Scary moment or two...

[PaulClement]

Flew my Solo over the building where I work. They are putting new roofing on it. Took it up to 250 ft with camera pointed directly down to get really good footage and when I finished I pressed the home button as I have done more than a dozen times before. It was in the process of landing and roughly about a foot to foot and a half from the ground, it took off sideways towards the cars in the parking lot.
I had no control over it. Felt like instant knots in my stomach. One good thing did happen... one of the legs scraped the ground and it flipped onto the props tops and they spun for a few seconds and stopped. Props are all scraped and gnarled now and all this time I'm thinking........,.

(WTS)
What The Solo

Never had anything like that since I purchased it
It was exceptionally hot that day and maybe the processor cooked a little.
Also keep in mind that the solo being plastic and black can absorb the suns heat a lot more than a light color drone.
I do have another set of props for my next solo flight fix. Those cool green props from Master Air Screw.

 

[jimloss]

Flew my Solo over the building where I work. They are putting new roofing on it. Took it up to 250 ft with camera pointed directly down to get really good footage and when I finished I pressed the home button as I have done more than a dozen times before. It was in the process of landing and roughly about a foot to foot and a half from the ground, it took off sideways towards the cars in the parking lot.
I had no control over it. Felt like instant knots in my stomach. One good thing did happen... one of the legs scraped the ground and it flipped onto the props tops and they spun for a few seconds and stopped. Props are all scraped and gnarled now and all this time I'm thinking........,.

(WTS)
What The Solo

Never had anything like that since I purchased it
It was exceptionally hot that day and maybe the processor cooked a little.
Also keep in mind that the solo being plastic and black can absorb the suns heat a lot more than a light color drone.
I do have another set of props for my next solo flight fix. Those cool green props from Master Air Screw.

That is exactly the time the "A" button being programmed for Fly:Manual would have saved you. You had a GPS signal problem. Could have given it more altitude, switched to manual, and then landed safely. Always landing in manual when there are buildings or tress around will prevent getting in this situation to begin with.

 

[so low still grounded]

I had a similar experience when taking off, the drone came sideways toward me and as I ducked it headed toward a building but I managed to land it OK. I suspect that I was too eager to take off and did not have proper GPS connection. I need to find a good soccer field and get some fly manual practise in. Panicking is no picnic. I guess that's why we call it training so under unforseen events we don't go off the rails because of a panic attack. Practice and practice some more and then some.

 

[User Name]

That is exactly the time the "A" button being programmed for Fly:Manual would have saved you. You had a GPS signal problem.

Better yet, drop to manual when it's ~20 or so feet up and bring it the rest of the way down manually. GPS loss is most likely to happen the closer to the ground you get - more chance of objects (buildings, trees, cars, etc.) obstructing the view of the sky. Whenever the landing spot is tight or otherwise limits the view of the sky, I land manually. That's the last place I want to risk a GPS glitch, just no time to react and too much to potentially hit.

 

[PaulClement]

That is exactly the time the "A" button being programmed for Fly:Manual would have saved you. You had a GPS signal problem. Could have given it more altitude, switched to manual, and then landed safely. Always landing in manual when there are buildings or tress around will prevent getting in this situation to begin with.

Thank you for that advice now..,. Where did I put that A button... only kidding. Is it easy to set that up? Is it under the settings on solo app?

 

[PaulClement]

I had a similar experience when taking off, the drone came sideways toward me and as I ducked it headed toward a building but I managed to land it OK. I suspect that I was too eager to take off and did not have proper GPS connection. I need to find a good soccer field and get some fly manual practise in. Panicking is no picnic. I guess that's why we call it training so under unforseen events we don't go go off the rails because of a panic attack. Practice and practice some more and then some.

I was actually going to get a haircut after work but not by a drone prop.

 

[Maddog]

Thank you for that advice now..,. Where did I put that A button... only kidding. Is it easy to set that up? Is it under the settings on solo app?

Yes, but you need to have Solo & controller on and connected and you have to have advanced flight modes enabled.

 

[PaulClement]

Got it thank you

 

[PaulClement]

Took it out tonight and no oroblem

 

[Maddog]

Took it out tonight and no oroblem

I've learned that no matter what you do to a drone, they are complex machines and flying is inherently dangerous.

Sometimes they are going to do something not expected or desired. All we can do is just be prepared for the unexpected.

And practice, practice, practice in manual mode. At the very least you should be able to fly a circle and figure 8 with the nose pointed forward and no automated assistance.

 

[carpy]

Post your logs so we can take a look at them--I'm not convinced it was a GPS problem.

 

[Learning2Fly]

Carpy what are you thinking it might be ?....

 

[carpy]

Carpy what are you thinking it might be ?....

Compass interference...

 

[PaulClement]

Post your logs so we can take a look at them--I'm not convinced it was a GPS problem.

Not logged. Don't have gimble or gopro.
How do I log flights. Not using the app for flights. Well...not until I can afford the gimble and gopro. Only for settings now.

 

[PaulClement]

Post your logs so we can take a look at them--I'm not convinced it was a GPS problem.

P.S. that happened on Friday the 4th and today...the 9th my black master air screw props came to replace the fudged stock props that were asphalt sanded on the 4th.
Took it up about 30 to 40 ft and brought it over to land it and toggled down on the left toggle to land and within a foot to foot and a half it took off to its left and flipped and we'll ant condolences for my brand new props would be appreciated. I can't believe it. This doesn't happen in the field, 9nly at work and only these two times. I have flown this at work since it arrived. I heard about someone calibrating before every flight. Not sure now.. I am actually afraid to fly my solo now. Don't mean to sound like a whiner but this was such a pleasure till now. Any suggestions would help

 

[PaulClement]

P.S. that happened on Friday the 4th and today...the 9th my black master air screw props came to replace the fudged stock props that were asphalt sanded on the 4th.
Took it up about 30 to 40 ft and brought it over to land it and toggled down on the left toggle to land and within a foot to foot and a half it took off to its left and flipped and we'll ant condolences for my brand new props would be appreciated. I can't believe it. This doesn't happen in the field, 9nly at work and only these two times. I have flown this at work since it arrived. I heard about someone calibrating before every flight. Not sure now.. I am actually afraid to fly my solo now. Don't mean to sound like a whiner but this was such a pleasure till now. Any suggestions would help

Should I do the cardboard mod on gps I have seen on youtube

 

[jimloss]

What is the surface that you are landing on? Is it possible that there is metal reinforcement that's interfering?
How close is the landing area to the buildings and trees and how tall are they? If trees and buildings are tall or near GPS cannot be trusted, especially when landing. Landing in Fly:Manual really is best if there are trees or buildings around.

 

[PaulClement]

What is the surface that you are landing on? Is it possible that there is metal reinforcement that's interfering?
How close is the landing area to the buildings and trees and how tall are they? If trees and buildings are tall or near GPS cannot be trusted, especially when landing. Landing in Fly:Manual really is best if there are trees or buildings around.

Jimloss: buildings about 15 to 20 ft tall will send video hold please...

 

[PaulClement]

Jimloss: buildings about 15 to 20 ft tall will send video hold please...

How do u set up for manual landing and flight

 

[jimloss]

In the Settings section of the Solo app. Have to enable Advanced settings. Then go into the Solo settings and configure your A and B buttons.
That area looks very sketchy for GPS. I would take off and land in Fly:Manual.
I don't like where they put the Fly button on the controller. I have my A button configured for Fly:Manual and B button configured for Fly.