What's the fascination of flying out as far as you can

Rich2871 · Feb 28, 2016

Noodle said:
Same question as why go rock climbing up some steep dangerous cliff when you can hitch a helicopter up there?

It's the thrill about pushing the limit.

My thoughts exactly, Pushing the limits, living on the edge.

Phantom751874 · Feb 28, 2016

Dirty Bird said:
Litchi or one of the other aftermarket flight apps that allow autonomous mission planning beyond controller range. I have a couple of really long distance flights I'd like to attempt.

First is Ft. Smallwood Park to the Key Bridge & back.
23,450' one way. 46,900' round trip. 8.88 miles.

Second is the Bay Bridge Run. Western Shore to Eastern Shore.
23,970' one way. 47,940' round trip. 9.08 miles.

Both flights would be completely over water so no civilian risk is involved. Obviously these flights need to occur in warm weather. Would have to commence flight in the early AM in calm conditions. At 30 mph the Phantom covers .5 miles per minute so a 20 minute flight would cover 10 miles. At 35 mph that works out to .583 miles per minute or 11.8 miles total for a 20 minute flight.

It was this sort of mission that led me to purchase a Standard as the couple extra minutes of flight time afforded by the lighter weight (1216g vs.1280 for Pro/Advanced) could be the difference between a successful mission & coming down in the Bay. There is no room for error on this mission. If you fall short she is landing in the Bay!

Before undertaking such a mission I would head to the Eastern Shore for some over-land range tests, progressively working her out towards 10 miles round trip. If I can successfully achieve 10 miles over land then I plan on attempting these missions.

I think 10 mile round trip would be cutting it really really close from a stock battery standpoint. I wouldn't attempt that without doing a battery mod.

Dirty Bird · Feb 28, 2016

Actually 9.08 for my intended mission but it is still cutting it close as its all over water! Definitely a pucker-up mission!

Phantom751874 said:
I think 10 mile round trip would be cutting it really really close from a stock battery standpoint. I wouldn't attempt that without doing a battery mod.

DroneDestination · Feb 28, 2016

Dirty Bird, maybe its time for that FPVLR battery mod on one of your batteries... that plus a lightweight Std should be more than enough for the 9 miles

Phantom751874 · Feb 28, 2016

Dirty Bird said:
Actually 9.08 for my intended mission but it is still cutting it close as its all over water! Definitely a pucker-up mission!

Ya, that would still be really close. I did 8 miles on the dot and got back with the P3 above me with 10% remaining. It never went into battery auto-land but it was probably only seconds from doing it before I landed and cut power.

I was fighting a 15mph headwind all the way out and rode that tailwind on the way back. Since then newer DJi firmware now limits you to 35mph in P-GPS mode even when your riding a tailwind. I know you said it would be a litchi mission but just so you know if you kick it into ATTI it'll take advantage of the tailwind immediately. I was going 35mph with a tailwind this weekend full throttle and switched it to ATTI holding full throttle and it shot to 50mph.

KyleMaxxUAV · Feb 28, 2016

HealthyDrones.com - Innovative flight data analysis that matters

Took the leash off today and gave it a shot !! Pretty awesome piece of machinery !

Sent from my iPhone using PhantomPilots mobile app

With The Birds · Feb 28, 2016

DroneDestination said:
Definitely... the first fuel-cell CAR was just recently made (Toyota Mirai) and you want one the size of a small brick... good luck lol

No luck needed. It's already well advanced as a working prototype for drone application.

See here Hydrogen-powered Hycopter quadcopter could fly for 4 hours at a time

You don't need a small brick. The tubular chassis can be used to hold the fuel (hydrogen). 4.20z of hydrogen giving the same energy as 6.6 lb of lithium batteries.

no LOL required!

alokbhargava · Feb 28, 2016

exit 4 said:
I am disabled and don't have the luxury of hopping in my car and driving off to some of the great places I see many of you guys photograph. I am stuck in my back yard and use my P3A as an extension of myself to go as far from my house as I can. And like many of you, it gives me a thrill when I see the sights from 400 feet in the air. Distance is my personal escape.

You will find some one who takes you out with your P3 to get the "luxury" of seeing great places. Best wishes, I am touched by your words.

TK P3A · Feb 28, 2016

I got a little over 4 miles into a 15mph headwind with DBS and boosters and landed wit 17%. I was getting nervous on way back with the wind. Battery line didn't turn green to rth til about 50ft out.

I am thinking 5 miles even without wind is gonna be cutting it close. I would recommend you scout an early landing place about a half mile and maybe a mile out just in case.

gmartinez0003 · Feb 28, 2016

exit 4 said:
I am disabled and don't have the luxury of hopping in my car and driving off to some of the great places I see many of you guys photograph. I am stuck in my back yard and use my P3A as an extension of myself to go as far from my house as I can. And like many of you, it gives me a thrill when I see the sights from 400 feet in the air. Distance is my personal escape.

Nice! Keep on keeping on brother!!

Sent from my iPad using PhantomPilots mobile app

Ajginger · Feb 29, 2016

Rich2871 said:
My thoughts exactly, Pushing the limits, living on the edge.

For me it is a matter work related. I use the drone on my cattle station in Australia to find cattle in the paddocks when we muster them. (Locate them with the drone, ride out on horseback and get em)
Some of the paddocks are around 12,000 acres in size so the further out I can go the better.

DownUnder · Feb 29, 2016

JickMagger said:
We would never have made it to North America or the moon with that attitude.

They never made it to the moon !

Noodle · Feb 29, 2016

DownUnder said:
They never made it to the moon !

Screen-Shot-2016-01-21-at-11.23.57-AM.png

Walt Rush · Mar 5, 2016

Ropes? What ropes? We don't need no stinking ropes!

alokbhargava · Mar 5, 2016

Dirty Bird said:
Actually 9.08 for my intended mission but it is still cutting it close as its all over water! Definitely a pucker-up mission!

How does this odd number 9.08 comes to your wish to fly?

metronome · Mar 5, 2016

I've had mine since mid-December and still only fly VLOS. As my skill and comfort level increase, so shall my range. I've got all the time in the world, and the journey of learning and practicing is all part of the allure....

Dirty Bird · Mar 5, 2016

9.08 miles is the round-trip distance from my intended launch point on the Western side of the Chesapeake Bay, to the marina at the Bay Bridge base on the Eastern Shore side, & back. 47,940' as measured by Google Earth.

alokbhargava said:
How does this odd number 9.08 comes to your wish to fly?

dirtybum · Mar 5, 2016

Dirty Bird said:
I keep doing the math on this mission in my head...

At 30mph it takes 18.16 minutes to cover 9.08 miles.

At 35 mph it takes 15.57 minutes to cover 9.08 miles.

With warm temps, calm winds, a good battery @ 100%, I think this is doable.

I think....

Oh, its doable DB!
Check this out.
Trade p3-batteries

BobW · Mar 5, 2016

And then they cry like babies when they lose there ride.

shorttimer · Mar 5, 2016

BobW said:
And then they cry like babies when they lose there ride.

Quite honestly it seems like most of the crashes are from very close such as RTH doing something they don't expect, losing a prop, flying into something, going straight down, etc. Granted some, but not all that many crashes are from 1-2 miles away.

I did it once just to test it and admire the technology. I doubt I would do it again. I usually fly between 300-400' but I have a big open wide area just outside my back door and I enjoy there as well as anyplace. To each their own.