When Drones Go Rogue

[JRowlette]

Lake Michigan is notorious for wind and waves. But flying a drone when the wind is so strong it blows the drone sideways into the life preserver, waves so high they splash over the sides of the boat, having to dive over the side of the boat to keep the drone from sinking, etc… You were sailing under one Luck Star.

You also need to post this in "Ripley's Believe it or Not and I Survived…"

You have some good writing skills. Can I borrow you for my next book? "When Drones Go Rogue"

My drone did go rogue about a week after this incident. However, I had control of it, but I had no idea where on Lake Geneva, Wisconsin, it was. It's a big lake. The battery was getting down to 8%, so I put her down in someone's backyard. It was either that or have it try and return home which was miles away from where I took off from the bow of the boat. It took me about 1.5 hours to find her in someones mansion of a house on Lake Geneva. I approached the drone on foot and a woman chanted out, "I figured you would eventually come and get it, those things aren't cheap". She further stated her mother, who was in her 80's told her to go outside and bring it in the house. She laughed at her Mom.

Has anyone had a drone go rogue? I think perhaps the term is flyaway. I am seriously considering an air tag for the drone. But, 90% of my flying is over water. I did lose one that is referenced above by @LoudThunder.

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[RexAsh]

Got be vigilant about the battery, and RTH when it tells you to. Also DJI has find my drone for locating you drone, it will show the last updated location. Side tip, never fly in the rain, I accidentally got caught in rain over a lake and my M4P dropped like a rock. Lets just say I had to go for a swim.

 

[JRowlette]

Got be vigilant about the battery, and RTH when it tells you to. Also DJI has find my drone for locating you drone, it will show the last updated location. Side tip, never fly in the rain, I accidentally got caught in rain over a lake and my M4P dropped like a rock. Lets just say I had to go for a swim.

I am pretty good about the battery. I had no choice but to set her down. I used that find my drone, its kind hard to use. You get an idea of where, but it does not tell you to walk to the left or right. When I was walking it wasn't even moving. Have you used yours? Your MP4 dropped like a rock? did it get totally soaked? Or a light drizzle? I have flown the Mav 3 Classic in a mist, but not for long. The biggest reason I have the Mavic's is because of weight and power. It's windy around here and Lake Michigan and Superior. Last week I had to take pictures of cottages on Superior and the wind was blowing 20-25 mph. How much did it cost to fix your drone? Its not cheap with water damage.

 

[MS Coast]

Does a drone really "go rogue" when it responds normally to commands but the pilot loses track of it's location and allows the battery to be depleted?

 

[Droning on and on...]

Does a drone really "go rogue" when it responds normally to commands but the pilot loses track of it's location and allows the battery to be depleted?

And how do you lose track of it's location if you're connected? Switch to map display in Fly, and there it is... and you too!

 

[RexAsh]

I am pretty good about the battery. I had no choice but to set her down. I used that find my drone, its kind hard to use. You get an idea of where, but it does not tell you to walk to the left or right. When I was walking it wasn't even moving. Have you used yours? Your MP4 dropped like a rock? did it get totally soaked? Or a light drizzle? I have flown the Mav 3 Classic in a mist, but not for long. The biggest reason I have the Mavic's is because of weight and power. It's windy around here and Lake Michigan and Superior. Last week I had to take pictures of cottages on Superior and the wind was blowing 20-25 mph. How much did it cost to fix your drone? Its not cheap with water damage.

It was a heavy drizzle, and yes it got water damage mid-air and fell into the water. Lucky to have a friend who swam to get the drone so I could claim refresh.

 

[Meta4]

My drone did go rogue about a week after this incident. However, I had control of it, but I had no idea where on Lake Geneva, Wisconsin, it was. It's a big lake. The battery was getting down to 8%,...

Has anyone had a drone go rogue?

Why do you say that your drone went rogue?
So far nothing in your tale points to any problem with the drone.
It sounds like just another story of pilot error.

 

[JRowlette]

Does a drone really "go rogue" when it responds normally to commands but the pilot loses track of it's location and allows the battery to be depleted?

I was having compass calibration issues with it. It wasn't the first time. It would act up after being on the boat for a few hours with me. The only thing I can think of is that I normally jump over a ton of waves and I think it got affected by the the jolts from the waves. Even though I kept it in a drone luggage case. So I would calibrate the drone on the boat to fly.
Certainly when you lose total sight of it and its not showing up on the map you have problems.