What every boat owning drone pilot fears ....

[Baggywrinkle]

As a drone user, the few seconds of denial on the poor blokes face are hard to watch ...

... anyone else had a similar experience?

 

[KREW2]

As a drone user, the few seconds of denial on the poor blokes face are hard to watch ...

... anyone else had a similar experience?

That made I larf.

 

[TeamSturdy]

It looked like he was holding it down...and there was no other way, plus the wind from sailing along.

I flew my drone on our last holiday off the boat (a charter) for the first time, and was convinced it was going to land in the sea. Every time it went fine until the very end.

I actually found it was best to put it on our sup board behind the boat and take off and land from that. There was also the dingy to land it in too, although I think I'll stick to the land (paddle to the beach) for now.

 

[Tradewinds]

I think Juho has more experience than most of us when it comes to using drones underway. Hence the perplexed look.

 

[capnsensible]

I've sailed with a couple of Finns. Another guy I coached is married to a Finette. Or whatever! He assured me that facial expressions and Finns don't sit in the same sentence. That guy would have been the same if y9u gave him a million dollars or told him his dog had been run over. Having been in close company at sea, I believe it....

 

[stranded]

I've sailed with a couple of Finns. Another guy I coached is married to a Finette. Or whatever! He assured me that facial expressions and Finns don't sit in the same sentence. That guy would have been the same if y9u gave him a million dollars or told him his dog had been run over. Having been in close company at sea, I believe it....

In the hood old days I was involved in various European working groups, committees etc. we’d all sit around a big table with our little national flags in front of us, our ministry of foreign affairs minders behind us. After each proposal was introduced by the chair or its sponsor we would be asked if we agreed. Each delegate would give a little spiel then (mostly) agree. Except the Finns, who would waste no words and flatly intone “Yers”, or occasionally “Noo..” - sort of like anti-Italians. Always quite animated when it came time to go to the pub though.

 

[AntarcticPilot]

In the hood old days I was involved in various European working groups, committees etc. we’d all sit around a big table with our little national flags in front of us, our ministry of foreign affairs minders behind us. After each proposal was introduced by the chair or its sponsor we would be asked if we agreed. Each delegate would give a little spiel then (mostly) agree. Except the Finns, who would waste no words and flatly intone “Yers”, or occasionally “Noo..” - sort of like anti-Italians. Always quite animated when it came time to go to the pub though.

It was quite fun representing Antarctica at standards meetings!

 

[KREW2]

It's the way he stares into the void for a few seconds. I'd give a penny for his thoughts. It is as if he thinks going to re merge from the depths

 

[Frank Holden]

That was lost taking off.
I've never been game to use mine at sea as I fear losing it when trying to get it back.

 

[Refueler]

It was quite fun representing Antarctica at standards meetings!

Old joke about Finns' ...

Two old Finnish guys fishing. One says to other after a few hours silence ... not many fish here ....

6 hours later other guy replies : You want to fish or talk ?

Estonians are just the same !!

 

[RobbieW]

I was taught a Finnish drinking song. It goes 'La'; after all, are we drinking or are we singing

 

[Refueler]

That was lost taking off.
I've never been game to use mine at sea as I fear losing it when trying to get it back.

I lost a DJI Phantom into the river near my house .... wind picked up on its flight home and battery ran out ... tried to direct its landing - but it went into the river ...

I did find it as it was half held by the tall rushes .... but water had destroyed the electronics. I found it by using the GPS signal and last known co-ords ...

 

[Baggywrinkle]

I lost a DJI Phantom into the river near my house .... wind picked up on its flight home and battery ran out ... tried to direct its landing - but it went into the river ...

I did find it as it was half held by the tall rushes .... but water had destroyed the electronics. I found it by using the GPS signal and last known co-ords ...

Ouch .... that was an expensive learning experience. Reminds me of my final flight with my first RC Helicopter - it was a week old ..... wind got it and it flew out of sight and into some woods. Never found it as there was no GPS in RC models back then.

I have managed to recover my drone in high winds by flying low as the wind speed is generally lower nearer the ground.

 

[Frogmogman]

I guess it’s an occupational hazard of flying drones off boats. I think I’m right in thinking that if you buy the magic mini with the subscription, you’re covered for losing/crashing the first drone.

Spoiler alert. If you’re following Harry Dwyers Avon Searider around Britain and have yet to watch the latest episode, look away now !!

Harry managed to lose his drone in some fog just below Ullapool. It lost contact with the control unit, and was already low on juice.

I’m holding off on h getting a drone until I feel that I’m getting all that I can out of my GoPro Max 360. Quite happy with it so far, but I feel that I’ve only scratched the surface so far.

 

[bdh198]

I’ve lost two drones overboard. Both cheap(ish) secondhand DJI Phantoms. The first was rather embarrassingly because I forgot to turn off Return To Home when trying to get footage of the boat under sail in the Solent. It was in bright summer sunshine, and when RTH kicked in I wasn’t able to see the screen clearly to deactivate the setting in time before it tried to land on the water. The second loss was again trying to get footage of the boat cruising under spinnaker while crossing Lyme Bay, but I flew too close to the stern and clipped the danbuoy flag pole causing the drone to spin into the sea…

The lessons I’ve taken away is to never try and capture drone footage of a boat underway, and to bring the drone back aboard as soon as the battery hits 40%. These days, I’ll only ever send it up in light winds from a calm anchorage!

 

[Koeketiene]

As a drone user, the few seconds of denial on the poor blokes face are hard to watch ...

... anyone else had a similar experience?

Needs a SwellPro Spry+

Has been in the drink more than a couple of times. See last 5/10 seconds of the clip below.
Even sailed over it once.
None the worse for wear.

There are many drones with far superior image quality, but if you want a sturdy and waterproof drone...

 

[chris-s]

One of my better crashes a few years back and whilst not strictly ‘at sea’ we were ‘over the sea’….

 

[billskip]

. we’d all sit around a big table with our little national flags in front of us, our ministry of foreign affairs minders behind us.

I remember those, many yrs ago I was at one in Jyvaskyla, I fell asleep and started snoring loudly.....

 

[AntarcticPilot]

I remember those, many yrs ago I was at one in Jyvaskyla, I fell asleep and started snoring loudly.....

Never managed that, but I did write a letter to my aunt during one such meeting!

 

[ashtead]

How do drone pilots control attacks by Seagulls? I watched a perfectly good vid the other day of Beaucette marina sabotaged by seagull attacks .