Ednorris Posted at 2018-2-27 21:31
I flew RC planes back in the day there's one trick that might save a bunch of people with theirdroness flying toward them is a daunting task to get yourself organized as to which stick to push where just remember simple Aid to memory  put the rolls stick under the low side *when it's flying toward towards yous*  Put the pitch stick under the low end of the drone.   an RC plane doesn't hover when you're on Final you're on Final and you better get it right or you're going to ball it up in the grass. it's always flying toward you when it's on Final it's kind of important to  accurate fly with no hesitation this maxim made this possible for me and a lot of other students to successfully land an oncoming plane.  don't complicate anything by thinking about why this works trust me it works you need to be just doing it when you're flying towards yourself. with a drone I don't imagine you had wings to see which one is low but you can see which way it's veering/yawing  if it's moving to your right push the roll  stick to your right if it's moving to your left  then push the roll stick that way.  hope this helps

Good tip!

When I was learning, I would just fly with the front facing away from me. Since you can fly in backwards, there is no need to learn how to reverse the controls until you’re comfortable with it. Then I practiced flying a LOT of circles around my back yard. I’m not an expert or anything, but I do practice, even still.

RobertWSimpson Posted at 2018-2-27 16:45
At any expense level, it’s about practicing. Having a little $20 drone to fly around inside your house and get used to controlling something in 3 dimensions is great practice and very practical if you’re spending $500+ on a “real” drone.

yep...agree.  I tell people to go buy a cheapie drone and practice as well.  If they can fly that, they can fly a spark easy

Bing Err Posted at 2018-2-27 22:02
I agree that taking off quickly seems to make less people take notice, but before you even start your props you can just hold the Spark up and wait for GPS to connect. It doesn't take that long or draw much attention. Not trying to criticize, just pointing out what works for me, and doesn't draw much attention.

Good tip. I do try to do that when I feel comfortable doing so.  Getting away from metallic objects (cars, guard rails, etc) seems to help though. Every situation is a little different.

Cookster670 Posted at 2018-2-27 22:09
yep...agree.  I tell people to go buy a cheapie drone and practice as well.  If they can fly that, they can fly a spark easy

Yep, and my son gets a kick out of flying our cheapie drone as well.  Two birds with one stone!

RobertWSimpson Posted at 2018-2-27 22:10
Good tip. I do try to do that when I feel comfortable doing so.  Getting away from metallic objects (cars, guard rails, etc) seems to help though. Every situation is a little different.

Sometimes I even hold it up and walk around a bit to get GPS lock. (kind of like the calibration for Phantom 3) Especially around tall buildings. I've been impatient before and launched before GPS lock, but they usually end up just like your story above. A couple weeks after purchase I was in a similar situation and was able to jump up and grab it before it crashed and it drew blood; a lot of blood. I think that was my wake up call to always get GPS lock before flight.

Bing Err Posted at 2018-2-27 22:18
Sometimes I even hold it up and walk around a bit to get GPS lock. (kind of like the calibration for Phantom 3) Especially around tall buildings. I've been impatient before and launched before GPS lock, but they usually end up just like your story above. A couple weeks after purchase I was in a similar situation and was able to jump up and grab it before it crashed and it drew blood; a lot of blood.  I think that was my wake up call to always get GPS lock before flight.

Yeah man those props HURT!

I got myself good trying to do the catch landing. I also take off and land from hand holding as well. That too can be hazardous!

RobertWSimpson Posted at 2018-2-27 22:20
Yeah man those props HURT!

I got myself good trying to do the catch landing. I also take off and land from hand holding as well. That too can be hazardous!

I also land and take off almost always by hand, simply because I don't like getting my Spark dirty. I never have problems except when I lose GPS and it starts drifting around. I was thinking of putting Velcro on the bottom of the Spark and then wearing a glove that it sticks to. Just an idea, never made it.

Rodador Posted at 2018-2-27 11:53
I've wondered if flyaways are actually the AC flying away to its last home point.

In other words, if the Spark or whatever has a previous home point set & then is fired up and flown off without updating the home point and then something goes wrong mid flight to cause it to enter RTH mode automatically would the AC try to return to that last set home point?

Very valid comment. This happened to me. I was flying the Drone in the mountains not far from my home when I initiated RTH, Drone turned and headed off to my house. I had to cancel RTH and fly the drone  back to my location.. Very possible that "Fly Always" are actually Drone heading back to previous Home Point..

Cookster670 Posted at 2018-2-27 15:26
i don’t really have an issue with DJI making things easier and opening up the technology to more people.  I spent hundreds of dollars repairing planes and heli’s when I first learned to fly RC.   DJI make it more accessible now

The catch is these same pilots don’t know how to fly themselves out of problems., which could represent a safety issue

Yes, that's what I meant. It's good when everything is allright, but when something goes wrong there comes the problem...

RobertWSimpson Posted at 2018-2-27 14:32
Yep. Kids love the thing. I hear kids yelling look a drone and stuff excitedly, but I don’t go over to them and start explaining how it works. If people come over and engage me politely, I will converse, but I do not actively seek interaction and I am always on guard due to past experiences.

Oh, I agree. I'm not out there to hold a class. If I'm approached, I'll be open and show them what's going on, but no. I don't go around looking for an audience either.  

Wachtberger Posted at 2018-2-27 14:20
Great post and I can absolutely confirm the same experiences! Whenever I see people around watching what I am doing I invite them immediately to have a look on my screen and explain to them what I am doing, which are the rules I follow etc. Never ever a negative experience so far, the opposite is the case. As you wrote, they are fascinated and grateful for the insight.

Thanks man! Yeah, I've been pretty lucky with the people that have interacted with me - so far.

Bing Err Posted at 2018-2-27 22:34
I also land and take off almost always by hand, simply because I don't like getting my Spark dirty. I never have problems except when I lose GPS and it starts drifting around. I was thinking of putting Velcro on the bottom of the Spark and then wearing a glove that it sticks to. Just an idea, never made it.

That sounds amazing for landing. Taking off would be tougher though. ;)

Flying Wolf_NOLA Posted at 2018-2-28 06:50
Oh, I agree. I'm not out there to hold a class. If I'm approached, I'll be open and show them what's going on, but no. I don't go around looking for an audience either.

indeed.

Your avatar pic is cool.  Did you superimpose or is that a single frame?

Flighty Posted at 2018-2-28 01:13
Very valid comment. This happened to me. I was flying the Drone in the mountains not far from my home when I initiated RTH, Drone turned and headed off to my house. I had to cancel RTH and fly the drone  back to my location.. Very possible that "Fly Always" are actually Drone heading back to previous Home Point..

@Flighty, wow, thanks for the comment, I haven't seen it myself but definitely thought it was a possibility.

I have been worried about a flyaway ever since I started reading these forums, even before I bought my Spark.

Here's what I've learned from a lot of people here on this forum.
(not necessarily in order)
1. Make sure the home point is updated.
2. Check the AC is pointing the way the compass says it is, look at the map, spin the AC around at least once before flying off.
3. Check all the sensor states, should all say Normal.
4. Wait for the AC to get at least 12 GPS satellites.
5. I like to check interference on the IMU and Compass at least once per outing, not each battery change.
6. Don't fly the Spark like an acrobatic quad. I've noted that other posters have mentioned that most flyaways occur in sports mode, there's been a couple of thoughts on this 1) extreme angles cause the GPS to lose signal with satellites 2) motors spinning at or near capacity generate more magnetic force which interferes with the compass on the AC which causes yaw errors and disables the GPS and now you're in ATTI mode and possibly flying or drifting away on the breeze.

Happy Landings!

Rushing to get the drone up and then packing up quickly might look more suspicious to the public. I try to find the location that is the least populated and then I approach and explain what I am doing to anyone around and ask if they are OK with me flying and if they have any objections to being on camera. So far, the responses have all been positive although people always comment "Wow, you could really spy on people with that thing!" which always makes me think. There's quite a number of things I could do that wouldn't even require a drone that I shouldn't do, nor do I want to do.

Some of the general public are paranoid about drones because they are so new yet have no problem playing Candy Crush in the bathroom on a device with a camera that is no stranger to hacks and exploits.

The Spark is so small, it's not going to be noticed until you turn on the motors. The motors do not need to be on while it's acquiring a GPS signal and it's better they are not so you aren't waisting as much battery.

You did the right thing by starting with a cheap drone. I started the same way. When I have friends that are interested in getting an expensive drone, I let them try out one of my cheap ones.

It's easier to engage the public before you engage the drones motors.

Tom_A Posted at 2018-2-28 12:53
Rushing to get the drone up and then packing up quickly might look more suspicious to the public. I try to find the location that is the least populated and then I approach and explain what I am doing to anyone around and ask if they are OK with me flying and if they have any objections to being on camera. So far, the responses have all been positive although people always comment "Wow, you could really spy on people with that thing!" which always makes me think. There's quite a number of things I could do that wouldn't even require a drone that I shouldn't do, nor do I want to do.

Some of the general public are paranoid about drones because they are so new yet have no problem playing Candy Crush in the bathroom on a device with a camera that is no stranger to hacks and exploits.

Have you ever had someone say they weren't ok with you flying your drone?  If so, what did you do? If not, what would you do?  I promise that if I did what you're talking about, within the first 3 times, I would encounter someone saying no, and then it would make me out to be even worse when I disregarded their sentiment and flew my drone anyway.

Funny that you bring up the phone in the bathroom thing.  I've never thought about that!

Perhaps it does make me look suspicious, but I only look suspicious for about 0.5 seconds before my spark is out of sight.  Like I mentioned already, I think that each situation is slightly different.  Sometimes what you're saying is probably the better option, but my way has also served me well.  That being said, I am not recommending that my way would work for everyone.

RobertWSimpson Posted at 2018-2-28 13:00
Have you ever had someone say they weren't ok with you flying your drone?  If so, what did you do? If not, what would you do?  I promise that if I did what you're talking about, within the first 3 times, I would encounter someone saying no, and then it would make me out to be even worse when I disregarded their sentiment and flew my drone anyway.

Funny that you bring up the phone in the bathroom thing.  I've never thought about that!

I have never had anyone say no, but the places I have flown don't always have people there I need to ask. If someone said they were not comfortable with me flying, I would not. When I flew my drone in Parkfield, I approached someone who worked there and asked permission to fly. When I finished editing the video, I sent them an email with a link to the video.

Let's say you have bad asthma. A guy walks up next to you and asks "Mind if I smoke?" while he's pulling out a big cigar and lighting it before you can even answer. That guy is a jerk, right? Would it be any better if he didn't ask and didn't listen when you asked him to please stop.

The way the general public's opinion is going to change is if we help change it. What most people's exposure to drones mainly includes is military devices killing people and a few bad actors behaving recklessly.
On one of my flights, someone walks up after I have already taken off. I explain what I'm doing. It's a friendly exchange and he shows me a better location to fly.

Tom_A Posted at 2018-2-28 13:18
I have never had anyone say no, but the places I have flown don't always have people there I need to ask. If someone said they were not comfortable with me flying, I would not. When I flew my drone in Parkfield, I approached someone who worked there and asked permission to fly. When I finished editing the video, I sent them an email with a link to the video.

Let's say you have bad asthma. A guy walks up next to you and asks "Mind if I smoke?" while he's pulling out a big cigar and lighting it before you can even answer. That guy is a jerk, right? Would it be any better if he didn't ask and didn't listen when you asked him to please stop.

In your example of flying over someone's land, I agree with you 100%.  it's only right to ask permission.  But if you're flying in a public space, there is no need in my opinion.  It's just as public for me as it is for anyone else, and if I am not doing anything that would bother the guy next to me, then I don't believe I need to ask his permission.

What if your cigar man started smoking his cigar and I just walked away and found another place that was less smoky?  If it's a public place and smoking is allowed, who am I to ask him to stop?  

I'm not sure if me doing what I am doing makes me a bad actor, but I am being mindful of others' perceptions.  I do not fly around random people that I do not know.  I try to keep the visual and aural impact of my droning to a minimum, because I know other people are trying to enjoy the sights and sounds.  What I am doing is just as legitimate, but I do try to be courteous to those around me.

Flighty Posted at 2018-2-28 01:13
Very valid comment. This happened to me. I was flying the Drone in the mountains not far from my home when I initiated RTH, Drone turned and headed off to my house. I had to cancel RTH and fly the drone  back to my location.. Very possible that "Fly Always" are actually Drone heading back to previous Home Point..

I would be interested in checking out the log from the flight you mention to gain some learning from your experience.  

If possible, could you upload your log for this flight to the following site and post the resulting URL?

http://www.phantomhelp.com/LogViewer/Upload/

The Spark should not be remembering anything about a previous flight from one power cycle to the next.  I'm guessing there is probably a different explanation for the behavior you saw.  However, I would be interested in learning from your experience by checking out your log for the aforementioned flight.

Thanks!

RobertWSimpson Posted at 2018-2-28 13:27
In your example of flying over someone's land, I agree with you 100%.  it's only right to ask permission.  But if you're flying in a public space, there is no need in my opinion.  It's just as public for me as it is for anyone else, and if I am not doing anything that would bother the guy next to me, then I don't believe I need to ask his permission.

What if your cigar man started smoking his cigar and I just walked away and found another place that was less smoky?  If it's a public place and smoking is allowed, who am I to ask him to stop?  

If you just walked away, you might be a little annoyed, especially if you were there first. If this happened regularly, you'd jump at the chance to vote on legislation to make smoking in public places less accessible.

You're operating well within the law, but you might try my approach once to see how it works. I bet it doesn't keep you from flying.

Kloo Gee Posted at 2018-2-28 14:30
I would be interested in checking out the log from the flight you mention to gain some learning from your experience.  

If possible, could you upload your log for this flight to the following site and post the resulting URL?

That's an awesome idea.  I think there is another explanation as well, but this should offer some clarity!

Kloo Gee Posted at 2018-2-28 14:30
I would be interested in checking out the log from the flight you mention to gain some learning from your experience.  

If possible, could you upload your log for this flight to the following site and post the resulting URL?

Hi Kloo Gee,,, certainly will, however I have over 200 flights that I will need to troll through to find this particular flight. which happened late 2017. As soon as I have it I will send it..

Flighty Posted at 2018-3-1 06:50
Hi Kloo Gee,,, certainly will, however I have over 200 flights that I will need to troll through to find this particular flight. which happened late 2017. As soon as I have it I will send it..

Sounds good!  Thanks Flighty!

RobertWSimpson Posted at 2018-2-28 09:37
indeed.

Your avatar pic is cool.  Did you superimpose or is that a single frame?

Thanks! It's a screen grab from a video from my Phantom 3, while flying my phantom 4 pro.  :-)

Flying Wolf_NOLA Posted at 2018-3-2 08:38
Thanks! It's a screen grab from a video from my Phantom 3, while flying my phantom 4 pro.  :-)

BASIC!


looks really cool