Hello - I am going to take my P3P to some cliffs that overlook the ocean. I have heard several stories about people losing their drones over water. I flew the P3S for a while and just got the P3P. Anyway - some of the posts that I have read mention that you should disable the VPS...is this necessary? What exactly happens if this is turned on and you fly over water? With the VPS turned off - is it any harder to control than the P3S - which doesn't have this feature? I haven't had problems controlling the P3S - so if turning it off doesn't drastically affect flight ability I am all for it. What exactly is the benefit of VPS? Thanks! I have learned so much from this forum so really appreciate the advice!
Flying over water - looking for advice!
- Thread starter hkdman
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Hi. There is a thought that the VPS system can get a bit confused when flying over water. If you take this view then the issue is only going to occur when the VPS is in range. Flying over cliffs isn't going to be an issue due to the height.
Personally I leave the VPS on even when flying low over water but keep an eye on altitude. So far I've not seen any signs of the system being distorted by water.
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Personally I leave the VPS on even when flying low over water but keep an eye on altitude. So far I've not seen any signs of the system being distorted by water.
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alokbhargava
Premium Pilot
It's true phantom doesn't know if it's flying over water [emoji97] but if you are flying low with VPS ON, phantom will have difficulty in maintaining its position as ripples and waves in water produce a varying pattern and it gets difficult for vps camera [emoji327] to keep phantoms position fixed. Flying at height will be good as gps will be more effective to keep it stable.
For a good stability and control, we need good height, position and direction control.
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For a good stability and control, we need good height, position and direction control.
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There is a video on YouTube showing how water affects a Phantom 4 with VPS. I tried finding it but couldn't. But he showed that with it at about 25ft and under the drone would slowly drop altitude and slowly rise in altitude. One time it dropped to a point where he needed to give it throttle or it would've hit the water. But nothing drastically fast that you wouldn't be able to manually correct.
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This is all very helpful. Thanks! I think what I am hearing is that if you are flying high (say at least 30 or so feet) than having PvZ turned on is no big deal. If I want to do some low flying, then the rise/fall of the waves may create challenges so better to turn off. Got it! Thanks!
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Check out this video taken about 1.5 miles from coastline.
Hi hkdman...i fly over water quite frequently. I do turn VPS off as I use it more indoors.
I think your greatest challenge is working with the fear something could go wrong...is more of a confidence thing. Keep in mind the perspective of the landscape and heights when near cliffs. Easy and smooth. Also remember that wind can be a factor close to obstructions. I tend to film early morning...winds are more calm...
This was my first video out to sea and cliffs, in Cabo Rojo Lighthouse, Puerto Rico
Blue skies and calm winds for you...have fun and enjoy it!!
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Awesome vids! I have been flying long enough that I am relatively comfortable with controlling the drone. I must admit though - when it goes way out there (like 3000 feet) I start to get a little nervous. I live in CA - so lots of areas to film the water. I want to perfect my technique because in March - I am going to Cancun 
I personally don't turn my VPS off while flying over the ocean. In a couple parts of this video I was flying just above 6 feet over the ocean and had no trouble with my VPS turned on.
check it out, let me know what you think and let me know if you have any questions.
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Really awesome vid! Question - I will be driving to San Diego in the next couple of weeks. What are the rules at Sunset Beach? I know many of the beaches in LA where I live are pretty strict. Thanks!
Thank you! Yes they are very strict, I believe there is only a very small portion of sunset Beach you are allowed to fly at just be cautious.
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Stop by San Onofre State Beach, about 35mi north of San Diego. They have some awesome cliffs to fly on the coastline. It's just south of the mothballed Nuclear power plant, but you have to get off the freeway North of the powerplant at Basilone to access the campground, south of the offramp. There is nobody at the gate to take your money in the winter, so drive in and fly. Just don't fly too far south and get near Camp Pendlelton. Keep an eye open for their helicopters, they are very cool to see flying, but they don't fly that often.
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Doesn't VPS only work with in 3ft to a meter? I also thought that it doesn't work well on softer surfaces like thick carpet, grass or surfaces with consistent colours anyway? I switched my VPS off when i have flown a few times over water as I heard that it can get confused by the reflection and didn't think it would be doing much if flying with gps anyway. I then forgot to switch it back on for a long time and didn't notice much difference but did switch it back on when hovering two Phantom's next to each other just in case it helped them stay put.
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In my experience, if you are > 30ish feet above the water the vps has no effect. I was flying over a large river with significant flow, and when < 30 feet above the water, the vps would cause the aircraft to follow the flow of the water. It would lock in to what ever it could see (foam, stick, leaves) and drift downstream with it. I just continually corrected and then ascended.
I have filmed over water for two years and not had any issues. I recently filmed surfing in Portugal with 10 to 50 foot waves. The beauty of the ocean is is doesn't have many obstructions other than waves so if you keep to a fixed altitude and avoid the cliffs you can achieve great shots.
