I feel so lucky to have my P4P+ intact and working fine after being attacked – from a suddenly appearing eagle. All I could do was bring the drone home at full speed while descending at a steady speed. I had nothing else in my control as I watched this bloody big bird attack my drone.

All jokes aside, it was an awful heart-stopping few seconds. And, it's caputured on video. Which I will not post, other then this picture showing the F***er.

Wow, nasty birdie!! Where was this?

DJI Phantom, the other white meat... Hahaha


Sure it was not hungry, or things, would get real... Fast!! ;-)


RedHotPoker

Geebax Posted at 2016-12-31 23:48
Wow, nasty birdie!! Where was this?

South Coast, NSW

fans6c69eba4 Posted at 2017-1-1 00:00
South Coast, NSW

Was it a Wedge Tail or a Sea Eagle?

Geebax Posted at 2017-1-1 00:13
Was it a Wedge Tail or a Sea Eagle?

No idea. Not an Ornithologist. I would call it a Big F***er Eagle

Zilant Posted at 2017-1-1 00:20
No idea. Not an Ornithologist. I would call it a Big F***er Eagle

Yeah, that's a good enough description.

Zilant Posted at 2017-1-1 00:20
No idea. Not an Ornithologist. I would call it a Big F***er Eagle

Aren't they all? ;-)




RedHotPoker

RedHotPoker Posted at 2017-1-1 00:31
Aren't they all? ;-)

[view_image][view_image]

I got a close up of it's claws. Bloody scary.

Zilant Posted at 2017-1-1 00:35
I got a close up of it's claws. Bloody scary.

I remember some of the more interesting instances caught on video...


RedHotPoker

RedHotPoker Posted at 2017-1-1 00:48
I remember some of the more interesting instances caught on video...https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vdgvlHH3JSA

Ah yes, the eagle in that clip is an Australian Wedge Tailed Eagle. We have a pair living near us.

RedHotPoker Posted at 2017-1-1 00:48
I remember some of the more interesting instances caught on video...https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vdgvlHH3JSA

Yeah, i watched a couple of youtube clips when I returned home to see what I could had done. Most videos I found had the pilots flying around the bird. There seem to be none, if not much effort to fly away – I could be wrong.

I've just personally learnt how little control of the situation we pilots can have. I saw an Eagle a couple of days ago and instantly lowered the drone. This f***er came from nowhere!

Zilant Posted at 2017-1-1 00:59
Yeah, i watched a couple of youtube clips when I returned home to see what I could had done. Most videos I found had the pilots flying around the bird. There seem to be none, if not much effort to fly away – I could be wrong.

I've just personally learnt how little control of the situation we pilots can have. I saw an Eagle a couple of days ago and instantly lowered the drone. This f***er came from nowhere!

You are quite right. When these tales come up there are always people who pipe up to say what should have been done, but the simple fact is, the eagle is a fantastic predator, so just surviving is against the odds anyway. You were very lucky for your aircraft to get away unharmed.

Geebax Posted at 2017-1-1 01:03
You are quite right. When these tales come up there are always people who pipe up to say what should have been done, but the simple fact is, the eagle is a fantastic predator, so just surviving is against the odds anyway. You were very lucky for your aircraft to get away unharmed.

I'm very lucky, very.

Geebax Posted at 2017-1-1 00:55
Ah yes, the eagle in that clip is an Australian Wedge Tailed Eagle. We have a pair living near us.

Geoff  Yes, that remarkable video was recorded in your backyard ~ Australia...

Do you remember this one?

RedHotPoker

RedHotPoker Posted at 2017-1-1 01:24
Geoff  Yes, that remarkable video was recorded in your backyard ~ Australia...

Do you remember this one?https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FX3uOQiZs0A

Yes, I seem to remember seeing that before.

Geebax Posted at 2017-1-1 01:30
Yes, I seem to remember seeing that before.

Yeah, It could have ended so much worse. ;-)


RedHotPoker

Zilant Posted at 2017-1-1 01:08
I'm very lucky, very.

The wedgetail has the equipment and the experience.
They are supreme in their environment.
Here's a shot of two I saw a while back.
One attacked the other and they locked talons and fell spinning a couple of hundred feet.
The pic is taken just as they disengaged.

I've had to dogfight magpies with the P3 to avoid attack.
It could outclimb them but that just meant more time in vulnerable slow descent.
Sport mode on the P4pro would be great against magpies and could be a good help against eagles too (unless they are in a power dive from up high).

We are lucky to fly with the Eagles, when they allow us in their air space.
This shot won a drone photography award, for the lucky pilot..
Quite the awesome timing. ;-)

RedHotPoker

RedHotPoker Posted at 2017-1-1 01:55
We are lucky to fly with the Eagles, when they allow us in their air space.
This shot won a drone photography award, for the lucky pilot..[view_image]
Quite the awesome timing. ;-)

WOW! incredible photo.

and well said to your point of being the animals space.
Next time, which i hope does not occur. I will switch to Sports Mode. I was freaking out too much to think about other modes.

D. Brent Posted at 2017-1-1 02:00
WOW! incredible photo.

and well said to your point of being the animals space.

Yes, they aren't all bad... ;-)



RedHotPoker

I remember some years back going to the Healesville Sanctuary, where they have a raptor display, and going out front with a leather sleeve on to catch a Wedge Tail Eagle. It was trained to fly in low behind the crowd, who were on bleachers, swoop down and land on the targets arm. The things I most remember where how heavy it was and those eyes perring into mine.

Yes, They love to eat the eyeballs first. Hahaha


RedHotPoker

I remember camping at some lake in Northern CA once (Lassen Nat. Park?) and we were taking bets on some eagle soaring overhead getting one of the baby geese on the lake he was circling over.

Momma goose was having none of the eagle's diving bombing to her kids and flew up a couple of times for the block with a lot of feathers flying on the aerial collision.  Eagle kept trying, but momma goose won the battle and the eagle gave up and flew off.  The daddy goose did nothing but watch with the kids on the lake which seemed strange.  Still don't know how a goose can attack as they have no weapons (talons) other than biting and bulk.

Nothing like an angry momma.

Zilant Posted at 2017-1-1 01:08
I'm very lucky, very.

It's great to hear that you got out of it unscathed. I'm curious, how high up were you when the eagle finally knocked it out of the air? That photo you got of it was pretty remarkable.

RedHotPoker Posted at 2017-1-1 01:24
Geoff  Yes, that remarkable video was recorded in your backyard ~ Australia...

Do you remember this one?https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FX3uOQiZs0A

I remember seeing this when it came out. It just really shows you how little eagles care about propellers, they probably get a better fight from everyday prey.

Labroides Posted at 2017-1-1 01:41
The wedgetail has the equipment and the experience.
They are supreme in their environment.
Here's a shot of two I saw a while back.

How did you end up getting this shot? It's a really cool!

I've been lucky that birds have not tried to take out any of my drones when I fly (knock on wood), so I haven't had to dogfight myself.

RedHotPoker Posted at 2017-1-1 01:55
We are lucky to fly with the Eagles, when they allow us in their air space.
This shot won a drone photography award, for the lucky pilot..[view_image]
Quite the awesome timing. ;-)

That's a fantastic shot, it definitely shows the pilot's skills for sure. Do you happen to know which drone they took this with?

DJI-Jamie Posted at 2017-1-1 14:44
How did you end up getting this shot? It's a really cool!

I've been lucky that birds have not tried to take out any of my drones when I fly (knock on wood), so I haven't had to dogfight myself.

With a telephoto lens from the ground.  Not with a Phantom.

Labroides Posted at 2017-1-1 15:09
With a telephoto lens from the ground.  Not with a Phantom.

If it was with a Phantom, I'm sure the eagles' attention would have been diverted to take it out.

That's a great lens to get a shot like that. Thanks for sharing.

Are there any colors that might prevent it from being attacked?

trance728- Posted at 2017-1-1 15:24
Are there any colors that might prevent it from being attacked?

Yeah, repetitious reptilian scales and a set of Large angry or hungry eyes on the front. haha

RedHotPoker

DJI-Jamie Posted at 2017-1-1 14:48
That's a fantastic shot, it definitely shows the pilot's skills for sure. Do you happen to know which drone they took this with?

No, but it was a GoPro camera attached. Contest was held in 2014. Perhaps a Phantom 2?

http://www.dronestagr.am/bali-barat-national-park-indonesia/

http://twistedsifter.com/2014/07 ... photography-awards/

RedHotPoker

DJI-Jamie Posted at 2017-1-1 14:41
I remember seeing this when it came out. It just really shows you how little eagles care about propellers, they probably get a better fight from everyday prey.

Having gone against sharp fangs and claws, even antlers, surely our plastic props are a piece of cake. Haha


RedHotPoker

DJI-Jamie Posted at 2017-1-1 14:40
It's great to hear that you got out of it unscathed. I'm curious, how high up were you when the eagle finally knocked it out of the air? That photo you got of it was pretty remarkable.

From memory it was approx 60-70 metres high.

I have another clear shot of it's claws. I can't post in this thread unless i upload to a host i think?? Anyway, I will upload the attack one day in slow motion. It's scary footage shot on 2K @ 60 F/S. The eagle is coming straight down the camera lens. I hate watching it! lol

trance728- Posted at 2017-1-1 15:24
Are there any colors that might prevent it from being attacked?

I have a suggestion (that all the greenies will love) for DJI to add to future drones....

Give the drones an electronic shot release. There is a similar technology for surfers. An electric pulse (or something of that affect) from the leg rope to scare, but not harm sharks.

Before i cope abuse, I know this could not happen, just you know... throwing it out there :p

D. Brent Posted at 2017-1-2 02:48
From memory it was approx 60-70 metres high.

I have another clear shot of it's claws. I can't post in this thread unless i upload to a host i think?? Anyway, I will upload the attack one day in slow motion. It's scary footage shot on 2K @ 60 F/S. The eagle is coming straight down the camera lens. I hate watching it! lol

If it's a video, then you probably need to use a host like YouTube, Vimeo etc. Posting another still should be as easy as the last one you posted. I'm sure it's still traumatic to look at, especially when it happens to your own aircraft, maybe it will be something that you can revisit at at a later date when the wounds have healed a bit.

D. Brent Posted at 2017-1-2 02:54
I have a suggestion (that all the greenies will love) for DJI to add to future drones....

Give the drones an electronic shot release. There is a similar technology for surfers. An electric pulse (or something of that affect) from the leg rope to scare, but not harm sharks.

From an electronics stand point, yea, that may not be feasible since it would affect the drone's internal components as well, but I see your point.

I've seen some threads floating around about reflective tape that deters birds, but I don't know whether that would deter eagles. That may be a neat non invasive invention that could make a pretty penny for drone users.

AlecW Posted at 2017-1-3 10:59
Put a picture of a rabbit on the top of the drone, that will do it

A little counterintuitive, isnt it?