Tricks to takeoff from and land on a boat?

[lomposlapos]

How is it done? Boat on a lake, river, sea, calm or choppy waters...

 

[Meta4]

How is it done? Boat on a lake, river, sea, calm or choppy waters...

Hand launch and hand catch.

 

[lomposlapos]

Hand launch and hand catch.

How do you do that?

 

[Meta4]

How do you do that?

The search function will bring up lots of information:

Search results for query: hand catch

mavicpilots.com

 

[Drbobk]

How do you do that?

Some people might laugh, but I'd wear safety goggles. You can't really see the props, and if you hand catch near shoulder height, you risk your eyes. I haven't heard of it happening, but you don't want to be the first.

 

[Olav van Gerven]

And don't push RTH if the boar has changed position after launching...

 

[brett8883]

How is it done? Boat on a lake, river, sea, calm or choppy waters...

It’s really difficult. I’m an experienced pilot and just this week I took off and landed on a boat going 5mph in fairly calm waters and it was fairly difficult even for me. Taking off isn’t that big of a deal just do it from the stern.

To land I fly the drone out a good ways in front of the bow just at above my head height and positioned myself at the bow. As the boat approached the drone I started flying it slowly forward in the same direction as the boat but not as fast as the boat and when the boat caught up with the drone I grabbed it from underneath and held onto it for dear life while full left stick down. The drone will try to get away with all it has but you just gotta left stick straight down and hold onto it. Nothing graceful about this process

 

[Casper52]

I think I would only want to do it if I was able to get the boat stopped and the waters were not to rough. I like the idea of safety glasses noted above, and I would add in some good work or mechanic gloves. How about a sturdy hat to protect the old noggin? Props can give some nasty cuts. Plus maybe the boat should not be too crowded, just incase you loose control a bit in the last few feet. I would practice the hand launch and capture on dry land first. There was article in one of the latest Yachting Mags from the UK about drone flying from small boats, so it can be done. I’ll see if I can dig it up. Good Luck.

 

[Casper52]

Here is the article,....hopefully.

 

[Thomas B]

I think I would only want to do it if I was able to get the boat stopped and the waters were not to rough. I like the idea of safety glasses noted above, and I would add in some good work or mechanic gloves. How about a sturdy hat to protect the old noggin? Props can give some nasty cuts. Plus maybe the boat should not be too crowded, just incase you loose control a bit in the last few feet. I would practice the hand launch and capture on dry land first. There was article in one of the latest Yachting Mags from the UK about drone flying from small boats, so it can be done. I’ll see if I can dig it up. Good Luck.

Yes the props can cut. Especially on a moving platform like a boat I recommend Kevlar gloves. The cuts on my fingers from my first attempt took almost a month to heal

 

[Drbobk]

I landed my Inspire1 on a 25' boat, but the boat seemed to drift out from under it every time I was close to touching down. Make sure you start your landing attempts with lots of battery left. If you're going to hand catch, try it on land first (with the gloves, goggles, etc., especially if you have carbon fiber props. I bought them for my Inspire, and then was reminded that carbon fiber is used for knives. I never put them on.) Then, if it's possible, try to land with the boat docked if you can do that safely. That will give you some idea of what it will be like. But wind and waves will not be your friends.

It’s really difficult. I’m an experienced pilot and just this week I took off and landed on a boat going 5mph in fairly calm waters and it was fairly difficult even for me. Taking off isn’t that big of a deal just do it from the stern.

To land I fly the drone out a good ways in front of the bow just at above my head height and positioned myself at the bow. As the boat approached the drone I started flying it slowly forward in the same direction as the boat but not as fast as the boat and when the boat caught up with the drone I grabbed it from underneath and held onto it for dear life while full left stick down. The drone will try to get away with all it has but you just gotta left stick straight down and hold onto it. Nothing graceful about this process

And have a tether on the controller!

 

[AMann]

And don't push RTH if the boar has changed position after launching...

Set RTH to return to controller and critical low battery RTH warning to that also.

 

[Thomas B]

Set RTH to return to controller and critical low battery warning to that also.

But remember that return to controller just creates a new home point based on where the drone is at that time.. It will not move as you move. So you’re likely closer, but but it does not automatically update as you (the boat) move.

 

[AMann]

But remember that return to controller just creates a new home point based on where the drone is at that time.. It will not move as you move. So you’re likely closer, but but it does not automatically update as you (the boat) move.

Seriously? I thought it would head back to the controller if it moves as if I was walking around.

 

[Thomas B]

Seriously? I thought it would head back to the controller if it moves as if I was walking around.

Seriously... YouTube full of fails who thought the point was mobile in real-time.

 

[AMann]

Seriously... YouTube full of fails who thought the point was mobile in real-time.

Ah, ok. Was just looking in the manual and it doesn't day that either...

 

[Thomas B]

Ah, ok. Was just looking in the manual and it doesn't day that either...

Give it a try on dry land in an open field... launch, do the settings and HP update. Walk a couple of hundred feet and have the drone land. It will go to the point where the changes were made.

 

[AMann]

Hang on- you mean RTH gets set to where the controller is when it is initiated, but does not keep tracking the controller after that... makes sense, at least it won’t return to where the flight initially started.

 

[Thomas B]

Hang on- you mean RTH gets set to where the controller is when it is initiated, but does not keep tracking the controller after that... makes sense, at least it won’t return to where the flight initially started.

Exactly
Goin’ flying now.., back after 8pm

 

[AMann]

So at least if on a boat and a low battery or loss of signal RTH is self-initiated by the drone, the pilot should have a better chance of recovery than if they were on the other end of the lake when they took off.