Paulina and I like to go hiking from time to time. It’s a good excuse to get out and get some airtime with my Drones in the Jungle. But if you’re like me, you’ll realize, the jungle has a lot of ways for a collision to happen. The vines, trees and rainfall are all variables that can affect drone performance. But as a content creator the possibilities are endless! But the footage you get give you a unique perspective that only Drones in the Jungle can provide!  This got me thinking about the common problems all drone pilots face while flying. This post is my experience, it will serve as a guideline for flying your own drone in close quarters.

CHECK & RECHECK ALL DRONE EQUIPMENT

I can’t stress having charged batteries, decent propellers and a flight plan! The worst feeling is losing a drone due to collision, low battery or  propeller failure. All scenarios can be prevented if we prepare!

FORREST LOCATION & WEATHER 

Make sure to scan the sky before flying. Hawaii is infamous for short but intense rainfall which may cause motors to fail. Find a clear area for takeoff and landing, always keep VLOS at all times! Depending on the area this is easier said than done. Trees suck, so try to avoid them if you can. Rivers and lakes provide proper openings so when in doubt find water and level land for take-off! A good frame of reference is any space with a 3 foot radius opening from the ground to canopy level. But even with Visual Line of Sight, make sure to keep your drone within 1,500 feet. Radio Frequency can be lost due to obstructions.

FLYING YOUR DRONE

Some of the riskiest times for a pilot is when taking off and landing. This is no different for a remote pilot. Visual observers are an invaluable resource for safe flight. VOs give the Remote pilot an extra set of eyes during flight. This can be especially valuable when there are vines hanging from the tree.
 
Upon take off, all DJI drones record your current position at an elevation of 0Ft. But this only applies to your current take-off position. Meaning that a collision is possible even at higher altitudes due to uneven terrain. Jungles tend to have uneven terrain so make sure to do a quick scan before flying!

A FINAL COMMENT…

Creating content in the Jungle is a unique way of capturing content. Looking back I still feel a lot of anxiety about flying my drone in close quarters. For those who have started getting into drones, I would stick to operating over open land. Able remote pilots should know that the jungle comes with its own particular set of risks! Even by preparing and bringing a friend to help, think twice before flying drones in the jungle! 

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.

You may use these HTML tags and attributes: <a href="" title=""> <abbr title=""> <acronym title=""> <b> <blockquote cite=""> <cite> <code> <del datetime=""> <em> <i> <q cite=""> <s> <strike> <strong>