Let's hear from long term flyers - how to stay flying

[DrJoe]

My only close call was when I was asked to film an event called "Hands Across the Sand" to protest offshore drilling, and another guy showed up with a P2V+ identical to mine. I didn't think anything of it until I thought I had lost control of my drone, but was looking at his, and had no idea where mine was since I'd been concentrating on getting a good video. I located it within a few seconds, but it was over the ocean at low altitude, had I kept moving the sticks trying to control *his* drone, I might have crashed mine. I've since decided to use a spotter whenever I do video of large crowds where someone else might show up with an identical drone.

This just happened to me at the beach. Couldn"t figure out for the life of me why the Phantom wasn't responding. I narrowly missed going into the drink, but realized it in time. Sheesh.

 

[JoeSchmoe]

Wow... I have a P2V+ I got on DEC 2 2014. I have two batteries. Flown it mostly daily at least once.. Id say Ive flown it more than 300 times.
Ive never REALLY crashed it.. although.. I did smack it hard into the bottom of a bridge over the Ohio River once...and somehow, it didnt crash.. and I tipped it over on landing once..and sent it to Dronefly in LA for a One week turn-around repair... I fly mostly over water only.. so I know my Days are numbered.. but

Some Tips..
dont be distracted when launching.
Make sure sure S1 and S2 are in the Up posititon
dont wait for the red low Bat lights on the Phantom to start Flashing Before returning..
When You Launch..Consider the wind..it'll carry the Phantom away pretty easy.. making it harder/slower to come back on a depleted battery..
Make sure your Battery is fully seated in the Phantom..
Dont launch Before ALL( more than 6 )are locked sometimes you can launch a few feet to get that seventh... but Beware until you do...
If you think you are having a fly-away and your Phantom is close..switch to ATI right away and try to bring it in and land..
Until you can fly in public with the distraction of stranger talking to you while flying... consider wearing earbuds or headphones while flying.. to avoid unwanted conversation.
Inspect your batteries also.. Both of mine have cracks..around the terminal connectors..
I also use a lanyard on my controller as a windsock..

 

[MapMaker53]

Another tip.. I generally try to take off with the front of my Phantom pointing in the direction I will initially be flying towards. It sets you up to be able to flip to Course Lock if you loose wifi telemetry and need directional control when pretty far out and you aren't sure of the Phantom's orientation.

 

[Jayfdee]

All good advice above. I have been flying for a year,over 100 flights,my top tip is learn to fly on a Hubsan, indoors,second tip read all the comments on this forum,there is a huge amount of knowledge and experience, freely shared.
I am well aware of VRS, but despite knowing better I just got caught,the Phantom just fell out of the sky,looking at the video it nearly recovered, and landed the correct way up,smashed the camera protection plate,and turned over,it was on long grass and I was lucky to escape with minimal damage.
I have done a thorough check over and done a test flight,and all OK,but I am now even more alert to VRS, and a little bit scared in case the cause was not VRS, and there is some other underlying problem. I had just started a descent,and it was in gusty conditions,my own fault, I normally descend with a forward backward motion.

 

[macsoft]

All the check list items here are valid and you should follow them.
But the most important way I've found for preventing errors is a very simple one, check this out:
after you do all your calibrations etc, and you are ready to idle props, wait for enough satellites and flip the switch 5 times to get HOME LOCK (confirmation with fast green flashing lights).
TRUST ME: THIS IS THE MOST IMPORTANT STEP!
If something is not right with the your bird, you will not be able to get HOME LOCK this way. And that is your hint to turn it off, and start everything again.

for 2 times by now I did not pay attention to this, and they were the only 2 times my bird had problems airborn.

Since I follow this rule I never had problems.
i also wink me left eye to my bird when it takes off. That may has something to do with it too

 

[N017RW]

You don't mention which switch or the proper procedure. Why must you request a reset of HP?

You can see the rapid Green during the last phase of start/warm-up.

Superstitious?

 

[macsoft]

You don't mention which switch or the proper procedure. Why must you request a reset of HP?

You can see the rapid Green during the last phase of start/warm-up.

Superstitious?

Sorry, I'm talking about the S2 switch to record current position of multi-rotor as new home point.

Many people can confuse the rapid green (home point set) with the one you get when the phone connects to the wifi extender (same rapid green flash).
The bird should auto home-lock when you have enough satellites...if all goes well.
What I've found out is sometimes for some reason the auto-home lock does not work. And in those same times, if you try to record a new home point it will not work either. So THERE you know you WILL have a problem, and may get a flyway to the last home point.

With this method you can see clearly before take off, that you will have a problem.
You can use this method 20 times and it wont make much difference for you, but on that 21th time when you do it and you can't set your home point, there you know you have just avoided a possibly problematic flight. I dare you to fly on that time.. You will see course lock won't work too.
turn the bird off, and do the power up procedure again.
Better safe than sorry.

 

[N017RW]

Fair enough.

Never had that issue.

 

[dgd3]

I've had two P2V+'s since June 2014 and have had only one crash, and that was pilot error. I would follow everything above but add know your wind speed aloft as well as ground level...the Phantom is amazing at holding its position and handling adverse conditions but winds 15-20 mph or more will make flying difficult. I would also mention it will help to NOT PANIC if something does go wrong. Stay away from obstacles and give yourself time to recover control of the unit. Know your controller and what the switches do, label the Phantom with your name and phone number so that a kind soul may contact you, and read this forum for updates!

 

[macsoft]

one more: wind speed and sun flares. I use the "Hover" app to know those values before flight.

 

[dgd3]

Upon flying you can check the windspeed by setting the RC right-hand switch to altitude (Center). Then once your drone starts moving in any particular direction check the speed value. But you got to figure out the direction yourself by looking. I suggested any long-range flights you make be upwind. That way you have the best advantage for your battery on the return to home. Remember though that for high-altitude flights the wind will be somewhat different than at lower altitudes. In stormy conditions the winds can even be the opposite direction and at speeds that can be far in excess of the phantoms maximum speed.

 

[dgd3]

Sun flares!?

 

[Oscar]

What is the IMHO calibration for on the DJI assistant software

 

[pomonabill220]

What a GREAT list of pre flight suggestions!!!!
I have modified my P2 controller so I can set HP without having to flip the S2 switch, and along with compass cal. that I do before every flight, I get a HP and wait for the fast flashes. Just like it has been suggested here, not only to make sure a HP was set, but also to make sure that a HP CAN be set.
I will even hover and force another HP just to make sure.

while hovering, I see how my bird is reacting to the winds so I can get an idea of how much turbulence and the speed is around me, even if it is calm on the ground.

I watch the battery level in my FPV and on the bird's leds during my flying, and if I have gone too long and they start flashing red, I bring it down sometimes before auto land, and try and hand catch (adds experience too!). Hand catching is pretty easy once you try it and get over the "being under a blender" fear.

Still, this thread is a great collection of very good ideas and tips!

 

[dgd3]

I do all exactly the same between each battery swap.
Sometimes I wonder though if so much compass calibration is really necessary between battery swaps. Any comments about that?

 

[kirk2579]

I do all exactly the same between each battery swap.
Sometimes I wonder though if so much compass calibration is really necessary between battery swaps. Any comments about that?

you do not need to calibrate the compass unless you fly from a point 30 to 50 plus miles from normal.
if its set its set!

seen many crash post that start out with the words " I calibrated the compass.... crashed...."

I have had my phantoms nearly a year, hundreds of flights, did compass calibarttion 3 times since march
did calibrate after firmware update
did calibrate when drove to Fl from Oh
did it when got home to ohio in july..
not touched since and fly all the time

 

[sdtag]

I do all exactly the same between each battery swap.
Sometimes I wonder though if so much compass calibration is really necessary between battery swaps. Any comments about that?

I used to do that but I don't anymore. I think over calibrating your compass gives the possibility of introducing bad compass data. Now I don't calibrate the compass at all, unless I am flying somewhere new, or it has been a while since I've flown, like maybe a month or so. It works for me. I am very careful about setting HP and do the hover thing after launching. Then I am good to go.

 

[dirtybum]

95% of any problems i've had were raised because of my decisions. The way to keep flying happy &worry free is to own more the one at any given time. One falls in the lake... Yer flyin over again tomorrow with a smile!

 

[dgd3]

How many G is a 63 m drop from the sky, anyone?
Needless to say I'm on my second Phantom, an identical vision+ V3.

 

[dirtybum]

C'mon lets turn this post upside down!! Show us pics od the wreckage!