Hawks circled my FC40

[darwin-t]

I guess I got it up to 600 ft. I had my limit set to 150 yards and I maxed out my altitude. Several large hawks were circling it, but unfortunately my GoPro didn't catch any of them on video.

I'm getting a Flytrex after the first of the month, so I'll know for sure how I I go.

13 flights and no crashes.

 

[jerrymac12000]

Either your quad has made friends or is a possible meal for the birds. Many people who fly that high encounter new "friends". It happens as low as 25 feet. Welcome to the club.

 

[darwin-t]

I got one of video for a few seconds. Here is a frame of it.

 

[J.James]

Thats awesome you got some shots of it. There are 3 eagles (2 adults and a juvenile) I have missed 3 opportunity to run inside and get every thing set to go before they left the area and the one time last week when I was luckily enough to be out side getting ready to fly and noticed them over head circling looking for food I was in such a hurry to take off and get some action shots that I forgot to start the camera. I had an entire 8 minutes with them in what would of been some awesome video had I got the shots. I got a few 100 feet above them and 180 degrees away from the circle pattern they were flying and just flew in a circular pattern about 300 accost from them while in cl mode and trying to keep the nose pointed towards them. a few times would of been awesome shots as they were gliding in the wind but staying perfectly still in relation to the ground. They hardly seemed to mind or even notice me. and they flew intill they seemed like there wasnt any thing to swoop up then they started flying north towards the river were there is a spot others have photographed them fishing a few times in the last couple of years. . Tho its was always just two adults So It would of really been awsome to of gotten shots of them along with there new member to the family.

Them and even hawks are making a great come back in ny state along the Hudson river valley. I remember as a kid in the 70's it was rare to ever see a hawk and never even such thing as getting to see an eagle in person outside of books or tv. Now its getting pretty common to see them along the river and even up at a place we go camping on the Hossic river.

 

[sohail99]

I was flying my fc40 when I saw a group of eagles flying nearby. I just went up there for some up close birdwatching lol and one of the eagles followed it down to the roof of my home and was constantly circling the phantom.

I scared it away using the phantom, fearing if the eagle would've tried to attack the phantom, he/she would've injured him/herself.

I got it all on video too!

 

[EMCSQUAR]

I was flying my fc40 when I saw a group of eagles flying nearby. I just went up there for some up close birdwatching lol and one of the eagles followed it down to the roof of my home and was constantly circling the phantom.

I scared it away using the phantom, fearing if the eagle would've tried to attack the phantom, he/she would've injured him/herself.

I got it all on video too!

Funny you guys mentioned it, this was a flight this AM (watch lower right of screen -he swoops me multiple times throughout) - http://youtu.be/JkHaaTaimKo

 

[sohail99]

I was flying my fc40 when I saw a group of eagles flying nearby. I just went up there for some up close birdwatching lol and one of the eagles followed it down to the roof of my home and was constantly circling the phantom.

I scared it away using the phantom, fearing if the eagle would've tried to attack the phantom, he/she would've injured him/herself.

I got it all on video too!

Funny you guys mentioned it, this was a flight this AM (watch lower right of screen -he swoops me multiple times throughout) - http://youtu.be/JkHaaTaimKo

Nice! Do you use a gimball?

 

[EMCSQUAR]

On this particular one no - that's static mount.

 

[Crocopter]

Hello everyone, this my first post on this forum, though I have been lurking around for a while now. About a week ago I got my FC40, which I am very proud of. Had about 7 flights so far with one serious crash and another small ones at landing. So far so good, the FC40 is still in one piece, though I properly destroyed a set of brand new propellers, which is not so bad me thinks..

I also encountered hawks in my flights, but I always tried to play it safe and I tried to land as soon as the birds started to circle the drone. The locals are telling me that as far as they know, when a hawk circles a "bird" it is definetly getting ready to have a go at it. Oh, and they're big. About 4-5 times bigger than the drone. They didnt get close enough for me to catch any frames though. But they're beautiful, majestic, fast, extremely precise in their flow and they fly around like the whole sky is theirs. I honestly wonder what would happen if one of them would decide to attack the drone. I know I am not good enough yet to evade them, and as a matter a fact I don't even know if the drone can outmaneuver them. I would hate to see the drone falling like a brick, but I would hate myself if the drone injured one of these marvelous creatures.

 

[darwin-t]

There are 3 eagles (2 adults and a juvenile) I have missed 3 opportunity to run inside and get every thing set to go before they left the area and the one time last week when I was luckily enough to be out side getting ready to fly and noticed them over head circling looking for food I was in such a hurry to take off and get some action shots that I forgot to start the camera. I had an entire 8 minutes with them in what would of been some awesome video had I got the shots.

It sounds like you will get another opportunity and now you have some practice.

There are a LOT of hawks here in central Indiana, too. I saw 7 flying together yesterday, they may have been the same ones that circled my Phantom the other day, and 4 more over by my house.

We must have a heck of a mouse population to support all of those hawks!

 

[EMCSQUAR]

.

We must have a heck of a mouse population to support all of those hawks!

Here in Twin Cities they're eating everything from pigeons, small birds and reportedly a few cats...

 

[sohail99]

On this particular one no - that's static mount.

Thats a very stable static mount and I thought I read that it was controlled by groundstation waypoints?

 

[EMCSQUAR]

On this particular one no - that's static mount.

Thats a very stable static mount and I thought I read that it was controlled by groundstation waypoints?

Yes it was - it was set to do figure 8 pattern at 200ft up, 15mph when my feathered friend decided to do a couple of fly bys...

 

[darwin-t]

Did everyone see the video of eagles attacking a glider in Switzerland? One "took it down"

http://vimeo.com/96372827

 

[sohail99]

On this particular one no - that's static mount.

Thats a very stable static mount and I thought I read that it was controlled by groundstation waypoints?

Yes it was - it was set to do figure 8 pattern at 200ft up, 15mph when my feathered friend decided to do a couple of fly bys...

Wow! The groundstation sounds like just the thing for shooting scenes along a pre configured path!

btw here's the video of my phantom attracting an eagle/hawk - http://youtu.be/3SieRHbWcps

Did everyone see the video of eagles attacking a glider in Switzerland? One "took it down"

http://vimeo.com/96372827

And Wow! That was close!!! :shock:

 

[J.James]

I also encountered hawks in my flights, but I always tried to play it safe and I tried to land as soon as the birds started to circle the drone. The locals are telling me that as far as they know, when a hawk circles a "bird" it is definitely getting ready to have a go at it

.


Ya Ive seen hawks take out crows flying under them a few times. Yet for some reason they don't seem to scared of hawks and tend to fly around them a lot. probably hoping they can get some of a hawks scraps if it scores a meal.

It sounds like you will get another opportunity and now you have some practice.

There are a LOT of hawks here in central Indiana, too. I saw 7 flying together yesterday, they may have been the same ones that circled my Phantom the other day, and 4 more over by my house.

Ya I'm sure i will get another opportunity. just hope when I do that I'm all ready to fly. I seems like murphys law that when I'm keeping an eye out for them they don't come around.

I'm a lil bit Leary of getting to close to any hawks as they do attack other birds. I also have heard that geese are not to cool to get a phantom close to them cause they are very territorial and can try to attack it. Which probably is not good for the goose or the phantom.

 

[DJL9696]

This past Friday I had 9 Black Kites flying around my Phantom. They circled it a couple times. At one point I had 2 of them kind of swooping at it. On Saturday I took it out again and didn't see them flying. Once I got my phantom up to about 75ft 4 of them came out of nowhere and the chase began. I one point I had one dive bomb my Phantom. Like from a distance, fold it's wings in and come at it. When I noticed it coming I hurried and dropped it down which it followed. It didn't strike it but it came close. The second time I shot it straight up which seem to throw it off it route. I wish I could had caught it on camera. Needless to say I stayed below the tree line and they seem they did care anymore. They slowly circled away. I fun thing to watch. I can say they have more room up high unless the Kites are around. Monday afternoon flight went well, no Kites. Did have 2 Whistling Tree Ducks fly buy and they didn't seem to have a problem sharing the sky's with me.

 

[J.James]

Black Kites that is not some thing I ever heard of. I just had to look that up. Thats pretty cool.

 

[Cajvol94]

Amazing vid


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[houldsworth1]

I had this happen for the first time yesterday. Flying my FC40 at a local baseball field a hawk would appear every time I took it up about 100ft or more. It would circle around, and get quite close, but never actually touched it or dived at it. I think it was just being territorial. Not wanting to tempt fate I would drop it down each time it happened and, once below the tree line, it mostly lost interest. Still freaked me out a little though. :shock:

Knowing that I was going to be taking it up higher this time I had angled the camera to be more downward facing than normal. When I go back there again I will bring it up more in the hopes of catching some footage of the bird.