its best to find out why!

Yes, definitely lots of information for planning flights and understanding what's nearby. But nothing that would have helped the OP in this situation.

 

[platty]

Strange you didn’t get the warning. I’ve had two warnings of planes nearby recently and they were quite some distance off.

 

[MS Coast]

Strange you didn’t get the warning. I’ve had two warnings of planes nearby recently and they were quite some distance off.

There can be a warning only if the aircraft is broadcasting an ADS-B signal. And that's not universally required for all manned aircraft. The requirements are least restrictive for the types of aircraft of concern to drone pilots, including VFR general aviation and low-level military operations.

 

[GFields]

Often it is difficult to tell the altitude of a plane looking from the ground up. It is unlikely to have been below 400' AGL

 

[Dale D]

I had a bit of a scare the other day. I was flying my Air 2s on a tracking hyperlapse mission, the drone flying away from me at about 100m. I had it in sight when I heard a light aircraft approaching low and from my right, on a course intersecting where I'd last seen the drone. There had been no ADS-B warning on my screen. Of course I looked at the plane and was about to bring the drone down as quickly as possible, but then I thought... what if the drone is above the plane and I bring it down directly into its path? Things were happening very fast and of course when I looked away from the plane and back to the drone, I couldn't immediately spot it again. I knew the drone was at 100m, and the plane was low but really hard to tell the altitude. By now the plane was intersecting the drone's path, in my panic I still couldn't spot the drone, so I decided rather than risk dropping the drone into the plane's path, best to do nothing and hold my breath.

As soon as the plane passed I found the drone again, it was a bit ahead of where the plane crossed over. I brought the drone home and packed up for the day...

I wasn't near an airport or any other kind of no fly zone, the plane came suddenly and with no on-screen warning. I'm not sure what I should have done? Looking back I could have dropped into Sport mode and flown away from the path of the plane, but that would have taken some quick thinking and reactions. Anything else I could have done?

I often fly from my driveway in a 400 foot zone on Air Loft. Yet, low flying aircraft, well below the 400 ft mark frequently come by at 150-200 feet. I believe these are tourist flights with the helicopters since I live in Miami. I can hear the plane (copter) engine before I see it and regardless, I drop the plane down at least 50 feet as fast as possible, trying like hell to keep watching my drone. It is never easy.


Dale
Miami

 

[SethB]

For anyone interested in airspace in the U.S.:

VFRMAP - Digital Aeronautical Charts

Online VFR and IFR aeronautical charts, Digital Airport / Facility Directory (AFD)

vfrmap.com

It’s a great map, except there are no legends or the margin notes for military airspace, have to get that info elsewhere.

 

[Capt KO]

I use Flight Aware to see and track local planes (incl height), mainly to follow my son's 4 private aircraft. You'd need a second device as switching apps during flight takes too long to avoid collisions. A fun app to use as you can zoom out and watch all planes in flight, commercial and private incl height, speed, direction, tail #, destination, etc..

 

[MS Coast]

I use Flight Aware to see and track local planes (incl height), mainly to follow my son's 4 private aircraft. You'd need a second device as switching apps during flight takes too long to avoid collisions. A fun app to use as you can zoom out and watch all planes in flight, commercial and private incl height, speed, direction, tail #, destination, etc..

"and watch all planes in flight, commercial and private"

No, only the aircraft that are broadcasting an ADS-B signal. ADS-B is not required for all aircraft. Those apps and DJI's Airsense feature will show only some aircraft. Don't depend on them for detecting all aircraft nearby.

 

[Capt KO]

"and watch all planes in flight, commercial and private"

No, only the aircraft that are broadcasting an ADS-B signal. ADS-B is not required for all aircraft. Those apps and DJI's Airsense feature will show only some aircraft. Don't depend on them for detecting all aircraft nearby.

Correct, thanks for clarification. Can't recieve if not transmitted, although most aircraft, even small private ones, do nowadays. They're even on commercial boats now, like mine, I have to log in before leaving the dock. Big brother.. lol

 

[MS Coast]

Correct, thanks for clarification. Can't recieve if not transmitted, although most aircraft, even small private ones, do nowadays. They're even on commercial boats now, like mine, I have to log in before leaving the dock. Big brother.. lol

"even small private ones, do nowadays."

That's not what I see in southern Mississippi (AFB just across the bay) and in west central Georgia (county airport 2 miles away). For single-engine private airplanes, only the higher end ones seem to broadcast ADS-B. The common Cessnas, Cherokees, vintage planes, and home-builts usually do not. The two paramotors I see on the coast never do. The military aircraft seem to run about 50/50. The fighters seldom do and the C-130s may or may not.

DJI seems to have modified Airsense to filter out aircraft at higher altitudes, like commercial jets in transit, and I see very few alerts despite a fair amount of air traffic.

At any rate, Airsense is definitely worth using, but our own ears and eyes are the primary way to avoid problems.