Take Off Tactics

[Chris_L]

Most of you will know that the grass doesn't need to be too long before it can cause problems at take off because the props catch the blades of grass.

The solution is to take off away from the grass but this isn't always practical.

I'm thinking of carrying something, maybe a small bit of rolled up lino or even learning how to do hand take offs, anybody got good ideas for ways to take off from that kind of grass?

 

[gnirtS]

I used to throw a towel or house doormat down and use that. But generally now i'll just hand launch and land. Easier.

 

[UAVXTC]

Floor mats from in the car are perfect, but if you are like me, remember to put them back again and don't leave them behind.

 

[LivinLarge]

I use this case to launch from

 

[jerryflah]

Most of you will know that the grass doesn't need to be too long before it can cause problems at take off because the props catch the blades of grass.

The solution is to take off away from the grass but this isn't always practical.

I'm thinking of carrying something, maybe a small bit of rolled up lino or even learning how to do hand take offs, anybody got good ideas for ways to take off from that kind of grass?

I'm a fan of PGY Landing pad

 

[Robert Mitchell]

So, I made one of these:
DIY cheap, quick, portable landing pad

 

[locoman]

I use one of those fold up "H" land pads. easy to carry, pops open. safe for the drone. use it where ever I don't have a hard, clean surface.

 

[Mr. Salty]

I used to use the plastic lid from a large storage container, like you'd keep blankets in. Flat, light, easy to move around and easy to clean off.

Eventually I upgraded to one of these: https://www.amazon.com/Landing-Heli...505923501&sr=8-4&keywords=pgytech+landing+pad

Cheap, well made and very portable. And it works great with the Mavic's precision landing system.

 

[sdharris]

I did all the landing pad thing and level/stable bag but in the end it just adds bulk so just went with some leg extensions which do a decent job in most situations. Sure not a meadow, but a scruffy lawn.

 

[Dw911]

I dont like using a take off mat, its another thing to carry and sort of defeats the object of having the compact mavic.
Take a small pair of kitchen scissors, 30 seconds later, perfect take off area.

If you want to go really minimalist and not carry any thing else
Guess you could just power up the mavic to full power, flip it over and you have a perfect 4 bladed rechargeable weed whacker ;-)

 

[Chris_L]

Have ordered a mat from Amazon, didn't even know they made them, thanks for the info guys

 

[westonmavicpilot]

I think its always better to use something to launch from, even with leg extensions fitted. Helps prevent anything getting sucked into the front vent on the Mavic and also stops anything getting attached to / blocking the sensors underneath which could lead to Mavic ascending because it thinks its still on or near the ground....

 

[4wd]

I just hold it and go unless an obvious good place is right there.

 

[locoman]

I just hold it and go unless an obvious good place is right there.

But how do you land it.

 

[MavicMoira]

But how do you land it.

Hand land it! I have a landing mat - I only ever used it once. I do have extension legs which I leave permanently on my MP. So if there is not a clean area to take off/land I use my hand for both.

 

[Chris_L]

That landing mat should arrive today, weather is bad but better tomorrow, hoping to go out.

Be curious to see how accurate the automatic land is when using the mat.

Have you guys, who have mats, tried the precise landing feature. I normally land manually but I've seen the option to precisely record take off point (I imagine Mavic makes some kind of image of the ground) to help it later.

 

[Blacksmith]

I use one of those fold up "H" land pads. easy to carry, pops open. safe for the drone. use it where ever I don't have a hard, clean surface.

Light, and cheap, too. I keep mine in the car. Never have to worry about dew. If it gets wet it dries in minutes.

 

[Sn9316]

Most of you will know that the grass doesn't need to be too long before it can cause problems at take off because the props catch the blades of grass.

The solution is to take off away from the grass but this isn't always practical.

I'm thinking of carrying something, maybe a small bit of rolled up lino or even learning how to do hand take offs, anybody got good ideas for ways to take off from that kind of grass?

Our main reason to get our Mavic when we did was to have it for our trip to Iceland. Considering the terrain there is so varied and rugged in most of the places you go, I looked into the best ways to launch and land the drone including landing gear landing pads etc.

After trying 2 landing gear that wouldn’t fit the Mavic, I realized it was a blessing because

I discovered it is literally so easy to hand launch and hand land.

1) Watch a few YouTube videos before you attempt it.

2) No matter what while taking off and landing remember priority is to keep your eyes on the Mavic and NOT the controller.

I tried it a couple times before we went on our trip and the entire trip I was using my hand because it was impossible to find level ground to takeoff/land in many places we went.

 

[Sn9316]

But how do you land it.

Very simple.

You bring the Mavic down so it is in front of you and just a few inches higher than you.

You put your hand under the Mavic taking care to make sure it stays right under and in the middle to avoid the propellers.

Then on the controller you initiate landing as if you were landing on the ground. Swipe once when you’re ready to grab the Mavic.

You will need to have the controller held in such a way that you can swipe with your free hand the second time and the Mavic will drop into your hand and the motors will turn off.

YouTube “how to hand launch Mavic”

 

[Bernie707]

I used to use the plastic lid from a large storage container, like you'd keep blankets in. Flat, light, easy to move around and easy to clean off.

Eventually I upgraded to one of these: https://www.amazon.com/Landing-Heli...505923501&sr=8-4&keywords=pgytech+landing+pad

Cheap, well made and very portable. And it works great with the Mavic's precision landing system.

I got the same landing mat after using a towel. I agree it works well, though it's tricky to fold and store at first . I had to watch a YouTube video to get it right. I like the simplicity of using a simple storage container lid or car mat.

You definitely don't want to take off in grass without landing extensions and they're just another thing to assemble and remove IMO. Even a sidewalk or asphalt has dust that gets stirred up once the props reach take off speed and that gimbal is right there in it.

As a newer flyer I have enough things to remember just checking my settings before flight.