DJI Mini 2 Catastrophe

[@WindsweptRobert]

Lassie ended up broken : kzbin.info/www/bejne/j5KQeIp7jpaHrKc

[@glennboyd939]

Looks like you had your altitude set to 15m, so the return to home was limited to 15m. Also, the RTH safety features were not set to RTH.

[@Raderindun]

I saw

[@noonespecific9463]

Here’s a tip for everyone range testing or pushing out to the limits of your signal. Never turn a DJI drone around to fly home when you have a weak signal, turning the drone will instantly cause signal loss. Allowing the RTH feature will turn the drone and you will experience signal loss and most times the aircraft will disconnect. Fly the drone backwards instead of turning the drone to face you. Turn the drone when it’s gotten close enough that you have a strong signal.

[@WindsweptRobert]

That is a good tip!

[@playerone82]

Nice one, I will remember that.

[@Yamanotefy]

Happened with my Mini 3 Pro about 900 m in urban area. Signal loss, complete disconnected and was never able to relink again. Fortunately RTH worked but the lack of precision landing caused a few bruises on landing due to the tight spot. Lucky but not happy with the complete loss of control with the RC (screen).

[@BlairAir]

Flying backward does help to maintain signal, relevant for manually flying back. This isn't quite as critical with O3/O3+ with 4 antennas, but once RTH has been tripped on the drone, it's coming home, signal or not, and in most cases it will reconnect when it overcomes the weak signal. Occasionally only command and control reconnect without video, and a quick restart of the app will resolve it if your bold enough to try it. My Fimi A3 did RTH backwards for this reason. Odd choice but worked well enough.

[@noonespecific9463]

@@BlairAir , I should have mentioned this as well, the RTH on DJI drones has never ever failed me, as long as the home point is set properly and the RTH altitude is high enough, if that drone can make it, it will, sometimes you might have to apply some throttle to keep it from descending to soon with a critically low battery though. The signal also does return at some point, but I didn’t know that about switching the app off and back on would restore video signal. I’ll give that a try next time. I’ve been known to switch apps with that little mini 2 mid flight, I bought that thing because I wanted the occusync 2. I started with a Spark, enhanced WiFi connection, fun times with that , haha! The mini is simply amazing compared to a Spark or original Mavic Air.

[@rickpawl]

You sir, are an inspiration and an educator based on your own real experience. I learned a lot. Thank you. Always check settings and never give up!

[@WindsweptRobert]

Very kind of you to say so, Rick, I appreciate it :)

[@jamesrogalski2085]

Good heavens! I am so very glad you found her. 52 years ago I fired my model rocket and lost sight of it. 40 years after that day I found the rocket in a hickory tree and was able to retrieve it. The cloth parachute had rotted away and the bright red and navy blue paint had faded a bit, but amazingly she was still in very good shape. I repaired and repainted her and occasionally still fly her, but only at lower altitudes. I couldn't believe that all those years of harsh Michigan weather didn't damage her more severely.

[@WindsweptRobert]

That's incredible, James! I bet that hickory tree is a lot bigger now than it was when your rocket landed in it!

[@jamesrogalski2085]

@@WindsweptRobert Yes, we moved to the home I grew up on when I was 2 years old (1960). Our home was on the edge of the Berrien Hills Golf Course. Never has there been a grander place to have grown up. I doubt there is millimeter of that golf course that doesn't have my DNA on it. 48 Years walking, running, exploring, kite flying on that golf course. The trees about the diameter of your little finger, now you can't get your arms around them! I was so very blessed!

[@WindsweptRobert]

Nostalgia :) 🌿🌲

[@BrianCosgrove]

Lassie Come Home... (Not) But, as you said, a great example of why checking things is important. Especially after updates. A great video!

[@joselaverniyabut9298]

I admire you man, you have the patience and initiative to find it how to use mappings, finding your drone ... That’s the best thing learn if emergency occur...thanks for the Ideas..

[@TheCikaSrba]

I'm so happy for both You and Lassie . Never surrender, never give up ! Best regards from Serbia !!!

[@WindsweptRobert]

Thanks Petrov :) Never give up! :)

[@TheCikaSrba]

OMG, Thank You soooo much!!!

[@Faluthe]

Thanks so much for sharing this great lessons that can happen to any drone enthusiasts. Thank goodness you were not over a body of water. Amazing joy when you find a lost drone, our attachment to these drones is amazing.

[@WindsweptRobert]

You're right, Faluthe - so many of my flights ARE over lochs or reservoirs. I'll be checking my settings in more depth from now on!

[@aurimazas001]

A tip for the future: if you're loosing signal for no apparent reason, lift the drone a bit higher. 40 meters is too low for high distances. Also, DJI drones can make sounds to signal their location. Enable that feature.

[@smbishop63]

Thanks Robert, another video that shares the real ups and downs of flying. Two years ago, you left her and came back. This time you were determined to find her. Most of us learned from this video and it was worth the time to watch every second. I did worry about your health, and hope you get back to 100% soon. BTW, I am a school teacher and would gladly share this with my students as an example of determination and to never give up!

[@WindsweptRobert]

I’d be absolutely happy if you wish to share any part of my wee video with your students, Scott. Thanks for the words of encouragement :)

[@lee4318]

What I don’t understand is that the Rth alt was set to 100m (5:26 in video) how did it then change to 15m was it?

[@WindsweptRobert]

I still don’t understand that either, lee

[@motorcyclesandthings8633]

My heart beat was going up watching this, my big drone was never right again after an update 4 yrs ago , had to sell it , and give up on them till 8 months ago , bought a small se, but never let it get out of sight when flying , glad you found it ,,,, cheers shane uk 🇬🇧

[@WindsweptRobert]

Thanks Shane. All is well now!

[@dennisclark8766]

Wow what a video. Glad you found your baby. Great information to check settings first. Thanks for sharing.

[@WindsweptRobert]

Glad it was helpful!

[@alsstuff]

Glad you found her Robert and hope you didn't exert yourself too much? Hope you and the wife are now well on the road to recovery. Thanks for the video and some good lessons to be learned there.

[@WindsweptRobert]

Thanks Al. It was a struggle, but I was not abandoning her again. That hike set my recovery back a wee bit, but I’m much better now thanks. J is back to normal:)

[@Thor57644]

I'm so glad you found her & thank you for the lesson. I just checked my remote to verify the RTH setting after loss of connection.

[@WindsweptRobert]

Hope my experience helps! :)

[@hachiman]

I was involved with you every step of the way!! I was so invested!!

[@WindsweptRobert]

I hope the payoff was worth it :)

[@philsheath]

Blimey fella you are one gritty guy..I’m so pleased for you. Lesson learned and well taught to the rest of us..time to check our settings..well done.

[@Nomadman4life]

I was rooting for this guy to find his drone the entire video. So glad he did! 👍🏼

[@WindsweptRobert]

You and me both!

[@roylynn1745]

me too. glad he found it and a valuable lesson to us all

[@paulcain548]

Think that was the longest I’ve held my breath. Lol. Brilliant job. Welcome home Lassie 👍🏻

[@WindsweptRobert]

Thanks, Paul! I was holding my breath too!

[@douglasw7806]

Great video. Glad it was found. Might be worth taking along a lesser drone to use at the potential crash site to cover more area quicker. Up at just four meters the view covers a lot of area. Should be able to see it from that altitude.

[@WindsweptRobert]

That's a great idea, Douglas :)

[@AndThenSome71]

Wow! I was searching Netflix, to find something suspenseful to watch. I think this was it. Glad, you got her back.

[@WindsweptRobert]

Thanks, Gil. It was touch and go and the journey BACK was eventful to say the least!

[@nielslecoultre834]

Fantastic story. I really admire your courage and tenacity to find your drone. Despite the rough terrain, you overcame all obstacles and ended up successful. Respect for your perseverance and never give up. I like your Scottish accent.✌Greetings from Denmark.

[@WindsweptRobert]

Thank you, Niels. That wee drone and I have been through a lot together over the past 2 years. I was not going to give up on her, no matter what :)

[@Frank-uf2vn]

Very educational, 27 straight minutes of what not to do once you walk out the door and find a spot to fly your drone! I am glad you found it and in one piece not pieces! 🚁

[@LISTEDGames]

that was really horrible signal on the mini 2.. wonder why that was the case. on mine I had problems with the latest dji fly app, basically made my drone not usable cause it was lagging lot. so I had to revert to the previous dji fly version.

[@WindsweptRobert]

Some of the updates are really bad 😞

[@sptrader6316]

Besides the emergency RTH setting, Always fly into the wind, so the wind blows it back to you. If you have trouble fighting the wind, use Sport mode, it can handle most winds. Great to see you recover Lassie !

[@WindsweptRobert]

Good tips, sp:)

[@fonzieskatesurf]

That feeling when you find it and knowing it works fine. I know how it is cuz I just crashed mine and it still works thankfully 🙏

[@WindsweptRobert]

It's a buzz! :)

[@dbua1979]

😲 wow that's was scary...my worst nightmare when I'm flying. Glad you and Lassie are back together again after this wild adventure....

[@WindsweptRobert]

That’s only the first half of the story!

[@dbua1979]

@@WindsweptRobert oh dear......

[@phroden]

Respect VLOS and you never have nightmares.

[@jimthorleydronefootage]

Glad you got her back robert. These updates are coming all the bloody time and with apps refusing to open after android updates think it may be time to stop doing updates

[@WindsweptRobert]

I know, Jim. The KZbin creators who make videos about the updates must be loving it lol!

[@johnnyfearlesszrx]

Fantastic, I was sitting on the edge of my chair, so happy you were reunited. Some great lessons learned too.

[@WindsweptRobert]

Thanks Johnnyfearless, I learned a lot during this flight and recovery!

[@levandiy1081]

the equipment beeps with single signals, which means that the drone is not flying back. when he really flies back, the apparatura writes with double signals.

[@WindsweptRobert]

Aye, I wish I had realised that earlier! ;)

[@ugopallarani1587]

Hi Robert, I watched the whole video with great anxiety. I think I have felt all the emotions you have felt. I've been in similar situations a few times and I know what it's like. Congratulations on your tenacity. Greetings to your wonderful Scotland

[@WindsweptRobert]

Thank you, Ugo. aye, it was a difficult hike, but worked out well in the end :) Thanks for watching all the way through and for leaving a lovely comment :) Don't forgrt to hit th eTHUMBS UP icon on the video!

[@phroden]

Fly always VLOS than you not have this problem.

[@WindsweptRobert]

@@phroden I'll not tell you how to fly your drone, drive your car or speak to your wife.

[@gcoop7144]

I'm here for the accent, just amazing!

[@WindsweptRobert]

Very kind of you to say :)

[@jimmollison7608]

Thanks

[@WindsweptRobert]

Jim, thanks so much. I hope you are recovering from your op. I know what it feels like to be unable to do the things you normally take for granted. Please look after yourself and let me know how you're getting on.

[@richardc.9054]

Why did you have it set to hover? Always set to rth when signal lost.

[@WindsweptRobert]

I did not have it set to hover.

[@mikehawk9156]

I was hooked after seeing it fly in the rain.I thought this video would put me off.But i was impressed it tried to come back from that distance.

[@WindsweptRobert]

Remarkable wee drones. Check this out to be blown away: kzbin.info/www/bejne/ip_MiqljgcZgnac

[@pdtech4524]

It's very important whenever you do ANY updates to CHECK ALL settings, as part of your pre flight checks, within the DJI Fly app including RTH and other crucial safety settings! They don't always reset but in my experience they sometimes do⚠️ That RTH signal lost setting catches many out!! 😳 This is precisely why I very rarely update my drone or Fly app because my thought process is, if everything is working fine and as you want it, why on earth mess around with silly little updates that add very little in terms of user experience. I only tend to update if I'm forced to or there is a huge important extra feature I need.👍⚠️ Edit- It's worth picking up a portable powerbank for such situations where loss of power would be catastrophic! 😲😁👍 I picked a good one up from B&M bargains for £12 has 2 charge outputs and is 10,000 mAh review somewhere on my channel.

[@WindsweptRobert]

I have loads of portable power banks, and they were all in the car with me, but when I exited the car, I truly believed that I would find Lassie within a few hundred metres.

[@mickelson8332]

Rab, bloody brilliant mate. I see the nav skills from our Military backgrounds served you well. I even see you still have the drive and determination to push on when you are truly on your chin strap. I have lost my fixed wings quite a few times and have gone through the walk of shame many times. Fortunately always recovered but lost one for a week or two. I have since fitted the vifly lost model buzzer / LED. I suspect you may not be able to retrofit to your DJI but its a great piece of kit. Will flash and beep for hours on battery loss. might be worth a look mate. Great upload again. Arte Et Marte

[@WindsweptRobert]

Thanks, Mick. Aye those days and nights spent yomping over Brecon Beacons have served me well - I do still have that grit when I need it ;) I have a couple of strobes which I haven't used for a year. I'll be talking about these on my livestream tonight :)

[@mickelson8332]

@@WindsweptRobert do you upload your livestream mate? I'll take a look later when I get chance.

[@WindsweptRobert]

Aye, Mick, all of my livestreams are on the main channel :)

[@catharsis77]

When you get close the GPS signal puts the location in various places. I used to do Geocaching. We would stand back and take a bearing when the position was stable, then arc off a ways and take another bearing and then use the 2 bearings to triangulate the location. We could do this with a compass. You might could have used some landmarks in the distance to accomplish the same thing. I am glad you found it. I didn't like the part at the start where you took a fall and soaked your controller though! Hope everything turned out alright.

[@WindsweptRobert]

Thanks, Catharsis. When I exited my car to fetch the drone, I really believed it was only a few hundred metres away. The fall I took into the bog was one of many and unfortunately the RC-N1 was ruined. I have a replacement now and it works fine :)

[@MaineMan086]

From heartbreak to triumph! So glad you decided to "never give up"! I had bought a couple of Apple AirTags with the intention of putting them on my Mini 2 and Mini 3 Pro, but have not gotten around to it. This experience of yours illustrates why it might be a smart thing to do, at least until the signal dropout issue is resolved. Well done, my friend!

[@WindsweptRobert]

Thanks MaineMan. I will be attaching strobes to my drones before flying them out on similar missions to make them easier to find in long grass, etc. The DJI Find My Drone feature has never let me down so far :)

[@wildatlanticman128]

Oh the drama...the drama 😄 Just did a vid over a bog with my mini 3....not easy ground to traverse!! Great vid btw.

[@WindsweptRobert]

It's slow going (on foot!) :)

[@idahoron]

Well done! I learned i need tp check my return home setting.

[@MightyistheRCGamer]

3 beeps means Lassie is telling you the barn is on fire and Timmy is trapped in the well

[@WindsweptRobert]

Ah, she gave up beeping and honking a while back. She can talk now :)

[@oldmanronerickson2221]

Robert I'm so glad you went through all that effort to find Lassie!😃❤️ I was worried for you and her in the bog! Good things happen to good people, she is home again, and your safe, not under a bog. I sure DIDN'T want to "know a bog mummy!"🥺🤣

[@WindsweptRobert]

I went into that bog a few times and almost went completely submerged at one point! I'm currently making part 2 of this video where I get from the spot where I find Lassie, to safety :)

[@marcmcleanphoto]

21:50 i used to plant trees in places like this and all the crew wore whistles around their neck in case they fell into a bog, take a stick to help pull yourself out

[@WindsweptRobert]

You're right, Marc. If I had known I was going to be entering the blanket bog, or even walking more than a few hundred metres, I would have worn my backpack that is full of provisions, extra batteries, emergency gear, etc, and I would have taken my walking stick from the boot of my car!

[@Jaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay]

Wow - what a journey - and what a relief when you finally see it - thx for taking us with you !

[@WindsweptRobert]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@kbellanger4140]

Yeah why i get nervous flying every time. Got the 2se last month my 3rd drone. Took it into the mountains knowing signal was weak but i wanted the zoom features to spot baby loon locations. Got a warning and started back. Then lowering it for some filming over the water. Took my attention away from 2 seconds looking up for the drone and unfortunately landed into the water. Took my kayak out immediately and circled the area i thought it was snorkeling....nothing. Went home, back the next day looking again. This time find my drone feature located the drone to the mark . I could see the drone in 10 feet of water. Problem? My parents took me to see jaws at age 10 and i was to scared to jump in. The drone was sitting next to a big stump and roots system, its counter intuitive to jump from a kayak. The wind and waves were bad and the drone was 100 yards from shore. I needed a plan!. Next day kayak out with a long poll with string to snag the drone. Waterproof bag for phone and an anchor. Again bad wind and my inflatable kayak was being pushed relentlessly even a 20 pound anchor didn't help i was frustrated. I needed a better plan. The following weekend, bigger anchor and a pool skimmer. Better conditions but i need strong daylight. You cant see the bottom unless the sun is straight up no clouds. This time the kayak is stable but attempts to collect the drone failed. I was scooping up mud and making the area cloudy, hot sun hard to see phone screen legs burning. I needed a better plan. Padding back to shore i see a guy getting ready to go out fishing, he asks me "whats up with the pool skimmer"? I explain the situation and now he thinks he can help. We both paddle back out but the wind picks up and im being pushed around like a beach ball in a hurricane, we tie my kayak to his and we locate the drone, he tries to hold me in position but no go. I said screw it im jumping in, roll out of the kayak go underwater cant see shit, come up for air go under again nothing! Now im to tired to climb back into my kayak so this guy tows me to shore im exhausted. 2 hours drive home i need a plan. Drone has been underwater for almost 2 weeks but i need a recovery for the insurance. Back to garnet lake upstate ny the next day. No more screwing around i got a different kayak and the weather is perfect. Located the drone after 30 minutes of looking. No waves no wind great light. See the drone and easily scoop it up with a bunch of slime and mud. Unfortunately after so long corrosion started showing and after drying out the drone was dead. That recovery was epic.

[@teslascozzies5537]

Love you called it Lassie! Hindsight is a wonderful thing as they say, you weren't to know. Felt terrible for you around 17 mins in. It's adorable you still feel guilt over almost losing lassie another time lol Well done!!

[@WindsweptRobert]

Thanks, Tesla. i'm feeling less guilty now. i think I have atoned properly for my past mistake :)

[@redveinborneo4673]

You got some giant balls to ignore multiple complete losses of signal just to keep on going further out. Well done.

[@WindsweptRobert]

Need to test the limits of these wee drones :)

[@null.ru.1337]

@@WindsweptRobert not at $600 a pop. A bit pricey ???

[@null.ru.1337]

and I just notice your name, Windswept Robert......🤣😂🤣🤣

[@chrisedwards7615]

Phew! What a relief. Nice one Robert. Lesson learned by us all! Thanks for sharing.

[@WindsweptRobert]

Thanks for watching the video and leaving a nice comment, Chris :)

[@AggyGoesOutdoors]

Getting an orange RC warning at less than 20m distance would be enough to tell most people something's not quite right, surely?

[@hankwojo]

That was awesome and an eye opener for me ! I liked how you used all the information at hand to find the Mini. This would make a great training video, mistakes and all. It would teach you to check ALL your settings before take off. Thank you Robert!

[@WindsweptRobert]

Glad it was helpful, Henry :)

[@jsa2001]

In 10 years they'll be more lost drones out there than golf balls.

[@WindsweptRobert]

I do not doubt this :)

[@barriewilliams4526]

Thanks for posting this video Robert, certainly made me check my settings after the last update. Glad you found your drone, horrible feeling when it goes astray.

[@WindsweptRobert]

But a great feeling when you find it in the middle of a blanket bog, Barrie! :)

[@barriewilliams4526]

@@WindsweptRobert True 👍

[@drummer716]

Yikes. That was scary!!!

[@WindsweptRobert]

just a bit! :)

[@jdubbleu1011]

I don’t understand why hover is even an option to be honest. I especially don’t understand why a FW update would reset the setting to hover and not ALWAYS default to RTH. I’ll be checking this after every FW update I’m future. Thanks!

[@WindsweptRobert]

I think hover would be useful if flying under a bridge and you lost signal

[@schooltv21]

I do use the hover, but when I am not flying far. It allows me to go around buildings or floors and find the drone waiting for me where the signal was lost. Here is where DJI should help. Lets say a red box on a corner (draggable around) saying something like Warning: Signal lost behavior - Hover - or Land... But until DJI will do this for us it's a good ideia to get into the habit of checking our settings before and each flight. I am still working on it :)

[@WindsweptRobert]

@@schooltv21 That would be a nice feature addition, Seeit

[@shauncroucher]

Hover is very useful when tracking a moving vehicle for instance. You don't want a lose of signal to force the drone to return to a previous RTH home point.

[@jdubbleu1011]

@@shauncroucher fair enough! I’ll be keeping an eye on that setting post FW updates for sure now though 👍

[@drpscotland3677]

When you were getting out of breath I was expecting the beeping to start speeding up. Glad you found it!

[@WindsweptRobert]

LOL - I should have edited that in!

[@DESTINYFPV]

Personally I would have brought it back when the signal turned orange twice before it was even out of sight it was trying to tell you something wasn't right!

[@WindsweptRobert]

I was relying on the automatic RTH to kick in once the signal was lost, Rick. Unfortunately, things did not go as expected!

[@RynoDupper]

You had me worried there Robert! My DJI mini 2 SE has been purchased and is on its way to me. You are a very determined man!

[@WindsweptRobert]

I could not abandon her again. I still have pangs of conscience from the first time! : kzbin.info/www/bejne/bJnQdIimm6iYl8U

[@RynoDupper]

I would have done the EXACT same thing! Keep on posting your adventures, you are inspiring!

[@RynoDupper]

Robert man she was a good girl and came back sometime after you left! Must be Low Battery RTH! Glad you found her!

[@Heliomation]

Losing a drone is a nightmare

[@WindsweptRobert]

Finding it again is a dream come true! :)

[@alketterer7703]

Great video Robert! Glad you found her. I'm going to check my return to home settings right away.

[@WindsweptRobert]

Thanks, Al. Aye, I'll be checking ALL of my settings before each flight from now on and not just assuming that nothing has changed.

[@B1g_Salad]

I don’t understand why you kept flying that far away even though you kept losing signal. Also that’s way too far away, there no way that’s line of sight. A bit irresponsible no?

[@WindsweptRobert]

I like to think of it as more maverick than irresponsible, but I'm not a school teacher ;)

[@krystagreen3094]

line of sight means it's in the line of your sight with no obstructions, not that you can visibly see it - so if there's no trees buildings etc. in the way then it's still technically in the line of sight

[@WindsweptRobert]

@@krystagreen3094 That is absolutely a correct definition of line of sight, Krysta :)

[@B1g_Salad]

@@krystagreen3094 yah you are thinking of radio line of sight which is not the same as visual line of sight.

[@moonbeam9901]

Karen karen

[@AlisonAgenceNewton]

Had my heart on my sleeve all of the way. No way can you loose Lassie. I have Mozzy, must be a relative, I'd be broken if I lost him. Well done you for looking after her. As an ex-private pilot of light aircraft I always try to complete the checklist before flying, however, we do get a tad slack from time to time don't we :)

[@WindsweptRobert]

I think the incredible reliability (up until now!) of the DJI tech within these drones has made me a bit lax when doing my pre-flight checks. I won't be making the same mistake in future!

[@WindsweptRobert]

Part 2 is now available on the Members section of the channel. Subtitles are being added for the public release, which will be on Friday :)

[@virtuosomuso]

i have subscribed to your channel 👍

[@WindsweptRobert]

@@virtuosomuso Thank you, John :)

[@Welshwarrior85]

This video was emotional 😂 I was willing him on to find his drone as if he were searching for his child. I was so emotionally invested in this video😂

[@WindsweptRobert]

I was too! ;)

[@rossmrmojorisin9579]

Here's a tip for ya always have a powerbank on you 10,000 ma preferably that will help in times like this

[@WindsweptRobert]

I do! It was in the car...I thought I'd only have to walk a few hundred yds from the car to retrieve the drone, so I didn't bring my backpack...

[@mysterymachine693]

I have a pre flight checklist on a small notepad in the bag that makes me run through all settings on the first flight once I launch. This prevents this from happening or vice versa.

[@WindsweptRobert]

Very good idea :)

[@SemiCollin]

I fly FPV so I just takeoff and hope everything works right

[@jimfitzgibbon5492]

My question to you is do you have so much money then sense. Why would you push a drone that hard, unless you want to lose it? Sorry I just value mind more than that.

[@WindsweptRobert]

Good for you :)

[@hirstshafton]

Heart stopping drama. Better than anything on the BBC. After app crashed my Galaxy last week, did update to restore but never thought the default settings would change. Thanks for posting your experience and alerting us all to the perils of the DJI update.

[@WindsweptRobert]

I was far too blasé about it and learned my lesson!

[@john.rc.3274]

Spoiler Alert at 26:24 I'm not saying anything.

[@DroneUpp]

Wow! Almost had me in tears! So glad you were able to retrieve it. Such a long walk that I know I would not have made it that far on foot! Soon as I saw your video, I check my settings but once I saw the options for RTH on Disconnect, I was so happy to see that it was set to RTH. From now on, I will always check this after updates!!! Thanks for sharing this education!!!!!

[@WindsweptRobert]

Thank you so much!

[@driewiel]

Some drone pilots never returned to home.

[@WindsweptRobert]

I nearly didn’t!

[@driewiel]

@@WindsweptRobert At least you got to try out sports mode.

[@Yamanotefy]

Frightening! I had the same kind of disconnect with my Mini 3 Pro and the RC (screen) in urban area a few days back and never was able to reconnect. RTH brought her home bit with some scratches and bruises on landing due the tight spot and lack of precision landing. I really long for a stronger signal, guess FCC hack might be a thing in the future to check. Glad you got yours back. Happy and safe flying!

[@WindsweptRobert]

I will be looking into making a FFC hack test video soon :)

[@Yamanotefy]

@@WindsweptRobert Much appreciated Robert! I am really looking forward to visiting Scotland not only but certainly for drone flying and enjoying the beautiful landscape. 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿💙

[@ptaylor5014]

So lesson to everyone who does a firmware update, check all your settings afterwards! or you could say goodbye to your drone.

[@WindsweptRobert]

Absolutely, Paul!

[@ThePeteW]

I would go further. Checking your settings should be done before every flight. I believe the right thing to do is to have a pre flight checklist. 30 secs precheck per flight could save you an awful long walk at best, lose drone at worst. Add in don’t fly with wind to on the outbound journey too 😀 Question though, why did the drone not reconnect when you were close?

[@WindsweptRobert]

@@ThePeteW I don't know Pete. When I picked her up after finding her in the bog, I switched her off and on (she still had 61% battery power!) and she connected straight away. It's a mystery to me!

[@frankhoherz2758]

Yes. But also check all settings in case of a new version of the fly app

[@waynegreene6405]

Good point mate.

[@sammygizmo7087]

Before sending the drone out first is to check RTH and battery level if all cells are okay. Happy to watched the whole video and most of all glad that Lassie will fly again for more adventure. Best regards from Cebu, Philippines

[@WindsweptRobert]

You're right, Sammy. I'll be taking more time to do full and proper checks before flying in future!

[@AegeanEpiphany]

2.4kms BVLOS in high wind? Signal loss and INTERFERENCE Warnings at 1.3kms. Then RTH mode 'Hover'. No surprises then...

[@WindsweptRobert]

You assume too much.

[@El_Smeghead]

@@WindsweptRobert It's hardly just an assumption. You videoed all the evidence! 🤦

[@colingerard7863]

Hi Robert. I'm glad you found her and I hope that unexpected trek hasn't affected your recovery from covid too much. Goood vibes from down south.

[@WindsweptRobert]

Thanks, Colin. This was 2 weeks past on Saturday, and it actually did set me back in my recovery a wee bit - that's why I missed another livestream that weekend. But I'm doing much better now and still heading in a positive recovery direction :)

[@graemelaw5808]

hi rab, where's part 2🙏, its part of the story, we dont care its got no drone flight or content. i think the advice from the youtube channel review is rubbish! we watch for drones - yes, but also because its you, people like you, thats all part of the channel. & i for 1 enjoyed a glimpse of the band thing for instance + sure most would be interested. the return journey - every1 wants to see it 🙏🙏 ps - n1 controller started working properly yet ?

[@WindsweptRobert]

Thanks Graeme, thanks for those very kind and encouraging words. I've had a look at the footage for the return journey. I recorded it with my phone and had no external mic, so there is a lot of wind noise and the narration is difficult to hear in parts. But I have decided to create this video and publish it. I'll clean up the audio as best I can and I'll add subtitles. It'll take me quite a while to put it together, but I'll do my best to get it up for the weekend coming :) I've moved the band video to the members section, but if anyone wants to see it they can message me or email me and I'll provide a link for that video :)

[@graemelaw5808]

@@WindsweptRobert no worries, look forward to it, cheers G

[@Earle63]

Thank you so much for posting this video. I updated my drone yesterday and paused the video to check the settings. All was well but now I know how important it is to check after updating the drone. I am so happy that you found lassie! I have subbed to you and thank you again sir!

[@WindsweptRobert]

Thanks so much, Earle, for watching the video and leaving a nice comment :)

[@dominicpaggetti7903]

Visual line of site in the UK. 2k is not!!!

[@drewywgx924]

Lol

[@toddlauretteHabsforlife]

This is my biggest nightmare. After u go a couple times and check your settings, u become complacent and forget to check them, and for me, THAT'S the time this would happen, every time! lol. Glad u got 'er back. I will try to always check my settings before i go out. I just got mine 2 or 3 weeks ago, and it's been too cold, today was the first day i could fly it long enough to drain the battery, Im nervous about flying out of sight tho! lol, im sure ill get over that. Thanks for the video.

[@darrenwilliams414]

you do understand line of sight means you can see it

[@WindsweptRobert]

I do understand what line of sight means.

[@darrenwilliams414]

@@WindsweptRobert so you should have been able to see it at all times then

[@WindsweptRobert]

@@darrenwilliams414 Correct.

[@Ohknottme]

Wow, well that’s ONE way to find out which settings were updated in the new firmware! I’ll be double checking EVERY time an update occurs from now on! New Subscriber; glad you got Lassie back!

[@WindsweptRobert]

Thanks, guy in Shanghai. Part 2 of the adventure will be published on Friday :)

[@SandyPandy-k8r]

🤣👏👏👏👏 get DJ audits to give you some private lessons on how to fly properly LOL aka Dik

[@WindsweptRobert]

Comment more please, you're helping the engagement levels on the channel. I love idiots like you :) ❤

[@hustlerkc11]

Troll

[@danielbeeby4923]

This was absolutely beautiful I loved that you actually found it :) Half way through I was like there no way wow wow wow :) well done

[@WindsweptRobert]

I had faith in the 'Find My Drone' feature. I did not think it would be so far away though!

[@jacobfield4848]

Got a feeling this was staged, but it was fun to watch either way.

[@WindsweptRobert]

It was not.

[@carlkma2037]

Totally.

[@WasOnHisBike]

I just watched your Litchi waypoint mission down at loch Doon. Loch Doon is an area I like and I have flown my done there often. I then noticed this video, at Airds Moss. Which is another area I have flown but my starting point was the layby on the A70, which gave me good access to the Covenanters Monument, in/on Aird's Moss. Anyway most of us will admit to having 'lost' our drone sometime, somewhere. Then resort to following that Red Line, climbing fences and walls to reclaim it. Luckily the area I found myself in was farmland, I would NOT like to consider trecking thru wet moorland to find and get my drone. But well done you stuck with it and got Lassie.

[@davidbarter303]

glad you got it back. The return to home has two beeps while the drone is coming back to you. the second time you tried return to home it was only beeping one beep at a time. This indicates there is a problem. Had the same problem and my mini 2 crashed. No damage thank goodness.

[@WindsweptRobert]

aye, I realised this a minute or 2 after pressing it. you can see from the 'think bubbles' that I realised something was not right :)

[@Andrea........]

hello, the regulation says to fly on sight😜

[@WindsweptRobert]

Does it?

[@HugoVistaAerea]

Wow, How scary to go through something like that, How good that you were able to recover it, Greetings from Michigan my friend...

[@WindsweptRobert]

Greetings from Ayrshire, Scotland, Hugo. Aye, it was more exhausting than scary to be honest, I had full confidence in the Find My Drone feature, but less confidence in my fitness to continue the trek!

[@paulJF]

if you had maintained vlos as you are supposed to do then this wouldn't have happened

[@WindsweptRobert]

Cheers for your helpful comment, Karen 😅

[@paulJF]

@@WindsweptRobert not Karen just a responsible pilot.

[@WindsweptRobert]

Ok, if you want a nit-picking contest, I'm your huckleberry. How far away from you do you fly your drone, and what type of drone is it?

[@geowa3724]

How would vlos stopped him from loosing connection? Maybe just an easier find but the problem would still occur

[@TobyWallwork]

What a tale of suspense! I had to stop halfway through to walk the dog, but we hurried back for the second half!

[@WindsweptRobert]

Thanks, Toby. I did not expect my little vlog to have this effect on people! :)

[@rikcristiansen7409]

Instead of calling people Karens why don't you just follow the regs like the rest of us have to? VLOS mate.

[@WindsweptRobert]

Thanks, Rik. It's really up to me what I do with my life, isn't it? If you don't like what I'm doing in my videos, you're free to not watch them.

[@rikcristiansen7409]

@@WindsweptRobert thats the attitude mate! Use your platform to irresponsibly influence other drone ops. Good work ;)

[@LISTEDGames]

@@rikcristiansen7409 vlos is mostly for other people's safety in case you crash the drone and falls on someone or something that might damage it. He was in the middle of nowhere, nobody is around if it crashes.

[@rikcristiansen7409]

@@LISTEDGames…apart from the nearby houses??

[@LISTEDGames]

@@rikcristiansen7409 c'mon you're picking straws here, its not like he was flying above a metropolis

[@MonkiMagik]

Brilliant piece of recovery. Well done. Absolutely true about firmware updates. For me RTH is important comfort , but also check the height. Flying over trees my RTH on a Phantom 3 was set at 30m on DJI fly, and flying using litchi it lost signal and went down. Now at the top of a large sycamore on a hill. Too high to get down. Now just leaving it at default of 100m.

[@WindsweptRobert]

I'll certainly be taking more time to check settings before I launch in future, Ian!

[@phroden]

This drone should never be recovered. Illegal flight.

[@nzdatsports9659]

welcome home lassi . nice work retrieving her . as unlucky this might have been . it was a stroke of luck finding it . well done .

[@WindsweptRobert]

Oh, I don't know if it was luck - I think it was more to do with Scottish tenacity and DJI technology! ;)

[@DanielBerke]

This resonates with me since just this morning I flew my Mini 3 under a bridge for the first time and was really careful (though still nervous) about switching it from RTH to Hover for the duration (since I didn't want it taking off up into the underside of the bridge if it lost connection half-way across!). Then this video reminded me I'd seen a firmware update while out, so I applied it and made sure to double-check the setting. As a new pilot I appreciate you documenting your low points as well as your highs, since I'd probably not have been _nearly_ as calm in a similar situation. Here's to many more Lassie flights in the future.

[@WindsweptRobert]

Thanks, Daniel. I think I was fairly calm here because I have tested the Find My Drone feature many times (there are videos on the channel showing this) and I was fairly confident that I'd be able to recover her :)

[@DanielBerke]

​@@WindsweptRobert Maybe I should test Find My Drone in a safe environment to get some familiarity with it before I need it, sounds like a good tip.

[@locouk]

Just checked my Mini 2, the settings are as I set them before all updates. I found I could change RTH, hover while the motors are running. I wasn’t in flight though.

[@WindsweptRobert]

I think the problem is that if you get a high wind warning and then lose connection, the drone will not RTH, but will instead land. I'm sure that's what happened in my 2 cases.

[@JerryLass]

Heartwarming! I know how it feels when the lassie disappears… greetings from the Bavarian highlands.

[@WindsweptRobert]

Greetings from the Scottish Lowlands, Jerry. The feeling when she is recovered is almost worth the feeling when she disappears ;)

[@Killingholmedrone]

Under the A2 CoFC we're required to maintain VLOS, are there any changes in the GVC or PfCO which allow BVLOS? I'm taking my A2 currently and maintaining VLOS is one of the things i've been having hammered to avoid these kinds of things and worse.

[@WindsweptRobert]

Who says I didn't have VLOS?

[@Killingholmedrone]

You was 2400m away from the drone when you lost connection, with a drone so small It would be incredibly hard to see it at such a long distance is all.

[@WindsweptRobert]

Aye, but you can't say I didn't have VLOS for sure.

[@belagajo1133]

I am so glad you found your drone.Good work.

[@marym.5025]

This video punched into me the importance of pre-flight checks. Glad you found her.

[@WindsweptRobert]

You're right, Mary! :)