New safety guidelines video - please help

[photo1x1.com]

Hi people, as some of you know I´m working on a free video tutorial series of the DJI Go app. Since I want it to be as good as possible, I´m trying to gather as much knowledge as possible and what would be better than asking for help from the vast knowlege here on the forum.
I have now written my text for the next chapter - it´s all about safety. I have not only included my own experience, but also searched the web for things that happened to people and of course checked DJIs safety recommendations. I would highly appreciate your input on this one.
Here is the text, please comment if you have any additional points, think some points are wrong or could be better put - THANKS!!!:

Let´s talk about safety, because this is maybe the single most important thing when it comes to flying a drone.


Not only will it protect you, your aircraft and people around you from damage and injury,


the way people fly with their drones will also determine if flying drones will be totally banned pretty soon, or if we will still be able to fly our aircrafts in 10 years from now.

DJI Aircrafts are so easy to fly, that many people get the feeling they are 100% failsafe. In fact they are just as failsafe as the pilot that flies them.


Honestly – I have seen a group of people standing around a DJI Mavic in a circle – just around 2m from the aircraft – the pilot took off to about 1m height and had the people one by one pushing it down again and to the sides to demonstrate how it keeps height and position.


Guys and girls – always think about the most unlikely event that can happen. What if the drone loses GPS signal, one prop was not properly attached or suddenly breaks.
This absolute unnecessary RISK could cost somebodys eyesight. So make it a habit to think about the worst possible thing that could happen. If you and the people around you are still safe, you are good.


Being a good pilot doesn't mean you are able to fly the most dangerous flights in the most risky conditions.
A good pilot is rather the one that flies safe without any accidents.
The best images and videos are created on the smoothest flights and publishing your breakneck manouvers and fails on youtube doesn't make you a hero but rather makes your violation of law public and you open yourself to prosecution which is in fact pretty stupid.


That said, here are some safety guidelines for flying your DJI aircraft.

1. First and foremost: know the laws of the country you fly in. Many have very strict rules, others forbid flying with camera drones completely. Flying against the rules doesn't again mean you are brave, but rather that no ensurance will cover your flight in case of an accident.
   NO, I am not talking about an insurance that will cover a destroyed drone.
   If something severe happens it might ruin your life, paying for the consequences your whole life and getting arrested too. Think about your drone falling out of the sky onto a road, the driver of a car jerks the steering wheel around and and crashes into a group of pedestrians. One dies and others have injuries they have to live with their whole lives.
   Considering this - do you still look up to pilots that fly reckless in any surrounding?
2. Inspect the aircraft, batteries abd props prior to each flight. Make sure the batteries of aircraft, remote and tablet/smartphone are charged. In cold temperatures: keep the batteries warm and hover for one or two minutes near the home point to warm up aircraft and batteries.
3. Calibrate your compass before taking off whenever you change location.
   Check your compass values by clicking. Settings – Advanced Settings – Sensors – Compass
4. Check on the map if your home point has been set and if it is at the right location as soon as you took off.
5. Do not fly over or near people and animals. As I already said: think about the most unlikely event that could happen and don´t risk other peoples health for your joy.
   Don't do unto others what you would not have done unto you.
6. Fly in safe areas. Wide open areas are best for practicing.
   Avoid flying under obstacles that may block your GPS signal or disturb your compass.
7. Stay within line of sight. Not only is this a law in many countries, doing this will reduce the risk of losing your drone dramatically.
8. If you decide to use your built in camera to navigate – don´t fly sideways or backwards. Flying sideways is one of THE top reasons for crashing your drone.
   Always point your camera into the direction you are flying
9. Having said that: Don´t rely on sensors. While the obstacle avoidance works pretty well, it doesn´t work under all circumstances. For example thin branches of trees are not always detected, but will easily ground your drone pretty quick.
10. Stay below 400ft or 120m – in some countries even below 100m.
    If you hear the sound of a large helicopter (even in a distance), descend immediately to avoid the possibility of a crash in case it crosses your flight route.
11. Birds: If there are many birds, for example seagulls or crows at a particular place, think about changing location. Large groups of birds are unpredictable.
    If birds attack: fly up! They can't ascend as fast as you can, but they are usually faster in every other direction, especially down. After flying up, leave their territory as quickly as possible.
12. After updating your firmware or app, take a testflight without flying too far. It is very unlikely, but sometimes your aircraft or app could behave erratic after a firmware upgrade.
13. Don´t let other people disturb you while flying – a polite – sorry, I have to concentrate on flying the aircraft to keep safe should keep away curious onlookers.
14. Treat your batteries well. LiPo batteries can cause fire – much more than alkaline batteries or other rechargeables. That is something most pilots are not aware of. Protect yourself and your belongings.
15. And finally: PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE. Even return to home and other functions need to be practiced, beside your regular flying skills. Because if you get in panic it is too late to practice your skills and you will very likely crash.

To sum things up: DJI aircrafts are incredibly easy to fly, but there are situations that especially new pilots don´t anticipate could ever happen. Be prepared and you are on the safe side.


The points listed should give you a guidance and are not complete. In case you have any suggestions, please leave a comment.

 

[TrayBoz]

Ummm.... I hope your goal is to make this video a comedy. Cause that is FUNNY STUFF! Grammar errors and mis-information all over the place.

Consider having someone else write your text if you are serious about this. Maybe making a video tutorial in your native language would be easier? Or maybe you should try perfecting your photography skills instead? Or cooking?

Not trying to be rude - just honest.

 

[photo1x1.com]

Ummm.... I hope your goal is to make this video a comedy. Cause that is FUNNY STUFF! Grammar errors and mis-information all over the place.

Consider having someone else write your text if you are serious about this. Maybe making a video tutorial in your native language would be easier? Or maybe you should try perfecting your photography skills instead? Or cooking?

Not trying to be rude - just honest.

Thank you for your feedback. Honest is always better I´ll try to have somebody proofread the text once I have everything in place.
May I ask what points you think are mis-information?
Thanks again - I really appreciate your feedback!

 

[YngveN]

This is a very good initiative IMO. And getting input from the members here should result in something good.

It is also somehow inline with my Emergency Procedure post

 

[TrayBoz]

the way people fly with their drones will also determine if flying drones will be totally banned pretty soon

- are drones in danger of being banned pretty soon? Said who? I think the US Military will have something to say about that.

A good pilot is rather the one that flies safe without any accidents.

- so a good pilot is one who has never had an accident? I guess there are no good pilots in this universe. Accidents happen all the time. A good pilot knows what to do when there is an accident.

What if the drone loses GPS signal, one prop was not properly attached or suddenly breaks.

- This looks like a question, but there is no question mark.

Stay below 400ft or 120m – in some countries even below 100m.

- This is not always true. Is this for commercial or recreational pilots? Is this a guideline or a law? What if you are within 400 foot of a structure that is taller than 400 feet? Then this "guideline" does not apply (if you are 107) And the country you're in makes all the difference in the world.

Flying against the rules doesn't again mean you are brave, but rather that no ensurance will cover your flight in case of an accident

- really? First of all, you mean "insurance" not "ensurance", secondly, does that mean insurance does not cover you if you are "breaking a rule"? Where did you get this information? Which insurance company are you talking about?

Calibrate your compass before taking off whenever you change location.

- This topic is very hotly contested and debated on dozens of threads in this forum. If you are going to state the proper, most ABSOLUTELY safe method and frequency for calibrating your compass, you better back it up with some FACTS.

In cold temperatures: keep the batteries warm and hover for one or two minutes near the home point to warm up aircraft and batteries.

- where did you get this information? Not in the manual and I've never heard anyone suggest this. I've seen no suggestion that a mavic or it's battery perform better when "warmed up". How "cold" are you talking about? Freezing? Below freezing? Or 50 degrees F ?

Flying sideways is one of THE top reasons for crashing your drone.

- where did you get this information? Did you do a study on this, or are you quoting someone else's study?

Don't do unto others what you would not have done unto you.

- This sentence wants to make sense, but it just doesn't. It makes me smile though.

Always point your camera into the direction you are flying

- If this was true, then there would be absolutely NO NEED for a gimbal. There are a million photographers out there that would laugh hysterically at this statement.

If you hear the sound of a large helicopter (even in a distance), descend immediately

- What if the helicopter is flying low and your drone is above it? Descending would probably not be a good idea.

Large groups of birds are unpredictable.

- This would imply that "individual birds", i.e. birds-of-prey, are more predictable? I don't think so.

Do not fly over or near people and animals.

- Well, darn: no more fantastic whale footage.

Don´t let other people disturb you while flying

- unless you are using a spotter, in which case, that is his job.

Treat your batteries well.

- as in, talk nice to them? Wouldn't you want to give specifics, like how and where and when to charge and store them safely?

If you hear the sound of a large helicopter

- so if I hear a small helicopter, I don't need to worry about it?

What if the drone loses GPS signal, one prop was not properly attached or suddenly breaks. This absolute unnecessary RISK could cost somebodys eyesight.

--- Ahhhh... how many more people must lose their eyesight due to poor GPS reception...

I won't even get started on the grammar problems, but I must at least tell you that the plural of "aircraft" is "aircraft".

I appreciate your efforts to make this hobby safer. Maybe you could design a cool helmet for drone pilots instead?

 

[photo1x1.com]

This is a very good initiative IMO. And getting input from the members here should result in something good.

It is also somehow inline with my Emergency Procedure post

Thanks a lot - also for the link! Awesome. I thought about doing a later movie for how to react in an emergency. Would you mind if I used the info you give in the other thread? I have seen so many people flying without even having an idea about all those things. It might be naive, but maybe those initiatives help.

 

[photo1x1.com]

- are drones in danger of being banned pretty soon? Said who? I think the US Military will have something to say about that.

- so a good pilot is one who has never had an accident? I guess there are no good pilots in this universe. Accidents happen all the time. A good pilot knows what to do when there is an accident.

- This looks like a question, but there is no question mark.

- This is not always true. Is this for commercial or recreational pilots? Is this a guideline or a law? What if you are within 400 foot of a structure that is taller than 400 feet? Then this "guideline" does not apply (if you are 107) And the country you're in makes all the difference in the world.

- really? First of all, you mean "insurance" not "ensurance", secondly, does that mean insurance does not cover you if you are "breaking a rule"? Where did you get this information? Which insurance company are you talking about?

- This topic is very hotly contested and debated on dozens of threads in this forum. If you are going to state the proper, most ABSOLUTELY safe method and frequency for calibrating your compass, you better back it up with some FACTS.

- where did you get this information? Not in the manual and I've never heard anyone suggest this. I've seen no suggestion that a mavic or it's battery perform better when "warmed up". How "cold" are you talking about? Freezing? Below freezing? Or 50 degrees F ?

- where did you get this information? Did you do a study on this, or are you quoting someone else's study?

- This sentence wants to make sense, but it just doesn't. It makes me smile though.

- If this was true, then there would be absolutely NO NEED for a gimbal. There are a million photographers out there that would laugh hysterically at this statement.

- What if the helicopter is flying low and your drone is above it? Descending would probably not be a good idea.

- This would imply that "individual birds", i.e. birds-of-prey, are more predictable? I don't think so.

- Well, darn: no more fantastic whale footage.

- unless you are using a spotter, in which case, that is his job.

- as in, talk nice to them? Wouldn't you want to give specifics, like how and where and when to charge and store them safely?

- so if I hear a small helicopter, I don't need to worry about it?

--- Ahhhh... how many more people must lose their eyesight due to poor GPS reception...

I won't even get started on the grammar problems, but I must at least tell you that the plural of "aircraft" is "aircraft".

I appreciate your efforts to make this hobby safer. Maybe you could design a cool helmet for drone pilots instead?

I appreciate that you took the time for such a detailled answer. But you sure know - most of these points rather sound as if you want to make a fool out of me, than help me make this list better, so please forgive me if I don´t answer them.
I am very interested in any constructive criticism, and you have some valid points, but you seem to deliberately ignore others that even DJI lists in their safety guides. This probably won´t help to make flying drones safer. Forgive me if I´m wrong.

 

[YngveN]

Thanks a lot - also for the link! Awesome. I thought about doing a later movie for how to react in an emergency. Would you mind if I used the info you give in the other thread? I have seen so many people flying without even having an idea about all those things. It might be naive, but maybe those initiatives help.

Please, help yourself. All we can do to make this a safer hobby and maybe prevent loss of a drone or two is good in my book.

 

[mark_t]

- really? First of all, you mean "insurance" not "ensurance", secondly, does that mean insurance does not cover you if you are "breaking a rule"? Where did you get this information? Which insurance company are you talking about?

This one is not actually wrong, yes, you need to read the policy wording on your particular policy to be sure, but an exclusion for 'unlawful' acts is pretty common.

AMA in the USA and BMFA in the UK both have this sort of restriction in their insurance cover and the AMA for example also requires that you follow their safety guidelines...

 

[photo1x1.com]

Please, help yourself. All we can do to make this a safer hobby and maybe prevent loss of a drone or two is good in my book.

Thank you very much !!!

 

[Robert Mitchell]

Remove the props when doing firmware updates or indoor calibrations adjustments etc. There have been cases where dji aircraft have unexpectedly started up and all h*** ensued.

Calibrations are only necessary when prompted by the software, or when indicated by abnormal sensor readings.

Frequent and unnecessary calibrations can cause more problems than they prevent.
The said, don't be afraid to calibrate when necessary.

 

[theAlexanderGraham]

What? Loss of GPS causes the rotor blades to come apart which could hit someone in the eye?

A drone falls on a car and causes it to swerve into pedestrians?

You realize the car in that example is just as capable of blowing a tire and doing the same correct? Without any input from a drone, bird, or lightning strike?

What exactly are the chances of a drone falling on my car on the highway in comparison to say, a mechanical issue in that car that causes me to crash without external input?

What your attempting is a noble endeavor, I'll give you that.

I'm not advocating for any unsafe activity, but I'm interested as too why the intensity surrounding drone operation safety from their own community. It almost seems like we're out to regulate ourselves out of existence.

For example, coming from the performance car industry and forums of a similar type, you had a large amount of people sharing ideas and techniques on how to make their cars lighter, go faster, etc.

Not once did you have someone pop in every four post and say "But remember! The speed limit is only 55!" "Don't go faster than that otherwise they'll ban cars for all of us!"

 

[YngveN]

What? Loss of GPS causes the rotor blades to come apart which could hit someone in the eye?

The OP, never suggested loss of GPS would cause a prop to break. These are just examples of things that could happen (unrelated to each other).

I think this is a good effort, although a bit over-dramatized, yes. I would tone down the potential "extreme" dangers, and focus on flying responsible and having fun.

That being said, it would not be a bad thing for all pilots to have thought trough potential situations where things could go wrong. Surely this could have prevented a lot of the crashes and mishaps I have read about on this forum. Indeed it has already saved me form a few potential mishaps.

 

[Rnl]

TrayBoz,you are making laugh harder than I have for awhile.

 

[Rnl]

Op keep doing what your doing, it could help someone.

 

[wayy510]

Great, just what I wanted....another middle-aged man that feels he can and should lecture other grown people on how they should conduct themselves while flying a drone.

Fly like me or you're a criminal that hates America and wants our drones banned; in ten years! I'm going to author a tutorial that outlines exactly how I feel you should behave!

You do know there are no such things as drone laws in the U.S. correct? You do know that the FAA cannot create law and what you claim as "law public" are merely unenforceable guidelines? You do realize that the FAA and their guidelines are being challenged in court by multiple entities due to the glaring fact that they cannot create or pass US law?

I'm going to have to call ******** on some of your "facts". Please site your source for your claims. You speak of drone doomsday scenarios, bannings, and ridiculous what ifs, can you show us your wealth of examples to make it more plausible?

Where are all the scary drones inexplicably falling from the sky, causing car crashes, causing passenger aircraft to fly into buildings, eating puppies, funding ISIS and killing babies?

 

[Smokey5159]

Hi people, as some of you know I´m working on a free video tutorial series of the DJI Go app. Since I want it to be as good as possible, I´m trying to gather as much knowledge as possible and what would be better than asking for help from the vast knowlege here on the forum.
I have now written my text for the next chapter - it´s all about safety. I have not only included my own experience, but also searched the web for things that happened to people and of course checked DJIs safety recommendations. I would highly appreciate your input on this one.
Here is the text, please comment if you have any additional points, think some points are wrong or could be better put - THANKS!!!:

Let´s talk about safety, because this is maybe the single most important thing when it comes to flying a drone.


Not only will it protect you, your aircraft and people around you from damage and injury,


the way people fly with their drones will also determine if flying drones will be totally banned pretty soon, or if we will still be able to fly our aircrafts in 10 years from now.

DJI Aircrafts are so easy to fly, that many people get the feeling they are 100% failsafe. In fact they are just as failsafe as the pilot that flies them.


Honestly – I have seen a group of people standing around a DJI Mavic in a circle – just around 2m from the aircraft – the pilot took off to about 1m height and had the people one by one pushing it down again and to the sides to demonstrate how it keeps height and position.


Guys and girls – always think about the most unlikely event that can happen. What if the drone loses GPS signal, one prop was not properly attached or suddenly breaks.
This absolute unnecessary RISK could cost somebodys eyesight. So make it a habit to think about the worst possible thing that could happen. If you and the people around you are still safe, you are good.


Being a good pilot doesn't mean you are able to fly the most dangerous flights in the most risky conditions.
A good pilot is rather the one that flies safe without any accidents.
The best images and videos are created on the smoothest flights and publishing your breakneck manouvers and fails on youtube doesn't make you a hero but rather makes your violation of law public and you open yourself to prosecution which is in fact pretty stupid.


That said, here are some safety guidelines for flying your DJI aircraft.

1. First and foremost: know the laws of the country you fly in. Many have very strict rules, others forbid flying with camera drones completely. Flying against the rules doesn't again mean you are brave, but rather that no ensurance will cover your flight in case of an accident.
   NO, I am not talking about an insurance that will cover a destroyed drone.
   If something severe happens it might ruin your life, paying for the consequences your whole life and getting arrested too. Think about your drone falling out of the sky onto a road, the driver of a car jerks the steering wheel around and and crashes into a group of pedestrians. One dies and others have injuries they have to live with their whole lives.
   Considering this - do you still look up to pilots that fly reckless in any surrounding?
2. Inspect the aircraft, batteries abd props prior to each flight. Make sure the batteries of aircraft, remote and tablet/smartphone are charged. In cold temperatures: keep the batteries warm and hover for one or two minutes near the home point to warm up aircraft and batteries.
3. Calibrate your compass before taking off whenever you change location.
   Check your compass values by clicking. Settings – Advanced Settings – Sensors – Compass
4. Check on the map if your home point has been set and if it is at the right location as soon as you took off.
5. Do not fly over or near people and animals. As I already said: think about the most unlikely event that could happen and don´t risk other peoples health for your joy.
   Don't do unto others what you would not have done unto you.
6. Fly in safe areas. Wide open areas are best for practicing.
   Avoid flying under obstacles that may block your GPS signal or disturb your compass.
7. Stay within line of sight. Not only is this a law in many countries, doing this will reduce the risk of losing your drone dramatically.
8. If you decide to use your built in camera to navigate – don´t fly sideways or backwards. Flying sideways is one of THE top reasons for crashing your drone.
   Always point your camera into the direction you are flying
9. Having said that: Don´t rely on sensors. While the obstacle avoidance works pretty well, it doesn´t work under all circumstances. For example thin branches of trees are not always detected, but will easily ground your drone pretty quick.
10. Stay below 400ft or 120m – in some countries even below 100m.
    If you hear the sound of a large helicopter (even in a distance), descend immediately to avoid the possibility of a crash in case it crosses your flight route.
11. Birds: If there are many birds, for example seagulls or crows at a particular place, think about changing location. Large groups of birds are unpredictable.
    If birds attack: fly up! They can't ascend as fast as you can, but they are usually faster in every other direction, especially down. After flying up, leave their territory as quickly as possible.
12. After updating your firmware or app, take a testflight without flying too far. It is very unlikely, but sometimes your aircraft or app could behave erratic after a firmware upgrade.
13. Don´t let other people disturb you while flying – a polite – sorry, I have to concentrate on flying the aircraft to keep safe should keep away curious onlookers.
14. Treat your batteries well. LiPo batteries can cause fire – much more than alkaline batteries or other rechargeables. That is something most pilots are not aware of. Protect yourself and your belongings.
15. And finally: PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE. Even return to home and other functions need to be practiced, beside your regular flying skills. Because if you get in panic it is too late to practice your skills and you will very likely crash.

To sum things up: DJI aircrafts are incredibly easy to fly, but there are situations that especially new pilots don´t anticipate could ever happen. Be prepared and you are on the safe side.


The points listed should give you a guidance and are not complete. In case you have any suggestions, please leave a comment.

Good effort I'd say - you were only after constructive criticism, and as usual you received the usual unnecessary flack.
The old adage "treat others as you want to be treated", obviously doesn't compute here - and we have so many self-appointed critics it makes me laugh.
Keep going with your tutorial and take on-board the advice delivered by the civil minority...

 

[wayy510]

Good effort I'd say - you were only after constructive criticism, and as usual you received the usual unnecessary flack.
The old adage "treat others as you want to be treated", obviously doesn't compute here - and we have so many self-appointed critics it makes me laugh.
Keep going with your tutorial and take on-board the advice delivered by the civil minority...

Self-appointed critics make you want to laugh but hypocritical self-appointed drone safety monitors/drone police don't? Now that's laughable.

 

[Smokey5159]

Self-appointed critics make you want to laugh but hypocritical self-appointed drone safety monitors/drone police don't? Now that's laughable.

"I´m trying to gather as much knowledge as possible and what would be better than asking for help from the vast knowlege here on the forum."
Not sure where you got drone police from the above. Thanks for exemplifying my point...

 

[wayy510]

"I´m trying to gather as much knowledge as possible and what would be better than asking for help from the vast knowlege here on the forum."
Not sure where you got drone police from the above. Thanks for exemplifying my point...

With so many examples, it's obvious that you didn't read his posting and if you did, you lack comprehension.

Instead of only reading the first few paragraphs and cherry picking a quote, try completing the read.

The central theme of his post is that of someone who needs to tell us how we should behave and only then, are we considered safe and won't get drones banned.

Bottom line is some grown man feels it necessary and appropriate to lecture the rest of us on something he himself seems to know very little about.