Drone Experience

[Alien]

I am a registered DJI Mavic Air pilot and have been so for a year. I use Filmora9 for editing them but I am h
hesitant to share my videos publicy. I always get permission and check the "beforeufly" app but have been reported for flying at a lighthouse in the past even though I got permission from the caretaker. Too many a holes out there who report everything cause they are unhappy people-and I also do not like publicly posting property and people.

I am soon taking my drone to Brazil so wish me luck-already registered with Brazilian version of FAA. Now its just to get it through customs and back home without getting it stolen.

Hoping the video I get is well worth the risk.

Good luck with that. I know Brazillian modellers have a terrible time buying any stuff like that and it is extremely expensive too.
Probably a good idea to let the police in the area know you will be flying so you don't get checked out and get your fun spoiled. Hope it all pans out but I wouldn't be game to take a drone there.
I use an earlier version of Filmora myself as my main editor but usually just use raw vid and shorten and cut bits.

 

[cdaigle430]

Almost forgot-the DJI Mavic Air is the easiest and most forgiving drone to fly with collision censors in back, front and underneath. This drone is small portable-not too expensive, takes really nice 4k videos\photos. it also can handle a lot of wind like a champ. My only con is the props that come with it are one of the nosiest for drones but you can get aftermarket stealth props. ive flown for about 60 battery uses and have had no mechanical issues.

You must know what to do in the event of a fly off or comm loss.....and the macros it is pre-programmed with you need to make sure no obstacles are in the way

 

[jbrumberg]

cdaigle- Good luck with customs maybe TSA as well due to the LiPo batteries?

b4ufly is a great app.

"You must know what to do in the event of a fly off or comm loss" -CD430 I agree. Those early oft reported DJI fly-aways were probably more due to the owner/operator's inability to manually control their drones than a real failure of the flight controller. One of the benefits of building one's own and learning to manually operate the aircraft before spending the "Bigger Bucks."

The DJI Mavic is really nice drone.;0;0

 

[bunyip]

But I definitely need the warnings.

Are you saying that you don't get any or it was a typo and you meant heed?
The more I look the more I am not sure and not being a smart arse.

 

[ovrszd]

Are you saying that you don't get any or it was a typo and you meant heed?
The more I look the more I am not sure and not being a smart arse.

No worries. My setup warns me verbally. I need that. I get so enthralled in flying I sometimes forget to check the status.

 

[bunyip]

I get a visual and audible warning when the battery is low or when there are high winds, also an automated return to home when the battery drops to a programmed level set by the operator.
The Mavic (and other DJI's) also have a record of the flight path so if the drone does go down you have a bit of an idea where to look for it.
To date I have not had an auto RTH or a fly off and no crashes except with the cheap unit which would go where it felt like regardless of your input, mine is about 2-3 years old and there was only one camera then, now there are 3 and they are quiter but a new set of props should fix that not that it really bothers me that much.

 

[ovrszd]

Yeah I can trace my flight path for recovery.

I had problems with two batteries. They would go from 40% to critical landing. Autel replaced them. I've received good support from Autel.

 

[dodge man]

I am a land surveyor and they are being used for surveying applications. With the right software they can produce topi maps. They can also be used to inspect bridges and other hard to get to, unsafe places. It’s my understanding you need a license if you use it commercially. I’ve flown one a little bit and they are fairly easy but it was fairly open ground.

 

[ovrszd]

I am a land surveyor and they are being used for surveying applications. With the right software they can produce topi maps. They can also be used to inspect bridges and other hard to get to, unsafe places. It’s my understanding you need a license if you use it commercially. I’ve flown one a little bit and they are fairly easy but it was fairly open ground.

I was asked to inspect a Water Tower. 120ft tall, round ball design. I shot video all the way around the tank at a distance of 15ft or so.

Flight is relatively easy in an open field. But then driving a car is easy in an open field as well.

Hardest part with a Drone is you have tunnel vision. You only see what the camera sees. I've crashed 3 times. Always by running into something outside my field of vision.

A lot of Drones have crash avoidance systems. They protect the Drone from fixed objects such as buildings. Not quite as effective for objects such as tree limbs.

 

[natedog75]

The Mavic is about as easy as it gets to fly. Rock solid even in wind. I have had it out in 25 mph gusts. It flew. Had some movement but I was able to control it to get it back on the ground. This wind came up during flight. I can get 20 mins minimum out of a battery so good flight time.

I got it stuck once in a tree when I first got it. I didn’t quite understand the sensors yet and flew straight sideways into a tree. I was looking at the screen instead of the drone. I had to rent an articulating lift to get it out. The lift was fun to operate so there was that. The money wasn’t that fun to spend.

 

[cqaigy2]

Richard- Thanks. You may soon think otherwise

One of my finer moments with the "Flying Cuisinart" :embarrassed: The only damage was to the owner/operator's ego:

July 31 HAL Landing Flip - YouTube

Nice free styling at the end.

 

[ovrszd]

The Mavic is about as easy as it gets to fly. Rock solid even in wind. I have had it out in 25 mph gusts. It flew. Had some movement but I was able to control it to get it back on the ground. This wind came up during flight. I can get 20 mins minimum out of a battery so good flight time.

I got it stuck once in a tree when I first got it. I didn稚 quite understand the sensors yet and flew straight sideways into a tree. I was looking at the screen instead of the drone. I had to rent an articulating lift to get it out. The lift was fun to operate so there was that. The money wasn稚 that fun to spend.

Friend of mine has a Mavic. I've flown it twice. Never in much wind.

Flight time is absolutely dependent on conditions and flight path. I can get 25 minutes out of a battery if I don't travel more than a few hundred feet.

Only time I look at my Drone is when taking off and when landing. For me I'm less apt to fly it into an obstacle if I stay focused on the screen and catalog the obstacles around me.

 

[fried1765]

I have an Autel drone. Have had it four years now. Somewhere around 1000 flights. With extra batteries, charger, tablet monitor, etc., I've got somewhere around $1500 invested.

I'm not pimping Autel at all. With that said, buy a quality Drone. My Brother bought a cheap Drone and it flew off into the sunset first flight.

It's quite a learning curve. A lot going on when airborne. Lot of data displayed on the monitor to coordinate your flight. Great attention needs to be paid to that data to stay out of flight trouble. Elevation, direction, distance from home, battery time left, direction of flight. Then add the camera data to monitor. It's challenging but I enjoy it. I've taken hundreds of pictures and shot hours of video.

I've visited several farms/homes and taken pics and videos for people. I don't charge anything, do it for fun. I've also shot many, many Agricultural videos of crop planting/harvesting. First time I crashed was while videoing a high speed corn planter, 12mph, at an altitude of 20ft. Backed the drone into trees at the end of the field.....

I have a 100V convertor on my truck. Also have two chargers. Five batteries. Each battery will safely last about 15 minutes depending on type of flight, wind, etc. Many times I've exhausted all five batteries.

I've never lost my Drone. I've had it "critical land" half a dozen times. Always because I get busy running the camera and forget to monitor battery time left... Pretty embarrassing to have to go retrieve the Drone half a mile away....

I think if you "You Tube" search my name, Richard Rucker, you'll find the videos I've posted.


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We built a house this past year. Took several pics of that operation. Gives things a whole new perspective.

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Are you planning to move that barber chair you have in the garage/barn into your new house.
Maybe make one room into a private, by invitation only, barber shop?

 

[ovrszd]

Are you planning to move that barber chair you have in the garage/barn into your new house.
Maybe make one room into a private, by invitation only, barber shop?

Oh Heavens no. That Barber Chair is the perfect Shop Chair. A nap can be had in it if needed.

That chair came out of the last Barber Shop on the Eagleville Missouri Square. I had two. Gave one to my Brother in Law. Mine burned in my shop fire ten years ago. Jerry gave me the one he had. I much appreciated the gift.

 

[natedog75]

Friend of mine has a Mavic. I've flown it twice. Never in much wind.

Flight time is absolutely dependent on conditions and flight path. I can get 25 minutes out of a battery if I don't travel more than a few hundred feet.

Only time I look at my Drone is when taking off and when landing. For me I'm less apt to fly it into an obstacle if I stay focused on the screen and catalog the obstacles around me.

Having come from flying RC planes and helicopters I find I can maneuver into much tighter spaces by watching the drone. I do fly by camera from time to time but I like to position the drone by LOS then line the shot up by using the camera. Of course it is much easier to fly by the video feed, right is always right and left is always left. Nothing like something hurtling toward you at 60+ mph and forgetting to turn right to go left. Sometimes your left with a heap of parts to repair and reassemble.

 

[ovrszd]

Having come from flying RC planes and helicopters I find I can maneuver into much tighter spaces by watching the drone. I do fly by camera from time to time but I like to position the drone by LOS then line the shot up by using the camera. Of course it is much easier to fly by the video feed, right is always right and left is always left. Nothing like something hurtling toward you at 60+ mph and forgetting to turn right to go left. Sometimes your left with a heap of parts to repair and reassemble.

Yep. Very easy to lose track of right/left if watching the Drone.

Mist of my flights are at a distance where watching the Drone is futile.

 

[jbrumberg]

"... Nothing like something hurtling toward you at 60+ mph and forgetting to turn right to go left. Sometimes your left with a heap of parts to repair and reassemble."- Natedog

I do not nor know how many hours I practiced manually flying LOS in circles and figure 8's. I had a really decent debris trail along my learning curve. RTL always freaked me out; I always landed manually usually once close backing in

 

[ovrszd]

"... Nothing like something hurtling toward you at 60+ mph and forgetting to turn right to go left. Sometimes your left with a heap of parts to repair and reassemble."- Natedog

I do not nor know how many hours I practiced manually flying LOS in circles and figure 8's. I had a really decent debris trail along my learning curve. RTL always freaked me out; I always landed manually usually once close backing in

I always land manually. Will start watching the Drone when within a couple hundred feet of the landing area. When I make that transition I can always feel my brain/sight adjusting. Kinda weird.

 

[Industrial Toys]

I have seen some Drone Footage recently, like Camarata, where the image was as still as if the camera was mounted on a building. Are they that stable in a hover, or is the image electronically stabilized, or both? Amazing!

 

[bunyip]

The gimbal, my hand held video camera is the same, very steady even though I move, if you move the camera you can see the lens moving to compensate.