What do you do when you lose line of sight?

[jpzend125]

In all seriousness... I would familiarize yourself with the radar and map before flying anymore.

Thank you, I am learning more every day. Since I use the map as a backup to VLOS, I will learn the radar now. Great forum!

 

[Endeavor]

Well, guess I'd hit the RTH button.

If I did that I would never get anywhere

I don't know why people get there panties in such a bunch over the impossible VLOS

 

[papa]

My fly buddy’s Mavic Pro has Homelock. Lost sight of your bird, engage Homelock, pull back on right stick and it flies toward you. Apparently, this will never be a feature on the MA. Crazy...even the cheapest little toy drones have this.
Anyway, like to know how everyone deals with losing sight of your MA.

How do you use the home lock feature?

 

[papa]

Learn to use the radar display.
It will show you where the drone is and what direction it is facing.
You can turn the drone to face home and fly back easily and confidently.

Wow great idea using the radar. Thanks for the info. I am a newbie and learn every day. Knock on wood no crashes so far.

 

[danimal260]

My recommendation, grab a white strobe to put atop your drone. They are pretty small and weight is negligible and even during the day it will help you keep and eye on where she may be. Just my 2 cents.

 

[Tiago_Wolf]

Well... Use the smartphone screen to see where he's pointing? ?

Decrease altitude and reduce distance to sight him again?

 

[Bledsoe1qb]

Full speed ahead baby!!!

 

[Tkoglin]

Thank you, I am learning more every day. Since I use the map as a backup to VLOS, I will learn the radar now. Great forum!

Learn how to read the horizon on the radar. This will help you figure out which way your drone is facing just by watching how the horizon line moves when you move the controls.
You can also use the horizon line to gauge the wind speed when your drone is hovering ?

 

[peteair75]

My recommendation, grab a white strobe to put atop your drone. They are pretty small and weight is negligible and even during the day it will help you keep and eye on where she may be. Just my 2 cents.

Can you see a white strobe placed on the top of the drone (Mavic Air) from the ground ?

 

[danimal260]

Can you see a white strobe placed on the top of the drone (Mavic Air) from the ground ?

Haha. Good point. Bottom side it is.

 

[peteair75]

Haha. Good point. Bottom side it is.

I would like to put a white strobe on the bottom of the MA , but there is no ground clearance, unless it goes on the battery.

 

[danimal260]

I would like to put a white strobe on the bottom of the MA , but there is no ground clearance, unless it goes on the battery.

They make extended leg attachments. Look at PGYtech.

 

[cyeung]

I have one of my buttons on my remote programmed to toggle between the video feed and map view. If the loss of VLOS is planned, I carry on and regain as soon as possible. If it is unplanned, then I point the drone towards home point to get an idea of where I should look. If that does not work, then I start flying it back home.

 

[Lon Denard]

Gee, they should have designed the SC with a big enough screen that both the radar and the map appear. Not sure what the size threshold is for the app to switch to tablet view.
Tablet view has radar on left, map on right.

Troll... Hahahaha! Who needs the map and "radar" to show at the same time? It's not like it's actual "radar", you know? The map shows the drone, you and the direction the drone is facing. That's all I've ever needed. I never use the "radar"...you know what? Stop calling it flipping RADAR!!! Hahahaha!

 

[DanMan32]

OK, attitude indicator.

 

[DanMan32]

Learn how to read the horizon on the radar. This will help you figure out which way your drone is facing just by watching how the horizon line moves when you move the controls.
You can also use the horizon line to gauge the wind speed when your drone is hovering [emoji106]

That only shows which way the AC is tilted, where the tilt is likely, but not always (don't forget influence of wind), which direction it is moving, relative to which way it's facing. Horizon won't give you heading.

However it does show an icon of the AC, which does show heading relative to north, and distance from RC.
Note that the direction that you, the operator, might not be accurately shown in the attitude indicator if your mobile compass is out of calibration. In other words, if you are facing south, the top of the indicator might not be south.

 

[ItsDarts]

Novice question, is "radar" the same as the map view? I use a smart controller with M2Z

No, in the upper right corner of the “little” map view, is a little circle, push it and little map view changes to radar view. Touch the radar view and it changes back. The radar shows where north is, where the drone is and as you you turn your body left or right, a little arrow will line up with the drone when you are facing it’s direction. Depending on how old your eyes are, it’s tough to see past 1500 to 2000 ft.

 

[Ajotapl]

I've lost signal two times, I did nothing (maybe because of the panic xD) just look at the control/app waiting for the signal to comeback or to hear the MA returning home.

 

[SpitFire]

Please do more research on RTH, to much is at stake. Knowledge is power.

 

[GadgetGuy]

No, in the upper right corner of the “little” map view, is a little circle, push it and little map view changes to radar view. Touch the radar view and it changes back. The radar shows where north is, where the drone is and as you you turn your body left or right, a little arrow will line up with the drone when you are facing it’s direction. Depending on how old your eyes are, it’s tough to see past 1500 to 2000 ft.

Keeping the line vertical also maintains the strongest signal, by making sure the the antennas are pointed directly at the aircraft. This is especially important when using a windsurfer at longer range, when flying laterally, to avoid signal degradation from misalignment of the antennas and the aircraft.