Who is hand catching his MP at landing or take off.

[Mako79]

I'm planing to use my MP to make boat videos. I've watched few video of hand landing and gived a try. It's preaty easy and I think that is the best way to bring it abord safely !

What is your experience ?

Note: I did not turn the collision sensor off but if you don't hesitate to grab it, it wont have time to go back up.

If the boat is moving/drifting or rocking then don't bother catching it. It is dangerous. If its calm, make sure the boat is anchored.
Another option is to land it on terrain and go pick it up.
But if last resort then buy a really big net and fly into it. The props will shut the moment it tangles or get obstructed.

A few pointers - look at the back of the mavic when landing. This helps orientation and minimises confusion. Make sure you advise all on board that you are landing a drone. Use the palm landing technique. Palm out 30cm under belly of mavic and left stick down until it shuts motors off on your palm. The grab hand catches freaks out the Mavic and causes it ascend from you.
And finally, practice hand launches and palm landings on terrain before heading out to sea.

 

[Nathan Hoover]

On land I've had no trouble hand catching. Haven't tried it on a boat with the Mavic yet. I did hand catch the P4 on a boat one time which wasn't too bad but I think the Mavic would be harder.

 

[CyberdyneSystems]

I exclusive hand launch and hand catch. I don't make any sensor changes one way or the other. For me the only way to do this is with neck strap for the controller.

Launch:
Controller hanging around neck.
Make sure you have GPS and home point established.
Dual stick command with left hand to start motors.
Mavic held above head in right hand.
Throttle up with left hand quickly so Mavic assends quick. (I do this in case there is some sort of positioning error, if it's going to fly off sideways I want it well above my head.)

Landing:
Controller still hanging around neck.
Visually fly in and then back it into position just above my head on my right side. (Backed in so control actions are not reversed.)
Hold right hand below Mavis and throttle down.
Grab craft by belly with a firm grip it will throttle up, but this thing can only lift about 2lbs so just don't let go!
Pin throttle down until motos stop, about 3 seconds.
Do this a good 20 to 30 feet away from bystanders, the throttling up angry Mavic freaks people out.
Power down the Mavic.

Doing this from any type of moving reference frame would be quite challenging! I would think you would need a dedicated catcher.

 

[Atredz]

Most times I hand take off an land is just much easier then finding a nice flat spot with no dirt or other obstructions plus I don't realy like how close to the ground everything on the mavic is. I know you can buy extended landing gear but that ruins the portablety of the mavic pro

 

[Big Fil]

I hand launch/land 99% of the time. Its easy to do and keeps the dust away from the lens. Most of the places I fly are in areas where there are not suitable landing areas. That said might be having to ground takeoff more often since I just broke my hand on Monday.

 

[Atredz]

How does everybody handles the imu calibration with hand take off ?

 

[kruzlifix]

If the boat is moving/drifting or rocking then don't bother catching it. It is dangerous. If its calm, make sure the boat is anchored.
Another option is to land it on terrain and go pick it up.
But if last resort then buy a really big net and fly into it. The props will shut the moment it tangles or get obstructed.

A few pointers - look at the back of the mavic when landing. This helps orientation and minimises confusion. Make sure you advise all on board that you are landing a drone. Use the palm landing technique. Palm out 30cm under belly of mavic and left stick down until it shuts motors off on your palm. The grab hand catches freaks out the Mavic and causes it ascend from you.
And finally, practice hand launches and palm landings on terrain before heading out to sea.

Is there a youtube video of the palm landing technique?

 

[GerdS]

How does everybody handles the imu calibration with hand take off ?

Just set it to a flat surface or keep it calm and leveled while powering on. After GPS has locked you can take it by hand above your head for take-off.

 

[dsmpampis]

I have never tried to hand launch my drone but I always hand landing it. To be honest I'm a bit afraid to start the Mavic with one hand....

 

[Lelantos]

I hand launch and land sometimes. I haven't seen the method I use described so here it is.

All in P mode, no sensors disabled.

Launch;
1. Hold in right hand
2. Use left thumb and right elbow - push both sticks in and down
3. Motors will spin up, but not enough to launch
4. Hold at arms length up high and move left stick up - Mavic then lifts off your hand

Land;
1. With Mavic several feet high, hold right hand out, flat, palm up
2. Left stick gently down
3. Mavic descends until about 18" away then hesitates when it senses your hand
4. Hold left stick all the way down - Mavic goes into landing mode and gently settles on your flat palm then shuts down motors, no grabbing required.

 

[ChasiTail]

You guys keep giving tips on hand landing while stationary. That's a no brainer, very easy to do.

Go try and do it while you are walking (no stopping). It is significantly harder to accomplish.

Catching on a boat, unless anchored, or unless its a really really big boat will require a 2nd person to catch the drone as well.

 

[Lelantos]

You guys keep giving tips on hand landing while stationary. That's a no brainer, very easy to do.

You don't like tips on how to use the Mavic? Forums exist for that very reason, sharing knowledge.

Catching on a boat, unless anchored, or unless its a really really big boat will require a 2nd person to catch the drone as well.

This would obviously depend upon the conditions you are in, and the ability of the operator of the boat to hold position. Asserting that you have to be anchored or require a second person is exaggerating the requirements.

 

[Michael Ainsworth]

If you are wanting to hand launch/land from boat then you need to practice in a controlled area like on land first to be completely comfortable with your technique. That way when on the boat at least half your problems will be solved.

 

[CyberdyneSystems]

I power up in my hand and just hold it level and steady. Seems to pass the IMU intiazation just fine and flys with out issue. I don't believe the start sequence is a true calibration.

 

[Chun]

How does everybody handles the imu calibration with hand take off ?

Mavic is pretty forgiving, not like a solo which I also enjoy just I a different way.(tinkering,and internal modifying) Mavic requires none of that!!!

 

[ChasiTail]

You don't like tips on how to use the Mavic? Forums exist for that very reason, sharing knowledge.



This would obviously depend upon the conditions you are in, and the ability of the operator of the boat to hold position. Asserting that you have to be anchored or require a second person is exaggerating the requirements.

Tips are great. But this member is asking about launching from a boat or while moving.. Your method is great from land, but a boat drifting isn't so simple. Its pretty challenging to fly forward or backwards & down with one hand, so you can reach out and catch the drone with the other one.. Hence why a "catcher" is much better. Search Youtube, show me a mavic getting hand caught by the pilot with one hand on a boat on open water and I'll eat crow..

Do you have any experience with landing on a boat? If not how can you assert im exaggerating the requirements?

I do have experience landing on a boat and its a LOT different than standing on terra-firma when hand catching.. Thats why I'm sharing MY KNOWLEGDE... Trying to help this member out

Here's the little boat I land on for reference.

 

[Chun]

Tips are great. But this member is asking about launching from a boat or while moving.. Your method is great from land, but a boat drifting isn't so simple. Its pretty challenging to fly forward or backwards & down with one hand, so you can reach out and catch the drone with the other one.. Hence why a "catcher" is much better. Search Youtube, show me a mavic getting hand caught by the pilot with one hand on a boat on open water and I'll eat crow..

Do you have any experience with landing on a boat? If not how can you assert im exaggerating the requirements?

I do have experience landing on a boat and its a LOT different than standing on terra-firma when hand catching.. Thats why I'm sharing MY KNOWLEGDE... Trying to help this member out

Here's the little boat I land on for reference.

I take off/land by hand all the time at idle speeds, it is alittle trickier than it sounds and looks at slow speeds , I was waiting for you to catch it in your video, and saying that is a bad mfer if he pulls this off!

 

[Lelantos]

Tips are great. But this member is asking about launching from a boat

And the title of this thread is "Who is hand catching his MP at landing or take off". If someone were searching for threads on hand landing I think it is safe to say that this would be one thread that they would look at. Therefore, describing methods for hand launching and landing are perfectly appropriate.

Do you have any experience with landing on a boat? If not how can you assert im exaggerating the requirements?

Haven't landed on one of my boats yet, but I do have some experience with boats both inshore and offshore, my USCG captains license expired years ago. I do know that it is possible to maintain a position in good conditions. Underway is another matter, and my particular method of hand landing would not work there. To assert that landing in a boat requires a second person or anchoring ignores the situations where the conditions allow the boat to maintain a fixed position. If you are in command of the vessel then presumably you can stop it and stay in one place while landing.

 

[ChasiTail]

I take off/land by hand all the time at idle speeds, it is alittle trickier than it sounds and looks at slow speeds , I was waiting for you to catch it in your video, and saying that is a bad mfer if he pulls this off!

HAHA
I like my fingers attached, so i'll only catch at idle as well. Also I have added pool noodle floaties to give more area below the props to grasp on landing. Skids like on the Phantoms would be much better...

Heres a good one to watch.. I imagine it would be similar on a boat that isnt dead stop Yeah, just reach out and grab it with one hand, what could go wrong?

These guys were just drifting, it illustrates the possible challenges one might encounter. Notice how the boat sways back and forth a lot, making reaching for a small frame on a mavic a little dicey. The boat they are in is a Catamaran, which are generally more stable than a regular V bottom boat.
they opted to land on a moving deck, and the mavic took some damage.

 

[ChasiTail]

And the title of this thread is "Who is hand catching his MP at landing or take off". If someone were searching for threads on hand landing I think it is safe to say that this would be one thread that they would look at. Therefore, describing methods for hand launching and landing are perfectly appropriate.

I'd agree, perfectly appropriate for hand catching on land..
But in his post he asked this:

I'm planing to use my MP to make boat videos. I've watched few video of hand landing and gived a try. It's preaty easy and I think that is the best way to bring it abord safely !

What is your experience ?

Haven't landed on one of my boats yet, but I do have some experience with boats both inshore and offshore, my USCG captains license expired years ago. I do know that it is possible to maintain a position in good conditions. Underway is another matter, and my particular method of hand landing would not work there. To assert that landing in a boat requires a second person or anchoring ignores the situations where the conditions allow the boat to maintain a fixed position. If you are in command of the vessel then presumably you can stop it and stay in one place while landing.

So again, you have never done it and yet you dismiss my actual experience at landing on a boat?? I would think someone with a Capt. license would understand the concept thata drifting boat is not stationary, even if in neutral. Even a light breeze will cause a boat to drift, unless you are on a mega yacht. Even drifting at .5 knots changes the one hand catching dynamic for a pilot and so does bobbing up and down in wind chop.
Like I said earlier, experiment by walking slowly and try to hand catch while also piloting the drone all the while not stopping your stride. Its harder than it seems. A 3rd hand would make things a lot easier, but Ive only got 2. Better yet go out on your boat and give it a try. Can a person do it on a perfectly smooth no wind no wave kind of conditions? Absolutely..... But its more likely conditions wont be perfect, so one should understand the risks and methods (having a catcher) that would be safer and easier. But of course its much easier to armchair QB on the internet

I'd love to see a video once you go out on your boat & do it. Im all about watching and learning!