Flying under trees

JonW · Aug 17, 2015

I came across this video on youtube showing a Solo crash apparently caused by briefly flying under the canopy of a tree.

Has anyone had a similar experience? Or have you successfully flown under trees or other structures which would block Solo's view of the sky? I would really love to be able to fly under or through such places to give my shots more dynamic interest, but now I'm afraid to because I don't want to have my Solo freak out and crash. Would I need to switch to fly manual? Or was this crash likely caused by something other than the tree cover?

If anyone has personal experience with flying below or through solid objects or structures and can share their experiences, observations and techniques I would really appreciate it. I want to get those types of shots but don't want to hurt anyone or crash my solo.

Thanks!

Earldgrayjr · Aug 17, 2015

JonW said:
I came across this video on youtube showing a Solo crash apparently caused by briefly flying under the canopy of a tree.

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Has anyone had a similar experience? Or have you successfully flown under trees or other structures which would block Solo's view of the sky? I would really love to be able to fly under or through such places to give my shots more dynamic interest, but now I'm afraid to because I don't want to have my Solo freak out and crash. Would I need to switch to fly manual? Or was this crash likely caused by something other than the tree cover?

If anyone has personal experience with flying below or through solid objects or structures and can share their experiences, observations and techniques I would really appreciate it. I want to get those types of shots but don't want to hurt anyone or crash my solo.

Thanks!

I wouldn't suggest trying to fly through "solid objects". Lol... (Though I have tried with smaller quads, and a biplane in the past)

I have flown Solo now in tight places with cover. The key is to be in Manual. If you don't put it there, it will go there when it loses GPS lock. Best to practice manual in open space first, as even fairly slight wind will cause it to drift. Even though it is fairly easy as it still uses gyro, barometer, compass, you should get used to it in an open space. Also be aware that in this mode it uses barometer to maintain altitude, so if you have quick changes in pressure, it will act accordingly. I have actually been practicing this, and my biggest problem is the "straight" shots where I (as an example) want to follow a straight road with a tree canopy at about 10 ft. Takes some setup and skill, but it can be done.

Ian [P13] · Aug 17, 2015

This was before the firmware fix, albeit if you're flying under anything that's solid, fly:manual is the safest option.

JonW · Aug 17, 2015

Earldgrayjr said:
I wouldn't suggest trying to fly through "solid objects". Lol... (Though I have tried with smaller quads, and a biplane in the past)

Haha! I hope that worked out well for you.I should have specified solid objects WITH a hole of at least Solo size

JonW · Aug 17, 2015

Earldgrayjr said:
I have actually been practicing this, and my biggest problem is the "straight" shots where I (as an example) want to follow a straight road with a tree canopy at about 10 ft.

I have flown a little in manual, but with wind it is tiring for sure. I found the same thing. Straight lines are a challenge. I will take your advice and practice some more before heading for a tree covered trail through the woods.

erikgraham · Aug 17, 2015

Right now the Phantom 3s or the Inspire1 are the best choice for flying under cover. Unless you want to do it yourself and add an optical flow sensor and sonar to the Solo - which the PixHawk supports already on the software/firmware side of things. You just have to get it all connected (soldering required) and tuned. Or wait until they start selling the add on, which I would guess will come in the late fall (that's purely speculation on my part, but it matches up to 3DR past history). I'm sure some 3rd party guys will start selling them soon as well, kinda like the guys selling long range antennas.

JonW · Aug 17, 2015

I was thinking that optical flow and sonar would be great options for the expansion bay. I hope 3DR does give us some good add-ons in the near future

erikgraham · Aug 17, 2015

JonW said:
I was thinking that optical flow and sonar would be great options for the expansion bay. I hope 3DR does give us some good add-ons in the near future

They had the Solo's running with them at NAB2015. So its pretty clear they will release it as an add on at some point. One would presume they are 110% focused on the gimbal right now.

JonW · Aug 17, 2015

I wondered how they got stable flight indoors at NAB

rrmccabe · Aug 17, 2015

I would be surprised if the Phantom will ever be the filming machine the solo should be so not exactly a fair comparison.

But the Phantom will fly circles around the solo under trees even without turning on the positioning system. They are just different animals.

I have to think 3dr will attempt to improve this.

Jubalr · Aug 17, 2015

JonW said:
I wondered how they got stable flight indoors at NAB

Manual mode. I know I sound like a broken record on this site, and for that I apologize. But so many of these mishaps could be avoided by knowing how to fly in manual and saving GPS for smart shots and missions. I know it is supposed to be a good crutch for new flyers, but it's not working out that way. And he didn't help in this video by hitting pause, as that is GPS dependent as well and would not make any difference in that situation.

erikgraham · Aug 17, 2015

Jubalr said:
Manual mode. I know I sound like a broken record on this site, and for that I apologize. But so many of these mishaps could be avoided by knowing how to fly in manual and saving GPS for smart shots and missions. I know it is supposed to be a good crutch for new flyers, but it's not working out that way. And he didn't help in this video by hitting pause, as that is GPS dependent as well and would not make any difference in that situation.

No they definitely had all the Solos at NAB equipped with optical flow sensors.

I do agree that Manual mode, ie. Alt Hold is important to master.