I don't fly my Pro when swallows are present. They like to attack! So here's the story...went to the park to burn off the batteries that were about to discharge. I checked the skies...no birds, great, so I did my preflight, got into the air and flew into a field. Up from the crop a dark cloud of swallows emerge in presuit of my P3P. I high tailed it back as fast as I could with a couple of dozen swallows divr bombing and crossing from behind and from the front. It was a boogie fest as my P3P motors were screaming toward safety! As it neared my position, at about 60 feet, above asphalt, one of those nasty critters hit my Pro! Thats all she wrote as my Pro did her rebel yell at the time of contact till she hid the ground! Then she was quiet as she laid there with her parts exposed and scattered about before my eyes. Thank God I have insurance for her and Monday morning I will head the insurance office to make my claim.

This morning I took my broken P3P into the State Faem insurance to file a claim.....and.....I couldn't believe what they said to me!!   I always believe "you get what you paid for" and for $60 per year for full coverage with no deductible no matter what happen....had to be to good to be true. The lady there at the office took a look at my P3P then told me she couldn't file the claim.....I had to file the claim myself. She picked up the phone and dialed the main office for NC and told the other lady at the other end of the phone line that someone was there tp file a claim and then gave that lady my policy number. I was handed the phone and I sat down at the desk and told that lady my drone encountered a bird strike and took out my drone. That lady then apologised to me for its death and said I was covered for $1445 and electronically transfered that amount into my account. She didn't want proof, pictures or the broken P3P. So now I have to go to Best Buy and buy a new P3P, some batteries and start with all the upgrades. The parts needed to repair my broken P3P come to $59.00.

Go ahead...ask me if I'm happy!!!

Sorry to hear about your Drone, I can't imagine birds attacking.. did you recover video??

This should be interesting......keep us posted.     This is the point you may find out that paying for insurance on a drone is easy....collecting on a claim is another beast alltogether

Good luck

I did not have the sd card inserted into the Phantom and I used my tab s2 so no steamed video.

Doesn't look too bad as it appears the gimbal and camera are still attached, what was the damage besides the prop?

I always have my SD card in and record every flight - from start to finish, even if it's just to drain the battery.  It's a little extra work, but I've read too many instances where something unexpected happened on a simple flight but either the person was not recording or did not have the SD card in.

timmer1 Posted at 2016-7-16 17:42
Doesn't look too bad as it appears the gimbal and camera are still attached, what was the damage bes ...

It has a broken arm and a broken leg

Ouch...Birds, Bees, and Trees. I guess I will have to add swallows to my unfriend list.

Swallows fly all around me when i cut the grass and they also fly around when i fly my P3. They have never attacked.

They have some lose screw in their brains, as I see them attack raptors, and I have seen one twice attack my cat which was looking outside behind a screen door! If that cat was outside, that bird will be cat food!

Good Luck obtaining coverage for that.  Please let us know if they covered the damage.

I feel your pain... had allmost the same experience yesterday, when a group of Seagulls thougt my P3S was a predator or something.

Sad to read about your troubled flight, battle in the air, and awful to see tha damage...but on a side note, I sure like your Phantom 3 colors and custom look.
Hope you get it repaired and back in the air soon. It's terrible to be without your prized drone... Good luck.

RedHotPoker

Sorry to hear

Cessna172 Posted at 2016-7-16 13:34
This should be interesting......keep us posted.     This is the point you may find out that paying f ...

Check out the update!

RedHotPoker Posted at 2016-7-18 09:56
Sad to read about your troubled flight, battle in the air, and awful to see tha damage...but on a si ...

Check out the update

Swallows have aimed for my drone a couple of times whilst out flying. It really is quite scary when they take a good run-up and then move away at the very last second.

WOW, that is AWESOME.
My friend is a State farm agent and she's been one for 20 years and when I first heard about the $60 insurance thing I tried and she said there's no way, State Farm can't do it (at least in California or Arizona)
What exactly are the details of your policy?

mjlstudios Posted at 2016-7-18 08:36
Check out the update

Ok, I'll bite.
Are you Happy!?!?
That's some kind of crazy accounting, by the powers that be... Hehe
Thanks for the most awesomeness of Phantom blues news....
Well done, now get those repair parts, and drinks for the house.. Yay, yeah-who...?

RedHotPoker

I am not able to see the update?  I only see one line Check out the update on 2 posts above?

Please let us know the details, or are you still typing the details?  I am waiting eagerly, so I can call my broker who tells me No Way, State Farm will not cover liability, damages while in flight, they only cover theft, if it occurs in our home.  If it gets stolen in our auto, then our auto insurance will cover it.

See the update In post #1, in "Red" letters... ;-)

RedHotPoker

That's great news!  I am calling my broker now!!  Maybe its different in other states?
I have a home owners policy with State farm.   I think if they say no, I will look for another insurance.

It's a large cargo pocket full of posey too. Hahaha
We need more good news stories on here... ;-)

RedHotPoker

WOW!!!! Great news on the update! I am going to look into this to see if my insurance company offers this type of coverage.

DJI-Ken Posted at 2016-7-18 11:00
WOW, that is AWESOME.
My friend is a State farm agent and she's been one for 20 years and when I fir ...

its just personal property insurance....like you get on a nice piece of jewelry.

mjlstudios Posted at 2016-7-19 02:22
its just personal property insurance....like you get on a nice piece of jewelry.

Sounds good, thanks.

MD_Icarus Posted at 2016-7-18 11:25
I am not able to see the update?  I only see one line Check out the update on 2 posts above?

Please ...

I never said anything about liability! This is personal property insurance on the P3P' Wed I will go back and see about liability insurance.

mjlstudios Posted at 2016-7-19 02:22
its just personal property insurance....like you get on a nice piece of jewelry.

Ahhh thanks this helps I was able to narrow it down...the web page says I have to call for more details.

mjlstudios Posted at 2016-7-18 11:26
I never said anything about liability! This is personal property insurance on the P3P' Wed I will  ...

Nice story in what state are you flying ?  I'm in California , I would gladly pay what you payed for same results .
That's awesome nice to hear your outcome
Happy flights
Steve

str1776 Posted at 2016-7-25 20:27
Nice story in what state are you flying ?  I'm in California , I would gladly pay what you payed f ...

I live in NC. I was born and raised in San Bernardino....where are you?

mjlstudios Posted at 2016-7-26 03:59
I live in NC. I was born and raised in San Bernardino....where are you?

I'm in San Clemente south Orange County next to camp Pendleton
Like your insurance plan I need to check out policy for your type of coverage
Thanks for tip Brother
Steve