Mavic Pro- Defender of the chickens

[Skycom]

Yes, it does void the warranty, but my biggest issues are dealing with the recoil and keeping the feed belt away from the props. With a little tweaking, I should be able to use the goggles for "look to shoot" like on the Apache gunships.

 

[khooper802]

It been a rough year for my flock, since a family of Cooper's Hawks (aka chicken hawks) took up residence nearby. In person they're not nearly as friendly as the one in the old Foghorn Leghorn cartoons, with their favorite method of assassination being to land talons first on the neck of a chicken. It started this spring, with my discovery of a dead and picked at chicken in the back yard.

A few weeks later I was sitting on the deck, and one swooped down, grabbed a young one, and flew off without missing a beat while I was 25 feet away. The attacks have become more frequent, and I've tried using one of those horns on a can of compressed gas and roman candles with limited success. They tend to circle overhead and screech while planning their attack, then enter a steep dive like a feathered German Stuka. My rooster will occasionally see them circling overhead and sound the alarm, but lets face it, chickens aren't the sharpest knives in the drawer, and after a minute they go back to eating and playing.

A little background on these *precious* federally protected birds........ You can't catch them, shoot them, transport them (unless your a licensed falconer with a permit) or even possess a hawk feather, unless you want a multi thousand dollar fine. However, if they are attacking your livestock, you can legally harass them.

I've started keeping the Mavic gear by the back door, and when I see them circling overhead, or hear my rooster sound the alarm (his name is Rooster Cogburn because he's old and crusty and walks with a limp), I start everything up, quickly set it on the deck and blast skyward at 22 mph, or about 2000 feet per minute in aircraft speak. The chase is on.........

I've found the Mavic makes a very good Hawk interceptor, and it's strangely satisfying chasing them across the sky, especially with the goggles on, where it feels like your in a video game dogfight. My Mavic will do about 46 mph, and the hawks have a really hard time outrunning it. As I close in, the hawk will panic and do a hard left hand dive, trading altitude for speed. I follow, while panning around to look for his wingman. They always seem to attack in groups of 2 or 3. Now the hawk has become a chicken, and as it tires it flies down into the woods to hide. No worries, I'll face him another day.

I gain altitude while panning and soon find his accomplice, orbiting nearby while he contemplates what the heck is happening, and questioning his status as the local apex predator. This time I chase him from below, gaining altitude while in pursuit. Battery over-current warnings continue to flash as I keep it full throttle, in the Mavic's version of War Emergency Power. I can see him nervously looking over his shoulder as the giant "angry bee" closes the gap. I'm careful to stay slightly below him, so he doesn't make a diving turn. Instead he weaves to the left and right, reminiscent of the WW2 footage where a pilot is firing on an inexperienced adversary who panics and doesn't know what to do.

Then it happens...... my remote starts saying battery level critical, and I flip up the goggles to see I'm at 8% power. No way to make it back home, I'm 2 miles away. In the heat of battle, I lost track of that small detail, and get the sinking feeling a fighter pilot would experience when the low fuel light comes on. Think Kevin think! I pan the camera around and start looking for a suitable landing site. Nothing but woods and soybean fields. My stomach tightens, and I can feel my pulse in my neck. 4%..........3%........... in the distance I see the abandoned golf course. My instincts want me to get their quickly, but I remember reading that best endurance is around 20 mph. By sheer force of will, I putt along at this paltry pace. 2%..............1%.......... Thoughts race through my mind....... If I lose it, will I buy an Mavic 2?????? But that would mean I'm out a total of 2 grand, and I swear I could feel my wallet quivering..... Keep it together son! It's not dead yet!

As I make it to the nearest overgrown fairway, I'm dumping altitude. The battery has been at 0% for what feels like an eternity, and I'm still 80 feet up. Come on baby, hold together just a little bit longer....... At 60 feet the hills and trees block the signal, and I no longer fight the Mavics desperate attempt at auto landing. I hit the land now button as the screen goes blank, with the last view being a black and white still image of shaggy turf.

I hop in my car, and head to the golf course, chain smoking and wondering what I'll find, if I find anything at all.... It was such a good drone, in the prime of it's life, and we've had so little time together. Everyone thinks their drone is the best, but combat forges a special bond that is hard to explain. After 20 minutes of tromping through the weeds, walking in circles using the find my drone app, I find it there with grass twisted around the rotors. Good sign, the motors were still turning when it landed. With great relief I picked it up and checked for damage. Whew! nothing but some finely mulched plant matter on my baby, and a june bug stuck in the grill. Gimbal looks good, man that was too close......

Relief washes over me like a cool wave, and my wallet falls back asleep.... Now I'm thinking of the great combat footage recorded on my bird. When I get home and upload the video, I discovered it was corrupted, and never finished writing the file before the battery died. Oh well, at least I have my Mavic back safe and sound.

As a show of gratitude, I'm thinking of giving it a paint scheme like the Cincinnati Miss, a pristine P-51 Mustang at my airport. I think she deserves it, and may even put little hawk symbols on the side of her nose.

As you can imagine, battery power will be on my mind during our next encounter. I'm also raising the warning alarm level back up, since I don't get a battery readout in my goggles with it set on "non DJI battery".

Please show your drone some love, you never know when it will be the last time you see it.

Regards,

Kevin

p.s. I would like to officially state that a neighbor kid was maintaining visual contact with the drone while my goggles were on ;-)

If they are harassing or injuring your livestock you can shoot them.

 

[Wrinkle249]

At first I thought I’d just pass by the post but please write more! Real or not it was a great short.

 

[jpbluzharp]

It been a rough year for my flock, since a family of Cooper's Hawks (aka chicken hawks) took up residence nearby. In person they're not nearly as friendly as the one in the old Foghorn Leghorn cartoons, with their favorite method of assassination being to land talons first on the neck of a chicken. It started this spring, with my discovery of a dead and picked at chicken in the back yard.

A few weeks later I was sitting on the deck, and one swooped down, grabbed a young one, and flew off without missing a beat while I was 25 feet away. The attacks have become more frequent, and I've tried using one of those horns on a can of compressed gas and roman candles with limited success. They tend to circle overhead and screech while planning their attack, then enter a steep dive like a feathered German Stuka. My rooster will occasionally see them circling overhead and sound the alarm, but lets face it, chickens aren't the sharpest knives in the drawer, and after a minute they go back to eating and playing.

A little background on these *precious* federally protected birds........ You can't catch them, shoot them, transport them (unless your a licensed falconer with a permit) or even possess a hawk feather, unless you want a multi thousand dollar fine. However, if they are attacking your livestock, you can legally harass them.

I've started keeping the Mavic gear by the back door, and when I see them circling overhead, or hear my rooster sound the alarm (his name is Rooster Cogburn because he's old and crusty and walks with a limp), I start everything up, quickly set it on the deck and blast skyward at 22 mph, or about 2000 feet per minute in aircraft speak. The chase is on.........

I've found the Mavic makes a very good Hawk interceptor, and it's strangely satisfying chasing them across the sky, especially with the goggles on, where it feels like your in a video game dogfight. My Mavic will do about 46 mph, and the hawks have a really hard time outrunning it. As I close in, the hawk will panic and do a hard left hand dive, trading altitude for speed. I follow, while panning around to look for his wingman. They always seem to attack in groups of 2 or 3. Now the hawk has become a chicken, and as it tires it flies down into the woods to hide. No worries, I'll face him another day.

I gain altitude while panning and soon find his accomplice, orbiting nearby while he contemplates what the heck is happening, and questioning his status as the local apex predator. This time I chase him from below, gaining altitude while in pursuit. Battery over-current warnings continue to flash as I keep it full throttle, in the Mavic's version of War Emergency Power. I can see him nervously looking over his shoulder as the giant "angry bee" closes the gap. I'm careful to stay slightly below him, so he doesn't make a diving turn. Instead he weaves to the left and right, reminiscent of the WW2 footage where a pilot is firing on an inexperienced adversary who panics and doesn't know what to do.

Then it happens...... my remote starts saying battery level critical, and I flip up the goggles to see I'm at 8% power. No way to make it back home, I'm 2 miles away. In the heat of battle, I lost track of that small detail, and get the sinking feeling a fighter pilot would experience when the low fuel light comes on. Think Kevin think! I pan the camera around and start looking for a suitable landing site. Nothing but woods and soybean fields. My stomach tightens, and I can feel my pulse in my neck. 4%..........3%........... in the distance I see the abandoned golf course. My instincts want me to get their quickly, but I remember reading that best endurance is around 20 mph. By sheer force of will, I putt along at this paltry pace. 2%..............1%.......... Thoughts race through my mind....... If I lose it, will I buy an Mavic 2?????? But that would mean I'm out a total of 2 grand, and I swear I could feel my wallet quivering..... Keep it together son! It's not dead yet!

As I make it to the nearest overgrown fairway, I'm dumping altitude. The battery has been at 0% for what feels like an eternity, and I'm still 80 feet up. Come on baby, hold together just a little bit longer....... At 60 feet the hills and trees block the signal, and I no longer fight the Mavics desperate attempt at auto landing. I hit the land now button as the screen goes blank, with the last view being a black and white still image of shaggy turf.

I hop in my car, and head to the golf course, chain smoking and wondering what I'll find, if I find anything at all.... It was such a good drone, in the prime of it's life, and we've had so little time together. Everyone thinks their drone is the best, but combat forges a special bond that is hard to explain. After 20 minutes of tromping through the weeds, walking in circles using the find my drone app, I find it there with grass twisted around the rotors. Good sign, the motors were still turning when it landed. With great relief I picked it up and checked for damage. Whew! nothing but some finely mulched plant matter on my baby, and a june bug stuck in the grill. Gimbal looks good, man that was too close......

Relief washes over me like a cool wave, and my wallet falls back asleep.... Now I'm thinking of the great combat footage recorded on my bird. When I get home and upload the video, I discovered it was corrupted, and never finished writing the file before the battery died. Oh well, at least I have my Mavic back safe and sound.

As a show of gratitude, I'm thinking of giving it a paint scheme like the Cincinnati Miss, a pristine P-51 Mustang at my airport. I think she deserves it, and may even put little hawk symbols on the side of her nose.

As you can imagine, battery power will be on my mind during our next encounter. I'm also raising the warning alarm level back up, since I don't get a battery readout in my goggles with it set on "non DJI battery".

Please show your drone some love, you never know when it will be the last time you see it.

Regards,

Kevin

p.s. I would like to officially state that a neighbor kid was maintaining visual contact with the drone while my goggles were on ;-)

Nice writing! Thanks for the morning entertainment!

 

[Canuk]

I enjoyed it

 

[bubba1915]

It been a rough year for my flock, since a family of Cooper's Hawks (aka chicken hawks) took up residence nearby. In person they're not nearly as friendly as the one in the old Foghorn Leghorn cartoons, with their favorite method of assassination being to land talons first on the neck of a chicken. It started this spring, with my discovery of a dead and picked at chicken in the back yard.

A few weeks later I was sitting on the deck, and one swooped down, grabbed a young one, and flew off without missing a beat while I was 25 feet away. The attacks have become more frequent, and I've tried using one of those horns on a can of compressed gas and roman candles with limited success. They tend to circle overhead and screech while planning their attack, then enter a steep dive like a feathered German Stuka. My rooster will occasionally see them circling overhead and sound the alarm, but lets face it, chickens aren't the sharpest knives in the drawer, and after a minute they go back to eating and playing.

A little background on these *precious* federally protected birds........ You can't catch them, shoot them, transport them (unless your a licensed falconer with a permit) or even possess a hawk feather, unless you want a multi thousand dollar fine. However, if they are attacking your livestock, you can legally harass them.

I've started keeping the Mavic gear by the back door, and when I see them circling overhead, or hear my rooster sound the alarm (his name is Rooster Cogburn because he's old and crusty and walks with a limp), I start everything up, quickly set it on the deck and blast skyward at 22 mph, or about 2000 feet per minute in aircraft speak. The chase is on.........

I've found the Mavic makes a very good Hawk interceptor, and it's strangely satisfying chasing them across the sky, especially with the goggles on, where it feels like your in a video game dogfight. My Mavic will do about 46 mph, and the hawks have a really hard time outrunning it. As I close in, the hawk will panic and do a hard left hand dive, trading altitude for speed. I follow, while panning around to look for his wingman. They always seem to attack in groups of 2 or 3. Now the hawk has become a chicken, and as it tires it flies down into the woods to hide. No worries, I'll face him another day.

I gain altitude while panning and soon find his accomplice, orbiting nearby while he contemplates what the heck is happening, and questioning his status as the local apex predator. This time I chase him from below, gaining altitude while in pursuit. Battery over-current warnings continue to flash as I keep it full throttle, in the Mavic's version of War Emergency Power. I can see him nervously looking over his shoulder as the giant "angry bee" closes the gap. I'm careful to stay slightly below him, so he doesn't make a diving turn. Instead he weaves to the left and right, reminiscent of the WW2 footage where a pilot is firing on an inexperienced adversary who panics and doesn't know what to do.

Then it happens...... my remote starts saying battery level critical, and I flip up the goggles to see I'm at 8% power. No way to make it back home, I'm 2 miles away. In the heat of battle, I lost track of that small detail, and get the sinking feeling a fighter pilot would experience when the low fuel light comes on. Think Kevin think! I pan the camera around and start looking for a suitable landing site. Nothing but woods and soybean fields. My stomach tightens, and I can feel my pulse in my neck. 4%..........3%........... in the distance I see the abandoned golf course. My instincts want me to get their quickly, but I remember reading that best endurance is around 20 mph. By sheer force of will, I putt along at this paltry pace. 2%..............1%.......... Thoughts race through my mind....... If I lose it, will I buy an Mavic 2?????? But that would mean I'm out a total of 2 grand, and I swear I could feel my wallet quivering..... Keep it together son! It's not dead yet!

As I make it to the nearest overgrown fairway, I'm dumping altitude. The battery has been at 0% for what feels like an eternity, and I'm still 80 feet up. Come on baby, hold together just a little bit longer....... At 60 feet the hills and trees block the signal, and I no longer fight the Mavics desperate attempt at auto landing. I hit the land now button as the screen goes blank, with the last view being a black and white still image of shaggy turf.

I hop in my car, and head to the golf course, chain smoking and wondering what I'll find, if I find anything at all.... It was such a good drone, in the prime of it's life, and we've had so little time together. Everyone thinks their drone is the best, but combat forges a special bond that is hard to explain. After 20 minutes of tromping through the weeds, walking in circles using the find my drone app, I find it there with grass twisted around the rotors. Good sign, the motors were still turning when it landed. With great relief I picked it up and checked for damage. Whew! nothing but some finely mulched plant matter on my baby, and a june bug stuck in the grill. Gimbal looks good, man that was too close......

Relief washes over me like a cool wave, and my wallet falls back asleep.... Now I'm thinking of the great combat footage recorded on my bird. When I get home and upload the video, I discovered it was corrupted, and never finished writing the file before the battery died. Oh well, at least I have my Mavic back safe and sound.

As a show of gratitude, I'm thinking of giving it a paint scheme like the Cincinnati Miss, a pristine P-51 Mustang at my airport. I think she deserves it, and may even put little hawk symbols on the side of her nose.

As you can imagine, battery power will be on my mind during our next encounter. I'm also raising the warning alarm level back up, since I don't get a battery readout in my goggles with it set on "non DJI battery".

Please show your drone some love, you never know when it will be the last time you see it.

Regards,

Kevin

p.s. I would like to officially state that a neighbor kid was maintaining visual contact with the drone while my goggles were on ;-)

YOU SHOULD WRITE FOR A LIVING...…..THAT WAS GREAT.

 

[dfb]

Yes, it does void the warranty, but my biggest issues are dealing with the recoil and keeping the feed belt away from the props. With a little tweaking, I should be able to use the goggles for "look to shoot" like on the Apache gunships.

The picture is as well done as the story!

 

[Bergumbira]

It been a rough year for my flock, since a family of Cooper's Hawks (aka chicken hawks) took up residence nearby. In person they're not nearly as friendly as the one in the old Foghorn Leghorn cartoons, with their favorite method of assassination being to land talons first on the neck of a chicken. It started this spring, with my discovery of a dead and picked at chicken in the back yard.

A few weeks later I was sitting on the deck, and one swooped down, grabbed a young one, and flew off without missing a beat while I was 25 feet away. The attacks have become more frequent, and I've tried using one of those horns on a can of compressed gas and roman candles with limited success. They tend to circle overhead and screech while planning their attack, then enter a steep dive like a feathered German Stuka. My rooster will occasionally see them circling overhead and sound the alarm, but lets face it, chickens aren't the sharpest knives in the drawer, and after a minute they go back to eating and playing.

A little background on these *precious* federally protected birds........ You can't catch them, shoot them, transport them (unless your a licensed falconer with a permit) or even possess a hawk feather, unless you want a multi thousand dollar fine. However, if they are attacking your livestock, you can legally harass them.

I've started keeping the Mavic gear by the back door, and when I see them circling overhead, or hear my rooster sound the alarm (his name is Rooster Cogburn because he's old and crusty and walks with a limp), I start everything up, quickly set it on the deck and blast skyward at 22 mph, or about 2000 feet per minute in aircraft speak. The chase is on.........

I've found the Mavic makes a very good Hawk interceptor, and it's strangely satisfying chasing them across the sky, especially with the goggles on, where it feels like your in a video game dogfight. My Mavic will do about 46 mph, and the hawks have a really hard time outrunning it. As I close in, the hawk will panic and do a hard left hand dive, trading altitude for speed. I follow, while panning around to look for his wingman. They always seem to attack in groups of 2 or 3. Now the hawk has become a chicken, and as it tires it flies down into the woods to hide. No worries, I'll face him another day.

I gain altitude while panning and soon find his accomplice, orbiting nearby while he contemplates what the heck is happening, and questioning his status as the local apex predator. This time I chase him from below, gaining altitude while in pursuit. Battery over-current warnings continue to flash as I keep it full throttle, in the Mavic's version of War Emergency Power. I can see him nervously looking over his shoulder as the giant "angry bee" closes the gap. I'm careful to stay slightly below him, so he doesn't make a diving turn. Instead he weaves to the left and right, reminiscent of the WW2 footage where a pilot is firing on an inexperienced adversary who panics and doesn't know what to do.

Then it happens...... my remote starts saying battery level critical, and I flip up the goggles to see I'm at 8% power. No way to make it back home, I'm 2 miles away. In the heat of battle, I lost track of that small detail, and get the sinking feeling a fighter pilot would experience when the low fuel light comes on. Think Kevin think! I pan the camera around and start looking for a suitable landing site. Nothing but woods and soybean fields. My stomach tightens, and I can feel my pulse in my neck. 4%..........3%........... in the distance I see the abandoned golf course. My instincts want me to get their quickly, but I remember reading that best endurance is around 20 mph. By sheer force of will, I putt along at this paltry pace. 2%..............1%.......... Thoughts race through my mind....... If I lose it, will I buy an Mavic 2?????? But that would mean I'm out a total of 2 grand, and I swear I could feel my wallet quivering..... Keep it together son! It's not dead yet!

As I make it to the nearest overgrown fairway, I'm dumping altitude. The battery has been at 0% for what feels like an eternity, and I'm still 80 feet up. Come on baby, hold together just a little bit longer....... At 60 feet the hills and trees block the signal, and I no longer fight the Mavics desperate attempt at auto landing. I hit the land now button as the screen goes blank, with the last view being a black and white still image of shaggy turf.

I hop in my car, and head to the golf course, chain smoking and wondering what I'll find, if I find anything at all.... It was such a good drone, in the prime of it's life, and we've had so little time together. Everyone thinks their drone is the best, but combat forges a special bond that is hard to explain. After 20 minutes of tromping through the weeds, walking in circles using the find my drone app, I find it there with grass twisted around the rotors. Good sign, the motors were still turning when it landed. With great relief I picked it up and checked for damage. Whew! nothing but some finely mulched plant matter on my baby, and a june bug stuck in the grill. Gimbal looks good, man that was too close......

Relief washes over me like a cool wave, and my wallet falls back asleep.... Now I'm thinking of the great combat footage recorded on my bird. When I get home and upload the video, I discovered it was corrupted, and never finished writing the file before the battery died. Oh well, at least I have my Mavic back safe and sound.

As a show of gratitude, I'm thinking of giving it a paint scheme like the Cincinnati Miss, a pristine P-51 Mustang at my airport. I think she deserves it, and may even put little hawk symbols on the side of her nose.

As you can imagine, battery power will be on my mind during our next encounter. I'm also raising the warning alarm level back up, since I don't get a battery readout in my goggles with it set on "non DJI battery".

Please show your drone some love, you never know when it will be the last time you see it.

Regards,

Kevin

p.s. I would like to officially state that a neighbor kid was maintaining visual contact with the drone while my goggles were on ;-)

I prefer movies rather than books but today you make me in, I was in the cockpit... Thumb up

 

[Canuk]

I could picture myself flying the pro chasing the Japanese zero . I loved it . I took my pro and spark out looking for a chase but was skunked .

 

[Jkagapo]

That was cool, seems like i’m watching the movie “The Baron”. Thanks i enjoyed it.

 

[Brianhc23]

Nice story. Made me smile

 

[Cheech Wizard]

Yes very well told! I always keeps a lump of coal with me when I fly. If things get dicey I drop it down the back of my shorts. That way if I lose the Mavic, I at least have a nice diamond to put towards a new one.

HAHAHA!

 

[W2EJ]

It been a rough year for my flock, since a family of Cooper's Hawks (aka chicken hawks) took up residence nearby. In person they're not nearly as friendly as the one in the old Foghorn Leghorn cartoons, with their favorite method of assassination being to land talons first on the neck of a chicken. It started this spring, with my discovery of a dead and picked at chicken in the back yard.

A few weeks later I was sitting on the deck, and one swooped down, grabbed a young one, and flew off without missing a beat while I was 25 feet away. The attacks have become more frequent, and I've tried using one of those horns on a can of compressed gas and roman candles with limited success. They tend to circle overhead and screech while planning their attack, then enter a steep dive like a feathered German Stuka. My rooster will occasionally see them circling overhead and sound the alarm, but lets face it, chickens aren't the sharpest knives in the drawer, and after a minute they go back to eating and playing.

A little background on these *precious* federally protected birds........ You can't catch them, shoot them, transport them (unless your a licensed falconer with a permit) or even possess a hawk feather, unless you want a multi thousand dollar fine. However, if they are attacking your livestock, you can legally harass them.

I've started keeping the Mavic gear by the back door, and when I see them circling overhead, or hear my rooster sound the alarm (his name is Rooster Cogburn because he's old and crusty and walks with a limp), I start everything up, quickly set it on the deck and blast skyward at 22 mph, or about 2000 feet per minute in aircraft speak. The chase is on.........

I've found the Mavic makes a very good Hawk interceptor, and it's strangely satisfying chasing them across the sky, especially with the goggles on, where it feels like your in a video game dogfight. My Mavic will do about 46 mph, and the hawks have a really hard time outrunning it. As I close in, the hawk will panic and do a hard left hand dive, trading altitude for speed. I follow, while panning around to look for his wingman. They always seem to attack in groups of 2 or 3. Now the hawk has become a chicken, and as it tires it flies down into the woods to hide. No worries, I'll face him another day.

I gain altitude while panning and soon find his accomplice, orbiting nearby while he contemplates what the heck is happening, and questioning his status as the local apex predator. This time I chase him from below, gaining altitude while in pursuit. Battery over-current warnings continue to flash as I keep it full throttle, in the Mavic's version of War Emergency Power. I can see him nervously looking over his shoulder as the giant "angry bee" closes the gap. I'm careful to stay slightly below him, so he doesn't make a diving turn. Instead he weaves to the left and right, reminiscent of the WW2 footage where a pilot is firing on an inexperienced adversary who panics and doesn't know what to do.

Then it happens...... my remote starts saying battery level critical, and I flip up the goggles to see I'm at 8% power. No way to make it back home, I'm 2 miles away. In the heat of battle, I lost track of that small detail, and get the sinking feeling a fighter pilot would experience when the low fuel light comes on. Think Kevin think! I pan the camera around and start looking for a suitable landing site. Nothing but woods and soybean fields. My stomach tightens, and I can feel my pulse in my neck. 4%..........3%........... in the distance I see the abandoned golf course. My instincts want me to get their quickly, but I remember reading that best endurance is around 20 mph. By sheer force of will, I putt along at this paltry pace. 2%..............1%.......... Thoughts race through my mind....... If I lose it, will I buy an Mavic 2?????? But that would mean I'm out a total of 2 grand, and I swear I could feel my wallet quivering..... Keep it together son! It's not dead yet!

As I make it to the nearest overgrown fairway, I'm dumping altitude. The battery has been at 0% for what feels like an eternity, and I'm still 80 feet up. Come on baby, hold together just a little bit longer....... At 60 feet the hills and trees block the signal, and I no longer fight the Mavics desperate attempt at auto landing. I hit the land now button as the screen goes blank, with the last view being a black and white still image of shaggy turf.

I hop in my car, and head to the golf course, chain smoking and wondering what I'll find, if I find anything at all.... It was such a good drone, in the prime of it's life, and we've had so little time together. Everyone thinks their drone is the best, but combat forges a special bond that is hard to explain. After 20 minutes of tromping through the weeds, walking in circles using the find my drone app, I find it there with grass twisted around the rotors. Good sign, the motors were still turning when it landed. With great relief I picked it up and checked for damage. Whew! nothing but some finely mulched plant matter on my baby, and a june bug stuck in the grill. Gimbal looks good, man that was too close......

Relief washes over me like a cool wave, and my wallet falls back asleep.... Now I'm thinking of the great combat footage recorded on my bird. When I get home and upload the video, I discovered it was corrupted, and never finished writing the file before the battery died. Oh well, at least I have my Mavic back safe and sound.

As a show of gratitude, I'm thinking of giving it a paint scheme like the Cincinnati Miss, a pristine P-51 Mustang at my airport. I think she deserves it, and may even put little hawk symbols on the side of her nose.

As you can imagine, battery power will be on my mind during our next encounter. I'm also raising the warning alarm level back up, since I don't get a battery readout in my goggles with it set on "non DJI battery".

Please show your drone some love, you never know when it will be the last time you see it.

Regards,

Kevin

p.s. I would like to officially state that a neighbor kid was maintaining visual contact with the drone while my goggles were on ;-)

That was one of the most well written and enjoyable posts I have ever read on these forums. Thank you!

 

[beanbubba]

As a chicken owner that had his coop recently infiltrated by a coyote, that was a satisfying read. Thanks for sharing!

 

[Lil' DronePilot]

Cool story bro!

 

[Brojon]

Buddy that was the best fun read in quite some time - put a big ol grin on my face so thanks for that on a Monday morning.

 

[NCTurner]

It been a rough year for my flock, since a family of Cooper's Hawks (aka chicken hawks) took up residence nearby. In person they're not nearly as friendly as the one in the old Foghorn Leghorn cartoons, with their favorite method of assassination being to land talons first on the neck of a chicken. It started this spring, with my discovery of a dead and picked at chicken in the back yard.

....
p.s. I would like to officially state that a neighbor kid was maintaining visual contact with the drone while my goggles were on ;-)

One of the best posts I've ever read in here, video or not. Great story telling, thanks!

 

[jeppyboi]

haha great story! you need to up load some of your battles with your mavic. would love to watch it.

 

[Aerial West]

'wild ride'

that was a wild ride!

 

[hherbson]

Thanks everyone for the kind comments. I think most of us drone pilots have a sense of adventure, and a bit of fighter pilot deep inside. If I made you smile or chuckle, it was well worth the time. Hopefully I can find some inspiration and come up with another story that doesn't involve losing my drone in the process. I had a false alarm this morning, saw a big bird circling and deployed the Mavic, but turned out to be a buzzard. The hawks will eventually come back, they always do.......... Who can resist chicken?

Regards, and have a great day.

Kevin