Starting to dislike seagulls!

[Blacksheepbiker]

I was flying at the beach and attracted the attention of a flock of seagulls. The first couple of times they went for my P4 I did what I usually do and climbed. I think they got wise to that and the next thing I know I’ve got seagulls circling above and one from each side attacking.
I tried descending but they just steepened their descent, claws out. I realised I was in trouble and flicked to sport mode and shot sideways, then realised I was about to hit trees and did an emergency stop. Little b*stards followed it right to where i landed next to my car. Scary to see them figure it out so fast! I’ve also had seagulls attack my drone over a friend’s house, a couple of miles from the beach, i guess they saw it and made a beeline!

This behaviour is really annoying since i mostly fly over water to avoid our onerous drone rules (can’t fly over ANY property without getting permission from owner AND occupier)

 

[Deleted member 62848]

I was flying at the beach and attracted the attention of a flock of seagulls. The first couple of times they went for my P4 I did what I usually do and climbed. I think they got wise to that and the next thing I know I’ve got seagulls circling above and one from each side attacking.
I tried descending but they just steepened their descent, claws out. I realised I was in trouble and flicked to sport mode and shot sideways, then realised I was about to hit trees and did an emergency stop. Little b*stards followed it right to where i landed next to my car. Scary to see them figure it out so fast! I’ve also had seagulls attack my drone over a friend’s house, a couple of miles from the beach, i guess they saw it and made a beeline!

This behaviour is really annoying since i mostly fly over water to avoid our onerous drone rules (can’t fly over ANY property without getting permission from owner AND occupier)

Great read,yes seagulls big pain here aswell and the big and fast , p4 in sport mode only just in front ,I also had many close calls with them,,,they a nice bird but a pest here,,not only chase you but cover you in there droppings,and that one big poo,car wipers work hard,I was almost going to try bird siren on p4 so they keep distance,,I'm sure they get me one day but I won't go down without sheeding some feathers from that bird

 

[Cellblock776]

I'm well inland so seagulls aren't a problem. But hawks are a major Pain in my rear. They are really getting to be a regular problem on my flights lately.

 

[Ansia]

I read in another thread that reflective tape keeps them away. I don't know if it's true, but worth a shot.

 

[MapMaker53]

I have placed a set of decal eagle eyes on top of my P4P because I had always heard that hawks and most other birds prefer not to attack anything that is directly looking at them -- which is why they generally attack from behind and above. So if they try to attack my drone in that manner, they'll have two bad-a$$ eyes looking right at them. Hopefully, it will make them think twice. Never had a bird problem while flying my old P2V+ with the eyes on top, and I often fly in remote locations.

 

[bhartwell]

I have had more than one close call with Gulls. In the most recent, I must have flown to close to a nest as a pair of them chased me right to the ground.

However, I have never had one actually hit my Phantom. I wonder if anyone has and how the bird (well both machine and biological), faired afterward. I have to assume the props would make a solid impression on the bird, may not kill it but it would have to hurt. I wonder if a Phantom would be able to stay aloft if it was hit.

 

[Ansia]

I have had more than one close call with Gulls. In the most recent, I must have flown to close to a nest as a pair of them chased me right to the ground.

However, I have never had one actually hit my Phantom. I wonder if anyone has and how the bird (well both machine and biological), faired afterward. I have to assume the props would make a solid impression on the bird, may not kill it but it would have to hurt. I wonder if a Phantom would be able to stay aloft if it was hit.

Phantom turns motors off when it hits something solid.

 

[Blacksheepbiker]

Yeah I sort of figured if it hit a bird the P4 would be last seen tumbling towards the sea... don’t want to risk it!

 

[Ansia]

Yeah I sort of figured if it hit a bird the P4 would be last seen tumbling towards the sea... don’t want to risk it!

Well, let me correct myself. P4 turns motors when it hits something solid. I once hit a tension cable with my P3S. It crashed, but motors wouldn’t stop spinning. Had to pull out battery to make it stop.

 

[Deleted member 62848]

Well, let me correct myself. P4 turns motors when it hits something solid. I once hit a tension cable with my P3S. It crashed, but motors wouldn’t stop spinning. Had to pull out battery to make it stop.

Oh don't bank on it it would have to pop batt out to stop straight away, I recently hit solid steel post on my own deck , (post was called Dong) it fell and landed next to where I sat on the step upside down spinning,had to pic it up and hold stick down ,long 10 seconds of me life,,killed all 4 props,,,bad impact yes I sure they stop,,but not bad impact watch those fingers,,

 

[Ansia]

Oh don't bank on it it would have to pop batt out to stop straight away, I recently hit solid steel post on my own deck , (post was called Dong) it fell and landed next to where I sat on the step upside down spinning,had to pic it up and hold stick down ,long 10 seconds of me life,,killed all 4 props,,,bad impact yes I sure they stop,,but not bad impact watch those fingers,,

What happened to mine was, I landed on top of a pickup truck at the other side of the hill and turned controller off (I was a newbie flyer). So my P3S decided to pick up another signal and went flying on it’s own. It hit the cable and crashed into some bushes. It knicked 2 of my props, but it still would try to keep spinning.

 

[TomK-VA]

I haven't had an attack yet, and I cannot vouch for the worthiness of this, but I have a pair of eyes decal on mine.

 

[PhantomWetSuits]

I was flying at the beach and attracted the attention of a flock of seagulls. The first couple of times they went for my P4 I did what I usually do and climbed. I think they got wise to that and the next thing I know I’ve got seagulls circling above and one from each side attacking.
I tried descending but they just steepened their descent, claws out. I realised I was in trouble and flicked to sport mode and shot sideways, then realised I was about to hit trees and did an emergency stop. Little b*stards followed it right to where i landed next to my car. Scary to see them figure it out so fast! I’ve also had seagulls attack my drone over a friend’s house, a couple of miles from the beach, i guess they saw it and made a beeline!

This behaviour is really annoying since i mostly fly over water to avoid our onerous drone rules (can’t fly over ANY property without getting permission from owner AND occupier)

As long as your drone looks like a Seagull your drone is going to be a threat .
Recommend you get a Phantom Rain Wet Suit , its fantastic for flying over the water and you wont look like a seagull and the birds will leave you alone.

We have a few video's on are website Phantomrain.org showing how the Seagulls Negotiate the Drone with the Wet Suit .

Avoiding birds is reason alone to Pick one up. Let alone all the other perks you get from the Phantom Rain Wet Suit.

Approved Vendor
Phantomrain.org

 

[Not A Speck Of Cereal]

 

[Blacksheepbiker]

Haha that’s epic!

 

[Phil Tuggle]

If the OP is asking for some air defense from gulls, here are two things which have worked for me (100% solution, evidently):
(1) Adhere (or try a rubber band) a single width of "Scare Tape" from Amazon around each arm; about 6 inches will go all the way around;
(2) Get one white light "Firehouse Technology strobe" (Mine is the 4-LED Arc II model) and operate it where the gulls will see it (NOT underneath).

NOTES:
I do not know if it is just one, or both, of the above solutions that work, since I applied both at the same time.
Also, DO NOT place the strobe or tape on the top center of the drone (I think that is where the GPS receiver is located), nor allow the tape underneath where it may interfere with the leg antennas' Rx/Tx.
Using this solution, I have gone from always being closely surveyed by gulls to never being closely surveyed by gulls.
Good luck.

 

[Rick218]

Ever try to outrun hawks and eagles? I fly in Vermont along Lake Champlain. My backyard is a wooded area with a high ridge that the hawks and eagles love to catch thermals over and can spot small animals............. and my P4P!!!!

 

[MapMaker53]

The "Don't f**k with me" eyes that I've placed on my P4P.

 

[mdowney58]

What happened to mine was, I landed on top of a pickup truck at the other side of the hill and turned controller off (I was a newbie flyer). So my P3S decided to pick up another signal and went flying on it’s own. It hit the cable and crashed into some bushes. It knicked 2 of my props, but it still would try to keep spinning.

Just some info for you.
When you turn your controller off, the P3S did not pick up another signal.
It went into the built in Return To Home (RTH) mode, as designed!

 

[Ansia]

Just some info for you.
When you turn your controller off, the P3S did not pick up another signal.
It went into the built in Return To Home (RTH) mode, as designed!

I see. Then my question is, why did it fly east, when the RTH in that flight was maybe 8 feet south. I landed on that truck bed and turned motors off. On my P4, it usually resets the RTH when you do that. I admit it was my error turning off that RC, but neither what you described, nor what I thought I knew was what happened here.