Mavic 3 low level flying.

[triathlon007]

Hi, I’m trying to do low level flying over surf and capturing local surfers. Can you set a minimum flying level on mavic 3? So if you push down on stick it will only go to 1.5m - 2m for instance. I know this is dangerous due to reflection of water etc. thanks

 

[Deleted member 162835]

Hi, I’m trying to do low level flying over surf and capturing local surfers. Can you set a minimum flying level on mavic 3? So if you push down on stick it will only go to 1.5m - 2m for instance. I know this is dangerous due to reflection of water etc. thanks

Not that I’m aware of. I would buy a flotation system before trying this.

 

[3rdof5]

Hi, I’m trying to do low level flying over surf and capturing local surfers. Can you set a minimum flying level on mavic 3? So if you push down on stick it will only go to 1.5m - 2m for instance. I know this is dangerous due to reflection of water etc. thanks

I think flying that low over surf is asking for trouble. The surface height of the waves varies considerably, 1 meter high at one point may still get you hit by a wave rolling through. And the downward vision system does not work well over water on a good day.

 

[triathlon007]

How is this guy doing it? Any tips?

View this content on Instagram

View this content on Instagram

 

[Brockrock]

It can be done. But there is no minimum altitude that you can set. You just have to be really careful and have the copter in sight at all times - and people if you’re that low. The other concern is salt spray and the resulting salt deposits left internally. This can limit the life of your copter, and it can be weeks or months after as corrosion sets in.

 

[Yaros]

You can do it, but keep line of sight at all times.
I have flown low over water many times, as long as you don't hover low, so keep moving your drone at a constant (even if low) speed the sensors will not get confused, they are mostly disabled except when hovering. I'm talking about downward sensors by the way, the regular obstacle avoidance ones should be disabled, NOT by flying in sport mode (horrible idea), use Normal mode and disable them in settings. Do not use cine mode as that will not give you time to move away the drone fast in case of an emergency. Why disable obstacle avoidance? When flying low over water, the reflections can confuse the sensors and make the drone suddenly stop and even drop in height, this happened to me multiple times when flying low over water and has scared me.

 

[Bob in Savannah]

You don't need to be flying that close to surfers (or anyone else) if you don't know them and tell them beforehand. Hence, The Finger that Spicoli gave the photographer. lol

I would be highly reluctant to fly MY M3 that close to the surf.. I regularly fly over the water here in Savannah on the coast and just have heard too many horror stories about the sensors screwing up with water reflection on "great" sunny days and also flying directly into the sun is another one that I avoid at all costs..

 

[Meta4]

How is this guy doing it? Any tips?

Dangerously.
Quite apart from the risks to his drone, flying backwards through surfers at the same level as the surfers is very dangerous.
This guy is a dangerous idiot to fly recklessly like that.
Trying to emulate him, is asking for trouble.

There are other risks to the drone, down low in the surf zone.
Some have been hinted at already, but another is that the wide angle lens of the drone's camera makes things appear further away.
Relying on the screen image, you are going to be closer to the water and surfers than you think you are.

 

[shb]

Just keep your fingers off the left stick. I personally would not turn obstacle avoidance off. I would not get as low as that guy got. It's hard to say exactly how low he is, but looks maybe 5 feet over the water.

 

[Meta4]

It's hard to say exactly how low he is, but looks maybe 5 feet over the water.

However close it looks ... the drone is actually closer.

 

[shb]

However close it looks ... the drone is actually closer.

For some reason, I think the opposite. Of course, we don't know if he has a zoom lens. At the end, when the wave breaks, I think he's at least 5 feet above it, probably more. We have to assume the operator knows what he's doing. Of course the surfers have enough to worry about, without worrying about hitting a drone. That's probably why the one guy was mad. Did you notice he sounds black? I just realized, he's in portrait mode, so it can't be a mavic 3. Surprised you would shoot surfers in portrait mode.

 

[Meta4]

For some reason, I think the opposite. Of course, we don't know if he has a zoom lens. At the end, when the wave breaks, I think he's at least 5 feet above it, probably more.

5 ft or probably more? check the last screen grab.

Even if he used a tele lens, he is not up above the surfers and looking down.
His horizon is mid-frame and the drone is only marginally higher than the wave crest.
The perspective in the shot appears to be a wideangle lens, like the standard lenses on DJI drones.
If you or the OP attempted this reckless stunt, it would be dangerous and would be with a wideangle lens giving a false sense of being a safe distance above the water.

We have to assume the operator knows what he's doing.

Or that he doesn't.
Flying backwards close to head level of a series of oncoming surfers trying to get up on their boards that he can't see, with no vision of what's in the path of the drone, strongly suggests he hasn't done a proper risk assessment.
He can't see the surfers and waves in the path of the drone.
And has no control or communication with them.
But he's putting his drone right in their path, spinning blades potentially at head height.

Of course the surfers have enough to worry about, without worrying about hitting a drone. That's probably why the one guy was mad. Did you notice he sounds black?

He sounds black ??
There's no live sound on the video, just some background "music".

I just realized, he's in portrait mode, so it can't be a mavic 3. Surprised you would shoot surfers in portrait mode.

I'm surprised you think he did.
It is possible to crop a video frame to fit Instagram.

 

[shb]

5 ft or probably more? check the last screen grab.

Even if he used a tele lens, he is not up above the surfers and looking down.
His horizon is mid-frame and the drone is only marginally higher than the wave crest.
The perspective in the shot appears to be a wideangle lens, like the standard lenses on DJI drones.
If you or the OP attempted this reckless stunt, it would be dangerous and would be with a wideangle lens giving a false sense of being a safe distance above the water.

Or that he doesn't.
Flying backwards close to head level of a series of oncoming surfers trying to get up on their boards that he can't see, with no vision of what's in the path of the drone, strongly suggests he hasn't done a proper risk assessment.
He can't see the surfers and waves in the path of the drone.
And has no control or communication with them.
But he's putting his drone right in their path, spinning blades potentially at head height.

He sounds black ??
There's no live sound on the video, just some background "music".

I'm surprised you think he did.
It is possible to crop a video frame to fit Instagram.

How high do you think he's above that waves? If he did hit a surfer, he would just lose his drone. I've been hit by my drone before. No big deal, because the props have no mass, and stop almost instantly. I don't think he would fly like that if he thought there was a chance he would hit someone. Wonder if we could contact him. I notice he has many surfing videos, so I think he knows what he's doing. I sent him a message, so I'll see if he responds.

 

[Meta4]

How high do you think he's above that waves?

the drone is only marginally higher than the wave crest

If he did hit a surfer, he would just lose his drone. I've been hit by my drone before. No big deal, because the props have no mass, and stop almost instantly.

Sure ... just google drone injury and click on Images
Not all drones have tiny toy props like a DJI Mini.

I don't think he would fly like that if he thought there was a chance he would hit someone.

I think he didn't even think about the chance of hitting someone.
He was flying completely blind.

 

[shb]

the drone is only marginally higher than the wave crest

Sure ... just google drone injury and click on Images
Not all drones have tiny toy props like a DJI Mini.


I think he didn't even think about the chance of hitting someone.
He was flying completely blind.

Why did you edit your post? I researched that wedding injury, and it turns out that the women walked into the drone that wasn't moving! Lol.

An email from an employee of Hollycal Production stated: “[A] female guest of the event and victim, Darshan[ ] Kamboj, walked directly into an active person-operated aerial camera drone that was hovering steadily at about eye level

 

[Felix le Chat]

I agree with Meta4. Never mind that it's a danger to the drone - it's even more of a danger to the people it's being piloted around and a Mavic 3 has the grunt behind it to cause a serious injury regardless of there being soft silicone tips on the rotor blades. Think relative velocities - surfer travelling at 30mph... drone travelling at 30mph... combined impact speed: 60mph between something weighing 200+lbs and something weighing 2.2 lbs. Result? (at best) a surfer stunned and under water. Better hope Baywatch is hanging around.

Whoever tries this stunt must have deep pockets and no respect for their own property... bad enough the thought of watching an £835 mini 3 pro turn into a submarine - there's no way I'd be able to laugh off going scuba to try an recover a £2,000+ Mavic 3.
Anyone who tries to do something positive and useful with this tech is already tip-toeing through a minefield of regulation - every time someone acts like a muppet and there are consequences that means even more regulations until all the 'hobbyists' end up flying round in circles in some fenced-off park.

 

[Squidinc]

I live on the Aussie coast, and spend a great deal of time flying over the surf. I usually keep to 3 meters minimum, but there is never any guarantee that I could get hit by a “freak” wave You pretty much roll the dice and take your chances!

 

[Meta4]

Why did you edit your post? I researched that wedding injury, and it turns out that the women walked into the drone that wasn't moving! Lol.

LOL ??
There's nothing remotely funny about that.
Whether someone walked into ta drone or the drone flew toward a person doesn't matter.
FYI .. I edited it because I thought that the images on that google search were more effective is demonstrating that the spinning props of a drone can do a lot more damage that you seem to realise.

Anyway, I've done my bit explaining why the example was dangerous.

 

[Dbez1]

Usually I pass on commenting on threads like this but this is over the top. What he did was dangerous to the extreme and gives the rest of us a bad reputation. As for the comment in response #13 above, about hitting a surfer and the only result would be “losing the drone”, I think that’s one of the most stupid remarks I’ve ever seen on this forum. If he hit a surfer there’d be blood and maybe an eye put out!

 

[Phantomrain.org]

The very best way to skim the water is to get the Rescue jacket , its perfect for kind of flying you want to do.

One of the interesting things about the Rescue Jacket is because your able to see the Visual of the drone so well in regards to the Rescue Jacket , it makes it much easier to fly low to the ground with much confidences .

You an also float on the Water
You can also Top Gun on the water as well

The Float will also guarantee you wont loose your Drone in the surf as it will float under any conditions.

Phantomrain.org
Gear to fly in the Rain. Land on the Water , and skim the Sea.