Maiden Flight, used the Circle Quick Shot.
I thought how hard could it be to circle this balloon.
After watching the film, I realize I almost crashed.
If my Mavic hit the balloon, what would have happen?
Thanks...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9AXw2ODDuis

Drone might have gotten tangled in balloons netting.   Depending on ballons material, damage to balloon.  And unless you were given permission to fly around balloon, you getting into some serious trouble.

HedgeTrimmer Posted at 7-18 20:23
Drone might have gotten tangled in balloons netting.   Depending on ballons material, damage to balloon.  And unless you were given permission to fly around balloon, you getting into some serious trouble.

From looks of it, your choosen center point, was not center point of balloon.   

I wonder what the repair bill for damaged to the balloon would have been? At least a lesson seems to have been learnt, I hope.

Lesson learned... Hell Yea.

Q. What would have happened if I hit the balloon?
A.  I would be writing this message to you from Jail....

Placing a manned aircraft at risk with a UAV is a criminal offence here in the UK - five years in the slammer in extreme cases. Plus a third party liability claim for property damage if the impact led to that. If you somehow took down the balloon and killed those onboard then you'd be looking at ten years for manslaughter for each person that died as a result of your reckless and negligent flight - though an astute prosecution may try and push second degree murder... Basically, game over - and thats not even mentioning fines, being banned from flying anything, being unemployable for the rest of your life and what the families of those who died will do to you... I see you have removed the video now, just as well I guess.

A J Posted at 7-19 10:32
Placing a manned aircraft at risk with a UAV is a criminal offence here in the UK - five years in the slammer in extreme cases. Plus a third party liability claim for property damage if the impact led to that. If you somehow took down the balloon and killed those onboard then you'd be looking at ten years for manslaughter for each person that died as a result of your reckless and negligent flight - though an astute prosecution may try and push second degree murder... Basically, game over - and thats not even mentioning fines, being banned from flying anything, being unemployable for the rest of your life and what the families of those who died will do to you... I see you have removed the video now, just as well I guess.

yeah, if people died of corona they are immune to all the world problems.

Imo they should just open the world as everyone will get it but those that are chosen to live on, will live on with problems or not on Earth that is.  We don't know what the afterlife has in store for us.  23 Million Americans will be evicted by Sept 2020.  We will see how that will go.

If your inspiration came from this video.. I'd give up lol

AntDX316 Posted at 7-19 10:57
If your inspiration came from this video.. I'd give up lol
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kSsHWd2WIsY&list=PLfpbkmpOip53uO9FAvhcIdXAA3lCcb9UG&index=27&t=0s

Man just watching this.... I think of how many people I would have killed.  

chipchomp Posted at 7-19 10:59
Man just watching this.... I think of how many people I would have killed.

In all honesty - I strongly doubt a Mavic Mini will bring down a hot air balloon but it would be a very frightening experience for all concerned, especially when doing a point of interest around one on your very first flight with a drone.

chipchomp Posted at 7-19 10:59
Man just watching this.... I think of how many people I would have killed.

The mini isn't entirely big and the props fold so the skin of the balloon must be A lot stronger.  Even if you hit it, I don't think it would have done anything but I'm not sure what it's made out of it and the descent rate if it cut it or went through it and out the otherside making 2 or more holes.  We just don't know what would happen.  It didn't hit, there is no need to speculate.  We just need to move on.

AntDX316 Posted at 7-19 10:54
yeah, if people died of corona they are immune to all the world problems.

Imo they should just open the world as everyone will get it but those that are chosen to live on, will live on with problems or not on Earth that is.  We don't know what the afterlife has in store for us.  23 Million Americans will be evicted by Sept 2020.  We will see how that will go.

The dead are no longer immune - one has immunity to prevent death but if the latter has already occurred then there is no longer immunity. However, I fail to understand the correlation between the potential consequences of a novice drone pilot doing a QuickShot around a balloon and removing lockdown measures to control the spread of Covid-19

I'd be very surprised if you could take down a hot air balloon with a mini. That being said, even just distracting the pilot in the balloon is a risk. The video is private now so I can't tell exactly what you did, but what if you ran into the pilot and the blade sliced up his face? His eyes? or somehow damaged equipment they needed to fly the balloon safely. Now they've got an emergency.  This type of flight is the kind that spurs more strict laws around drones and ruins it for the rest of us.

Bjord Posted at 7-19 13:40
I'd be very surprised if you could take down a hot air balloon with a mini. That being said, even just distracting the pilot in the balloon is a risk. The video is private now so I can't tell exactly what you did, but what if you ran into the pilot and the blade sliced up his face? His eyes? or somehow damaged equipment they needed to fly the balloon safely. Now they've got an emergency.  This type of flight is the kind that spurs more strict laws around drones and ruins it for the rest of us.

I made it back to unlisted.  Had it public at first.

Is that even a manned balloon? It looks like a very well anchored balloon not meant to go anywhere. I doubt the mini could even damage it.

It's not a hot air ballon.
It's not manned.
Your Mini would have bounced off or become tangled.

Ok - I can watch the video now and agree with Labroides - in that specific scenario is would not be classed as a manned aircraft as grounded with nobody in it. If you hit it with the drone it would probably bounce off and may be crash but you wont end up in a prison cell for that though if caught the owner may very well call the police and if the ballon is damaged in any way then guess who will have to pay for the repairs... In the UK the drone needs to be 50m from structures not in you control.

Clearly looked like an advertising balloon.  Those things are pretty beefy.  You can walk up to them and give them a full force kick and not damage them.  As far as you drone is concerned, it would be about like flying into a wall.  Not gonna hurt the wall (or balloon in this case), but not likely to do your drone any good.
Bad form as a beginner to get that close to anything.  After you get more experience, yuo can get closer.  I have some radio antenna tower photos taken from only a couple feet away, but I was able to watch both the video from the drone, and look up and see it, so I knew very well where it was.  Nice to be able to inspect stuff on the tower without having to get out the climbing gear!

K6CCC Posted at 7-20 10:15
Clearly looked like an advertising balloon.  Those things are pretty beefy.  You can walk up to them and give them a full force kick and not damage them.  As far as you drone is concerned, it would be about like flying into a wall.  Not gonna hurt the wall (or balloon in this case), but not likely to do your drone any good.
Bad form as a beginner to get that close to anything.  After you get more experience, yuo can get closer.  I have some radio antenna tower photos taken from only a couple feet away, but I was able to watch both the video from the drone, and look up and see it, so I knew very well where it was.  Nice to be able to inspect stuff on the tower without having to get out the climbing gear!

I've used my Phantom 4 for the same purpose. Back in the day, I installed a 15m mast for the antenna farm - but it was a fixed mast not a tiltover. No problem climbing it back then, but with advancing years it became more of a chore.  Hence the drone close-ups helped.

Blériot53 Posted at 7-20 10:23
I've used my Phantom 4 for the same purpose. Back in the day, I installed a 15m mast for the antenna farm - but it was a fixed mast not a tiltover. No problem climbing it back then, but with advancing years it became more of a chore.  Hence the drone close-ups helped.

Yea.  The arthritis in my knees prevents me from tower climbing anymore.  You tell me, would you trust the attachment of that pole to the wooden crossarm to hold a microwave antenna?  BTW, that's about 50 feet or so up.

K6CCC Posted at 7-20 12:13
Yea.  The arthritis in my knees prevents me from tower climbing anymore.  You tell me, would you trust the attachment of that pole to the wooden crossarm to hold a microwave antenna?  BTW, that's about 50 feet or so up.
[view_image]
[view_image]

Hmm. The metalwork looks sturdy enough, but the wooden support?  It looks well past its best. I'm guessing it's a hardwood rather than soft, but even so.....remember the old saying. A chain is only as strong as its weakest link.

Hi. Thank you for reaching out to DJI Forum. With regards to this query. If the drone crashed on to the balloon, the drone may get damaged that may cause the unit to be unstable during flight and cause the drone to fall that could possibly lead to injury. Please fly with caution in places with a lot of obstacles and people. Please note that accidents that are not caused by hardware or software issue may void the warranty of the said drone. Thank you.

AntDX316 Posted at 7-19 10:54
yeah, if people died of corona they are immune to all the world problems.

Imo they should just open the world as everyone will get it but those that are chosen to live on, will live on with problems or not on Earth that is.  We don't know what the afterlife has in store for us.  23 Million Americans will be evicted by Sept 2020.  We will see how that will go.

23 million people wouldn't be evicted if the USA had a leader that was doing everything possible to help.  Most of Europe has leaders that initiated full lockdowns and then very careful slow reopening once the data showed the peak had passed.  USA could learn a lot from that rather than magical thinking.

DAFlys Posted at 7-21 01:38
23 million people wouldn't be evicted if the USA had a leader that was doing everything possible to help.  Most of Europe has leaders that initiated full lockdowns and then very careful slow reopening once the data showed the peak had passed.  USA could learn a lot from that rather than magical thinking.

I'm not sure if I've said it here or not but China and Russia may not allow it.  US is pumping money from nothing and not allowing Americans to go homeless while they foot the effects?  

Blériot53 Posted at 7-20 14:08
Hmm. The metalwork looks sturdy enough, but the wooden support?  It looks well past its best. I'm guessing it's a hardwood rather than soft, but even so.....remember the old saying. A chain is only as strong as its weakest link.

That's my take.  That piece of wood needs to be replaced.

K6CCC Posted at 7-21 09:15
That's my take.  That piece of wood needs to be replaced.

My mast-climbing days are over. Good luck with that, it doesn't look like an easy fix.

A J Posted at 7-19 10:32
Placing a manned aircraft at risk with a UAV is a criminal offence here in the UK - five years in the slammer in extreme cases. Plus a third party liability claim for property damage if the impact led to that. If you somehow took down the balloon and killed those onboard then you'd be looking at ten years for manslaughter for each person that died as a result of your reckless and negligent flight - though an astute prosecution may try and push second degree murder... Basically, game over - and thats not even mentioning fines, being banned from flying anything, being unemployable for the rest of your life and what the families of those who died will do to you... I see you have removed the video now, just as well I guess.

What manned aircraft? I don't see it being manned, or even mobile, from the still-posted video......


edit: sorry...very late to the conversation ;-)

DAFlys Posted at 7-21 01:38
23 million people wouldn't be evicted if the USA had a leader that was doing everything possible to help.  Most of Europe has leaders that initiated full lockdowns and then very careful slow reopening once the data showed the peak had passed.  USA could learn a lot from that rather than magical thinking.

I like the way you said "most of Europe". Let's just say it....Sweden! Stop copying us in the US!

Our pres wanted to make America great. Great = "of an extent, amount, or intensity considerably above the normal or average". Well the U.S. is very much above the world average in COVID-19 cases and deaths.... Mission Accomplished.

GaryDoug Posted at 7-21 17:58
What manned aircraft? I don't see it being manned, or even mobile, from the still-posted video......

Yeah, he initially removed the video so I presumed based on the thread - clearly nothing to worry about.

GaryDoug Posted at 7-21 18:09
I like the way you said "most of Europe". Let's just say it....Sweden! Stop copying us in the US!

Our pres wanted to make America great. Great = "of an extent, amount, or intensity considerably above the normal or average". Well the U.S. is very much above the world average in COVID-19 cases and deaths.... Mission Accomplished.

Yes,  I did mean Sweden,   they started well (without shutdown) and then it went wrong.  And Spain is seeing a large jump in new cases in the last few days too.

How close do you guys think this really was? Don't objects appear to be nearer than they actually are? I notice that all the time when I fly above trees and point the camera down. By looking at the screen, it always makes me go like "omg I will crash into those, these are so close!" Then I look up onto the drone and see it being well clear of the trees below. So maybe this wasn't such a close call afterall.

ChRoM Posted at 7-22 10:04
How close do you guys think this really was? Don't objects appear to be nearer than they actually are? I notice that all the time when I fly above trees and point the camera down. By looking at the screen, it always makes me go like "omg I will crash into those, these are so close!" Then I look up onto the drone and see it being well clear of the trees below. So maybe this wasn't such a close call afterall.

Don't objects appear to be nearer than they actually are?
Think again.
Your drone has a very wideangle lens.
Telephoto lenses make things look closer than they are.
Wideangle lenses do the opposite.
What you see really is closer than it looks on screen.

It is a stationary balloon that was anchored to the ground ,so I guess  balloon itself has no movement that may distract the POI fly.
Problem caused  because your drone was not far enough from the balloon point of center or you mistaken chosen the wrong center point of the balloon  that ended up as ellipsoidal route instead of circle and drone get closer to the balloon when it reached to the  short axis of the ellipsoid route.
I agree  also with other DJI pilots,  unless you been given permission by the owner,  suggest do not do this kind fly close to the similar object or properties.
Reaction you may receive could be very ugly.