Manually launching and landing sounds a little dangerous and getting scary, and most drone novice think so. But there are best practices for every drone novice to manually launch and land your drone safely and confidently.
When do I need to manually launch a drone?
There are many situations where manually launching a drone is beneficial.
For example, the ground environment is complex, and you do not have a safe enough ground to launch, or you launch the drone on a moving ground, such as on a moving ship. In these cases, it is also beneficial to take manual launch!
How do I catch my Autel drone?
Landing a drone manually is a bit more complicated than launching it manually, let's see how to do it right!
Calibrate your drone's IMU and compass in advance before taking off!
The drone pilot should not be too eager to grab the drone and keep trying to get close to it, which will trigger the obstacle avoidance sensor below to keep alarming, but keep your palm relatively stable.
When landing the drone, navigate the drone about 6 to 10 feet directly in front of you. You then need to place your hand directly under the drone and activate the autoland function.
It takes a while for the drone to register your hand as a suitable landing surface, after which it should rest lightly against your palm so you can grab it.
What should I pay attention to in Hand Launch and Land Your Drone?
Open Environment: Due to the nature of manual launches and catches, you will need to ensure an open area with no obstructions around you while taking off.
Keep Your Distance: Maintain a distance from your drone when taking off or landing manually, this will ensure you don't spin the propellers too close to your face or anyone around you.
Be patient: Do take your time when taking off or landing manually, it's easy to relax after trying enough times.
Teamwork: Due to the inconvenience of one-handed control, it can be completed by two people working together. One person uses the remote control to drive the drone, and one person takes off and lands the drone on the palm of his hand.
Be aware of the wind and your movement: As part of the situational awareness required during manual launches, be aware of wind direction and speed. You should be upwind of the drone and keep the tail of the drone facing you to protect yourself from drones that may drift with the wind.
Should you be doing catch and flip?
If you've seen videos of people catching drones with their hands, you've probably seen something called a "catch and flip." This involves grabbing the drone as it lands and quickly flipping it over to the bottom. This activates some drone safety features that automatically shut down the propeller motors. Of course, you'll want to check that your drone has safety features before attempting this.
The catch and flip is a cool-looking maneuver, but it's definitely no safer than using the drone's landing function. The drone will struggle with maneuvering while actively trying to maintain its position. Flipping the drone over quickly also exposes your forearm to the propeller, which can cause serious injury.
Final thoughts
Manual launch and landing of drones is not safe to a certain extent. The high-speed rotating drone wings may cause damage to people or objects within close range. Always be vigilant and keenly aware of the dangers involved.
