Rapid descent, how?

[Deleted member 120647]

Recently, whilst flying at a height between 200 & 300 ft, I was set upon by a cloud of midges. The nearest cover was the car but I wanted to get the drone down before escaping. The drone took, in terms of midge feasting time, ages to come down. I am starting to itch even typing about it.
I realise there is a safety limit of something like 3m/s but my googling has suggested that in "manual" mode it is possible to come down faster though it is advisable to have forward or sideways movement as well to avoid sinking into the prop wash.
Though this was in connection with a "Phantom" I am wondering if it applies to the earlier Mk's etc. or if, in the case of the P3adv, "manual" translates to "A-mode" (mode switch in the middle position)?
Obviously the simple answer is to try it and see but I am not currently in an area where I could fly high enough to feel comfortable experimenting and so far the only time I have used A-mode is when I wanted to judge the drift rate in the wind.
Oh the solution to midge dining is http://www.midgejacket.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/midge-jacket.jpg

 

[Starz]

I think I’ve read somewhere that a bird issue escape route is up?
Seems to make sense in that it would be harder for them to go up.
Certainly they would have gravity in their favor following you down.

 

[Deleted member 120647]

Ah sorry Midges are tiny blood sucking flies, it was me that was being attacked not the drone. On that point the drone is very good at blowing them away, literally, when immediately overhead.

 

[N017RW]

Recently, whilst flying at a height between 200 & 300 ft, I was set upon by a cloud of midges. The nearest cover was the car but I wanted to get the drone down before escaping. The drone took, in terms of midge feasting time, ages to come down. I am starting to itch even typing about it.
I realise there is a safety limit of something like 3m/s but my googling has suggested that in "manual" mode it is possible to come down faster though it is advisable to have forward or sideways movement as well to avoid sinking into the prop wash.
Though this was in connection with a "Phantom" I am wondering if it applies to the earlier Mk's etc. or if, in the case of the P3adv, "manual" translates to "A-mode" (mode switch in the middle position)?
Obviously the simple answer is to try it and see but I am not currently in an area where I could fly high enough to feel comfortable experimenting and so far the only time I have used A-mode is when I wanted to judge the drift rate in the wind.
Oh the solution to midge dining is http://www.midgejacket.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/midge-jacket.jpg

While Atti mode is sometimes referred to as Manual mode it simply means the aircraft will not maintain X-Y position (i.e. no GPS).
You are still constrained to all other aspects of flight [speed] limits.

You are correct in using lateral movement to escape the column of sinking air during a rapid descent. This is known as VRS or vortex ring state, also, settling with power. DJI altered firmware and made some design/hardware changes in later models to reduce the occurrence of VRS.

Lastly, The P2's had a true Manual mode which is a thrill for those who use it and a certain crash if you had no previous plank or CP-heli flying experience.

 

[Deleted member 120647]

Thanks

 

[Fly Dawg]

Ah sorry Midges are tiny blood sucking flies, it was me that was being attacked not the drone.

Don't try that with an African Bee Swarm.....although I have encountered black bird swarms.....Now that is scary stuff to fly in.

 

[Deleted member 120647]

I have kept bees before, fortunately pure Buckfast (I could work them without a veil) or British Blacks (more aggressive) but once went unexpectedly to an old bee keeper's place and his BB's were 'grumpy', after 13 stings on one arm (bare), and I wasn't even working them, I'd had enough.
Africanised are an entirely different ball game.

 

[Fly Dawg]

Africanised are an entirely different ball game.

As are the Blackbirds.....This shot a few years ago as I was landing in my yard......

 

[Meta4]

I think I’ve read somewhere that a bird issue escape route is up?
Seems to make sense in that it would be harder for them to go up.
Certainly they would have gravity in their favor following you down.

I got into a situation with a determined bird that wanted my drone out of its territory and found that I could outclimb him to avoid attacks.
The bad news was that each time I climbed, it meant even more time exposed trying to get back down.
It was like dogfighting the Red Baron ... when you've run out of ammunition.

 

[Shoot4fun]

Oh the solution to midge dining is http://www.midgejacket.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/midge-jacket.jpg

I need one of those! Had 2 mosquitoes land on me the other day and I overheard them discussing whether to eat me on the spot or take me home. One said "If we take him home, the big ones will steal him from us"... ?

 

[solentlife]

On the subject of Birds ..... beware of flocks of Starlings .... they develop a Killer group instinct.

Midges .... living as I do next to the river - its Midges and Mossies. Wife smokes - so she has not much problem with them. I gave up smoking many years ago - so I have to resort to sprays etc. to avoid them.

I close my eyes, take of glasses, do a Hitler style covering of the mouth and spray face, neck, hair, ears ... using spray on hands as extra wiped round to make sure I have coverage ! Then its arms and any other exposed area.

When cutting Club field - Horse Flies are a problem and boy do they hurt ! Then it means not only spray but also cover up to reduce skin available to the blighters !!

Note :
Mosquitos that attack are Female and zero in on Carbon Dioxide exhaled ... they are after blood for extracting water from.
Midges are attracted to moist areas such as eye,s lips etc. to get water direct. Especially when there's salts in the water.

 

[Deleted member 120647]

Fly Dawg, blimey I was going to say that looks almost as bad as Starlings but I see Solent has already intoduced them in their on right. Blackbirds here (UK) are generally solitary unless having a fight with each other.



With regard to midge suits, it was almost like being back inside a beekeeper's veil. Its dark mesh does reduce visiblity slightly but after looking at the midges being defeated by it it was well worth the money.
If hanging the controller by a neck lanyard you are probably best wearing a collared shirt and in general I think some form of hat would be a good idea as it will help keep the veil of the face and ears.
I have a chest harness but haven't tried that with the suit yet. I am not sure if midge gloves would be much use but I wore elasticated fabric work gloves which were thin enough to feel the controls but thick enough to keep off the midges.

Solent I know of horseflies/clegs, vicious beep beeps that get squashed if the opportunity arises. I will be trying the midge suit to see if it can keep off the clegs next time I am in the jungle/back garden

 

[teccer]

Recently, whilst flying at a height between 200 & 300 ft, I was set upon by a cloud of midges. The nearest cover was the car but I wanted to get the drone down before escaping. The drone took, in terms of midge feasting time, ages to come down. I am starting to itch even typing about it.

back to the OPs question, I always hand catch then pull left stick right back and 3 seconds the motors stop, now I've read that the quad has to be stationary to switch off but has anybody ever pulled the left stick all the way back (maybe with a bit of foward right stick to avoid VRS) for more than 5 seconds without any problem while way up in the air.
I've always been a bit careful when trying to come down fast not to have the left stick all the way back just in case

 

[quaddamage]

I've always been a bit careful when trying to come down fast not to have the left stick all the way back just in case

I sometimes do that too - leaving a little space at the bottom. But sometimes when I don't think about it, I get it maxed down - no issues so far. I think the delay in turning off motors is to check whether altitude from barometric sensor changes. If this is true - then as long as the sensor works, you will never get the motors turn off mid air.

 

[teccer]

I sometimes do that too - leaving a little space at the bottom. But sometimes when I don't think about it, I get it maxed down - no issues so far. I think the delay in turning off motors is to check whether altitude from barometric sensor changes. If this is true - then as long as the sensor works, you will never get the motors turn off mid air.

fingers crossed?

 

[Tim Haskins]

Recently, whilst flying at a height between 200 & 300 ft, I was set upon by a cloud of midges. The nearest cover was the car but I wanted to get the drone down before escaping. The drone took, in terms of midge feasting time, ages to come down. I am starting to itch even typing about it.
I realise there is a safety limit of something like 3m/s but my googling has suggested that in "manual" mode it is possible to come down faster though it is advisable to have forward or sideways movement as well to avoid sinking into the prop wash.
Though this was in connection with a "Phantom" I am wondering if it applies to the earlier Mk's etc. or if, in the case of the P3adv, "manual" translates to "A-mode" (mode switch in the middle position)?
Obviously the simple answer is to try it and see but I am not currently in an area where I could fly high enough to feel comfortable experimenting and so far the only time I have used A-mode is when I wanted to judge the drift rate in the wind.
Oh the solution to midge dining is http://www.midgejacket.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/midge-jacket.jpg

A cloud of midgets?

 

[Fly Dawg]

A cloud of midgets?

Midges...

 

[Deleted member 120647]

Fly-Dawg that's looks more like a mosquito to me, midges = https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&rct...aw2c2oMMi_VLpX5IdWJTNmCY&ust=1562893141001803
and yes I have seen it nearly that bad

Teccer I have quite often come down with the 'throttle' fully 'closed', and when this is purely vertical and nearby it is evident that the drone wobbles a bit, I assume because it is encountering turbulent air etc. However I have not encountered a motor stop problem and the longest throttle fully closed descent session would probably have been 30sec or more, I had been highish and was getting nervous about the time it was taking to come down. Given open space I will however try to avoid 'fast' purely vertical descents by adding a little sideways or forward travel but try to avoid backwards travel, no point in tempting fate.

 

[N017RW]

Fly-Dawg that's looks more like a mosquito to me, midges = https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=images&cd=&ved=2ahUKEwjhmI7m1KvjAhU3D2MBHVKLCicQjRx6BAgBEAU&url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ox8SwZCvugE&psig=AOvVaw2c2oMMi_VLpX5IdWJTNmCY&ust=1562893141001803
and yes I have seen it nearly that bad

Teccer I have quite often come down with the 'throttle' fully 'closed', and when this is purely vertical and nearby it is evident that the drone wobbles a bit, I assume because it is encountering turbulent air etc. However I have not encountered a motor stop problem and the longest throttle fully closed descent session would probably have been 30sec or more, I had been highish and was getting nervous about the time it was taking to come down. Given open space I will however try to avoid 'fast' purely vertical descents by adding a little sideways or forward travel but try to avoid backwards travel, no point in tempting fate.

While it may be a matter of preference, experience or skill, backwards motion poses no different aerodynamic ‘threat’ to your flight.

 

[Andy9]

Such an insect attack can be pretty annoying especially when you have the drone in the air.
You could jump into the car and wait. The drone will hoover in place and eventually it will come down. Or better you can push RTH while jumping into the car.
For fast descending you can switch off the motors as well (LOL) but you must be at least 200m up to expect it will turn on again in the air. That is surely the quickest way but I would not recommend it, at least not at Phantom. I saw a video when this was performed by a Mavic Air and it recovered before touch down. I wander what the Phantom would do? Have somebody done it already? In this thread of course it is no need to do that at all.

According the fast descending in general I'm wondering if with high forward speed (like an airplane attack) would be quicker.

Talking about birds logically upward escape is the only effective way to get out of the danger, but (as Meta4 said) you can do it till the bird get tired and that might be pretty high.

I was in Iceland a few days ago walking on a road by the grass field when suddenly a massive attack by Arctic terns began. They were flying down with loud screams and high speed just few cm over my head. I was just waiting for a punch into my head. There was no way to escape as they were coming from different ways. They were nesting in that grass and the attack stopped when they decide I was far enough from that field. Pretty scary. The only protective measure I could do was holding my camera over the head.
How can a drone survive in such situation.