Well that made me pucker!!

Cranky Trapper · Dec 10, 2016

So I decided to fly my Q500 this morning as it was super calm, sunny and blue skies.... the only difference between this morning and other flight days is that the temperature was an exhilarating -32C with the windchill of -41C (-26.5F windchill -41.8F) ok.... it was **** cold!

So the flight when well - snapped a few photos and a short video of the aftermath of the winter storm we just came through.

Landed great... hit the power to power down the rotors... nuttin'.... hit it again.....nuttin' she's still on the ground and the blades turning happily.... faacccckkk now what.... so I go inside with the controller as I think it's frozen .... stand at the window looking at the drone and hit the button.... nuttin' still... so I'm thinking I gotta go and try and pick it up and shut the power off....

Go back outside..... I hear the drone but she's not on the ground where I left her.... OMG... panic attack! I look up and she's hovering around the 15ft mark....

All I can think she she's gunna fly away.. nooooo!!!!!.

I'm only 5'6" ... holy moley.... what am I gunna do.... well in for a dime in for a dollar... I go stand underneath and hope to **** that when I toggle she's decends to me. Come to mama! PULEEZZ!

It worked... snatched her out of the air and managed to shut the power without giving myself a haircut.

Note to self.... don't be a silly *** and fly in extremely cold weather.

Wingshooter · Dec 10, 2016

Were you holding that Red Button for at least 5 seconds?

Cranky Trapper · Dec 10, 2016

Wingshooter said:
Were you holding that Red Button for at least 5 seconds?

Yes I was.

Wingshooter · Dec 10, 2016

Just checking. BTW Nice Picture. Where?

Rayray · Dec 10, 2016

Cranky Trapper said:
it was super calm, sunny and blue skies.... the only difference between this morning and other flight days is that the temperature was an exhilarating -32C with the windchill of -41C

Indeed! Where in the world are you? Canada? Maybe Saskatoon?
BTW, that's my Uncle Ed's face I see in that pic. May he rest in peace.

Cranky Trapper · Dec 10, 2016

Rayray said:
Indeed! Where in the world are you? Canada? Maybe Saskatoon?
BTW, that's my Uncle Ed's face I see in that pic. May he rest in peace.

About 1/2hr drive west of Brandon Manitoba Canada.

near a town called Alexander.

Funny you should say Saskatoon- that's where I was born.

Cranky Trapper · Dec 10, 2016

Wingshooter said:
Just checking. BTW Nice Picture. Where?

It's a photo of my yard - 1/2hr west of Brandon Manitoba Canada. Just south west of Alexander Manitoba

Tom C · Dec 10, 2016

Wow even after hearing your report, If I had those kinds of views near my own house I'd fly so I could get some video & pics. My dad's whole family is out of Oakville, Ontario, Canada well that is exactly where my dad was born anyways, they came down in to the states when he was about 5 or 6 yrs old & he is 55 now, yet he had a green card for the longest time up until about 5 years ago. Anyway your story interests me, I own a Typhoon H & live down in salt lake city, Utah so we don't ever see temps like you do up there but it does get really cold. Curious where do you usually store/keep your drone? IE inside in a heated room or in a garage etc.? How long was your total flight up until it started to have a mind of its own? Have you ever tried warming your batteries before flight, cuz I've seen that DJI at least on their newest models seem to have onboard battery warmers, being that the further you get below room temp with a lipo the less response you get out of them or rather they aren't able to release the power near as fast as when they are warm & with these drone batteries already only being rated at about 10c I would assume depending on how cold they get they start to slowly drop & then increase the drop rate as temps keep getting lower. Now Im also curious as the colder weather has been setting in for most of us to know if anyone else has experienced anything similar to this event.

Cranky Trapper · Dec 11, 2016

Tom C said:
Wow even after hearing your report, If I had those kinds of views near my own house I'd fly so I could get some video & pics. My dad's whole family is out of Oakville, Ontario, Canada well that is exactly where my dad was born anyways, they came down in to the states when he was about 5 or 6 yrs old & he is 55 now, yet he had a green card for the longest time up until about 5 years ago. Anyway your story interests me, I own a Typhoon H & live down in salt lake city, Utah so we don't ever see temps like you do up there but it does get really cold. Curious where do you usually store/keep your drone? IE inside in a heated room or in a garage etc.? How long was your total flight up until it started to have a mind of its own? Have you ever tried warming your batteries before flight, cuz I've seen that DJI at least on their newest models seem to have onboard battery warmers, being that the further you get below room temp with a lipo the less response you get out of them or rather they aren't able to release the power near as fast as when they are warm & with these drone batteries already only being rated at about 10c I would assume depending on how cold they get they start to slowly drop & then increase the drop rate as temps keep getting lower. Now Im also curious as the colder weather has been setting in for most of us to know if anyone else has experienced anything similar to this event.

A fellow Canuck.... transplanted

I keep the drone in the house - I have an area just for it and all the stuff

"my drone zone "

I flew it for about 10 mins and then landed it. It was flying fine - no issues. Battery levels were fine - I was just whimping out and my hands were getting real cold. Lol

I'm thinking there must have been some condensation that made it react the way it did.

I'm just glad I was able to get my hands on her .... I've read a few 'fly away' stories on here and I thought my bird was going bye bye.

notrude · Dec 17, 2016

Cranky Trapper said:
So I decided to fly my Q500 this morning as it was super calm, sunny and blue skies.... the only difference between this morning and other flight days is that the temperature was an exhilarating -32C with the windchill of -41C (-26.5F windchill -41.8F) ok.... it was **** cold!

So the flight when well - snapped a few photos and a short video of the aftermath of the winter storm we just came through.

Landed great... hit the power to power down the rotors... nuttin'.... hit it again.....nuttin' she's still on the ground and the blades turning happily.... faacccckkk now what.... so I go inside with the controller as I think it's frozen .... stand at the window looking at the drone and hit the button.... nuttin' still... so I'm thinking I gotta go and try and pick it up and shut the power off....

Go back outside..... I hear the drone but she's not on the ground where I left her.... OMG... panic attack! I look up and she's hovering around the 15ft mark....

All I can think she she's gunna fly away.. nooooo!!!!!.

I'm only 5'6" ... holy moley.... what am I gunna do.... well in for a dime in for a dollar... I go stand underneath and hope to **** that when I toggle she's decends to me. Come to mama! PULEEZZ!

It worked... snatched her out of the air and managed to shut the power without giving myself a haircut.

Note to self.... don't be a silly *** and fly in extremely cold weather.

Fantastic photo, however, very stressful moment, glad you solved it.

mick turner · Dec 17, 2016

Cranky Trapper said:
So I decided to fly my Q500 this morning as it was super calm, sunny and blue skies.... the only difference between this morning and other flight days is that the temperature was an exhilarating -32C with the windchill of -41C (-26.5F windchill -41.8F) ok.... it was **** cold!

So the flight when well - snapped a few photos and a short video of the aftermath of the winter storm we just came through.

Landed great... hit the power to power down the rotors... nuttin'.... hit it again.....nuttin' she's still on the ground and the blades turning happily.... faacccckkk now what.... so I go inside with the controller as I think it's frozen .... stand at the window looking at the drone and hit the button.... nuttin' still... so I'm thinking I gotta go and try and pick it up and shut the power off....

Go back outside..... I hear the drone but she's not on the ground where I left her.... OMG... panic attack! I look up and she's hovering around the 15ft mark....

All I can think she she's gunna fly away.. nooooo!!!!!.

I'm only 5'6" ... holy moley.... what am I gunna do.... well in for a dime in for a dollar... I go stand underneath and hope to **** that when I toggle she's decends to me. Come to mama! PULEEZZ!

It worked... snatched her out of the air and managed to shut the power without giving myself a haircut.

Note to self.... don't be a silly *** and fly in extremely cold weather.

Loved your story , as I sit in my house reading it ,the temperature is 32 deg c and the cicadas were singing at 7.00 am .
(oz - Time ) . I think, I too, would be risking a flight to capture what you have captured - Thank you .

Batfire · Dec 18, 2016

Wow, yes nice pic. I guess in that situation I would have gone over to copter on ground and just popped out the battery. That would have been my first thought if nothing was happening on shutdown command.

Great story.

Cheers

Cranky Trapper · Dec 18, 2016

Batfire said:
Wow, yes nice pic. I guess in that situation I would have gone over to copter on ground and just popped out the battery. That would have been my first thought if nothing was happening on shutdown command.

Great story.

Cheers

That thought did cross my mind and when I came back outside I had full intentions of getting on the ground so I could slide my arm underneath and kill the power ..... but I never had the chance.

Thanks

Pegasus · Dec 18, 2016

Cranky Trapper said:
A fellow Canuck.... transplanted

I keep the drone in the house - I have an area just for it and all the stuff "my drone zone "

I flew it for about 10 mins and then landed it. It was flying fine - no issues. Battery levels were fine - I was just whimping out and my hands were getting real cold. Lol

I'm thinking there must have been some condensation that made it react the way it did.

I'm just glad I was able to get my hands on her .... I've read a few 'fly away' stories on here and I thought my bird was going bye bye.

Your bird wouldn't have gone far in those temps, before the battery gave out. Lucky you got 10 minutes.

Droner70 · Dec 18, 2016

Cool pic. Driving to Toronto on Christmas Day, hope the weather cooperates as I heard that if the (I think) 401 or 402 maybe - highway gets snowed in, from Detroit - they shut it down and I have to take local roads which will double my travel time.

Cranky Trapper · Dec 18, 2016

Droner70 said:
Cool pic. Driving to Toronto on Christmas Day, hope the weather cooperates as I heard that if the (I think) 401 or 402 maybe - highway gets snowed in, from Detroit - they shut it down and I have to take local roads which will double my travel time.

Thanks.
Safe travels!

Katherine · Dec 19, 2016

Wow, scary story, but your delivery was great! Glad I'm in S FL so I don't need to worry about this. Good to know if I travel anywhere cold though!

Rayray · Jan 2, 2017

Katherine said:
Wow, scary story, but your delivery was great! Glad I'm in S FL so I don't need to worry about this. Good to know if I travel anywhere cold though!

The H that crashed, did you get it going again?

Cranky Trapper · Jan 2, 2017

It's a Q500... she still flies. I've soldered all the broken wires.. but now it gives me a different sequence of beeps... I'm wondering if I mixed up the connectors when putting it back together. Is there a way to know what the different beep sequencing means???