Well, it got above freezing today, so I thought I'd take a quick flight. I wanted to try out the auto-flight modes. (Error #1- Should have read/watched more videos about how they work).
First, I tried the POI mode. I had it do a little flying around a point in the yard. But, I panicked when it did something I didn't expect, and I cancelled the flight. (Error #2- Should have been more prepared to take back control when it did something unexpected.)
So then I tried follow me mode. I moved around the front yard, and it followed me nicely. So, I tried to walk around the house toward the back yard. As I was doing so, I noticed it was side slipping toward some overhanging tree branches. I moved away from the trees, but it was still too close for my liking. I stopped moving and tried to retake control, the panic rising in the process. Unfortunately, before I was able to take control it clipped one branch. I thought I had it back after that, but then I clipped a second branch. It was all over at that point.
It rolled over, and started dropping down among the branches. It came to rest about four feet off the ground, suspended in a tangle of branches. I quickly reached in and shut the power off, in hopes that it would stop trying to damage itself. (Error #3- I didn't hit the stop video button on the controller, so the video file is corrupt and won't play.) It had already stopped spinning the props, so I guess I was fine at that point, but I did mention panic, right? Anyway, I shut it off, pulled it out of the trees, and gathered my wits a bit.
The first damage I noted was three broken off props. The others look ok, but I haven't given them a good look yet. The little plastic piece that covers the antenna wire that hangs down on one side is broken off (not sure why it keeps putting the pic here... sorry)
I think it will fly as it is, but I probably should replace that part at some point.
So, along with the ones I've already mentioned, what else do you guys think I can learn from this little mistake? Anything you guys suggest I do as a diagnostic check before I try to fly again? I'll probably be a little gun-shy for a bit, but don't want to make this the end of my flying career. Go ahead and tell me the dumb things I may have done, I'm willing to get beat up to learn some stuff! I'm just happy I got as lucky as I did.
Thanks!
-Eric
First, I tried the POI mode. I had it do a little flying around a point in the yard. But, I panicked when it did something I didn't expect, and I cancelled the flight. (Error #2- Should have been more prepared to take back control when it did something unexpected.)
So then I tried follow me mode. I moved around the front yard, and it followed me nicely. So, I tried to walk around the house toward the back yard. As I was doing so, I noticed it was side slipping toward some overhanging tree branches. I moved away from the trees, but it was still too close for my liking. I stopped moving and tried to retake control, the panic rising in the process. Unfortunately, before I was able to take control it clipped one branch. I thought I had it back after that, but then I clipped a second branch. It was all over at that point.
It rolled over, and started dropping down among the branches. It came to rest about four feet off the ground, suspended in a tangle of branches. I quickly reached in and shut the power off, in hopes that it would stop trying to damage itself. (Error #3- I didn't hit the stop video button on the controller, so the video file is corrupt and won't play.) It had already stopped spinning the props, so I guess I was fine at that point, but I did mention panic, right? Anyway, I shut it off, pulled it out of the trees, and gathered my wits a bit.
The first damage I noted was three broken off props. The others look ok, but I haven't given them a good look yet. The little plastic piece that covers the antenna wire that hangs down on one side is broken off (not sure why it keeps putting the pic here... sorry)
I think it will fly as it is, but I probably should replace that part at some point.So, along with the ones I've already mentioned, what else do you guys think I can learn from this little mistake? Anything you guys suggest I do as a diagnostic check before I try to fly again? I'll probably be a little gun-shy for a bit, but don't want to make this the end of my flying career. Go ahead and tell me the dumb things I may have done, I'm willing to get beat up to learn some stuff! I'm just happy I got as lucky as I did.
Thanks!
-Eric
Its a good thing that you have run through what happened and understand that this is something that was not caused by the aircraft, so; good on you for that. How many times have we seen a thread like this where someone thinks the aircraft should simply not have done this through some magical technology rather than accept the blame, learn from it and move on? We've all done it. 
