How To Takeoff:

[playboz]

So I'm wanting to learn how to takeoff and land my bird from my hand while holding the remote. I got the landing part down pat. What I'm struggling with is the takeoff part.

Is anybody taking off from their hand while holding the remote? If so, how?

Reason why I'm doing this is that I want to be able to fly in unfriendly terrain areas.

Thanks in advance for any advice or knowledge you could pass on this way.


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[msinger]

You'll be able to free up the hand holding the remote controller if you get some type of lanyard/strap -- like the DJI neck strap or the DJI shoulder strap.

 

[playboz]

You'll be able to free up the hand holding the remote controller if you get some type of lanyard/strap -- like the DJI neck strap or the DJI shoulder strap.

hi msinger,
My only issue for that is you still need to start the props by pointing them downwards and centering the controls. Is there a way of allowing it to start the props by just having one control go down and center?

Thanks!

 

[msinger]

Is there a way of allowing it to start the props by just having one control go down and center?

No.

Why not pull both sticks down and in using your thumb and index finger on the hand that is not holding your Phantom?

 

[adambfarmer]

Hold bird with one hand. Use lanyard or place controller on the ground, or something similar, and use thumb and pointer to move both sticks down and in.


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[frands1]

Me personally, I wouldn't take off grabbing the aircraft with one hand. Way too risky. Landing is risky too but much much easier.

 

[r62ewa]

Has anyone tried using Auto-takeoff for hand launching? Wouldn't it be a matter of swiping your Ipad while motors are not running and auto-takeoff would arm motors and takeoff? Never tried it, just thinking out loud.

 

[playboz]

Has anyone tried using Auto-takeoff for hand launching? Wouldn't it be a matter of swiping your Ipad while motors are not running and auto-takeoff would arm motors and takeoff? Never tried it, just thinking out loud.

@r62ewa thats a great idea i dont know why ive never thought of that before. I might try that out if someone else can confirm that its doable.

Anybody here try it out yet? I wont be able to until the earliest on Saturday. So if someone gets home and is feeling a little bit risky or daredevil please feel free to try it out!

 

[r62ewa]

I just tried hand launching for the first time a few minutes ago. Had my RC laid down and armed the motors and launched perfectly 3 times, a little practice. I didn't try the auto-takeoff launch. It's still cold where I am and my hands were freezing, slow to type kind of freezing.

 

[My Flying Eye]

Why would you want to take of from your hand? Seems very precarious to me.
I always take off from the ground but land by hand.

 

[playboz]

Why would you want to take of from your hand? Seems very precarious to me.
I always take off from the ground but land by hand.

Because lets say im on a very steep hill or maybe on a boat or even at a beach. I wouldnt be able to have it launch from the ground. This is why i want to try and have it launch by hand.

 

[playboz]

I just tried hand launching for the first time a few minutes ago. Had my RC laid down and armed the motors and launched perfectly 3 times, a little practice. I didn't try the auto-takeoff launch. It's still cold where I am and my hands were freezing, slow to type kind of freezing.

Oh wow! you must live in Canada somewhere i take it . Let me know if you every get it to auto launch by hand.

Thanks!

 

[My Flying Eye]

Because lets say im on a very steep hill or maybe on a boat or even at a beach. I wouldnt be able to have it launch from the ground. This is why i want to try and have it launch by hand.

Ok, seems like some valid reasons. Good luck and Ill keep an eye open on your progress and views.

 

[r62ewa]

I have just successfully hand launched using the Auto-takeoff feature. I used a neck strap for my RC and the takeoff went extremely smoothly, I tried it twice and both were flawless. I found it feel more comfortable than hand launching using manual control with the left joystick and I got to feel how much force the Phantom exerts to takeoff. I see the benefits of hand launching as I will likely be using my Phantom from a boat this summer.

 

[Phantomfreak]

Hand catching to land is fine, launching is probably not a good idea for two reasons.. 1. You need two hands to start the motors. If you set the bird down to do so, then your reaching under it to pick it up with the props spinning.. Not good. 2. The bird should be flat, level, and motionless right before taking off, as I believe the IMU uses this to set the attitude of the bird once in flight. Taking off while holding the bird and remote will not accomplish this.. I may be wrong about the second point, not sure. If I was taking off from terrain that was not level I would set my case on the ground, try to level it out by propping up one side or the other, and take off from that.


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[frands1]

Hand catching to land is fine, launching is probably not a good idea for two reasons.. 1. You need two hands to start the motors. If you set the bird down to do so, then your reaching under it to pick it up with the props spinning.. Not good. 2. The bird should be flat, level, and motionless right before taking off, as I believe the IMU uses this to set the attitude of the bird once in flight. Taking off while holding the bird and remote will not accomplish this.. I may be wrong about the second point, not sure. If I was taking off from terrain that was not level I would set my case on the ground, try to level it out by propping up one side or the other, and take off from that.


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But he got a point... Taking off from a boat might be tricky.

 

[r62ewa]

I agree the boat take off will likely be tricky, as will be the landing. I'm flying everyday to gain experience and comfort and so far things have gone great. Of course my boat work would be under ideal water conditions to minimize risk but I think the footage I can get will be well worth it.

 

[frands1]

I agree the boat take off will likely be tricky, as will be the landing. I'm flying everyday to gain experience and comfort and so far things have gone great. Of course my boat work would be under ideal water conditions to minimize risk but I think the footage I can get will be well worth it.

I have to agree, footage should be pretty cool. Good luck and share with us

 

[WetDog]

But he got a point... Taking off from a boat might be tricky.

I take off from a boat all of the time. You CAN hand launch. I don't like it - as the props spin up there is a moment when the props are moving fast but not fast enough to control the attitude. Unless YOU control the attitude you can have a situation where the the P3 is sideways and spinning up fast. It will VIOLENTLY try to orient upright (which is determined when you calibrate the IMU, not when you take off - which is why you want to calibrate the IMU on a level surface). That could hurt.

I take the bird off on my small back deck enclosed by the gunwales. I take off in ATTI mode and pull up like a bat out of hell for 30 feet or so - enough to clear the antennas. I then go into GPS mode (happens fast on the water) and fly. I once grazed the inflatable sitting on the cabin roof. Fortunately the soft side of the inflatable and the bendy props allowed the P3 to bounce away with no harm done to either craft but I don't launch in pitching seas any more....

On a slope which, presumably, isn't moving up and down hand launching would be easier. But on a watercraft I'd think three times, measure twice and think again before I did that (again).

Boat work is scary at first but one of those skills you pick up with practice. Unless you like replacing your drone regularly, do it in small steps. At an absolute minimum you should be able to fly ATTI mode without freaking out and hand land the drone anywhere. Practice bringing the drone to you for those last few feet instead of walking under it. Give yourself PLENTY of battery. I land just shy of 50% and have, on two occassions, actually got the thing inside the boat with less than 10% remaining. A pitching, rolling deck on a 24 four foot boat can be ... exciting.

YMMV. Professional Driver on Closed Course. Do Not Taunt Happy Fun Ball.

 

[r62ewa]

I have to agree, footage should be pretty cool. Good luck and share with us

I'll share the footage once I get some later this summer. We have lots of birds, whales, seals and icebergs that I plan on capturing, as well as old abandoned fishing villages. It will be an exciting summer with the Phantom.