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Open field except....

retiredNH

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I live in an area that's heavily forested, so being able to take off from an open field is a real treat. Went to one today. Parked on the edge of the field, got out, put my drone on the ground, and took off. Forgot to look up...big mistake. Above me were a few tree branches.

When my air 2s hit the branches, you can guess the rest. In seconds it was flopping on the ground. The wounded bird lost a set of propellers and broke a leg. So sad. So much for upward obstacle detection. Off to DJI for a care refresh fix/replacement.

Lesson: don't forget to look up. Don't be distracted by the wide open space in front of you.
 
I live in an area that's heavily forested, so being able to take off from an open field is a real treat. Went to one today. Parked on the edge of the field, got out, put my drone on the ground, and took off. Forgot to look up...big mistake. Above me were a few tree branches.

When my air 2s hit the branches, you can guess the rest. In seconds it was flopping on the ground. The wounded bird lost a set of propellers and broke a leg. So sad. So much for upward obstacle detection. Off to DJI for a care refresh fix/replacement.

Lesson: don't forget to look up. Don't be distracted by the wide open space in front of you.

Good advice. But not just up. I try to scan the entire half hemisphere around me and then call "Clear" before starting the motors. And another scan before takeoff. It's amazing how quickly a dog with a retriever instinct or a curious child, or someone on a bike can slip up on you.
 
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OK, you've make your mistake and I'm sure you'll learn from it. I was flying in a nice "clear" area, pitching Right, Just right stick, slowing filming the beautiful row of trees as they passed, I forgot to check to see it any of those trees had any stray long branches that could "reach out and grab you…" One did and it got me…, my little Drone fell onto a seldom used dirt road and sure enough, a farmer, in his pickup truck, came down the road and since he was probably watching me running through the field, did not notice my poor little drone lying on its back, helpless…

Here is another version that one member wrote in about on another web site… he took off under the trees and he knew there were branches overhead, what he did not take into account was his drone established that point, under the trees as the Home Point and he flew his drone out from under trees and continued flying it until it performed a low battery induced RTH and whether he panicked or did not notice or whatever, his drone performed a perfect landing, right onto the trees over it Home Point… Last time I read his story, his drone was still "flying high" in the trees…
 
Given that tree branches are probably one of the most hit things side from power lines and similar. If I'm standing near trees, I know tree branches exist, which would also exist above me if the tree is near me. Even if I never looked up.

Should be a given to scan 360 around you as well as above, because if your drone has to RTH it's not taking the same path it took leaving, it's coming straight back at height and coming straight down. So you scan the entire region you're intending on flying and get a tally of structures that you could collide into.

Nutshell. If you were close enough that branches were above you, then a tree trunk would have been pretty apparent near you. Clearly the area wasn't clear.
 
Given that tree branches are probably one of the most hit things side from power lines and similar. If I'm standing near trees, I know tree branches exist, which would also exist above me if the tree is near me. Even if I never looked up.

Should be a given to scan 360 around you as well as above, because if your drone has to RTH it's not taking the same path it took leaving, it's coming straight back at height and coming straight down. So you scan the entire region you're intending on flying and get a tally of structures that you could collide into.
Thanks for the after the fact advice. Flying around trees all the time, you think I didn't know this? Did you know that mistakes happen even among knowledgeable folks? Not you, of course. I'm sure you never crashed...
Nutshell. If you were close enough that branches were above you, then a tree trunk would have been pretty apparent near you. Clearly the area wasn't clear.
How do you define "close"? it was about 30 feet behind me. Maybe trees are smaller where you live?
 
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I always first look for an "open" area that is at least 50 feet across, and that clear area has NOTHING above it. When I take off, I always go up to my present RTH altitude, stop and with the camera straight horizontal, do a slow 360 to be sure nothing is taller than my RTH. Only then do I move out....
 
How do you define "close"? it was about 30 feet behind me. Maybe trees are smaller where you live?
Anything closer than 50-75 feet, so 30 is definitely "close" to me given how trees work. I don't consider an area "clear" for least ascent unless I have over 100 feet of clearance all around me and up, and to me "open field" means no trees. I live in Michigan where we probably have the largest mixed variety of trees spread versus most states which can include narrow and wide spreading trees.
 
Given that tree branches are probably one of the most hit things side from power lines and similar. If I'm standing near trees, I know tree branches exist, which would also exist above me if the tree is near me. Even if I never looked up.

Should be a given to scan 360 around you as well as above, because if your drone has to RTH it's not taking the same path it took leaving, it's coming straight back at height and coming straight down. So you scan the entire region you're intending on flying and get a tally of structures that you could collide into.

Nutshell. If you were close enough that branches were above you, then a tree trunk would have been pretty apparent near you. Clearly the area wasn't clear.
As the saying goes, "the branches do not grow far from the tree."
 
As the saying goes, "the branches do not grow far from the tree."
And neither do apples, and I'm glad I never hit one or one hit me… So I guess it was a lucky thing that Isaac Newton was not flying his Drone that faithful day…

gravity.png
 
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