Tracking & beyond line of sight filming

[Citizen Flier]

(New M2P pilot) Even with glasses, my vision isn't what it used to be. So my line of sight control is fairly limited. Are any of the add-on strobes worth trying? Will they really make the unit much more visible from a distance? Also, I have some lume cubes in my studio, and they seem for too much of a payload for a Mavic. Something much lighter/smaller would seem a better option, even if battery life is an issue. Recommendations?

There are some beautiful primitive valleys I would like to capture in long meandering takes. I'm hoping that with practice I can use the onscreen navigation to return to home (while still filming). I'm making the effort to do as much manual flying as possible, and haven't hit the RTH button yet. I would also prefer to film the return (if battery still strong) Any suggestions for beyond line of sight flying/filming would be appreciated.

Thanks!

 

[BigAl07]

Some of the newer Strobes are freakishly bright but even those are only marginally helpful in daylight and little to none in bright sunlight. It's hard to compete with that glowing star in the sky for ILLUMINATION!

With that being said, you do realize that flying BVLOS is currently illegal and not the safest way to be flying. Of course at some point it happens even to the best of us but BVLOS shouldn't be our goal because we immediately lose the ability to See & Avoid.

*Gets down off my soapbox*

Fly safe and enjoy your flights

Allen

 

[dirkclod]

I’m going to tell you you better learn and get used to RTH.
If you ever have to use it you better know it’s set to go higher
Than anything between you and your drone.
If you lose signal for whatever reason and are low it’s coming back at what you have it set at .

 

[Citizen Flier]

Thanks for the replies. I have no problem using RTH, and appreciate the feature. I have been trying to fly manually bc having the ability to CONTROL flight without HAVING to rely on automated features seems to be a prudent skill. But active track, RTH & others are what makes these devices worth every penny of the cost.

I am also aware of restrictions/hazards of flying BVLOS, and would only do this in the absence of people, animals, etc. and for the shortest possible duration.

Still looking for tips/suggestions on effective extended navigation.

thanks

 

[tcope]

An easy way to return to the take off point is to use the map. There is a line between the drone and the take off point and the drone icon points in the direction the drone is facing. So you simply fly the drone so that it follows that line.

 

[Filipok]

(New M2P pilot) Even with glasses, my vision isn't what it used to be. So my line of sight control is fairly limited. Are any of the add-on strobes worth trying? Will they really make the unit much more visible from a distance? Also, I have some lume cubes in my studio, and they seem for too much of a payload for a Mavic. Something much lighter/smaller would seem a better option, even if battery life is an issue. Recommendations?

There are some beautiful primitive valleys I would like to capture in long meandering takes. I'm hoping that with practice I can use the onscreen navigation to return to home (while still filming). I'm making the effort to do as much manual flying as possible, and haven't hit the RTH button yet. I would also prefer to film the return (if battery still strong) Any suggestions for beyond line of sight flying/filming would be appreciated.

Thanks!

Firehouse arc 2s are the best strobes. In daylight, they get about a mile or so. On overcast days, 2 miles or more. At night, 4 miles easy.

Best..

Phillip

 

[RobW01]

I use a pair of Firehouse Arc 2s (4 lights on each) mounted to the rear arms (so the light doesn’t affect the camera) on rubber slip on mounts. They are easily removable for charging. Even on a bright day they can be easily seen at 400-500 metres and even better against a dark treeline.

 

[superstarpup]

I am also aware of restrictions/hazards of flying BVLOS, and would only do this in the absence of people, animals, etc. and for the shortest possible duration.

Still looking for tips/suggestions on effective extended navigation.

thanks

I don’t remember reading that part of the reg.

 

[JAW]

I am also aware of restrictions/hazards of flying BVLOS, and would only do this in the absence of people, animals, etc. and for the shortest possible duration.

thanks

Yes officer, I know I was speeding but I made sure no one else was on the road.

 

[tcope]

Yes officer, I know I was speeding but I made sure no one else was on the road.

Also to the point... have you _ever_ gone over the posted speed limit?

 

[JAW]

Of course I have, it's what you say when caught

 

[tcope]

Of course I have, it's what you say when caught

So, you can't really tell someone that they should _always_ obey the law. Or more to the point, you should not really be telling someone that they should not be picking and choosing when to fly within VLOS. What are the chances of a drone causing an issue with a plane vs a vehicle causing an issue with another vehicle.

 

[JAW]

So, you can't really tell someone that they should _always_ obey the law. Or more to the point, you should not really be telling someone that they should not be picking and choosing when to fly within VLOS. What are the chances of a drone causing an issue with a plane vs a vehicle causing an issue with another vehicle.

Couldn't agree with you more. You're 100% correct.

 

[HoozierDroneDaddy]

So, you can't really tell someone that they should _always_ obey the law. Or more to the point, you should not really be telling someone that they should not be picking and choosing when to fly within VLOS. What are the chances of a drone causing an issue with a plane vs a vehicle causing an issue with another vehicle.

Reminds me of the drone pilot that was flying BVLOS last year and struck a military helicopter, causing damage and expensive repairs. Even made the made national news. Or the other one that just missed the Tourist copter. Oh, and don't forget the Medivac that couldn't take off with it's injured patients because of the drone that was flying where it shouldn't. Hmmm! Maybe there is no chance of a drone causing an issue with a plane or manned aerial vehicle!

 

[tcope]

Reminds me of the drone pilot that was flying BVLOS last year and struck a military helicopter, causing damage and expensive repairs. Even made the made national news. Or the other one that just missed the Tourist copter. Oh, and don't forget the Medivac that couldn't take off with it's injured patients because of the drone that was flying where it shouldn't. Hmmm! Maybe there is no chance of a drone causing an issue with a plane or manned aerial vehicle!

Except I'm not condoning flying beyond VLOS. What I am commenting on is someone being critical of occasionally breaking a rule when the same person criticizing it does it as well. Additionally I made the point that some rules are more important than others (like it or not, it is a fact). Flying a drone slightly beyond VLOS is not as bad as flying out 2.5 miles into a TFR zone where you know helicopters fly. Another example is flying at 401 feet and flying at 401 feet 1/2 mile from a large airport. Both are illegal... one is _far_ more reckless then the other.

 

[HoozierDroneDaddy]

Agreed.

 

[deleted member 877]

What are the chances of a drone causing an issue with a plane vs a vehicle causing an issue with another vehicle.

What's the point of making such an invalid comparison ??

 

[tcope]

What's the point of making such an invalid comparison ??

I'll try to be very brief as this just serves to move off topic. A person might ignore many motor vehicle laws and then tell people here that they need to obey all drone laws to the letter, all of the time as lives depend on it. Hypocritical.

 

[BBOjai]

I had the same problem keeping my M2P in sight, even when within ~ 200-600 yards. If I glanced away to look at my rc or iPad I would have a VERY hard time to locate it again!
I’ve been using the Lume cubes for over a year now and I NEVER loose sight. The Mavic seems to handle the additional weight well. It doesn’t seem to degrade the flight time significantly.
When I first lift off I get a warning message that says something like: “propeller guard detected fly with caution”. I set one facing forward & one aft and set at different flash intervals so I can easily see if it’s facing me or going away without looking at my iPad.

 

[Gary Z]

An easy way to return to the take off point is to use the map. There is a line between the drone and the take off point and the drone icon points in the direction the drone is facing. So you simply fly the drone so that it follows that line.