I was flying my drone over Loch Leven in Scotland when I lost both the GPS signal and visual line of sight (VLOS).
I completed my drone pilot's license which feels like years ago now but was only about 18 months but thanks to the flight training and practice I have had, it helped me to recover the drone safely. It was a bit dramatic for a while.
The simple tips in this video may help you when you find yourself in a similar situation and allow you to recover your drone safely.
If you are flying a sub 250 gram drone like the DJI Mini SE, DJI Mini One, DJI Mini Two or DJI Mini 3. You do not need any training or certification to fly the drone for recreational purposes.
If you are going to be selling the drone footage or monetizing it in any way (Youtube etc) then you will need to get properly qualified, certified and insured for public liability.
Current UK law states that the drone must be in visual line of sight at all times.
In order to fly your drone safely you need a spotter to keep an eye on the drone while you are busy looking at the display screen.
Drones can move very fast and be out of sight in seconds.
1,000's of drones are lost every year due to fly aways and VLOS.
Being able to recover from VLOS is a critical skill for any drone pilot.
Tips for recovering from VLOS
(1) Always have a spotter.
(2) Stay calm and work the problem.
It's easier to say rather than do but try not to panic if you lose sight of your drone.
Remember that most modern drones will hover if you stop using the controller so.
(3) Stop trying to fly it. It's important to stay calm and think clearly.
(4) Rotate the drone and use its camera to search for your take off location.
It is not very common to lose both GPS signal and have VLOS at the same time but knowing how to handle it is a useful skill to have.
If it does happen, knowing how to recover your drone can make a huge difference between recovering the drone or losing it.
If your GPS signal is lost, your drone will not be able to return to home.
If you have VLOS and do have GPS signal use the Return to Home (RTH) function.
If you're unable to regain sight of your drone, you can use the RTH function to have it return to its starting point.
If your drone's battery is low, it will automatically return to the home point.
Basic drone safety pre flight checks
Check you drones propellers are tightly attached. Inspect the overall condition of the drone and remember to remove the camera cover and that you have a full battery on the drone and controller.
Set the return to home height to fly above any obstacles. Trees, hills, buildings etc.
Be aware of your surroundings and make sure to get that first location establishing shot as shown in the video so you know what your home take off location looks like.
Make sure you're flying in an area where there are no obstacles that your drone could hit if it loses control.
By following these tips your chances of recovering from VLOS will be improved and you can get the drone back safely without losing your drone.
I was very relieved to have recovered the drone safely to say the least but I also learned a valuable lesson.
Always make sure you have a spotter with you. Another pair of eyes is always going to help in situations like this.
What's the key point of this video?
Make sure that you have proper training and practice before flying any drone.
I hope this story make you think a little bit and helps you to avoid losing your drone.
Drone flying regulations and training bodies.
Each country will have their own regulations so make sure you check them out before flying as fines can be very expensive.
United Kingdom
Civil Aviation Authority (CAA)
https://register-drones.caa.co.uk/individual/prepare-for-the-drone-theory-test
United States
Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)
https://www.faa.gov/uas/commercial_operators/become_a_drone_pilot
Europe
European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA)
https://www.easa.europa.eu/en/the-agency/faqs/training-requirements-open-category
India