Transitioning to longer flights beyond visual range

[snowghost]

My longest flight was 19,290 ft with max distance from the TX, 4070 ft or so. This in a residential area with lots of trees around. I could have gone farther. Was up just under 400 ft. FPV was flawless.

Don't forget the little thumbnail map with the Phantom icon. It will help orient you at far distance.

 

[Hovtech]

I have been getting 6000ft with no problem. When I lose video, I hit rth and let it do the work. Always comes back.
The hardest part of my close in flying, 400 up, 1000ft out, is to not look at monitor. Once I look down and then back up cannot find it again. At that point it is rth until I see it again.

 

[snerd]

Thanks for sharing, all. I'm at 2 weeks in with my P3P, and have not even considered anything beyond line of sight. I really don't use the screen yet, I'm concentrating on learning to fly this thing....... learning the controls and the bird's reaction to my input. Just thinking about distance flying, relying solely on the app screen, makes my palms sweaty lol!!

 

[Chagall]

Very informative answers all. Hoping to build more trust as I spend time with the P3. I think I will look into the iPad air 2 and or googles also. Nickcopter, what brand of goggles are those and are you using a tablet with hdmi out or some type of converter so you can connect them to the P3?

 

[Greyfox51]

The weather here has been appalling, so I have only flown the P3 three or four times. Being used to the PV2, I waited and waited for the app to freeze but it didn't. The last time I flew, I did so using just the view that was displayed on the Nexus. When I glanced up and saw the obstructions between myself and the bird, the trees and buildings and such, and saw that I still had perfect visuals, it was then that I began to appreciate just what a huge step forward the P3 represented. Truly incredible technology and at an affordable price.

 

[danjordrone]

How good is the ipad air 2 in daylight using dji pilot then

 

[Julius717]

How good is the ipad air 2 in daylight using dji pilot then

It's amazing. The air 2 already has an antiglare screen and it's bright as hell. I used a galaxy tab before and never again will touch one.

 

[rrmccabe]

Its a trust thing. Its a lot like being a IFR pilot knowing to trust your instruments and not your gut.

Once you get several dozen flights under your belt then you will feel better.

Try to put yourself in every possible situation under controlled circumstances. Like invoke RTH yourself, etc. If you have home lock available try it and see how it works. Will back you up to home nicely if you lose site. There is nothing better then visually seeing what happens in different modes so you know what to expect when you cant see it visually.

Remember a little extra altitude is usually your friend. Can get you out of trouble as you regain composure.

Know that your set RTH height is what you need. Once you understand all this it will be much more enjoyable.

I normally fly mine way beyond visual until I lose connectivity. I normally go grab a cup of coffee from the kitchen while its coming home.

 

[danjordrone]

Is that ipad air2 with a sunshade

 

[joeg1717]

I'm with coldfire. I rarely fly los. I'm out of sight within the first few minutes. flying distance and using the screen and all of the data it provides (much more than what I am used to from my iosd mini on my matrix) is what I get a kick out of.

Check out https://youtu.be/mZPvyvV4FIQ and

those are both flights in semi urban settings with trees and ridges to deal with. the phantom handles them easily.

Speaking of the matrix I did an eight mile round trip waypoint flight this morning (I have dragon link and a 400mW video TX on it along with a 9" patch receiving antenna mounted on a tripod)

I wish the phantom had a little more battery to it..... we could really get some distance then.

 

[edonovanl]

Thanks for sharing, all. I'm at 2 weeks in with my P3P, and have not even considered anything beyond line of sight. I really don't use the screen yet, I'm concentrating on learning to fly this thing....... learning the controls and the bird's reaction to my input. Just thinking about distance flying, relying solely on the app screen, makes my palms sweaty lol!!

With you on that one!

 

[danjordrone]

Fantastic what app u using during that test flight p3

 

[Chagall]

joeg1717, cool videos! And very useful with the realtime HUD overlay to see different height looks. Bookmarked as a future reference. BTW, what is that cool overlay? Does it somehow run in conjunction with the pilot app? Looks super useful.

 

[Kman]

It's amazing. The air 2 already has an antiglare screen and it's bright as hell. I used a galaxy tab before and never again will touch one.

I want to get one but feel I should wait until the next iPad mini come out.

 

[danjordrone]

Like to know about and how to obtain that overlay if its possible thanks

 

[joeg1717]

The overlay is a program called dashware. it uses the flight data from the file generated by the phantom. there are a ton of different gauges and displays to use or you can create your

http://www.dashware.net/

 

[danjordrone]

Thanks i will look

 

[vegas-k9]

My phantom 3 is my first phantom and I've owned it for about a month now. Only did 1 or 2 test maidens but the controls are so intuitive and helicopter like that I quickly picked up on it. I fly mainly instrumental (from my tablet) because it feels more like flying and I can focus on the camera and settings more for a good shot.

I just make sure all systems are good and GPS lock is on before I take off. And I always try to know my surroundings (i.e. power lines, trees etc)

If I'm flying in an unknown area from my tablet. I'll just go into a hover and use the gimbal to inspect my surroundings.

I was scared at first to fly fpv but it becomes almost more comfortable than watching the sky the whole time. Especially at 500+ feet away. You'll waste
so much time trying to squint your eyes to see the craft. It's just easier to fly overall from the "cockpit"

 

[joeg1717]

Fantastic what app u using during that test flight p3

The dji app. the stuff you see on the screen is added to the video after using the data from the phantom and a program called dishware

http://www.dashware.net/

 

[Hovtech]

Very informative answers all. Hoping to build more trust as I spend time with the P3. I think I will look into the iPad air 2 and or googles also. Nickcopter, what brand of goggles are those and are you using a tablet with hdmi out or some type of converter so you can connect them to the P3?

Best buy has the Samsung Galaxy Tab pro 8.4 for $200 this weekend. It was last year's best Tab. Worth every penny. Half price now.