Since @Tahoe_Ed is the man on these forums. Thanks in advance Ed....

Has there been any attempts made in hand catching the Inspire 1? Doesn't look like arms are an option, but maybe the bottom of the body? Thanks in advance Ed, and keep up all the great information you provide.

Hand catching ia NOT recommended by those who have used the Inspire. First, it is pretty heavy. Secondly, putting your hand underneath the craft could cause errors in the optial flow and sonar sensors. This craft is designed to land on a flat surface.

Well that's a major bummer. I do most of my flights from either a boat or the beach and in both cases hand catching has been the best option for both my 550 and phantom. I friends phantom bounced off boat into water when he landed on deck. My 550 weighs as much as inspire - just comes down to there being a good place to grab it

I also fly frequently off a 38 boat and beach. Beach sand is very problematic for the motors and the boat simply doesn't have a safe landing area. I believe that the optical sensors can be disabled "on the fly," from the remote.

It also looks like the battery, positioned at the rear, is exposed and affords a good grabhold when the Inspire is still in the "flying" position. I am assuming the transition can be made after the catch.

Can anyone with experience chime in here.

I agree David and Metalios... I hand catch my Phantom2 as I am usually around sand and water. Don't know how comfortable I would feel landing on a boat dock or deck of a boat. Looks like room on the body, after all we are catching small arms on a Phantom.
Hoping Tahoe Ed chimes in.

Yes this is also a important factor for me I will be taking the inspire on a boat trip from Virginia down through the Bahamas. our boat is a 47 foot bayliner 4788 and I hope to be good enough to catch maybe by the arms in the up flying position. this is my major concern with the inspire other than delivery. maybe the phantom would be better we will be gone 5 months.
  

JerryMutter Posted at 2014-12-7 22:03
Yes this is also a important factor for me I will be taking the inspire on a boat trip from Virginia ...

Between unknown delivery time and the hand catching (which is not recommended by DJI's Eric Chen)...I'd be taking the Phantom....or better, both.

I had a thought that maybe if you had some kind of rope net big enough for two or more people to stretch out, you could hover right over it and then kill the motors for a soft catch so the props don't get caught up in the netting.  Or maybe just a sheet or something strong enough to hold up the Inspire.

I was asked before if I would hand catch in an emergency and my answer was no.  This is a powerful craft with many included systems including the optiflow sensors.  Catching a P2 is not an issue.  I have watched two guys hand catch a S1000.  Even with leather gloves I would not do it.  I do know some that have.  I like my fingers and hands the way they are.  It becomes a personal opinion.  

Tahoe_Ed Posted at 2014-12-8 04:03
I was asked before if I would hand catch in an emergency and my answer was no.  This is a powerful c ...

Once again, thanks for your insight Ed. Have you needed to land it in a tight area yet? I would imagine that it's more stable when it just off the ground (due to the optiflow) as compared to the Phantom?

AVNes Posted at 2014-12-8 06:11
Once again, thanks for your insight Ed. Have you needed to land it in a tight area yet? I would im ...

I have done may auto landings and they have been within 6" - 2'.  The Inspire lands very smoothly.  I have not tried it on a rolling deck however,

Tahoe_Ed Posted at 2014-12-8 06:17
I have not tried it on a rolling deck however,

Oh come on...if a Navy pilot can land a Super Hornet on a rolling deck, at night, in bad weather...

I have been on the USS Stennis during night ops, those pilots have bigger ones than I do .  It was an awesome experience except that my bunk was under the launching ram.   

watch the video see the OP catch the drone at the last second!!




bad ass video btw!!

metalios Posted at 2014-12-7 18:34
I also fly frequently off a 38 boat and beach. Beach sand is very problematic for the motors and the ...

Id have two people directly behind the drone on deck with a blanket between the two to catch it if necessary.

There is a review on YouTube and the reviewer come underneath with hand overhead and grabs the inspire behind the camera.
As stable as it is it seems like no problem to me..if you have the nerve.

s.s.gibbs1@gmai Posted at 2014-12-16 13:32
There is a review on YouTube and the reviewer come underneath with hand overhead and grabs the inspi ...

Can you provide the link? Would be interesting to see it...

In will if i can get time. It will take some searching.
Gotta get back to work.

All I can say is I would try it, Motors are allot larger and when you grab it and try to move the GPS is gonna go nuts trying to return back it its last position, expensive try is you ask me.

DJI Inspire 1 Drone Launch Event w/ CopterShop & …: http://youtu.be/D4WmmcODYxw  Here is the hand catch.

s.s.gibbs1@gmai Posted at 2014-12-18 06:27
DJI Inspire 1 Drone Launch Event w/ CopterShop & …: http://youtu.be/D4WmmcODYxw  Here is the hand c ...

Yes good hand catch there, the sound of the props died as soon and his hands were on it, so I would say good piloting there and lots of practice.

s.s.gibbs1@gmai Posted at 2014-12-18 06:27
DJI Inspire 1 Drone Launch Event w/ CopterShop & …: http://youtu.be/D4WmmcODYxw  Here is the hand c ...

Thanks for the link!

the optiflow sensors will not allow you to catch the drone

I don't know the degree of the sensors but perhaps a make shift carbon fiber Handel could help, just a thought..

Any opinions if it could be caught by a second person by grabbing at both arms at the "T" (although that seems really close to the props), or maybe on two diagonal points of the landing gear?

Of course flat, clean ground is optimal, but in many of my flight locations are just not available.  My wife and I team shoot, and one of us almost always catches the P2 by the landing gear legs.  We started this right after losing a motor, most likely due to wet sand blowing up upon landing.

Just looking for options and experienced opinions.

Some good ideas here, please keep 'em coming.

Thanks!

Hey Guys,

I've done quite a few hand catches with the Inspire 1.  Here's a quick video:
http://youtu.be/yCUa6l6C-Jg

This is critical for flying off boats.

jonathanp Posted at 2015-3-17 02:18
Hey Guys,

I've done quite a few hand catches with the Inspire 1.  Here's a quick video:

Nice video.  Doesn't seem that difficult or dangerous really.  Grabbing in that location keeps your hands a safe distance from the props.

jonathanp Posted at 2015-3-17 02:18
Hey Guys,

I've done quite a few hand catches with the Inspire 1.  Here's a quick video:

This is exactly as I catch it, I bring it in and from behind grab the battery and turn off the motors, then I lower the landing gear. I do this when I'm at the beach and off boats. Also I had to catch it like this one day it started raining out of nowhere... I have done this more than 20 times without a problem.

hvilorio Posted at 2015-3-17 03:37
This is exactly as I catch it, I bring it in and from behind grab the battery and turn off the moto ...

Yes, I haven't had any issues with the ground camera or sensors.  I'm SO happy this is still possible.

I have had to do the same catch as johathanp without issue. Due to a problem with cannot get the gear down sometimes I use this method to save the camera. Then have to play with the gear switch to cycle a few times to get the gear down. First and important is gear up and shut down once grabbed. Just hope the next firmware update will correct so I don't have to send it and loose my bird for a month or more for repairs.

Thanks for the video "Hvilorio".... It was very helpful.... I was thinking this was the best way, but didn't want to prove the theory....

Have caught it several time. I prefer to have the gear down already, there are some pretty nasty pinch points. Just stay away from the sensor..or you could run your hand under the sensor to bring the gear down first.

My hand catch experience with lowered legs:
Hand Catch

Hand catch from the top with gear down should be ok. With gear up, not ok. I'm lucky I didn't have carbon fiber props else i'd have lost a digit or three!
A bit painful and a little embarrassing as there were people watching, commenting on how well she flew in 25 mph winds. I put her back in the car and drove off while pretending not to be hurt.
So, from the top gear down for me. or better still stay the hell away while props are a spinnin'!

Certainly looks easy to catch from underside at the battery location.  Did you manually lower the landing gear after the props had finished rotating.  Not sure I would want to risk it though if there was no reason to land it normally.

I have hand cached mine a couple of times at the beach - grab it behind the battery .
It is not difficult, but I will not do it if it is not absolutely necessary - a bit risky.

funnily enough was wondering the same thing and then saw someone hand catch at the beach today no problem. depends on how much you trust the pilot or value your face in the event anything goes wrong i suppose

thomaskim558@gm Posted at 2014-12-18 22:53
the optiflow sensors will not allow you to catch the drone

u can hand catch from the battery bay without tripping the sensors.. wings are in the up position.  then once props are off move inspire down to ground and it will trip the legs to go down on there own or use switch to trip gear to down