Okay, I'm not even sure why I'm sharing this story but here goes. I was one of the early pre-orders for the Solo, brand new to drones or much of anything RC. I read about it on Wired and ordered it on whim. I got the general hang of it pretty quickly and flew it once or twice a week. Enjoyed it more once I got the gimbal. Still, I didn't have the time to become much of an expert. So I flew very safe, high in the air, keeping it on the lowest speed setting until a month ago when I graduated to the second lowest setting. The problem was, flying safe and high was not a lot of fun. But flying closer to trees or obstacles was nerve wracking because of the fear losing something so spendy. So the more I flew it, the less I enjoyed it. Finally, I thought, this is ridiculous, I'm not having any fun because I'm worried about losing something that isn't even enjoyable the way I'm using it. I decided I would continue to careful about human safety but I would quit being so uptight about the drone's safety. And I started to have more fun and I got to be a (slightly) better pilot.
Then a few days ago, I was flying over Lake Arrowhead. I was standing on a cliff about 100 feet over the lake so the drone was below me for much of the time. I descended slowly toward the water and stopped when I started to see the water disrupted by the wind from the props. I sped across the top of the water, about ten feet up and got some of the coolest shots I've gotten yet. I brought it back for a battery change and then headed back down toward the water to do some more. I was watching the drone drop down toward the water. At about 40 feet over the water I start to slow down when the drone vanishes. It took me a shocked moment to realize what had happened. To my downward perspective, it looked like I was well above the water. I was not. I was in it. The drone was gone with no hope of ever coming back. With the gimbal and the Hero4, 2 grand dropped in the water. It was a sensation I've never experienced. It was like the shock of being in a car wreck but with no physical pain. I calmly told my wife, who was playing with our kids at the park, "the drone is gone. I just dropped it in the lake." We both just stood there.
Now before the trolls come out to tell me what a moron I am, I'll save you the trouble. I know. This one is all on me. Can't blame anyone - as much as I'd like to. I was careless, heading down to the water too fast. Should have descended more slowly as I had the first time but for some reason I thought I was well above the deck. It's actually a good life lesson that I learned with no risk to my health.
I'm lucky in the sense that I make a comfortable living so it's not as though I saved up for months to buy the thing. Still, I'm not careless with money and it stung like crazy to see that much of it drop into a lake - especially when it was my own fault.
I'm not sure what I'll do now. I'd like to get another one but I think I'll look for a less expensive alternative. Something nice enough to really fly well but cheap enough that I won't be nervous the whole time. And maybe work my way back up to whatever 3dr's next generation winds up being. In the meantime, I guess I thought this story was nuts enough to share. Hope you enjoyed it.
Then a few days ago, I was flying over Lake Arrowhead. I was standing on a cliff about 100 feet over the lake so the drone was below me for much of the time. I descended slowly toward the water and stopped when I started to see the water disrupted by the wind from the props. I sped across the top of the water, about ten feet up and got some of the coolest shots I've gotten yet. I brought it back for a battery change and then headed back down toward the water to do some more. I was watching the drone drop down toward the water. At about 40 feet over the water I start to slow down when the drone vanishes. It took me a shocked moment to realize what had happened. To my downward perspective, it looked like I was well above the water. I was not. I was in it. The drone was gone with no hope of ever coming back. With the gimbal and the Hero4, 2 grand dropped in the water. It was a sensation I've never experienced. It was like the shock of being in a car wreck but with no physical pain. I calmly told my wife, who was playing with our kids at the park, "the drone is gone. I just dropped it in the lake." We both just stood there.
Now before the trolls come out to tell me what a moron I am, I'll save you the trouble. I know. This one is all on me. Can't blame anyone - as much as I'd like to. I was careless, heading down to the water too fast. Should have descended more slowly as I had the first time but for some reason I thought I was well above the deck. It's actually a good life lesson that I learned with no risk to my health.
I'm lucky in the sense that I make a comfortable living so it's not as though I saved up for months to buy the thing. Still, I'm not careless with money and it stung like crazy to see that much of it drop into a lake - especially when it was my own fault.
I'm not sure what I'll do now. I'd like to get another one but I think I'll look for a less expensive alternative. Something nice enough to really fly well but cheap enough that I won't be nervous the whole time. And maybe work my way back up to whatever 3dr's next generation winds up being. In the meantime, I guess I thought this story was nuts enough to share. Hope you enjoyed it.
