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When your drone revolts and takes a stroll down the coast w/o any control...

HiloHawaiian

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When your drone revolts and takes a stroll south of Half Moon Bay, Ca. I had zero control. The App said it was safe to fly, so I did -- DUMB. I forgot to calibrate the compass after shipping it 2300 miles, then reassembled the landing gear, which houses the compass. I didn't know this until I got home, but somehow the video was on the entire time as I scrambled to find it and get it back. I couldn't see it, as I was atop the cliffs. Just prior to loosing control, the altitude said -15 ft! The sea cliffs are at least 100' tall. Why it didn't hit the cliff is a mystery. Then, it took off on a tour of the sea caves I didn't know where there.

Eventually, after restarting the App twice, I somehow persuaded it to return home. It wouldn't auto-land, it just hovered above me. It wouldn't stay in one place, drifting downwards all the time, but never landing. Landing manually was difficult, as it didn't sense the ground, and resisted my efforts. I saw a pile of weeds, and did a Hawaii-style landing there ;)
 
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When your drone revolts and takes a stroll south of Half Moon Bay, Ca. I had zero control. The App said it was safe to fly, so I did -- DUMB. I forgot to calibrated the compass after shipping it 2300 miles, then reassembled. I didn't know this until I got home, but somehow the video was on the entire time as I scrambled to find it and get it back. I couldn't see it, as I was atop the cliffs. Just prior to loosing control, the altitude said -15 ft! The sea cliffs are at least 100' tall. Why it didn't hit the cliff is a mystery. Then, it took off on a tour of the sea caves I didn't know where there.

Eventually, after restarting the App twice, I somehow persuaded it to return home. It wouldn't auto-land, it just hovered above me. It wouldn't stay in one place, drifting downwards all the time, but never landing. Landing manually was difficult, as it didn't sense the ground, and resisted my efforts. I saw a pile of weeds, and did a Hawaii-style landing there ;)

Sounds like you should stop by Vegas and play a few hands the luck is with you.
 
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Hilo,
The footage is so good you should have told us the great control you exercised when down near the water level. (Was this the evo or Xstar)?
 
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I am not yet flying the Autel, but I know that area and fly my Yuneec down the cost from there. I am assuming I was watching the obstacle advoidence in action - navigating to not hit the cliff sides? Also, the wave sound without the whirring drone noise : is this actual or added sound track? Thank you, and Aloha!
 
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I am not yet flying the Autel, but I know that area and fly my Yuneec down the cost from there. I am assuming I was watching the obstacle advoidence in action - navigating to not hit the cliff sides? Also, the wave sound without the whirring drone noise : is this actual or added sound track? Thank you, and Aloha!
It’s an XSP, it has no obstacle avoidance, but it sure looked like it when it stopped right next to the cliff. Yes, all sound is added later, just to give it some “atmosphere” ...
 

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