projeffrey11 Posted at 2016-4-12 12:01
Omg what drone did that to you?

No drone did that to him.
He simply copied the images from here:
http://www.flyfreak.net/multirot ... za-slabije-zeludce/

The injuries weren't caused by hand catching a phantom at all.

Cessna172 Posted at 2016-4-12 12:02
It's probably not a good idea to tell other adults what risks they should or should not take.
To e ...

Nobody here is telling anyone what to do! (Well except people that are saying it's to dangerous to ever do, which I note you didn't do).
You've put your point of view and used graphic and dramatic images that for all we know are unrelated to the topic of discussion.  You seem to have no first hand experience or knowledge of the practice or risks just your perception (from RC experience I assume, which is a very different kettle of fish).

Let people assess for themselves on the facts and make value judgements on their knowledge and abilities and ditch the dramatic images of limited relevance. No one is saying don't be careful, in fact quite the contrary and in that at least we are all on common ground.

I have never landed my P3P on the ground.  It has always been caught by hand.  Aircraft front away from you, props well above eye level, grasp the vertical portion of the landing gear closest to your right hand (mode 2 flyers), hang on tight and move the left stick (throttle) all the way straight down, with your left hand of courses, until motors stop. This all assumes you are using neck strap or harnis.  Not wise to attemp this without support for the RC, especially with the weight of a tablet or large phone.

I just hope no kids are reading this.....you can hand catch if you want.....but its the wrong example to teach kids to do this.....just plane stupid
And for the record, I have hand catched Drones, and it was stupid, and still is stupid

R&L Aerial  Posted at 2016-4-11 17:30
What aboot your forearm?

I guess if one isn't coordinated enough to catch with their hands without involving their fore arms, arms, neck, chest...etc. maybe they shouldn't try catching their aircraft! I know how the wind can play on your aircraft, how it can shift and bounce up and down, but one still must know their limitations, and when it is safe to fly, and when to stop drinking!

labroides@yahoo Posted at 2016-4-11 18:28
And if you can't land on something flat?
Not everyone flies where you do, sometimes hand catching  ...

Maybe you could bring a piece of cardboard with, use your imagination.

R&L Aerial  Posted at 2016-4-12 21:23
Maybe you could bring a piece of cardboard with, use your imagination.

Good idea ... I'm imagining now how that will work out flying from a small boat or steep rocky terrain.
In the last two weeks I've done both.

You might exercise your imagination a little and think about how not everyone flies from flat ground like you do.

I haven't ever landed a P3 but I've had several hundred flights  and several hundred more with the P2V+.
Once I tried hand catching because it was necessary, I've never gone back to  landing on the ground because hand catching is safe, easy and convenient.

labroides@yahoo Posted at 2016-4-12 07:52
Good idea ... I'm imagining now how that will work out flying from a small boat or steep rocky terr ...

I have landed on a small boat and rocky terrain and it does take an advanced skill level so that's why it's important to practice as much as you can.

R&L Aerial  Posted at 2016-4-12 22:18
I have landed on a small boat and rocky terrain and it does take an advanced skill level so that's ...

I've got plenty of practice ... and there's no need to try to land on steep sharp rocks or a rocking boat or between rigging wires, hand catching is the obvious solution.
And people that don't do it because of their imagination aren't going to change the minds of those that know.

hummingbird.uav Posted at 2016-4-9 09:10
And if it goes wrong you might be in for this.  You can catch it a thousand times successfully, miss ...

Ho-lee-sh.....

I had to grab mine out of the sky the first week I got it. I was too close to some trees and a shelter at a park flying really low. I had it in GPS with object avoidance on and the object avoidance started freaking out and it was going to fly into the shelter. It was a rodeo, and I felt lucky when the motors finally killed. I had no idea how dangerous it actually was.

makes it twice as easy if you're using a lanyard suspended to remote control

I will continue to hand catch. The P4 lands on the ground just fine unlike my old P2V+ but I often fly where there is dust or sand or uneven ground. I think I will be fine as long as I am careful every single time I hand catch. I actually think about some of those injuries you folks love to post when I hand catch. It makes me take my time to do it right.

grangerfx@gmail Posted at 2016-4-12 16:30
I will continue to hand catch. The P4 lands on the ground just fine unlike my old P2V+ but I often f ...

It's your drone, nobody's telling you what you can or cannot do with it, I don't no why whenever someone says hand catching is dangerous e dry body's underwear gets tied in a knot? My biggest concern with hand catching is an eye injury. Cuts to your hands are nowhere near as bad as losing your eyesight.

Phantom drones are prone to tipping over on landing and when that happens props are often damaged or broken. Hand catching the drone is not dangerous at all with just a little common sense. First, get a lanyard so it's easier to pull the left stick down with your left hand (by having the RC secured around your neck)

These great new birds do auto land.....a little hard maybe?    A little practice and you can land it feather soft   (this coming from a total newbie)   
I did try a couple of hand catches....(Used common sense , and had bird above my head)  it is a bit of a trick to hold controller in one hand and not drop it!
My one almost crash?   I did hand catch.....and this was after a pilot error  and it trimmed a few branches on a tree!   but  did not crash!   and other than a few cosmetic scratches on the props?
Its fine.....I will try in future to not use it for any landscaping  :p

why is everyone so worried bout eyes?   they are one of the most sensitave and delicate parts on your body, but wear glasses.   and i cound my pic i wanted to upload

I catch mine, actually you just lift it out of the air. All you do is pull the left stick straight back and hold it, the motors stop. I turn mine around so I'm looking at the battery when I come to take it. There are no sensors looking in that distraction so it won't tend to move. Give it a try, it's easy.