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Procedures for flying under a bridge?
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6893 40 2017-4-13
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Rhidz
lvl.1
Flight distance : 559616 ft
United Kingdom
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I'm hoping to get some footage flying underneath a bridge near my home town but wanted to know the procedures before doing so. I will be in line of sight of the MP (10-15 meters away if that) and taking it slow.

I figured turning off RTH and obstacle avoidance being the main things? I just want some advice on it, I don't plan on flying that far away after going under the bridge, perhaps 100 meters while asending for a clip I'm trying to get for a movie I'm going to be working on.


The bridge is shown below.


2017-4-13
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81SFORLIFE
lvl.3
Flight distance : 313281 ft
United States
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Also turn off the landing assistance and VPS.
2017-4-13
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dronist
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fly it in TRIPOD MODE will take it slow and easy. Also when you pass under the bridge to the other end., I suggest let it hover then go to the otehr side fo the bridge and then do wharefver flying you need to do.
2017-4-13
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Jason Lane
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Philippines
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Just be aware that there's a very good chance your Mavic will lose GPS signals under there, which could lead to all sorts of trouble. If I were to try it, I'd probably keep the VPS enabled to help with positioning when the GPS lock weakens. Definitely switch Landing Protection off, though.
2017-4-13
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The Rev
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United States
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The risks doing this are quite high so I just wouldn't do it
2017-4-13
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Wellsi
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Tripod Mode is your best bet here...
2017-4-13
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fansb6043d80
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I did something similar under a cannel bridge, this is what I did, do it at a good steady run so you dont lose GPS, take time to work out the straight line and height so you just press forward stick and you pop straight thought. If you you don't hang about you won't lose GPS the I did was longer, turn sensors OFF, push you limits (i did it in sports mode)
2017-4-13
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Irmantast
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Norway
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Hi,

Actually you dont need any safety measures, just stand in a same level as your drone under the brigde and you are not going to lose the signal.
Just fly trough it without a stop and enjoy!

Here at 1:46 i am flying under the bridge:
2017-4-14
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Rhidz
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Irmantast Posted at 2017-4-14 00:00
Hi,

Actually you dont need any safety measures, just stand in a same level as your drone under the brigde and you are not going to lose the signal.

Thanks for that, I'm diggin' the video!
2017-4-14
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Rhidz
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Is there a way to just fly by remote control and disable all GPS/Smart features, so I'm totally in control just for the small clip I'm looking to get, I'm confident enough flying it manually. I would be setting back to GPS afterwards.

I know people have flown indoors and whatnot, but I really haven't looked into that as I don't want to fly my drone indoors lol. But it seems like the settings used for flying indoors is what I'm looking for for this one small clip of going under the bridge.
2017-4-14
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DroneFlying
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Rhidz Posted at 2017-4-14 05:37
Is there a way to just fly by remote control and disable all GPS/Smart features, so I'm totally in control just for the small clip I'm looking to get, I'm confident enough flying it manually. I would be setting back to GPS afterwards.

I know people have flown indoors and whatnot, but I really haven't looked into that as I don't want to fly my drone indoors lol. But it seems like the settings used for flying indoors is what I'm looking for for this one small clip of going under the bridge.

Is there a way to just fly by remote control and disable all GPS/Smart features

No, that would be the often-requested ATTI mode, but DJI doesn't provide a way to trigger it with the Mavic. You can disable VPS, but it's the loss of GPS that's potentially problematic here.
2017-4-14
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hallmark007
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Rhidz Posted at 2017-4-14 05:11
Thanks for that, I'm diggin' the video!

The problem with leaving VPS on is, if water is still and and light changes you will be in danger of having real control problems.
2017-4-14
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DroneFlying
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Irmantast Posted at 2017-4-14 00:00
Hi,

Actually you dont need any safety measures, just stand in a same level as your drone under the brigde and you are not going to lose the signal.

Actually you dont need any safety measures, just stand in a same level as your drone under the brigde and you are not going to lose the signal.

That's a very nice video, but I think you may have misunderstood the concerns raised by Jason and others. They're referring to the loss of GPS, which is related to the aircraft having no obstructions between itself and the satellites in the sky. On the other hand, you seem to be referring to maintaining a connection between the aircraft and its controller, which is influenced by obstructions between those two components. Both are valid points / concerns, but it's important to understand and keep in mind that maintaining a connection to the controller and maintaining the GPS signal are two separate things.
2017-4-14
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SkunkWerxs
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Rhidz,
          All answers to your post are vialed what all seem to be forgetting is after you turn off RTH set it at Hover just incase you do have RC signal loss ---  always use this setting when flying under any object
hope this helped you
FlySafe--FlyFree
2017-4-14
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DroneFlying
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First off, kudos to you for asking before attempting this flight: it shows that you're a thoughtful pilot and you obviously have some awareness of and concern for potential problems.

Regarding the loss of GPS, what matters is how much of the sky the Mavic has an unobstructed view of. If you look at Irmanstat's video, the bridge flown under is in the middle of a moderately sizable body of water and part of the sky is visible to the Mavic the entire time.

On the other hand, in the photo you provided the tree line appears to be close by, which means that during your trip under the bridge you may reach a point where little, if any, of the sky is visible from the Mavic's perspective. If that's the case -- and if you linger there long enough -- then there's a good chance that the Mavic will switch into ATTI mode (or OPTI, depending on whether VPS is enabled or disabled) and once it begins to emerge it'll start picking up satellites and eventually revert back to GPS mode.

Personally I avoid flying under things except maybe the canopy of a single tree, and even that I don't do often (though more because I try to avoid trees in general than fear of losing GPS). I suspect that you can probably make the flight you're asking about successfully, but as you obviously guessed it definitely is more risky than just flying in an open area.
2017-4-14
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Rhidz
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Okay, I think I'll give this one a miss for now. Perhaps I'll look into it in the future because it really that important to me to risk a crash. It would've made a sweet clip though!

I appreciate everyone's input! Thank you!
2017-4-14
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AG0N-Gary
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Like DroneFlying says, sky obstruction is a big thing.  I think I would make the flight, depending on what sky access looked like.  However, instead of flying slow, I would speed it up a little and use a high frame rate so you could slow down the playback when you edit.  That way, you can show a little slower pace, but still look good, and limit your time in the possible GPS problem area.  I sure wouldn't linger under the bridge with a Mavic.  I'd get through it and into clear airspace as quickly as practical.  Too many horror stories lately of odd flyaways during real or Mavic-imagined GPS and compass losses.  I'd make a fast flight through to test and then slow it down to see how slow I could go.  I don't think I'd have a problem with my Phantom though. I'd just lock it on atti and get on with it.  DJI really needs to fix the lack of manual atti control on the Mavic.  To me, it's dangerous.
2017-4-14
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Rhidz
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AG0N-Gary Posted at 2017-4-14 08:58
Like DroneFlying says, sky obstruction is a big thing.  I think I would make the flight, depending on what sky access looked like.  However, instead of flying slow, I would speed it up a little and use a high frame rate so you could slow down the playback when you edit.  That way, you can show a little slower pace, but still look good, and limit your time in the possible GPS problem area.  I sure wouldn't linger under the bridge with a Mavic.  I'd get through it and into clear airspace as quickly as practical.  Too many horror stories lately of odd flyaways during real or Mavic-imagined GPS and compass losses.  I'd make a fast flight through to test and then slow it down to see how slow I could go.  I don't think I'd have a problem with my Phantom though. I'd just lock it on atti and get on with it.  DJI really needs to fix the lack of manual atti control on the Mavic.  To me, it's dangerous.

DJI really needs to fix the lack of manual atti control on the Mavic.  To me, it's dangerous.

Touché!
2017-4-14
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R&L Aerial
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My advice for filming the underside of bridges is to do it from a boat, it's not worth the chance of lost signal.
2017-4-14
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AG0N-Gary
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And that's another way to get more comfortable doing it.  Take the Mavic on a boat and make several passes while holding it in your hand to see how it reacts.  Once you test the heck out of the path, go for it!
2017-4-14
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Rhidz
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Good call on the boat fellas! It's definitely something which is achievable when the tide is in.
2017-4-14
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Lhonskie Aerial
First Officer
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Thailand
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I think you need to learn to fly straight and as stable as possible. I'll share my video so you know what im referring.

and here's a bts and small tutorial:
2017-7-27
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out2sea71
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I was able to fly under a wooden bridge without changing any settings and without losing the GPS signal.  I was not racing down the riverbed or anything, just slow and easy and the only trouble was on the otherside I was a bit close to some branches as I rose to flow back over the top of the bridge.  Slow and easy is the key.
2017-7-27
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Alexei Merinov
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Lhonskie Aerial Posted at 2017-7-27 20:56
I think you need to learn to fly straight and as stable as possible. I'll share my video so you know what im referring. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sBhJ-2ve_oE&t=1s

and here's a bts and small tutorial: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Be6jnGtgN5U&t=16s

stunningly !
2017-7-28
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hallmark007
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Lhonskie Aerial Posted at 2017-7-27 20:56
I think you need to learn to fly straight and as stable as possible. I'll share my video so you know what im referring. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sBhJ-2ve_oE&t=1s

and here's a bts and small tutorial: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Be6jnGtgN5U&t=16s

Great job, excellent piece of flying.
2017-7-28
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Lhonskie Aerial
First Officer
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Thailand
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Here's the forward and pull back.
2017-7-28
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mike6545
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That bridge doesn't look very wide and theres good lighting under it, I doubt you'll lose gps at all. It would be different in a tunnel but under that thing you shouldn't even notice a difference.I flew under a thinner and deeper one last month. I didn't lose GPS but the forward vision sensors when crazy once I went under because of the dark shadow in there and the aircraft just stopped and wouldn't go further while the controller beeped at me continuously. Once i turned off the vision sensors I was fine.
2017-7-29
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mike6545
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Lhonskie Aerial Posted at 2017-7-27 20:56
I think you need to learn to fly straight and as stable as possible. I'll share my video so you know what im referring. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sBhJ-2ve_oE&t=1s

and here's a bts and small tutorial: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Be6jnGtgN5U&t=16s

Whoa, that diagonal tree flying was extremely impressive!!! I don't think i would even be brave enough to try it.
2017-7-29
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CharlieFliesDro
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I'm flying Firmware 0700 so i don't have tripod mode as an option and dont want to adjust my exp setting to achieve same effect of tripod mode
I  just turn off FVS and DVS works just fine...
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brdge

brdge

brdge1

brdge1

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brdge2
2017-7-29
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Lucas775
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I lost my P4 flying under the bridge, I was flying blind totally depending on the camera which is completely my fault.  It hit a pole and away she goes in a fast moving river and I did not feel like risking any danger to get it and after it fell to the water it immediately submerged and away it went.
2017-7-29
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Lhonskie Aerial
First Officer
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Lucas775 Posted at 2017-7-29 20:37
I lost my P4 flying under the bridge, I was flying blind totally depending on the camera which is completely my fault.  It hit a pole and away she goes in a fast moving river and I did not feel like risking any danger to get it and after it fell to the water it immediately submerged and away it went.

One very important thing is to fly in LOS kabayan.
2017-7-29
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Whirlygig
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Lhonskie Aerial Posted at 2017-7-27 20:56
I think you need to learn to fly straight and as stable as possible. I'll share my video so you know what im referring. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sBhJ-2ve_oE&t=1s

and here's a bts and small tutorial: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Be6jnGtgN5U&t=16s

How did you get the water to go backwards into the bottle?

No - only joking!

You must have good eyesight or lots of luck - in the second video @ 5:51 you come out of the trees so close to that dead branch!

Super flying. Thank-you for sharing
2017-7-30
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Lucas775
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Lhonskie Aerial Posted at 2017-7-29 22:48
One very important thing is to fly in LOS kabayan.

I agree, very expensive lesson learned.  Salamat.
2017-7-30
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Lhonskie Aerial
First Officer
Flight distance : 606608 ft
Thailand
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Whirlygig Posted at 2017-7-30 04:40
How did you get the water to go backwards into the bottle?

No - only joking!

Thank you. About the water. I really dont want to include that but some guys on facebook are playing sherlock holmes to the point they requested me to drop a ball and re do the first video so i came to an idea of doing a small tutorial with my voice and that water cause i dont have a ball. Anyway, if you're in this place, you can still see your drone on that branch but its a little bit tight space so theres no room for mistakes. I wanna do it again but i would like to try on some place with autumn season.
2017-7-30
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Lhonskie Aerial
First Officer
Flight distance : 606608 ft
Thailand
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Whirlygig Posted at 2017-7-30 04:40
How did you get the water to go backwards into the bottle?

No - only joking!

Thank you. About the water. I really dont want to include that but some guys on facebook are playing sherlock holmes to the point they requested me to drop a ball and re do the first video so i came to an idea of doing a small tutorial with my voice and that water cause i dont have a ball. Anyway, if you're in this place, you can still see your drone on that branch but its a little bit tight space so theres no room for mistakes. I wanna do it again but i would like to try on some place with autumn season.
2017-7-30
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Bekaru Tree
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maybe try to find a similar bridge or similar type structure that does not have water underneath and explore your options and how the mavic will behave - for extra protection you can put prop guards on?
2017-7-30
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Pagemakers
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I'm contemplating flying straight under a large bridge. I guess it would be about 4 seconds to fly under it.

My question is what's the problem with leaving everything engaged and if return to home activates because of signal loss simply cancel RTH?
2017-8-14
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fans987d278a
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Canada
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Pagemakers Posted at 2017-8-14 06:13
I'm contemplating flying straight under a large bridge. I guess it would be about 4 seconds to fly under it.

My question is what's the problem with leaving everything engaged and if return to home activates because of signal loss simply cancel RTH?

The only bridge crash I;ve seen, his Mavi was in middle of bridge,   lost gps, went into RTH & immediately rose going to his RTH altitude & hit the underside of the bridge, broke a prop,  then dropped into the water below. Luckily, his Mavic landed on the only large flat rock above the waterline!
He did say, It all happened so fast, i didn;t even have time to try & cancel RTH!
I didn't witness his next attempt but, I;m told he covered the top of his Mavic with tin foil so his bird was in ATT mode, , flew under the bridge & got the shots he was looking for.
2017-8-14
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UCBarkeeper
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Pagemakers Posted at 2017-8-14 06:13
I'm contemplating flying straight under a large bridge. I guess it would be about 4 seconds to fly under it.

My question is what's the problem with leaving everything engaged and if return to home activates because of signal loss simply cancel RTH?

well you can't cancel rth if you got a signal loss (mavic <-> remote). so i personally would set it to hover instead of going up and do it with a very full battery, so that i would have the chance to get the signal back.

in case you lose gps and remote control, you can go and buy a new drone.
2017-8-14
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FatherXmas
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Irmantast Posted at 2017-4-14 00:00
Hi,

Actually you dont need any safety measures, just stand in a same level as your drone under the brigde and you are not going to lose the signal.

That video was awesome! Great job.
2017-8-14
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