Loooooooong Range Night Flight P4P

[VegasFlyer]

Life is full of rules, laws, should do this, don't do this, etc... Lets be honest... at some point we all have broken a rule or law, and continue to do so... who has come to a complete stop at a stop sign, etc? The only reason I have stopped flying long distance is not because of the rules... it's because if my bird was to get a glitch I might be endangering someone well being, or their property.
I would hope I will have the discipline to fly LD only when out in the middle of nowhere.... desert, ocean, etc. In the meantime I'm bored not flying, and relying on my other hobby to keep me occupied. Cheers Everyone !!

Short flights-- strictly LOS --I perform manually. But whenever there is a scintilla of doubt about where I'm flying to and the possible conditions, I prefer using Litchi. No matter how good I may be with the sticks (and I'm not quite there yet) autonomous flights are going to be safer and more efficient. (like cruise control) Sure, it may take me an hour or more to nail down exactly what I want but to me it's worth it and I can always go back to that mission to make improvements for a future flight.

I've flown many missions that have resulted in LOS and not once have I lost or crashed my bird. I can't afford to purchase a new one, so I've run test after test (mostly unintentionally!) to see how reliable RTH performs in LOS scenarios. There have been a number of times I've paced back and forth while looking at the clock wondering if I'm going to regain the signal. So far each one has ended in a huge sigh of relief. Yes, there's always a risk during a long flight but don't let that deprive you of something you enjoy!

My longest flight has been close to 3 miles RT. That's not nearly as far as I would like to go, but I live in the desert surrounded by mountains and peace of mind is a wonderful thing! I can afford to take it slow. My next step is to contact State Farm and buy some insurance! $60/year is definitely worth it!

 

[VegasFlyer]

I have a video of a longer flight
It’s 5 miles. There and back, and it landed with 18% battery left. So it really depends on the wind.

Have you ever considered flipping into F-Mode/Sport Mode (or pausing a mission) and let the wind do some of the work if the headings are reasonably close? You could back off the throttle a bit to conserve your battery for the return trip.

 

[Darian Trotter]

Have you ever considered flipping into F-Mode/Sport Mode (or pausing a mission) and let the wind do some of the work if the headings are reasonably close? You could back off the throttle a bit to conserve your battery for the return trip.

Wow. That’s far too advanced for me. I’ll have to practice that one day in the park. Didn’t know that was possible. I usually repeat out loud, “Come on, Come on.” Hahahaha. Thanks for the tip.

 

[VegasFlyer]

Wow. That’s far too advanced for me. I’ll have to practice that one day in the park. Didn’t know that was possible. I usually repeat out loud, “Come on, Come on.” Hahahaha. Thanks for the tip.

No problem! Yeah, I gave it a shot one day. I was coming up from due south and my route was to the NE. I had a tailwind coming in from slightly SW, so I flipped into ATTI mode (I didn't mean F-Mode), released the throttle, and let the wind take over. I made a few right turns as needed until I had to turn due east and then went back to P-Mode (GPS). Unfortunately I never went back to try it again to compare times.

 

[lil boss]

.....and nothing you can say will change their tiny little minds.

Awesome... on the floor laughing hysterically !!

 

[lil boss]

I've flown many missions that have resulted in LOS and not once have I lost or crashed my bird. I can't afford to purchase a new one, so I've run test after test (mostly unintentionally!) to see how reliable RTH performs in LOS scenarios. There have been a number of times I've paced back and forth while looking at the clock wondering if I'm going to regain the signal. So far each one has ended in a huge sigh of relief. Yes, there's always a risk during a long flight but don't let that deprive you of something you enjoy!

I couldn't agree with you more.... However I live in a suburban area just east of Philly... lots of homes, business's, highways, etc. If I was to live out in the country LD would be a no-brainer. Although drones are expensive, I would find the money to purchase another if mine "disappeared" or got destroyed. Hurting someone, well that is another story. Perhaps I am over reacting...

 

[lil boss]

Have you ever considered flipping into F-Mode/Sport Mode (or pausing a mission) and let the wind do some of the work if the headings are reasonably close? You could back off the throttle a bit to conserve your battery for the return trip.

That is a pretty darn good idea.. Actually I might try that some day... Thanks