DJI F550 Hexacopter crash after flight above the clouds

[@nsmith1554]

As a private pilot, this stunt is horrifying. Typical cruise altitude for a normal local flight over populated areas (in an actual passenger carrying airplane or helicopter) is 2500 to 3500 feet; lower if climbing from or descending to an airport. If by some miracle I were able to see and avoid this tiny spec while traveling at 130-160 knots, I definitely would not be able to see it while flying on instruments through those clouds. Drone Operators everywhere, please take note: flying above 500 feet poses a danger to aircraft as well as those on the ground when that aircraft is disabled due to a midair with a drone (not to mention whoever the dead drone hits on the ground). Taking a drone hit to the windshield can be a death sentence anyone on board or critically disable the aircraft. You certainly wouldn't drop a rock from a highway overpass onto cars, yet this would have the same affect. Even attempting to land with damaged prop, engine, tire or landing gear strut endangers lives of all on board. This isn't a rage post. Simply stating one of my worst fears as a pilot. Not only do I have to look out for other aircraft and birds, I now have to watch for drones flying illegally in controlled airspace. Please keep it safe.

[@funtimess2995]

You guys should fight with FAA and have drones equipped with ADS-B. Now you can buy done size ADS-B for 175 dollars. Worth every penny.

[@stephenkempe3586]

Thats a very good idea

[@someoftheabove4558]

N Smith can you please use numbers that normal people understand feet and knots...

[@funtimess2995]

You response is a classic example why there should be drones laws and everyone should be licensed..lol (yes I get you sarcasm)

[@PaulIngram85]

+Ruben Manz Feet and knots are standard units of measure used in aviation. If you do not understand what they mean, it's likely you have zero involvement with aviation. If you do and you STILL don't understand what they mean, you should stop. Immediately. And then seriously learn aviation basics before touching anything that flies. However, to clarify, 1 foot is 30.48cm. The legal altitude (height) a drone can fly in the UK (using UK as an example, as I'm in the UK and not aware of drone flight rules in other countries) is 400 feet (121.9m). 130 knots is 150mph, 160 knots is 184mph.

[@billycasper3351]

Come on guys, let's give a round of applause for the guy who returned it honestly

[@crazy55rider7]

Probably thought he would get a reward.

[@StefanEkstam]

Crazy55 Rider He did get a reward, though he said he didn’t want one...

[@scooterfpv8864]

@@hoenn4ever829 Though he means well with this video . . . it reinforces the others with deep commercial and semi-governmental pockets on the global scale with hidden agendas are using this video for monetary gains to sway the majority opinion against the responsible hobbyists that will bury any rights for and all bright eyed kid who simply wants to experience (But futuristically may not be able to) , the thrill of flight with toy and hobby drones with new eyes in my opinion . (-_-)

[@karldonald748]

@@scooterfpv8864 Say what what now

[@timothystark4475]

@@scooterfpv8864 That sounds like act of greed/pride to me.

[@benstark4835]

This is incredibly unsafe. I really want Drones to be free from Government regs but then you have people like this guy

[@bryanteger]

It's the same for every fun hobby dude. You have people who respect and understand why certain guidelines are in place and then you have people who do not.

[@DaveSmith-cp5kj]

Well the first problem is that you think the government restrictions are about safety.

[@derekcox6531]

This flight was 10 years ago. There literally were no regulations preventing this flight anywhere in the world

[@DaveSmith-cp5kj]

@@TheXone7 Yeah sure, because 251g is somehow wildly unsafe compared to 250g. LMAO

[@DaveSmith-cp5kj]

@@TheXone7 Got to love how you couldn't even come up with a rational. You know why? Because the threshold was literally made up with zero subject matter expert input!

[@jacobreuter]

Bruh this is why we need a license to fly a drone now. That sound you heard in the clouds is literal icing. Flying in freezing conditions into a ball of water is a dumb idea.

[@gamingsol7521]

womp womp. Maybe don't live in such a stupid country. If you read the description he doesn't even live in the US so what he did affected you in no way.

[@supremevash7108]

You do not need a license to fly a drone I have a drone and don’t have a license

[@scott972]

@@supremevash7108 You need a license if the drone weight is higher than 250g.

[@jacobreuter]

@@supremevash7108 depends on where you are and if its a certain size/weight. Based on where he was and his drone, he absolutely does.

[@trazyntheinfinite9895]

pro tip: if you go into the mountains, you can start above the clouds already!

[@bobbydiggs8803]

Mind... blown

[@devd_rx]

but the air is thin there asshole, the copter won't go any higher than this

[@dronehd-djimavicairfootage2295]

@@devd_rx the air is the same there idiot

[@Sssssssslf]

This just blew my mind 😮

[@QSpeedRacer]

Lol

[@austingarland8242]

Ah yes. The reason we have so many rules and need a license to fly our Mavic’s now. Good job.

[@kinzery5274]

Dude I know bruh so slow cause of things like this just follow the rules they are simple

[@DuskLegend]

Leave him alone we should all be able to cruise above the clouds

[@austingarland8242]

@@DuskLegend no. As a pilot, you definitely shouldn’t. And you can’t. Unless you want to be fined by the FAA now thankfully.

[@DuskLegend]

@@austingarland8242 you should and you can, quite easily

[@austingarland8242]

@@DuskLegend nope. Especially if you fly DJI. You’re software limited. I love it. Too many dumbasses out there. Obviously 👀

[@120bpm_music]

Maybe you got a chance to save it if you perform an emergency propeller stop, let it free fall, and restart again.

[@Irkin_Bollikans]

Epic

[@crvpted]

lol

[@aviationist]

My thoughts as well. It's what I would've tried.

[@andyx4506]

Since that drones aren't so heavy, I'm assuming at such a high altitude, even above the clouds, most likely get blown away by the wind. Without the GPS, it would be hard to find the drone as well. Also, when your drone can't move, your not likely to think much anyways, more of a panic.

[@ryang7720]

Exactly my thoughts. Not sure how he expected to land this thing any other way. This thing was destined to crash. Hard to watch this footage. Bummer.

[@wsetproductions7659]

I can respect the fact that you admitted your error and posted this video as a ‘teachable moment’ in encouraging others to not do this. I also appreciate the additional information as well. Thank you for the information.

[@infn8loopmusic]

I wish this was the spirit of all the comments! It should be. We're all human. I can see both perspectives, manned aircraft pilots have a right to fly with reasonable safety and should follow rules and use ATC and FAA tracking. Equally: drone hobbyists and professional aerial photographers have rights too and should follow rules and those rules should keep the manned aircraft and the unmanned aircraft reasonably safe. It's tricky to find that balance, we all must work together.

[@ghost_ship_supreme]

“Do, how did you solve the icing problem?” “Icing problem?”

[@parkerrollins774]

First iron man?

[@alexanderc4355]

This is why they don’t let monkeys fly real planes. They don’t even know that icing is a danger inherent to flying.

[@baramile6703]

Looolllllllll

[@Jimmy-eg1wc]

might wanna look into it. *BONK*

[@Picklesaregreen101]

"I understood that reference"

[@WisdomVendor1]

Phone rings... Copter owner : Hello Unknown : Hey Dude, I found your quadcopter Copter owner : I have a hexacopter Unknown : Not any more...now it's a quadcopter.

[@shutdahellup69420]

thats funny and sad at the same time 😂😔

[@pawangkocheng1273]

@@Ry--ov6fd lollll

[@rimantasri4578]

Good one

[@harrisjayarajfanharrisjaya1377]

😂😂😂😂😂😂

[@J.M.24]

That’s so funny

[@grayg6918]

Drones are not supposed to be at plane altitudes

[@Saffins]

Planes fly wayyyy higher then that

[@bababooey9390]

It’s not really a drone it’s a quadcopter, which actually are meant for high flights.

[@Quatuux]

@@bababooey9390 "It’s not really a drone it’s a quadcopter, which actually are meant for high flights." You earned the award of the dumbest comment, congrats!

[@Hustle_2106]

@@Quatuux lmfao

[@deadlybladesmith3093]

@@NoMercyRC actually, civilian small aircraft DONT fly higher than that. Maybe you should check your "facts" before you make another false statement, "dummy" Edit: they CAN fly higher than that, but what's the point if they are out for a joyride.

[@nicoalvarezp2]

The fact you call it helicopter and not drone or UAV tells me everything, no wknder we have such strong rules now

[@Thetruethrust]

The fact you don't know that a drone/uav may be a helicopter tells me/you/everybody everything. A helicopter can have 1, 2, 3, 4 or more rotors, and it can be manned or unmanned, it is still a helicopter. He is right and you are wrong. Now you can get angry because other person knows more than you, or you can rather feel lucky because somebody taught you something.

[@justaweeb9086]

​@Thetruethrust the irony is palpable

[@Thetruethrust]

@@justaweeb9086 yes and no

[@colekonop5034]

​@@Thetruethrustthis is specifically a UAV not a helicopter and dude broke so many laws in this video it's insane. I have my part 107 dude this is not a helicopter is a UAV. Yes helicopters can be UAV that's does not make this a helicopter though.

[@Thetruethrust]

​@@colekonop5034Definitions of helicopter given by different organizations: - FAA (Federal Aviation Authorities): A helicopter is an aircraft that is lifted and propelled by one or more horizontal rotors, each rotor consisting of two or more rotor blades. - NASA (National Aeronautica and Space Administration): A helicopter is a type of aircraft that uses rotating, or spinning, wings called blades to fly. - EASA (European Aviation Safety Agency): means a heavier than air aircraft supported in flight chiefly by the reactions of the air on one or more power driven rotors on substantially vertical axes. - ICAO (International Civil Aviation Organization): A heavier-than-air aircraft supported in flight chiefly by the reactions of the air on one or more power driven rotors on substantially vertical axes. Is it enough for you? Does the object in the video perfectly mathes into the given defitions, answer ---> yes. I'm sorry but your license only certifies that you can legally pilot an UAV but it doesn't certifies that you can speak about everything related to aeronautics in a proper way, there is no license for that. Today you have learned something new, that every aircraft sustained by the lift of its rotors, is a helicopter. Just feel the joy of learning, nothing else.

[@Fly92352]

From a pilots perspective, this looks like a crash waiting to happen, not for your drone, but for us with passengers in the back seats. Hopefully you’re doing your due diligence with clearances through ATC so your fun in the clouds doesn’t cost someone heartache.

[@flashlinemediaconsultancy8543]

I’ve done this, but it was through low cloud, 350ft, as could see the sun peeking through so I knew the vertical volume was that great, but you are exactly right on what you say, as before I sent it up I checked the airport D&A, the airport is 11 miles away in a diameter line, I checked the weather, the wind speed, as the reason why I captured the footage was a film tribute I am doing to 2 people who lost their life within 5 months of each other,

[@MsZahnpasta]

From a air traffic controller perspective I have nothing to add.

[@thefixer8457]

from a part 107 drone certificates holders perspective...max altitude for drone flight is 400ft....no closer than 200ft to any ceiling. plus he was flying a drone solo with no spotter..the list goes on..this was reckless at best...if this isnt the US then oh well I guess the laws overseas for drone flight are way less restrictive....

[@flashlinemediaconsultancy8543]

@@thefixer8457 I planned my flight a year in advance, as the situation had to be right, with patchy low cloud was a bonus, there was a few times I would start my journey then cancel as the wind picked up, the cloud evaporated due to the heat of the sun, the vertical volumetric cloud was too high, the airport 11 miles away would have changed their schedule due to A+D, my ears were used as well, for listening up for Aircraft (Military Aircraft/private charters), I do not think the guy here acted in a malicious manner, although a curious one at that.

[@Youtubeuser1aa]

@@flashlinemediaconsultancy8543 this was reckless

[@williamcrane8236]

Thanks for all the new regulations we have now and the FAA registration and new links on where we can fly. You and the people like you have done a banner job.

[@lawrencebarnes6893]

flying a drone in clouds where a general aviation plane could be flying on an instrument flight plan, is not a great idea. I wish drone operators would not do that.

[@ns7353]

@@lawrencebarnes6893 you dont say? of course it is prohibited and morons like the person who posted the video ruined it for all operators.

[@Heyman1982]

It was only a matter of time before it was regulated.

[@Negativity808]

@@ohmygodmyspleen5219 I javr about 15 hours on a robbie, but I'm a fixed wing pilot flying small planes right now. And yes I don't want to be desending into drones on IFR or some shit

[@trolojolo6178]

@@ohmygodmyspleen5219 don't be so selfish. The sky doesn't belong to you. It's a free country.

[@quickpickle]

I think they should design these with small parachutes so when the engines cut at altitude the chute deploys.

[@StefanEkstam]

+Alex S Just wait, you'll hear more about that idea soon. :)

[@quickpickle]

Stefan Ekstam cool!

[@muj_siuuu]

+Alex S i agree :D

[@victorsvidss]

+Alex S what if i told you.... that would weigh it down making the engines require more power to life the extra weight which would make the batteries have to be bigger making the entire drone a larger size which also rises the price. Good idea! ;D

[@doceigen]

+Alex S They? The owner should have.

[@theonefrancis696]

You must be proud to be a dangerous individual. This kind of shit caused trouble to other drone pilots as well, congrats.

[@xano7858]

Bro it was 10y ago 💀

[@hackfleisch7424]

@@xano7858 And ten years later, we have all kinds of more or less ridiculous rules thanks to drone pilots like this one.

[@xano7858]

@@hackfleisch7424 you speak as if the rules were not going to be imposed after all 💀 stop crying about it

[@GamebossUKB]

@@xano7858 I can tell youve never touched a drone in your life.

[@xano7858]

@@GamebossUKB world of tanks player detected, i can tell you never touched grass in your life 💀💀💀

[@Mile504.]

At least you can buy a new one with 12M views🤷🏽‍♂️

[@johnrussell3169]

That's only a few hundred dollars

[@combatwarfootageofficial111]

@@johnrussell3169 Nah I run a monetized page (not this one) and you can easily make $1000-2500 per 1m views assuming the video has ads.

[@jgphotography7746]

It’s more like $1000 per every million

[@Hustle_2106]

@@jgphotography7746 nah its abo it 2 grand. Depends how you do it though

[@jgphotography7746]

E- Clipse no.

[@adford69]

Glad no one got hurt. It's scary when we assume technology is bullet proof or that the designers thought of everything we might do with it. Even if the designers thought of something, they might not have had the time, resources or development budget to implement that "something". Thanks for posting Stefan! Videos like this help everyone learn some of that "common sense" without having to go thru it themselves.

[@quietquitter6103]

You shouldn't use something that can harm others or property to learn common sense, you're supposed to already possess it.

[@Chriscam2you]

Scary? It’s down right moronic, this shmuck should be bricked trousers down, head in a barrel of swine urine.

[@underscore_tip]

its a custom drone

[@pear-zq1uj]

wait until you realize people make their own drones in their house with parts they buy off the internet

[@derpnerpwerp]

I am assuming the drone was not descending because it was trying to hold its position above the guy.. hence turning of the GPS resulted in it both descending and quickly drifting away due to strong wind.

[@Bozemancurtis]

Thanks for sharing. I appreciate that you put this out there so we can all learn a lesson and not have a similar issue. For the record this was shown in a 107 certification prep class as an example of what can happen when a drone is using a bunch of thrust to fight the wind, which makes it hard for the drone to descend. That's what our instructor thought the issue probably was. That's why the drone didn't want to descend when it was holding position on the GPS.

[@StefanEkstam]

Great to know it has been used for education purposes, that makes me really happy. And yes, that's exactly my analysis of what happened too, so I think your instructor was right on.

[@davida1hiwaaynet]

Great information, thanks again for sharing this and pointing me to this comment.

[@SpencerChesney]

Was the subject in class, "People that endanger others carelessly?"

[@xLaChance77]

Curtis Johnson you are very stupid bud

[@flowingtripod2770]

he hit his fail switch and then turned the drone to the trees to try and not hit anyone, he feels bad about it and put this video out there to warn other dont be a jerk and dont be stupid

[@carlgallagher1357]

I'm 8 years late here, but I'm surprised you didn't find it on your own. You looked down at that patch of trees between the neighborhoods, and landed it exactly there. The go pro footage shows it landed not far from those yellow apartments pretty shallow in the treeline. Either way, cool video.

[@cherpsy3770]

his screen went black so he had know idea where it landed, and trust me some of the most obvious things can get lost, even where you no exactly where to look

[@aflac82]

@@cherpsy3770 the screen went black in the last moments. you can see where it started to fall when it was disabled completely

[@andrewflath6916]

My anxiety levels just learned a new high.

[@jamesugborough8895]

I have read your description and would like to add something. I am a private airplane pilot in the UK. My plane does not have a transponder which means it will not appear on flight radar 24. I have had a near miss with a drone before and it would have been catastrophic if we had collided. Drones are near impossible to see as they are so small and light aircraft on VFR flights are generally restricted to staying below the base of the clouds (unless the clouds are scattered) and it is safe to climb above. If someone else is thinking about copying this just bare in mind that if your drone drops out of the cloud and a plane were to hit it you are going to be going to prison. The pilot and passengers would lose their lives and if the plane were to crash into a crowd of people then the scope for a major accident is huge.

[@ScottB79]

I just watched this and read his description, and I was going to say the same thing about the flightradar24. Good call James.

[@FastEasyLifeTips]

chances of hitting plane: miniscule. Chances of hitting control surface/prop: even smaller. Chances of doing catastrophic damage even if it did...very small. You could much more easily hit a flight of geese.

[@jamesugborough8895]

But the goose would die and wouldn't be held accountable. The drone pilot wont die and would be held accountable.

[@SpontaneousPrick]

This isn't the kind of risk you can justify by saying the chances of it happening are small because the consequences would be catastrophic. People would die, and if it happened above an urban area like the idiot who took this video then the chances of more deaths on the ground would be high*. I love drones but people who fly like that twat are going to get them banned.

[@morgidvmw0mdv]

Here Here!!

[@MrNangoo]

I have no idea about the legalities but I have to say once you started watching, it was pretty hard to stop. I found it utterly riveting, best 10 mins on youtube..

[@AkshathKothapalli12Decimate]

Damn, im more surprised how the hell it still was in one piece even though it lost a few motors, but still, its insane how it was still kind of intact from a fall that high

[@dbpooper7512]

You should have shut the thing off and let it freefall, then switched it back on at the last moment just in time for a dramatic six-inches-off-the-ground hover. I'm sure it would have worked. Great footage BTW. Quite an interesting adventure in modern technology.

[@orion310591RS]

+Sérgio Tricarico At least, in controlled situation to power off engines, he turn them off all at once, when batteries run out of power, they dis-balance aircraft if one or few engines working and rest not working.

[@pelicangamesyt]

+DB Pooper if he let it freefall from that height he wouldnt be able to stop it when he turns it back on because it wouldve gained too much speed

[@theraserrayfish3048]

That's fucking stupid you can't make fire things out of a machine

[@theraserrayfish3048]

Unless it was made for it

[@aviatrix2]

I've done that before just to see if it would work, and it works fine. Due to its space-frame construction creating an effect similar to that of a wiffle ball, it reaches terminal velocity fairly quick, which seems to be around 60 MPH. Letting it free-fall for a couple thousand feet could have likely brought it home, or at least to a safe landing.

[@sanjogh777]

Tony Stark, "How did you solve the icing problem?"

[@krenn08]

LMAO

[@camgard13]

Good one

[@DlcEnergy]

8:52 icing... problem. **BONK**

[@luckyeddy350]

Excellent.

[@leobode7746]

What do you watch, flat or Kamera?

[@Epiphone1964]

The reason the props sound different in the clouds is that clouds are full of moisture. It's not impossible that that could contribute to failure if a drone's electronics are not waterproof.

[@edwardcarberry1095]

The other thing with moisture on your blades is that it will freeze ! Thus causing loss of lift. Should see what level (FL) freezing is! Normal Lapps rate (was) drop of 3*F per 1,000 ft. Should have asked permission to do this in a farmers field after crop harvest somewhere! Looks like there was too much up draft around the clouds? What was your batter strength before you started?

[@runaround433]

David Plank just ignore the fact that 1000 meters is 3200 feet ,he is an idiot flying that high !

[@ROHiT__]

Dats right nerds

[@ethanholter]

So this is what it looks like when nerds flex on each other?

[@MrDanisve]

@TheRaellz Condensation........

[@Carrs-Firm-Foundations]

Are you allowed to go that high for safety reasons? I had a drone and thought I had to be under a certain range.

[@TicTac-g7m]

400 feet max. Sometimes even lower.

[@Carrs-Firm-Foundations]

@@TicTac-g7m yep, this guy could be in trouble for going this high no?

[@nenojabo]

I have never been more stressed watching a drone video before

[@AntlerAssassinTakovich]

nenojabo lmao! RIGHT!!?

[@pimpdoggo4776]

Lol. Me too

[@jordanfoy4119]

Same though though I was about to have a heart attack

[@brianmckendrick2264]

OMG. Right? I usually FF through these things - it was riveting!!!

[@gilfredooquendo8731]

Nerve wracking holy shit 👍👍👍

[@martinarnaud1266]

I think he wanted to see if the earth was really round or flat.

[@defencebangladesh4068]

Hahaha 😂

[@clyde5106]

Martin Arnaud it looks flat to me

[@skybyte4me]

@@clyde5106 and 360 deg. lols

[@IQbalMazhar101]

Actually its flat but honestly the scientist make us fool about the 🌍

[@nikitajouchims9584]

Dragon in Morroco says otherwise

[@NSUScooter]

This is precisely why the FAA is going batshit over drones. You are in airplane territory

[@socrates_the_great6209]

Yeah, but it is typical humanity to do stupid things by pushing limits too far.

[@matmamat9690]

Are you Stupid or what? Didn't you read the video description? Also normal flights altitude is more than 10000 ft 🙄

[@NSUScooter]

Mat Mamat normal doesn’t = commercial airliners...... But if you wanna be technical, 500ft is the minimum www.faa.gov/about/office_org/field_offices/fsdo/lgb/local_more/media/FAA_Guide_to_Low-Flying_Aircraft.pdf

[@nobaddaystravel6855]

Mat Mamat partially correct. General aviation aircraft fly anywhere from 3000 feet to 10,000 feet. So there IS a danger to manned aircraft. This guy is IRRESPONSIBLE.

[@dodgeyhodgey5301]

Pretty dumb mate. There is a drone code for a reason you numpty.

[@chrischapman276]

I have to admit, coming from someone who buys the $130 Walmart drone and ends up losing or breaking it, that was very impressive how far the controls worked and the distance that thing could fly before it lost control though. Above the clouds.... WOW!

[@evilfluff6634]

And this it why drones are registered

[@UpcomingJedi]

Not here. You can get one as easy as going to the toy section and buying a plastic diamond shaped kite.

[@emanueleg.4106]

Garras Porgratix that is like a the difference between an airplane and a glider

[@victorsconfidential767]

@@UpcomingJedi You don't get a fucking joke do you?

[@Bomp..]

@@victorsconfidential767 its not a joke

[@fraznofire2508]

no, drones are registered because a few people are stupid, and so the government goes "MMMMMM MONEYYY" and charges retarded fees for being able to fly something that fits on a dinner plate

[@snova7437]

“And the camera still spinning after it hit the ground” yeah maybe cuz the damn thing hit terminal velocity 😂😂

[@onsognem]

@Tel Aviv because the earth is gigantic, even at that height your gonna only be looking at a baby bit of earth, making it look flat

[@mranonymous481]

@Tel Aviv it's not that high.

[@Grizzboy2]

@Tel Aviv 1,000 meters up is literally nothing compared to the earth

[@mrbeanparodies1684]

this is one of the most powerful drones I have ever witnessed

[@teamsay102]

Mr Bean Parodies quadcopter u mean

[@smoothvirus]

It's just a Flame Wheel F550. Built from a kit.

[@vulcan5850]

Unholyness correct its a hexacopter it says in the title XD but you could still refer to them as drones it doesn't really matter.

[@bravo227]

U fuckin shit head

[@JoeBoomerMusic]

Mr Bean Parodies I

[@toriabakar5331]

Thank you for warning us not to cross certain limits. I'm sorry about your drone my friend.

[@tiramisu8359]

they should have free fall mode. and activate the rotor when entering safe zone just like sky dive. this will preserve the battery and faster descend.

[@Keifer-D]

tiramisu - what they should do, is have like my electric vehicle (car), is have a regeneration mode, where when the motor spins because of movement (when battery drained) and it recharges the battery. then it can regain control to land. not sure if that would work, but it sure does on a wind turbine charging a battery.

[@therruefalse9984]

tiramisu But there would be a high risk that the drone could flip over and then it's fucked.

[@tobzuu5267]

falsE the decent could overpower the motor's power tho

[@therruefalse9984]

Tobi Akande Yes, so here is my statement: thau shall lower the power consumption and usage while descending.

[@domi7411]

I fucking love tiramisu!!!!!!

[@Eksile8]

Im not even certified yet...now I know why im having to do this. This is totally irresponsible

[@madangel9691]

True

[@toast2610]

Why live wild and free when you can be institutionalized and virtue signal

[@mondongoloco7902]

@@toast2610 because if a plane pass by It would detroy one plane's motor and kill innocent people, if birds can make an airplane crash, metal and batteries that could eploit can do worse, remember our liberty finish when others begin (Sorry for vas english)

[@toast2610]

@@mondongoloco7902 Aircraft can be (and are) designed to take bird or other strikes without resulting in death. But people killed can only be innocent if there were an intent to kill them. For example if a pilot of one aircraft deliberately flies into another aircraft there would be innocent people killed, but if it was an accident it was an accident.

[@jinlim6575]

you are a pussy

[@chipsher42]

I'm proud of you. Your description clearly shows that you analyzed the crash, take responsibility for the crash, learned from the crash, and are teaching others the lessons that you learned. My father taught "Aircraft Accident Prevention & Investigation" for 33 years at the University of Southern California (USC). We often accompanied my dad, sitting in on his classes, going to the "Crash Lab" (actual aircraft wreckage, carefully transported to a training site (Norton AFB), so students can practice investigation), and going to crash sites as a professional investigator/witness. Everything that you said above, is well in keeping with modern air safety principals. Good job.

[@feedmytv]

This compares better to a pyro who's also a firefighter.

[@etienneguyot9069]

The important fact you could learn during your safety lessons is that it's always better to be proactive than curative. From the comments of the video, we know that the guy was perfectly aware of the possible consequences BEFORE its flight. A very simple safety analysis pre-flight should have immediately concluded that the associated risks were way too heavy... As your father taught, the first part of your lesson title is "PREVENTION" and this is the number one rule for flight safety.

[@Walant55]

What the hell are you proud of? This moron flew well above the FAA mandated maximum drone ceiling of 400 feet agl and transitioned into some clouds losing complete sight of the drone. For you non pilots out there, you can fly aircraft 1000 feet above populated areas, which means this butt munch at 3000 feet could have hit a VFR aircraft clear of the clouds or a IFR aircraft flght in the clouds. Not to mention losing control of the aircraft and nailing somebody on the ground. This was illegal, dangerous and shouldn't have been attempted in the first place. This kind of crap will legislate rec drone flying out of existence.

[@AHSEN.]

In a situation like this, would you be able to just reduce the motors to say 10%, allowing them only to maintain orientation until it's low enough to fly back home manually?

[@Hunter_Bidens_Crackpipe_]

Its obvious he doesnt know what hes doing

[@GreenTrilby]

That’s a great idea, I wonder if there’s a special mode out there designed for controlled descent with low voltage

[@kmieciu4ever]

Yeah it's called "air mode"

[@jefazo]

Why doesnt these drones (specially expnesive ones) have a parachute? I guess it is really easy to mount one with 1 basic buttom system to open, it can safe its life from a high fall down and avoid to hurt other people.

[@sericopie]

They're too heavy

[@GoWILDization]

No... You can get them

[@jefazo]

Bardo I dont think a small parachute is heavy, sure there must be somewhere.

[@sericopie]

masacre23 Im not sure but I feel like a drone needs to be as light as possible.

[@GoWILDization]

Bardo You can get them. But I guess they'll drain the battery a bit more depending on how heavy it is

[@patrickm5217]

This is exactly why there are stricter drone laws now

[@Pussybootsmusic]

it is why I can't fly over my house.

[@KamiL1Bojar]

And what ? they can stricter laws more and more but tru is any body can buy or made drone today and fly what he want and where he want, even without brain, they cant do nothink with that. Its one solution, dont sell any drones ever but its impossible to make its come too far now.

[@jackfenn7524]

Yeah, the Nazis always take everything over.

[@Pussybootsmusic]

@@KamiL1Bojar in England if you break the laws then you get a fine, or prison or both www.choose.co.uk/guide/drone-flying-regulations-law-uk/ can't fly over 400ft high, can't fly within 150 meters of people, 50 meters of buildings act... if you want to do that, then you have to apply for permission, also you need to take a test to make sure you are competent at flying a drone. its all bullshit.

[@twickersruss]

@Putins Saggy Manboobs good comment. They should stay in visual contact with the drone.

[@tyguy6296]

wow... i have been watching drone videos all day and i gotta say i have never seen a saltier community

[@Stewi1014]

The community is actually the best community I've ever seen. You're just seeing all the dickheads commenting on a youtube video that really have nothing to do with the hobby.

[@tyguy6296]

Stewi1014 all communities say that...

[@Stewi1014]

Ty Guy I'm not really interested in what other communities do tbh. The fact remains I haven't seen a single educated hobbyist here yet.

[@LarryTL]

Ty Guy omfg you should see the Minecraft PvP community

[@zacjohnson8404]

League of Legends community is where it's at! Just kidding, so toxic. What's wrong with this community? Everyone in my experience has been great, and if you bump into another drone guy down at the park they're always friendly and ready for a chat. I have been offered tons of advice online and have learned a lot from all the hard work people have put into producing articles and video guides. DJI owners seem a bit salty sometimes, I don't know why though, overpriced and not up to their expectations?

[@TheDaggwood]

Thank you for having the balls to post, it's appreciated!!

[@LaurentLaborde]

my inner pilot cried as soon as i saw you go through the clouds. That's a lesson learned for you and hopefully everyone in the world willing to try stuff with a drone. You got absurdly lucky this time :D

[@teppo9585]

If you call >99.99% probability absurdly lucky. Chance of an airplane coming right there and then at right altitude would have been absurdly unlucky more like since he says there are next to never any planes or choppers around there. And even if the remote chance had occured a plane doesn´t automatically crash from hitting something like that. Planes often hit birds and usually (always?) survive at least enough to make a controlled emergency landing. And since he got his copter crashed in this, it´s even less of a lucky event.. People have their perception of reality totally screwed these times.

[@LaurentLaborde]

@@teppo9585 your perception is screwed indeed. i never said anything about hitting a plane and that's not the problem here

[@Rique_cent]

@@teppo9585 it’s so funny seeing people trying to defend him for breaking the law lol

[@teppo9585]

@@Rique_cent Laws aren´t infallible. And the point isn´t about that but wether luck was on his side, and It clearly wasn´t as I explained.

[@mranonymous481]

@Tel Aviv as I told you earlier it's not high enough

[@theshotterz4248]

isnt that way above the recreational aviation limit

[@jmains]

Yes. Recreational limit is 400’ in most of the US.

[@justinlubert195]

@@jmains 400 feet above the highest building

[@fpvjack3359]

@@justinlubert195 Clearly not the US

[@justinlubert195]

@@fpvjack3359 wrong

[@sureshs9612]

@@fpvjack3359 yes it's in the us but do you think people follow that rule?

[@jimsavino4729]

I am a US-certified flight instructor. A few years ago in California, I witnessed a man fly a drone several hundred yards out from a road-accessible 4800' mountaintop and maneuver it away, virtually out of sight. Seconds later, an unseen and unheard light aircraft came whipping by, right through the same airspace. That pilot probably came within 100 ft of the drone without ever seeing it and a major disaster was averted only by sheer dumb luck. You never know when a pilot will use airspace which is legally available to him/her. That's especially true of aircraft in or transitioning through clouds, flying on "GPS-direct" flight plans. Best to all and stay safe, js.

[@etienneguyot9069]

And flightradar24.com will never be a safety belt as this application only reports transponder-equipped aircraft with ADS-B enable. So, a lot of small aircraft, flying VFR at the same altitude range of UAC, will never be shown on this web display! Never believe flightradar24.com for any "clearance" to fly at low altitude!!!

[@JayDee-xj9lu]

I agree. We were on a jump run and a small aircraft flew below us in restricted air space. JD

[@rustusandroid]

Airspace belongs to us all. You have more of a chance hitting a bird than some random drone. I'll bet you the bird thinks that airspace legally belongs to him.

[@jimsavino4729]

Hee, hee! Sorry, but "Airspace belongs to us all"? That's so wrong it's laughable. Airspace belongs solely to the federal government, which has wasted no time slapping down states and localities who thought they had some claim on it and been upheld in court every time. The FAA detail-manages airspace for the maximum safety of the occupants of aircraft and people on the ground, period. The self-assumed "rights" of drone operators who are not personally at risk are a distant second, as the author of the original video clearly acknowledges. Citing his onboard equipment and his inability to eat without using it, I bet any bird could make a stronger airspace-utilization case in court than a drone operator. We can't control birds or we would, especially near airports (witness the events in the movie "Sully") but we can minimize the impact drones have on passenger aircraft, and we should. Best regards, J

[@paoloumali4280]

@@jimsavino4729 Nobody owns the air space. I heard no one having titles or selling them on ebay.

[@shawnio]

it literally looks like the CPU just said bank 45 degrees and point at the ground, Im surprised that wind didnt just buffet off those rotors like popsicle sticks, that was quite a stress test for sure,

[@zudemaster]

And all this time I thought clouds were solid objects you could walk on.

[@BaidikGhosh8f]

zudemaster u are just dumb

[@DavidMartinez-oc7nj]

Lol

[@ThePonce91]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/lYHCe4Z-mr1_n5Y

[@GatorTee]

Baidik Ghosh your the dumb one to believe what they said

[@jonathanjaimes785]

zudemaster it is made of gases

[@naturalback]

Having read your statement I applaud your admition and the fact you published this knowing you would receive criticism . You could easily have not. In fact I think it is a fantastic safety/warning video. Thank you.

[@bananasstuff3344]

I agree, all kinds of idiots going batshit in the comments about the FAA

[@snoopysnoops007]

I completely agree. It's worth one person doing it just so we can all see what it's like. Plus drone laws were bound to be brought in anyway so this video is just a great cautionary tale.

[@mtlpackman8419]

Considering the high probability that he could have killed someone with this, I agree. Watch and learn, don't emulate.

[@holyfreeholy2329]

TheNaturalback I mean - idk that is sorta common sense- no one had to tell me. I just didn’t want to put anyone at risk

[@holyfreeholy2329]

A Remnant it’s a no brained... shouldn’t even be a warning it’s common sense

[@StefanEkstam]

+lasourisaboyante You claim that the flight was "very, very illegal". Actually, it was not. Irresponsible, dangerous, and unnecessary, yes. But not illegal. In Sweden, there are recommendations and guidelines concerning multirotor flying, but no actual regulations that could make the flight illegal unless I actually caused some real damage. This is not to say that I will ever attempt to fly like this again, but I still want to point out that I'm not posting proof of illegal behavior on KZbin.

[@ps3customgamer]

***** troll

[@VARSAL]

Stefan Ekstam Tested: DJI Phantom Quadcopter Drone IN SNOW : kzbin.info/www/bejne/gquchaCXqtCrbLM

[@57HarleyDavidson]

jonathan connor How is it illegal to fly into clouds?

[@wollyxl]

Because as a pilot you'd need an IFR rating witch this video owner has non.

[@57HarleyDavidson]

Jurgen Bach What is illegal about it? i don't see anything wrong with flying a drone that high

[@ReekyCheeks]

Is it possible to have a reusable parachute? Seems like a good idea for these drones.

[@drewvautour8002]

Very good video, very informative, especially for newer pilots. Only one comment, you said "I felt reassured knowing that I had specified two battery level limits, where the second (lowest) limit, if reached, would initiate a forced automatic landing. Apparently this never happened, so this was either a misunderstanding on my behalf, or unclear documentation, or a combination of both". Chances are everything worked as it should but because of the high winds, and the GPS turned off, your quad did not make it down because it simply didn't have enough juice left in the battery. The threshold limit will only work if GPS is aware of the distance and elevation, it uses that calculation to know if it has enough battery to make it back to its landing spot. Live and learn but honestly, we have all made these mistakes, you are not alone, good post!

[@StefanEkstam]

Yes, the failsafe probably worked as it should. The failsafe function sets the hover position to around 90% of full throttle, so if you keep the throttle stick centered the multirotor will descend slowly. But it is not a universal safety feature as I found out the hard way.

[@jorgenlannock]

Stefan Ekstam 90% of hover, not full trottle ;-). and this is still true, but only for a very short amount of time. its really his end. so if you are that high it will only safely decend till the battery gives up. but as you said, you found it out the hard way .

[@the_real_mrd]

They really should start adding reusable parachutes to these high-altitude drones.

[@webbuha]

Yeah, that was my first thought when i saw that crash was going to be inevitable. I do not have a drone or know how to fly one, but could you just turn off the motors, let it descend a bit, and start them again? Or the helicopter would not stabilize into the flying position?

[@brunogp8269]

@@webbuha no, it would probably turn upside down, after that you can not flip it back up or power it back on because of the accelerometer

[@webbuha]

Bruno GP I see, thank you for clarification. Then yes, parachute would be a great upgrade for those helicopters

[@brunogp8269]

@DILLIGAF fpv No bro, not on this kind of drone. On BF, BuF, Kiss yes, but this is not an Acro quad

[@maxv77]

I think you guys in the USA will be soon joining the rest of the world by not being aloud to go over 400ft. And looking at this video. It's probably just as well. Only yourself to blame lol

[@stevenhands695]

Why don't drones have a fail safe parachute

[@ep9144]

Extra weight and if the drone falls down from

[@stevenhands695]

Well 50m is still a long way down and if I was to spend that much I would have a parachute, I'd rather lose some altitude. Drones aren't cheap

[@2fast2nick]

Actually someone was selling one for it

[@2fast2nick]

www.robotshop.com/en/mars-mini-uav-drone-parachute-v2.html?gclid=Cj0KCQiA68bhBRCKARIsABYUGieDJQFP3lCyTLyWG_y_0oJke9Z_EEMWgzUYdg4gYyOSoDNxclt_6OQaAv-wEALw_wcB

[@mas7rreaper126]

Radley2612 Easier said than done

[@leona_cao]

Hi Stefan! Thanks for posting this video! Just out of curiosity, why didn't you shut the motor down completely at high altitude, then turn it back on to slow the aircraft at about 100 meters? That would, theoretically, made the battery last longer. I'm not an expert on drone flight, so please excuse me if you are annoyed by this question.

[@LemurLogic]

That won't work, you can hit the emergency Stop, but you can't turn it back on. The Flightcontroller want to stay level to arm the Motors again, since you shut it off, it will just tumble uncontrollable. Switching it to N or M Mode in this case and descent as much as possible before the battery was depleted was the right decision here.

[@alexdemarck]

It's much easier to get down when you go forward , descending by making circles. If you try to descent purely vertically , you will have a very low vertical speed..

[@donhurst8459]

good to know,thanks.

[@jrs-sx5jb]

obviously because your pitching down

[@shhhhsecrethaha]

This is why the FAA is cracking down on us drone lovers lol

[@InsideOutsider81]

I dont think this was in the USA

[@mop2254]

I'm disappointed the drone didn't fall on someone. 🤣

[@DuskLegend]

@@mop2254 based as fuck

[@ursrupp5869]

Thst wasn't a smart idea Stefan👎. Bec such flights/behavour r leading to tougher regulations, = disadvantage for all serious drone pilots. And when, as a 'real pilot' i've an encounter under instrument flight with such a drone, i probably coudn't write this comment... therefore i hope, u have learnt ur lesson !

[@alexrivera4598]

Any catastrophe you can link to that is making the FAA crack down?

[@jeffphillips76]

So I understand the logic about the fight against the wind preventing the GPS decent. I don't understand why in manual mode the decent was so slow, nor why if given the options that descending as rapidly as possible to a less dangerous fall height wasn't chosen over the attempted fight back to base. Drop altitude, get to a safer height and out of the wind, then use remaining battery to return home as much as possible.

[@justkilian7795]

Because you can't descend that fast with a dji. It has programs that stop you from descending faster. And also at a certain speed/windspeed it creates lift over the drone body

[@davidbinkowski4825]

Back when I flew FPV on a DJI quad, like 4 or 5 years ago? I times ascents and descents, and extrapolated how long it would take. I realized however long you took to ascent it actually took TWICE again that long to descend because of the controller. However I got around that by ascending to altitude, then going manual mode on the descent. I would point the nose straight down and fly it back to my take off spot like a guided bomb (FPV). Even then it took over a minute in a straight nose down descent to get to the deck... I began considering even higher flights and had the idea that perhaps I could cut the motors fully (disengage by putting sticks to opposite outer corners). THEN FREE falling to an altitude low enough to land from but still high enough to re engage the motors (a veritable eternity believe me). The timing was too difficult to predict and with the fact the camera would be impossible to stabilize during a "dead bird" descent, I decided against even attempting.

[@minkorrh]

Would the DJI even rearm if it's moving around and possibly tumbling? I'm just asking as I don't own one (yet), I'm just into miniquads. Might be an expensive experiment lol.

[@luxpaparazzi]

ever heard about thermals? well if not please stop flying alltogether ...

[@jeffphillips76]

André Pletschette quite possibly the dumbest reply ever.

[@ivveG]

You did your best in a seriously stressful situation Stefan. And a bit of luck never hurts! Thanks for showing us this teachable moment.

[@neiltayler]

First let me say that I think it was useful for Stefan to share this video. He is aware of the potential danger he caused and has sensibly agreed no to repeat this type of flight. Well done to you Stefan and I hope others can learn from it. Flight safety is all about learning from things and NOT about apportioning blame. I have been flying for 40 years both commercially and privately and people ask what is my greatest fear. My answer is flying into a a 1kg piece of metal and plastic. I don’t think it’s a question of if it will happen rather than when. For those that say birds fly around up there, you are correct and I have had many bird strikes, but birds are soft and squidgy and will often bounce off the aircraft without any damage. They are also pretty good at seeing an approaching aircraft and often flying out of the way. Bird concentrations are regularly reported at airfields and active measures are taken to scare them away. Modern jet engines are tested by firing birds into them on a test rig to ensure that they can cope with the damage caused. I’m pretty sure there has been no such testing for a drone impact, but simple physics suggests that a solid object will impart a lot more energy than a similarly sized bird. Should I collide with a drone whilst flying an large airliner, I guess the worst damage would probably be a severe engine failiure which would cost the airline a lot of money, but would be unlikely to injure anyone apart from potential falling debris. Should I be flying a light arcraft, I believe the impact would easily break the perspex windscreen and cause injury to the occupants, or hit the structure and cause significant damage which could render the aircraft uncontrollable. It is incredibly difficult to spot such a small object and even more difficult to alter course should you see it at a late stage. The damage to a helicopter would be likely to be even more serious given the number of moving parts. I have no wish to curtail the use of drones, I fly one myself, but I make an impassioned plea.... Please stick to the rules to keep everyone safe. I desperately hope I am proved wrong and that there is never a serious incident. As things stand, I think that is unlikely. I’m sure there will be those that disagree and I am fully supportive of an informed debate. The more we publisize and talk about this, hopefully the more people will fly responsibly.

[@themightykhan2]

@he is aware of the potential danger he caused@ yet proceeded anyway... because hes an irresponsible prick and if someone had been injured or killed he would have had no come back and there would be no way of tracing the culprit. how can you say well done to such a dangerous and immature act.

[@neiltayler]

I’m certainly not saying well done to what he did, but applauding him for realising it was stupid and sharing it for everyone to learn from. He could have just deleted the video and kept it to himself and none of us would be having this discussion. I think Stefan realises that what he did could have had dia consequences.

[@Ubinnhad]

@@neiltayler Well said Neil

[@jan-zumwalt]

This goes along the lines of logic of... "...let me show you a video of me beating my wife and kids so you can see why you should not do it..." Are you for real? I would rather see a video of you being arrested.

[@neiltayler]

I think everyone in this world would realise that beating your wife and kids is just plain wrong without needing to see a video here, so I don’t agree with your analogy. Drone flying is a relatively new activity which didn’t exist a few years ago and the rules and regulations are still maturing. It’s open discussion like this that will help to spread the word about how to make sure everyone flies them safely, because right now, that’s not happening.

[@Silkybrennan]

one of the single most and best informational videos around on rc crashes. the way you kept up to date information for the watcher and explained everything you were doing, I prayed that this in fact was not a crash video and in fact a safe landing with a cliff hanger title. ignore the haters and keep up your work if affordable as your video could in fact help aviation authorities with crash scene investigations at a scale size (which in fact id highly recommend you contact). I certainly did not waste 10 minutes and 54 seconds. and for that sir I am watching again. thankyou and thumbs up.

[@StefanEkstam]

Simon Dodd Thank you!

[@garyfairall3561]

Very well stated and absolutely the truth. Stefan should be getting fist-bumps or pumps instead of shaking fists!!

[@keegangidley2071]

Stefan Ekstam Good idea to check FlightRadar24. Just note that some aircraft don't show up on their. Nice vid btw:)

[@fedoy.photography]

Pilots also above the clouds: Wow, that bird is fast!

[@VidsBinge]

Imagine a plane just flies through lmao

[@hellopeter9083]

@@VidsBinge well plans are 40k feet up he’s probably only 1k feet up

[@VidsBinge]

@@hellopeter9083 oh im dumb sorry

[@samymodelisme1583]

@@VidsBinge and tourist planes, and rescue helicopters (firefighter, police, etc.)... it's realy dangerous

[@iiCounted2134]

lmao

[@iantaylor3393]

Wow. A view of the clouds from above. Just like views most of us have seen when flying in a plane. Super worth the risk.

[@Sothus2]

Its cool innit

[@dalerbsr.5061]

Thanks, took guts to show an error in judgement and is an awesome learning experience for all whom do not think it could happen to them.

[@jrs-sx5jb]

better yet would have been to do a video about it and just share the experience like a vlog by showing it he showed the great scenery above the clouds which is likely to entice other people into mimicking him. its not an educational video. to even think it is is naive

[@topcartoons8401]

Anyone watch this 2019?

[@midnite_savage9147]

Its still 2018🤦‍♂️

[@mcervi]

yes

[@jamesvertrees5857]

yes

[@brianpercival1829]

Just watched it @@jamesvertrees5857 11:07am Jan. 02 2019

[@StudioRV8]

Yes. I'm a pilot and this stuff scares the daylights out of me.

[@cesarvidelac]

Thanks for posting this video knowing that you would get many negative opinions before they read the description of the video. I am a draftsman, I work usually on topographic blueprints, and someday I want to get a drone to perform data collection for my work, this is valuable since you recognize your own mistakes and it's good for everyone who planes to do either hobby or pre flights. My best regards.

[@SkipSpotter]

8 years ago and only now buzzing my feed! Amazing you got the altitude, and the video to show it. You win in my book. i was waiting for a Boeing to come by at any moment within inches.

[@davebaggerman894]

The moment you reached above the clouds your battery power wasn't enough to come back. This is dangerous, people like you make it harder for people that do fly responsibly.

[@twasbrillig33]

Read the INFO section under the video.

[@loganhebert7475]

The video was for educational purposes, he knew his mistake as soon as he tried to decend.

[@overlordclef1976]

Read info sometimes

[@alexanderkapsiotis8050]

Airplanes can demolish skyscrapers so a small drone is like cake for them.

[@sapandream]

The moment someone did some wrong, ppl come on herds to blame them, as if they are the authority. But never wanna or act like authority, who checks asks questions and take some decision. Which is what human mentality, the video maker and all the nonsense comment maker both are on same page.

[@jorgemoore2661]

Best drone video EVER!! Sorry for the damage, but I'm glad it was not serious. You managed very well the emergency, it was very clever from you to try to find and open space to land as safe as possible.

[@Silkybrennan]

well said and more

[@garyfairall3561]

*long time reader, first time poster :) Finally, after so much hip-wading material I finally found someone that commented on the very fact that he DID look for and navigate to a safe zone. With the lynch mob mentality being as prevalent as those that seem to not be able to read or comprehend the comments of the poster it is an absolute necessity that this be pointed out. Stefan did go through a series of checklists and then maneuvered to a safe location. What he managed to do, is what makes a pilot IMHO; of course self-admittance and learning from mistakes makes him a better pilot. All the 'what-ifs' and 'could-have-beens' is incredible. These people need to really start thinking about every other aspect in life if they are making those claims about this documented safe crash. They need to realize they they are more likely to die from a migrating bird pooping on them from some odd 100's of feet in the air (and yes, I do realize they are not high enough to actually have that happen, just a point in jest since everyone else is making such wild claims). Additionally every single dooms day venting person should realize that their vehicle they are driving or riding in could cause a lot more damage than this 'copter if .... wait for it.... *IF* there was some mechanical failure or *IF* you were to lose control of said motorized vehicle.... see the point? IF is a mighty big, little word that really is just that, IF. I for one thank Stefan for posting this. I have been an RC hobbyist for a while and have been looking into some form of quad or hex 'copter and find it refreshing to see such an excellent documentary of what to do or not to do in this hobby. Last, the comments about *this* causing people to go out and do more and more of this on purpose, that is like saying any news cast that reporting some illegal activity is going to cause more and more of that activity. While that might be true for some daft individuals, for the rest of us with somewhat of a functioning moral compass it is a learning tool.

[@MrMich42]

New us I litany jet aircraft

[@MrMich42]

+Willi

[@7Huti7]

Yes, I appreciate his intent. He uploaded the video because he knew that others will try the same. We have to learn from mistakes, in this case from that one.

[@itzajdmting]

Firstly, I've read the description - and I commend you for posting this footage as a learning exercise; not just for drone pilots, but for the world at large as this is still a relatively new facet of modern life. Now, I understand your logic about why you believed it would be safe to fly the drone up to that altitude - but sadly this line of thought is fatally flawed, and without hurling abuse at you, I'd just like to highlight a couple of things about that kind of reasoning. I'm sure you already realise these things in hindsight, but someone else reading this might not. I'm not sure where this was filmed - some are saying Sweden, some people are saying Africa - but, in my part of the world, the military can make flights as low as 300 feet above the ground. This is often fast moving jet aircraft or large cargo turboprop planes. Recreational pilots, whether they're in microlights/ultralights, light aircraft or gliders (powered or unpowered) can often be found flying predominantly between 1000-4000 feet. I myself am a private pilot, and the average altitude we fly at is about 2000 feet. As this provides us with a good balance of visibility for navigation, and avoiding any clouds to comply with Visual Flight Rules (VFR). What I'm trying to do here is just paint a picture to you of the kind of activity that MAY be possible at the altitudes you were flying at. It is nigh on impossible for a pilot travelling at about 100 mph to spot such a small and near-stationary object in time for avoidance. I'm sure you've been seeing in the news that these incidents of mid-air collisions with drones are increasing. To just say that this area isn't busy, or there isn't much air traffic here is not sufficient to ensure the safe operation of your vehicle. The number of safety issues that your flight and reasoning presents is almost unlimited. I urge all drone pilots to take it upon themselves to make sure they understand the Rules of the Air, the Air Navigation Order, and other relevant aviation laws that detail how Airspace works etc... I'm sure you guys don't want to go through life with the deaths of some innocent people on your hands... that could be very nasty indeed. Once an accident like this happens, it can't be undone, no matter what. Drones are really cool things, but I implore you all to learn how to use them responsibly and inline with your fellow users of the sky, pilots of all other aircraft.

[@RokyanLime]

+Rob S I would like to hurl insults at this selfish inconsiderate person / criminal. This is the exact reason people will die. Because you have clueless selfish idiots like this guy who will run into a plane or real helicopter one day. SAD but this guy should be punished.

[@itzajdmting]

+M. W. Naylor I know where you're coming from. And believe me... I find the prospect of running into one of these things scary as hell. I do agree that these kind of airspace infringements should be punishable, just like any other airspace infringement currently enforced. I just hope it doesn't take a few fatalities before people learn. Sadly, this is usually what it takes :-(

[@RokyanLime]

Dusternm being responsible and concerned for others safety... please... you're clearly not educated enough to know anything about flight, flight rules and regulations and or consideration for human life. I'm sure your the same idiot flying this quad copter in a illegal and irresponsible manner.

[@RokyanLime]

Well then why would you want to comment and name call. You're clearly the operator of this and you should take notice of your actions. They're illegal and just against any and all common sense. Regardless of your post about this and describing what you did while breaking the law you clearly have no concept of and should not be allowed to fly or purchase any of these now or in the future. Again, we all know it's you. Same IP address.

[@toddtolman8845]

+dusternm guynjhuhb. bhgumnj

[@MizuRino]

thanks for sharing. good that you had a plan B. good luck in future flights!

[@flyerminer]

As an engineering student, this made me consider some interesting challenges aircraft have to surmount, such as the difference in energy required to push through a cloud vs. Normal atmosphere. It also made me curious about the regenerative braking of motors as it was descending, because those propellers looked and sounded as if they were spinning at faster speeds than they could reach on their own. The energy return on that would be interesting to know more about.

[@PatrickBryson]

More than likely they are. From that perspective for others who don't know the energy you are referring to is the same principle in helicopter called auto-rotate in which if the engine fails the helicopter may still land (potentially even safely though this is typically termed a hard landing) by using the inertia of the blades allowing them to free spin in some cases exceeding the normal rpm or even mil power rpm range of the engine. But with no collective angle to the blades until moments before landing. In this case, If I'm not mistaken once the power to the brush-less motors was beginning to wain, the internal resistance would have lowered allowing them to spin faster. Also it may just be the "ETL point" where the blades no longer experience rotor wash as it is moving forward fast enough.

[@nnsense]

ok, please assume this as a total ignorant answer, as I am in this field, but when I smoke my e-cig, and I puff it behind the fan on my desk, not against to be clear, just behind it, when the vapur goes through the fan, the noise is completely different. I assume that few vape creates a resistance for the blades.

[@yakublmaoo8468]

As an sciense student i didn't understand anything

[@jrs-sx5jb]

@@nnsense its called condensed water vapor which is what clouds are. the condensed water vapor is denser than plain atmosphere so the motors have to "cut" through it which taxes the motor forcing it to work harder spinning faster.

[@jrs-sx5jb]

@@yakublmaoo8468 change majors...

[@misterperfecttube5377]

This video was an experience man, it was like I was watching a Movie, I loved it....

[@teshomevaughn4162]

Mister Perfect Tube that was prefect

[@moedalawn4838]

Mister Perfect Tube I hated it

[@casplant]

Who else felt sad for the little drone? so far away from home struggling against the winds...

[@BongOkilledU]

@@galacticgalaxyonezerone7235 lmao its a drone

[@emanueleg.4106]

If it weren’t for the dumbass pilot and his lack of responsibility, bad decision making, and horrible prioritizing, he could have landed on a street and and just went and got it back, but no, here we are.

[@Tre33333]

Me

[@Mropticalgreen]

I wonder if the drone killed somebody would the police be able to find out who it belonged to?

[@neonuser456]

@@Mropticalgreen obviously, the guy is an idiot

[@alexdeas5048]

The reason it would not descend is the drone was flying in wave conditions: see the clouds are in long lines from left to right. The upwind side has a strong updraft, and the downwind side of each line of clouds, as well as the gap usually, has a strong downdraft. To get down, just fly into the downdraft.

[@stevetalbottofs236]

I'm not even sure where to begin to start listing the FAA violations here.

[@brandonshaw2247]

did you read the description?

[@stevetalbottofs236]

Yes, I read the description. Point is, the laws are just that, laws. Disregarding them just because you think it doesn't matter can cause problems for everyone who flies drones.

[@blindsleep]

@@stevetalbottofs236 In the description the guy says he doesn’t live in the USA, so FAA doesn’t apply. It would be his national governing body....

[@hotzenmonster]

400 ft here in the US. This guy is lucky he didn’t hit a small single engine plane and kill someone. This is beyond irresponsible, it’s criminally negligent.

[@brandonrein]

100 percent agree

[@horserun2551]

This upload has got to be the most viewed video on drones. Historic, man.

[@aerogram3609]

Those clouds were moving quite fast, as you my notice in the first contact with them. That should have been easy to notice from the ground (at least for a average pilot). Other potential problem with flying above clouds is that downard sensors will consider clowns as a surface and would attempt to start landing if you descend to fast. Luckily nothing bad happened!

[@ColdieHU]

Yeah those damn clowns in the sky are pesky buggers.

[@rieksstevens]

I hate clowns , And no the altitude meter knows its clowns and wont try to land on it .

[@luisitocomunista546]

Clowns are a big safety risk to consider when flying

[@boerbol9422]

Clowns are becoming increasingly a problem in the field of aeronautics.

[@thekingsilverado3266]

I think there is some credibility to that. At our flying field a guy had a similar exp. He shut off GPS went into emergency mode to land. It seems the clouds were being clowns that day. In my opinion that seems to be what happened the drone only came down slightly and hovered to at point of no return. As the batteries weakened the damn thing eeled over and fell about 1,000 yards off course. The drone finally got put back together after he sent to someone in Texas repaired it like new but he will not go into the clouds anymore even after he updated the controller. There is another local guy that got really inventive for this scenario. He also got an after market controller and he has a parachute system the likes I could never even imagine. The drone has two short pen size diameter tubes on it that will shoot out twin parachutes and the things will deploy with the flip of a micro toggle switch. One neat little concept.

[@sioul2006]

Apart from everything that other people here criticized that’s absolutely correct, why didn’t you just throttled the motors down manually into idle and let it fall to catch it a few tens of meters above the ground?

[@apache1120]

With over 10 million views I hope the founder got a reward. The attitude viewing this in 2019 would be different from the attitude viewing this in 2014 when the video was originally posted. I am pretty sure your video was a learning experience for many.

[@loganhebert7475]

Very, happy he shared it at a time to warn people when people were flying these thing at airliners.

[@rogerd4559]

next we will see irresponsible sasuatch flying drones

[@glenesis]

This is as disturbing now as it was 7 years ago. Kudos for making content that has that kind of longevity!

[@gangoffour6690]

It was dumb luck

[@tyyamnitz8408]

My anxiety was kicking in the moment he started gaining altitude and I saw that he was flying above a neighborhood. When he entered the clouds it became a horror movie

[@joshgamingyt9766]

Safety first always. Thanks for the heads up and reminder. This is clearly a learning experience. Impressive range on this drone.

[@pappyodanial]

The CCP is using them to spy on us.

[@kitten-whisperer]

@Bat Soup go take your meds

[@paddington1670]

Yes thanks for the reminder to do sh1t better

[@Chimera_Photography]

@@kitten-whisperer They’re actually not lying. Did you know that every time you fly the drone it sends back pictures to dji in the flight logs? I can only imagine the global database of geotagged images that DJI has, and could be turned over at the drop of a hat.

[@kitten-whisperer]

@@Chimera_Photography oh well

[@mattmart2888]

There should be a feature that deploys a parachute when it's above a certain high and the battery is about to die 🤔

[@modelmode8]

Your only mistake was testing this in a residential area and not in an open field.

[@Wheresmy240]

Read his description box.

[@blighto]

Are you joking he couldn't keep it flying perfectly above a field either silly pants

[@modelmode8]

I did read it, but no need to point that out.

[@IslandSimPilot]

No, that was one of many, many mistakes. He could have hit an airplane.

[@modelmode8]

mr3856a Especially since recreational pilots seem to fly wherever they want.

[@Mr.Coldfire421]

I have heard the AI of your drone broadcasting mayday mayday this is flight DJI F550 requesting for an emergency landing.

[@ThePonce91]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/lYHCe4Z-mr1_n5Y

[@sergiocamacho8796]

Spongebob Squarepants vmp

[@gajumasare5443]

Spongebob Squarepants good joke 😂.

[@bentrodsbrs1738]

LOL

[@lazarohernandez6292]

I thought I heard “Houston we have a problem”

[@StephenMannUSA]

I appreciate anyone who tests the limits of their equipment. If everyone flew in a sterile box and let the on-board computer keep you in those boundaries, then our hobby would be terribly boring. May as well just watch TV. While I disagree with some of your conclusions - you learned something and you passed that knowledge on to others. I am really frustrated with the 'haters' who really do not know what they are talking about. I've been a commercial pilot since 1980 and owned a Cessna for 15 years. I've hit birds (the California gull is about 3 pounds) larger than the typical small UAV, and all I needed to do was clean off the bird guts. The odds of a collision between a small multirotor A/C and a Cessna or a passenger jet are exceedingly small in the first place (the sky is big - really big), and bringing down the larger aircraft is virtually impossible. With many thousands of these craft flying today, there has not been a single reported incident of a collision between a light drone and a manned aircraft.

[@StefanEkstam]

Stephen Mann Thanks for your comment! It's interesting to hear this from a pilot, since most pilots (or, well, people who claim they are pilots anyway) are raging all over the place. A while ago I had the chance to pilot a small Piper Cherokee along with a real pilot, and he kind of shrugged when I asked about multirotor collisions. He pointed to the Piper's propeller, and said that a multirotor would probably get totally pulverized by it. On the other hand, a helicopter pilot I met firmly believed that a multirotor could cause some real damage to a helicopter's tail rotor. Though it's apparently a bad (and stupid) idea flying multirotors near airports, I also believe that the sky is really big, and the chances of collisions are more or less infinitely small. No matter what, I'm not flying like this anymore. The risk of air-to-air collisions may be small, but the risk of falling uncontrollably to the ground is a lot bigger.

[@Unmedicated_Moments]

I feel the exact same way Stephen! I love pushing the limits and going on adventures! You get to tell quad stories to friends

[@cybertree]

Stephen Mann Thank you sir for using your experience and logic (unlike 99% of this comment page), the sky is massive and something smaller and lighter than a regularly occuring bird is virtually not a threat, especially considering a pilot should be at a MINIMUM of 1,000 feet, and up here in Alaska me and most bush plane pilots prefer to fly much higher, usually out of range of 90% of professional drones.

[@cybertree]

Stefan Ekstam Awesome video brother! I think too many losers just want to prove they have "common sense" and make themselves feel important, people must be so uptight they're making diamonds between their buttcheeks, I mean MAYBE it could hurt someone on the way down, but it WON'T seriously injure anybody because they are so light, thank you for sharing this exciting experience so none of us have to! :) I thought it was cool.

[@robertgandy2207]

Stephen. Im not going to to tell you what I do for a living but I can proove that a single bird can bring down a plane. Dont be so arrogant.

[@_Akhilleus_]

Wouldn't be better to turn off the engines to make it fall faster and then turn it on again before the crash to land it safely?

[@andresdelgado6778]

Stefan, I don't know what is more impressive, your video or your total sincere apologies and reflections, I salute you for that. It is not a case anymore of people going out there blaming products for their failed or unsafe misfortunes, if you have a machine of this caliber you SHOULD know its limitations and fly envelope characteristics, there is plenty of information available in the internet and elsewhere, so again thank you for your insights and for sharing this amazing video.

[@rngalston]

You know, sh*%t happens!

[@davidbukovey2691]

Andres Delgado “sincere apologies” all I read was a attempt to justify his illegal activities.

[@Flakwave]

@@davidbukovey2691 it was not illegal by the time he shot the video.

[@tomseim]

Yes, it was.

[@Nathan-mu8zy]

Just want to say I have that drone and know it could kill someone from a quarter of that height.

[@theyeetus1428]

It could kill someone from two inches away

[@mackstewart4203]

Was really not smart of this dude to be flying it above populated areas

[@mranonymous481]

Read description

[@accutewarrior7450]

What's the name of that drone?

[@theyeetus1428]

@@accutewarrior7450 It's literally in the title.

[@beaverslayer661]

I can only imagine how many times you've been called a douchebag because you did this. must be in the millions by now.

[@lmaoroflcopter]

beaverslayer661 deservedly so mind. It's an extremely douchebag thing to do even his attempt at a recovery is douchebaggery. It's 800mtrs away. Just land it where it is in a safe location, instead of letting it crash. Use the battery you save from not fighting the wind to hop it over a fence so it can't be nicked while you walk the 15 minutes to its GPS tagged location and pick it up.

[@a.h7460]

Imagine causing a plane crash with that thing. Like yeah amusing, but no forethought of the potential consequences.

[@johndoe-rp3hz]

Make that 1,000,001 Douchebag!

[@a.h7460]

I guess commercially they have to maintain 4000ft for landings or when they are directed to change route by air traffic control? They shift altitudes if they must. I think 1000ft above the highest obstacle on the ground is the limit. Besides, I'm really talking about Cessna 150s, private helicopters and such that are equipped with radio to avoid stupid shit like collisions. Unidentified flying object parked that high in the sky without a license. Most devastating crash would be if that thing got caught in the rear rotar of a helicopter.

[@a.h7460]

I did enjoy the video, but if this guy wants to take shit seriously he should just take shit seriously. It was a nice display of what commercially available drones are capable of but with great power comes with great responsibility.

[@JoshuaCrane-r3n]

Cannot believe i wasted 10 minutes to watch this full video. However i do now know why i have to register, insure, and set pre planned flight courses within specific limits now. Gosh thanks so much. Probably best to do some research on this stunt prior to the action of doing it. Cause in the end, that was a superior hexicopter to have crashed up like that and those views were excellent with very clear defined quality video. Very well could have lived to see many more days of beautiful footage.

[@12voltvids]

Wow. Fantastic! Those Go Pro cameras take a licking and keep on ticking.

[@haris7798]

12voltvids junkrat reference

[@teamsay102]

12voltvids did u say go pro it's a Dji custom camera not a shity go pro

[@brett5649]

TeamSay10 your a Muppet it's a go pro on a gimbal read the description half wit

[@loxahacefigaronald724]

Again you think because you looked at plane tracker or what ever site you said that doesn't mean Baby Shit Num-Nut's - planes fly all the time without there transponders on so that means they don't show up on ANY TRACKING SCREEN'S!! a person can take off 10 miles away from a private field and be completely legal to fly right into the path of your flying junk, no matter what you checked on, no matter what you thought -there isn't anything you can say that will make this OK to do!! Just have some respect and stay out of class G airspace or any Controlled airspace -just think about the people that can possibly lose there lives, it might detour you, from what I have seen from most Drone operators you all think you have the right to fly into any airspace you want, I own 2 drones used for surveillance and there isn't a reason to ever fly above 300 ft or less really, I just hope you all understand the dangers and mainly CARE!! that's something that's disappearing in this day and age I'm not being a dick head I'm just worried about the day I hit one,

[@spottingradom_x]

loxahacefig aronald read the description of the video.....

[@DougRowan_photography]

wow, beautiful video, well, obviously up until the crash. I completely understand you never wanting to do it again, but also get why you did post the video. It's a shame there are so many idiots out there commenting on this, in the exact way you wished them not to, as you have learned your lesson, and won't be doing it again, ugh, oh well, that's humanity, have to be know it alls anyhow. I'm new to the hobby, and hope to grow my collection to something that would make this possible, although I wouldn't do it here in the US. I flew a simple Wltoys in the parking lot at the store I work at, and was up around 125-150 feet, right next to a very busy 4 lane road, and as I was watching the video had thoughts of "what if it had crashed into a car on that road" so that won't be happening anymore :) Still very beautiful up above those clouds!! Happy Flying!

[@StefanEkstam]

Doug Rowan I appreciate your comment!

[@JSuparman]

Agree with Doug Rowan . I enjoyed watching this "small astronout" adventure. Thanks for sharing.

[@markb5373]

And this is why I keep my drone within a safe distance xD

[@AlanM2349]

TEAM ROBLOX lmfao shut the fuck up you never went that high

[@adamsmith5913]

@@Mental-j7k lol

[@adamsmith5913]

@@Mental-j7k LOLOL

[@Mental-j7k]

@ProficiousSploitz lol

[@adamsmith5913]

@ProficiousSploitz omg you got me laughing about this again

[@GY6SCOOTERCHAT]

Please tell me someone reported this guy to the FAA is he is in the US

[@BeatSaberIsFun]

Bro can't read descriptions

[@dcpearcemd5477]

Mea culpa, mea culpa, mea maxima culpa. Stefan has given this THOROUGHLY !!! What more do people wish of him? His blood? A pound of his flesh? Thank you, Stefan, for this fascinating and very informative video. Clearly, anyone who watches this video will see the mistakes you made, and realize that they do NOT need to repeat this type of flight. And isn't that the purpose of posting this video after all ? Please continue to post your experiences here on KZbin, and do not be deterred or discouraged by a few who feel the right to cast stones. I think that your son, Leo, is growing up with the absolute best of a father and mentor - one who engages his son in his activities, and who can not only admit and learn from his mistakes, but put his mistakes out there for the world to see, so that hopefully others can learn from them as well. You have provided perhaps the most UNSELFISH lesson that I have ever seen on KZbin.

[@StefanEkstam]

DCPearceMD I bow to you, sir!

[@johnwalsh8098]

Selfless not unselfish.

[@realRickSanchez]

Stefan Ekstam Still that was an impressive view :)

[@drawi.kr8tion856]

Such a beautiful view above the clouds!

[@donaldmartim6249]

Chara yep and breaking the law I hope the faa sees your video .Yep you will be going to jail .for sure

[@beeayyess]

I'm glad I read the description before I commented. It looks like you learned from this experience and hope others learn from it as well, and also don't live in the USA for all us self-absorbed yanks who assume everyone on the internet is also getting rammed by the FAA. As a dedicated hobbyist, AMA member, and full-time Part 107 remote pilot, I hope more people watch this and realize what not to do. I don't want any more rules that just make me do paperwork and claim all the grey area against my favor, especially when most people that would follow them are already following them and most people that would break them, at least outright maliciously, are going to keep living with an "I can get away with it" attitude until they have their own wake up call or, hopefully, learn from another's such as this.

[@Xmanrate]

I'm Australian and live in the US and one time at a bank I used my passport for ID. The teller had never heard of a passport and didn't think it was acceptable . She asked me "Don't you have your California ID from Australia?" . I asked for the manager. Another time renting a car at the airport and using an international DL the service rep scrutinized me heavily. When I eventually asked why she was giving me a hard time she said "If you're Australian why do you speak such good English?". I have a tattoo of the outline of Australia including Tasmania on my shoulder. 1 in 3 people here ask me if it's Texas.

[@RealWorldAviationandGaming9392]

B.S, if he had learned the rules and studied the laws this video would never been accomplished..... He's a failure!

[@violinov]

Nowadays you gotta watch out for falling drones..

[@chrisnoren777]

violinov heads up LOL

[@ashleycampos5718]

XD

[@SrengLim2023]

Hahaha

[@ssolytinaS]

just wear a helmet and make sure the wife has insurance ;D

[@superrcflier]

violinov I hope those fall on my farm land 😁