I've just discovered an unexpected mid-air collision hazard - falling pine cones.
I was using the Mini 4 Pro to shoot some brief videos of streetscapes for a homeowners' association website this afternoon. I had the drone hovering about six feet of the ground beneath a Shortleaf Pine tree while my spotter and I were discussing the next clip to shoot. As we were talking, we both saw a mature dry fist-sized pine cone drop onto the drone and fall into the street.
The drone bobbed downward less than a foot and continued to hover as if nothing had happened. I landed it and did a damage check. There wasn't even a nicked prop. The flight log shows nothing unusual.
The pine cone sustained minor damage, well below the FAA's repair cost threshold for reporting incidents.
I figure the odds on this happening are on the same order of magnitude as winning a mid-range Lotto prize. And I know that it's not unusual for trees to attack drones, but can I rightfully claim to be the first to be attacked by a tree hurling a projectile?
I'm thankful that it wasn't a heavy green pine cone.
I was using the Mini 4 Pro to shoot some brief videos of streetscapes for a homeowners' association website this afternoon. I had the drone hovering about six feet of the ground beneath a Shortleaf Pine tree while my spotter and I were discussing the next clip to shoot. As we were talking, we both saw a mature dry fist-sized pine cone drop onto the drone and fall into the street.
The drone bobbed downward less than a foot and continued to hover as if nothing had happened. I landed it and did a damage check. There wasn't even a nicked prop. The flight log shows nothing unusual.
The pine cone sustained minor damage, well below the FAA's repair cost threshold for reporting incidents.
I figure the odds on this happening are on the same order of magnitude as winning a mid-range Lotto prize. And I know that it's not unusual for trees to attack drones, but can I rightfully claim to be the first to be attacked by a tree hurling a projectile?
I'm thankful that it wasn't a heavy green pine cone.
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