Rapid Altitude (AGL) Changes

[cbal]

Hello all,
New pilot, new member here. I'm learning the ropes on my Mavic Pro and have a question about managing altitude, specifically when Litchi is in question. I have an area where I can fly around the KY river palisades. My launch site will be high above the river, and I would (will hopefully) be flying out over the river. There is a considerable drop down into the river valley from my launch location - potentially 200-300 feet. How will this work when it comes to how DJI Go and the drone will interpret my altitude, or how Litchi will behave if I pre-program a flight path involving a route over the river? Obviously if I fly level from my launch location, AGL will go from maybe 60' to over 200' in relation to the river below. I'm really excited to get some footage from this area but am very reserved about how to manage a programmed (or even manual) flight when the AGL is going to change so quickly.

Thanks!

 

[TR Ganey]

Let me start by saying I to am new to drones, litchi, VLM, Google Earth Pro etc so take anything I tell you with a grain of salt.

It sounds as though you know the area pretty well and likely know the obstacles you might encounter. If I could I would manually fly the mission the first time keeping the drone facing the direction of flight to verify there aren't any obstacles like power lines ect that you may encounter. Remember during your programmed mission the drone will sometimes be flying sideways to capture the POI you have selected and the obstacle avoidance sensors do not work on the side unless you are in tripod mode. I would go to flylitchi.com and get on the mission hub and create the mission. BE SURE to include plenty way points, they don't cost anything and they keep your drone safely aloft. When you are done carefully go over each way point to be sure that the MSL of that point and the altitude you have programmed gives you sufficient height. When you are satisfied with it put it in VLM and fly the mission multiple times. If everything still looks good then download it to your device and give it a go. Lastly, I strongly recommend using some type of tracking device. If you are in an area that is saturated with cell signal then a cell signal based tracker is fine but if your area is like mine with little cell coverage then I would recommend a RF based tracker like the marco polo. Good luck and please post the video!

 

[53-63-6f-74-74]

Flying below your launch altitude will result in a negative altitude. It has no ill effect on flight. Altitudes governing flight are calculated from the launch site, which is zero. As far as Litchi missions, consider using Virtual Litchi Mission software to virtually fly the mission on your PC. It's invaluable for flight planning.

 

[Meta4]

My launch site will be high above the river, and I would (will hopefully) be flying out over the river. There is a considerable drop down into the river valley from my launch location - potentially 200-300 feet. How will this work when it comes to how DJI Go and the drone will interpret my altitude, or how Litchi will behave .... if I fly level from my launch location, AGL will go from maybe 60' to over 200' in relation to the river below. ... but am very reserved about how to manage a programmed (or even manual) flight when the AGL is going to change so quickly.

Your drone has no sensor that can tell how far to the ground below.
It will behave just as any bird or plane does when flying over uneven terrain.
It's a flying machine - not a terrain following machine.

 

[Juggler]

Hey ppl
I have a similar question. Being totally new to this i was wondering if there is a way on th MA2 to reset altitude off the satalites whilst in flight? I launch off my front balcony and it is approx 30 mtr AGL. As i live on the beach when i fly down to the surf it is very un nerving to me to see my altitmeter negative. with my dodgy eyesight its hard to judge height above the waves.
Any ideas thx in advance

 

[Meta4]

i was wondering if there is a way on the MA2 to reset altitude off the satalites whilst in flight? I launch off my front balcony and it is approx 30 mtr AGL.
As i live on the beach when i fly down to the surf it is very unnerving to me to see my altitmeter negative.

The satellites have nothing to do with your drone's altitude measurement.
There's no way to reset your altitude in flight.
There's nothing wrong with the altitude displaying as a negative number (as long as the drone is below the level of the launch point.

With my dodgy eyesight its hard to judge height above the waves.

Remember that the wideangle lens makes objects appear further away than they really are.
Don't get too close to waves or any obstacle.