I've been flying off the beach a lot, ALWAYS hand catch, but figured out the need for a takeoff pad pretty fast. You all have me thinking I need to make something a little bigger to really do the job. The leveled slide projector is a cool idea. I also have a carbon fiber tripod that weights next to nothing. How important is the levelness of the takeoff pad? I've been just kind of eyeballing it. Another semi-related question: Is there anyway to launch from a small boat in the water? You won't have a stable platform during startup.
The P3 hovers so steadily even in the gustiest winds, that letting it hover at shoulder height, grabbing a skid, sliding my hand up, and then killing the engines with one finger, while the remote hangs by a shoulder strap, has taken ALL the angst out of landing, no matter what the conditions. I hand catch on the right rear, by the battery (heaviest end), and I think I like the wind in my face, with the quad pointed right into it. Then it's tilted a little downward already, which is where it's going to want to move if you only have one hand for catching. WOW AN IDEA! I use my normal catch technique, only forget about the RC shutdown. I grab the left rear skid with my left hand, then slide both hands up both the rear legs, then kill it with the battery button with my right thumb, and then quickly move to hold the bird level. I think that works, and I don't see how it could get me from that position. Hey, I think I'd want the wind at my back for that method too.
But this thread also made me think of something: I better keep practicing "regular" landings, so I don't get rusty, and spaz out (Like I kind of did with a Chroma the other day. LOL).