Going to be giving this a try but was just wondering how do I kill the motors after I have caught the P4 ?  With a normal landing I use the left stick down for 3 seconds - will this work with a hand catch where the P4 is still kind of in the air ? or do I need to use the left stick and RTH button combo, which is a bit tricky one-handed !

It is very dangerous to do a hand catch even if you can stop the motors by pulling throttle down for 3 seconds.
You can check this link :http://forum.dji.com/thread-45251-1-1.html

Hold the RC in your left hand with your thumb on the thumb stick. Hover so you can walk up behind the P4 and grab the back leg. Hold it there and pull the left thumb stick straight down and keep it there until the motors cut. You shouldn't need to pull it down. In fact you'll actually be holding the Phantom in place.

I saw it done last weekend and haven't landed any other way since.

Glen, thanks - that's exactly what I wanted to know.

DJI-Paladin - don'y worry I won't sue DJI if it goes wrong !

birdingbilly Posted at 2016-4-9 06:44
Glen, thanks - that's exactly what I wanted to know.

DJI-Paladin - don'y worry I won't sue DJI if i ...

I'm new to the Phantom and I did it easily. By keeping it just above you, you can reach up at arms length and stay well clear of the props.

And if it goes wrong you might be in for this.  You can catch it a thousand times successfully, miss catch once and pay the price.  Land on the ground and this will Never happen.

DJI-Paladin Posted at 2016-4-9 05:13
It is very dangerous to do a hand catch even if you can stop the motors by pulling throttle down for ...

If the Phantoms had a wider stance so they would land with more stability people wouldn't be so inclined to hand catch.  DJI had a chance to improve this with the P4 and didn't.

Just need to land smoothly and theres no problem...

hummingbird.uav Posted at 2016-4-9 07:10
And if it goes wrong you might be in for this.  You can catch it a thousand times successfully, miss ...

Thats enough for me not to get started, damn that looks very painful...

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

If you can land on the ground its your best and safest bet,     i have flown alot on beaches.   Sand is not a friend to drones,   i have caught my drone many times.   not saying its not to be respected when you do it.   there is always a chance when hand catching,  no matter how safe you try to be.  random gust of wind,  random failure of hardware, any number of things can cause a problem.   

Having confidence and respects for what your doing by catching your drone and you will minimize your risk.   but it is always there,  if you are going to hand catch your drone and you get harmed doing it.  no one is to blame but your self. including as i catch my own drone   i am the only one to blame if i get hurt catching my own.   

Oven mitt...protects skin to 500 degrees....also protects against Phantom bites!

hummingbird.uav Posted at 2016-4-9 22:10
And if it goes wrong you might be in for this.  You can catch it a thousand times successfully, miss ...

That my friend was nasty... Not to mention that  you have just ruined my breakfast for me

**********DISCLAIMER*************
if you read this take away with it some of my knowledge.  i am in not way endorsing hand catching, but explaining how "I" do it when "I" feel the need.   i am not responsible for anyone getting hurt thinking this is safe or a "how to catch your drone guide"   if you catch your drone and get hurt its your own damn fault.   i just stated how i do it and what i do to minimize the risks so i can still count to 10 after a flight i hand catch.

hand catching a drone is dangerous no matter what.  everyone here is stating that but none stating practices to help prevent dangers.  i said "HELP PREVENT" not eliminate, or completely prevent,  danger is still the danger present

There is no such thing as a safe flight requiring to hand catch your drone.    if you don't hand catch your drone your only real risk is losing your drone(water) or possibly damaging your drone(sand or uneven rocks,Ect)     Never required to and benefit other than saving/preventing damage to your drone.   that out of the way,  I have hand caught mine plenty of times on the beach to prevent any chances of sand damage with landing.  i take off from my case so quite clear and clean on take off.

any time i hand catch i always make sure i am in P mode(gps)   i descend and hover around 6/7 feet off the ground around 5 feet or so away from me.   a little above my head but so i am still able to grab it.   I hover for at least 5-10 seconds just to make sure it is stable.  also paying mind to wind conditions because i am on the beach.   While flying take note which direction the wind is coming from,  when you Hand catch your drone you always want to be up wind meaning the wind will be blowing on your back while you are approaching your drone to hand catch it.  this is incase a gust of wind kicks up while your catching the drone just moves away from you, not towards you.   if the wind does gust before you grab your drone just drop your hand and back up.

you want your drone slightly above your head so you can grab your drone at roughly a 45 deg angle with your hand   this way your head and face are not below the drone if you drone drops for any reason. also this doesn't interfere with the VPS which still has a clear line of sight to the ground.

i fly in mode 2 left forward and back control altitude.  left hand holding the controller and thumb on left stick only i will reach out to grab my drone with my right hand. if anything goes wrong push foward and the drone goes up and away.   when you grab your drone by the leg. grab it wrapping your fingers around the leg like you hold a hammer(just a very thin handled one with 4 fast spinning blades)   once you secure grab it hold it as still as you can and in position as you pull down the left stick.   after 3 seconds of doing this with the drone in the same position, the motors will stop.      you MUST keep the drone steady.   if the gps or gyros sense the drone moving it will not stop the motors as the drone will believe it is still flying and just encountering wind.   the drone must remain still while your holding down with the stick and then the motors will shut down.  Do not lower the drone until props are completely stopped!  if you accidentally raise the the drone while catching motors may decelerate making you think the drone has stopped,  if the drone "still thinks it is flying) if you lower it. the drone will sense the decent or change of angle and attempt to correct.   at this time motors will/can get full power spinning the props very fast and producing thrust moving the drone and fighting you.   just make sure the blades are stopped before you lower the drone.

i will admit i have tried this in a controlled environment moving the drone while trying to shut it down.  it doesn't work and the drone will fight you if you move it while trying to power it down.  

sum it up.   hand catching is never required.   if you must hand catch for your own interest, i have explained how i do it for my best interest.   minimizing risk and having knowledge leads to generally more favorable outcomes.    is it dangerous Yes.   insanely dangerous,  not if you respect what you are doing and know what can happen.   i say respect because if you are scared/afraid of it, you will make mistakes.  just don't do it.    that being good luck!

             **********DISCLAIMER*************
if you read this take away with it some of my knowledge.  i am in not way endorsing hand catching, but explaining how "I" do it when "I" feel the need.   i am not responsible for anyone getting hurt thinking this is safe or a "how to catch your drone guide"   if you catch your drone and get hurt its your own damn fault.   i just stated how i do it and what i do to minimize the risks so i can still count to 10 after a flight i hand catch.  

ill prolly edit this later when i remember other tips or pointers.

Lots of Phantom owners always hand catch and never land because it is safe and easy.
There are lots of situations where there is no other option like flying from long grass, rocky areas with no level ground or from a boat.

I'd be curious about those disaster photos above.
It looks like  they were done with solid carbon fibre props rather than plastic Phantom props.
And we know nothing of what  kind of drones and how the pictured injuries came to happen.
Were they the result of hand catching a Phantom gone wrong .... or a collection of unrelated miscellaneous multicopter injury photos.
After a thousand or so hand catches, I'm confident that the usual method employed for catching a Phantom is quite safe.

labroides@yahoo Posted at 2016-4-9 16:44
Lots of Phantom owners always hand catch and never land because it is safe and easy.
There are lots  ...

Everything in move is dangerous. Lawnmowers, cars, drills, bicycles - you name it. Only TV watching will not hurt you ... As a skilled mechanic with decades of experience and with instinct respect for furiously rotating things, I survived without injury most of my life ... Until this one fatal moment when a router cutter grabbed a work piece together with 2 of my fingers ... What, you don't like raw hamburgers?

Someone....at this forum....at some point will lose an eye while hand catching.    It's not a matter of if...it's a matter of when.

The only question if you hand catch is.....is it going to be YOU?

Unfortunately, who ever it is may read this and there's absolutely NOTHING you can do for this future victim.
For me it's simply not worth it....but...it's your eye

Cessna172 Posted at 2016-4-10 10:22
Someone....at this forum....at some point will lose an eye while hand catching.    It's not a matter ...

That's why you have the Phantom up above eye level when you hand catch.
The Phantom has rotating blades but it's very easy to make sure that you don't put any part of your body anywhere near them while hand catching.

labroides@yahoo Posted at 2016-4-9 21:47
That's why you have the Phantom up above eye level when you hand catch.
The Phantom has rotating b ...

Thought I covered that in my how to as well.    If people don't want to or see a need, don't.   No ones forcing you.   

But losing an eye?  That would really take a special kind of stupid.    Like catching with your mouth.   It does have risks to it so does flying it period.   But such focus on the eyes.   I giggled.

Side note.  Most of the time I fly I wear polarized sun glasses,   So eye protection is an added bonus with it. Not to mention looking 20% cooler!

Cessna172 Posted at 2016-4-9 20:22
Someone....at this forum....at some point will lose an eye while hand catching.    It's not a matter ...

That someone when they lose their eye will prolly not be from hand catching. But showing off obstinate avoidance and flying at their face.  Or someone else's.   Unless your trying to mouth catch the drone or are really special the drone should never be near your face at all.   

Unless you got T-Rex arms


I found the best pic but can't upload it on mobile!!   Someone Google t-Rex ceiling fan and post the image quick!   It's not a drone but close!!!!

I hope I ask this question correctly.
People have said they fly in mode 2.
Does this change the control sticks operation on the RC.
I mean does it change LH stick to pull back towards to gain altitude instead of descending?

Mode 2 is the default mode. Left stick forward, bird goes up. Left stick back, bird comes down. If the left stick is all the way down and the bird is not descending any more, it assumes it has landed and after 3 seconds, the motors shut off.

atis Posted at 2016-4-10 14:38
I hope I ask this question correctly.
People have said they fly in mode 2.
Does this change the con ...

RC Modes
Mode 2 is pretty standard for Multi-rotors these days... (and is the default DJI mode)

Cessna172 Posted at 2016-4-10 10:22
Someone....at this forum....at some point will lose an eye while hand catching.    It's not a matter ...

At some point in time someone on this forum will also get struck by lightning, have a car accident, have a flyaway, crash their quadcopter, eat fugu, etc, etc. Life is a calculated risk. Using some of the techniques described or similar that risk is managed to acceptable levels. I like Labroides would like to know if the dramatic pictures posted are genuine verified attempts at hand catching or from people arsing about. Ever seen an injury from a car accident? yup they are as bad as these and worse, still driving? me too, but I'm careful.

Mike_fnq Posted at 2016-4-10 03:25
At some point in time someone on this forum will also get struck by lightning, have a car accident ...

Well played.    straight direct and to the point.  i tend to get pretty carried away with my posts and end up with books.     

Lifes all about risk vs reward  

I do it all the time. It's safe if u do it correctly

Let's be realistic for a second. For obvious reasons all DJI employees and reps have to warn you against catching. No need to get worked up over that.

If you want to do it listen to the people who have experience. And, although it's perfectly doable, be aware of the risks involved. And even though pirates are cool in the stories, be safe and don't end up with an eye patch

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

I bet he's going to lose that nail?

mjlstudios@yaho Posted at 2016-4-9 12:13
Oven mitt...protects skin to 500 degrees....also protects against Phantom bites!

What aboot your forearm?

Hand catching is not only dangerous but unnecessary, when you land just land on something flat. I've been landing on grass for years and never had a tip over.

R&L Aerial  Posted at 2016-4-12 07:32
Hand catching is not only dangerous but unnecessary, when you land just land on something flat. I've ...

And if you can't land on something flat?
Not everyone flies where you do, sometimes hand catching is necessary.

R&L Aerial  Posted at 2016-4-12 07:32
Hand catching is not only dangerous but unnecessary, when you land just land on something flat. I've ...

Grass you say?

I hand catch about 50% of the time. When its very windy, or an unsuitable landing spot.

One additional piece of advice, when you grab the phantom leg, grip it good & hard. Lock your wrist and don't let it twist and move as you power it down. Keep it above head level, regardless of what the drone tries to do. Also as suggested a good long leather glove is a good idea.

The P4 has a wider leg stance and seems more stable. I use the Polar Pro landing legs on my P3 and they work great. Hope we can get something similar for the P4.

Be careful.

Hand catching as mentioned here is way to dangerous.......its a bit like juggling chainsaws.
either use a ground mat or a card table, or even land on the roof of your car as I have had to do on a couple of occasions.

harb@bigpond.ne Posted at 2016-4-12 09:51
Hand catching as mentioned here is way to dangerous.......its a bit like juggling chainsaws.
either  ...

Dangerous?  What about the people here saying exactly the opposite?
The photos used aren't from hand catching attempts gone wrong.
Hundreds of flyers hand catch all the time.

Are you as concerned with some really dangerous activities like crossing a road, riding a bicycle, climbing a ladder, pouring boiling water, walking down stairs or driving on the highway?
People are killed or seriously injured every day by all of those.
If you really think it's like juggling chainsaws, you are imagining something else.

Its up to you mate.....think of me while you are in to get stitches lol

harb@bigpond.ne Posted at 2016-4-12 10:05
Its up to you mate.....think of me while you are in to get stitches lol

Thanks for your warning ... but since you've only imagined it and never tried it you're not in a position to offer meaningful comment.
You're just saying that you imagine it is dangerous.

harb@bigpond.ne Posted at 2016-4-11 19:51
Hand catching as mentioned here is way to dangerous.......its a bit like juggling chainsaws.
either  ...

I normally land. However, I did have one occasion when my choice was to either hand catch or dump it into a foot of loosely packed snow.
As far as landing on my car, not going to happen! The one time I placed it on the roof of my car while it was on but not running, the compass went nutso. It did NOT like sitting on that big hunk of metal.

hummingbird.uav Posted at 2016-4-9 07:10
And if it goes wrong you might be in for this.  You can catch it a thousand times successfully, miss ...

Omg what drone did that to you?

Mike_fnq Posted at 2016-4-10 15:25
At some point in time someone on this forum will also get struck by lightning, have a car accident ...

It's probably not a good idea to tell other adults what risks they should or should not take.
To each his own.  Please consider others safety as well when flying or hand catching