Taking off and landing a solo drone from a yacht.

so low still grounded · Aug 7, 2017

I’ve read some threads on this forum regarding this topic and from what I can see this is not so easy.
What are the issues to practice for?

You have the yacht motion and the controller motion so once Solo is in the air its motion is totally independent and the motion of the controller will not affect Solo.
So take-off and landing is an issue. how difficult is this task and what should my skill levels be to do this a few times day successfully without losing the drone?
I am a newbe and have been practising so I can do the selfie, orbit and cable cam and fly around with gps lock on etc but that’s about it.Is there anything I am not considering or have not taken into account?
Would another person with a fishing net as a safety mechanism help?

Where I am planning this is on a coral reef so the ocean is not that choppy and I have filmed on this location a few times without any stabilising rig that’s how calm the ocean is.

Example like this place called Le Morne NOT in Albion

Acroduster · Aug 7, 2017

Obviously, your Solo will have to have a "boat mode" modification (details available on this site). Before that, however, the pilot will need lots of practice in manual mode. If I was planning to do this (which I currently am not), I would fly in windy conditions in manual mode in a grassy field daily for at least a weak, practicing landing on a small cardboard box/target. Due to air currents created by the prop wash, things can get squirrely close to the ground/deck and surrounding objects. Being able to instinctively counteract for this is of utmost importance. There is also a degree of muscle memory involved, which is why you should practice daily (twice a day if you can) right up until you make your trip.

Maddog · Aug 7, 2017

Somebody posted a couple of videos of taking off and landing on his boat. I was amazed at how much the boat moved even in relatively calm water.

Take off wasn't too difficult but landing was impossible. The only two options were a hand catch but the boat movement made this very risky for the "catcher".

The other was to catch solo in a big net which is what they did.

so low still grounded · Aug 11, 2017

Ok I’ve got it……. The Fail safe solution is get a yacht as big as a tanker. these guys landed a drone on a floating shoe.

so low still grounded · Aug 11, 2017

this is useful info. valid with any drone

Travelfox · Aug 12, 2017

so low still grounded said:
Ok I’ve got it……. The Fail safe solution is get a yacht as big as a tanker. these guys landed a drone on a floating shoe.

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Thats a nice vid. After seeing at the end (from the shadow) that its a DJI, it made sense to me why the the controlling was so... jerky? "Reveal" and "Orbit" would have made the clips more professional looking

Not this "am I turning/panning left or right movement". I don't have a DJI and I don't know if they have smart shots. Still, pretty nice setting and I'm amazed they can hand catch the drone. From a boat!

tbacon · Aug 16, 2017

I have a sailboat that I would like to launch from. I have been brainstorming how to land. My favorite idea thus far is to create a landing pad covered with Velcro and put Velcro on Solo's legs. I'd put the pad on a pole such as a gaff hook for an assistant to hold and help to catch the drone. Take off would not use the pad.

just_bruce · Aug 16, 2017

Manual launch. Net catch after kill switch.

Pedals2Paddles · Aug 16, 2017

It's unlikely you'll even get it to arm and takeoff if you haven't done the green cube and ArduCopter 3.5 upgrade. If it does arm and takeoff, I wouldn't expect very good performance, and I wouldn't count on ever seeing it again. Also, you really need to use Return to Me rather than Return to Home, which means you need the iOS solo app or the android Solex app. Return to Me does not work in the android 3DR solo app.

so low still grounded · Aug 17, 2017

thanks Pedals I have been reading about green cube, ArduCopter and solex. right now i am still getting my feet wet with run of the mill solo stuff and flying. I am worried if I install the solex app and I have issues I don’t have any experience to fix them. can I install solex and still chose between solo and solex and solo will operate as normal if I chose to go back to solo.