Hand launch and catch your DJI FPV

John Gowland · Apr 3, 2021

It is safest not to do it, but if you are going to do it anyway, do it as safe as you can.
If this kills you, don't complain to me. If it gives you some awesome facial scars that will attract others to your new look then you can blame me

Go to the YouTube link if you want to see the hand and catch other DJI drones.
Be safe and enjoy the power and agility of this little beastie.

Madhungarian · Apr 3, 2021

If this was supposed to be an April fools joke your a day late.

thetechnobear · Apr 3, 2021

great video @John Gowland

I hand catch my Mavic Air all the time,
.... but really not sure I want to do the FPV, those blades are vicious!
also the fpv does not seem quite so 'still' in the air as the mavic, its more prone to little movements..

that said, Ive not seen your technique before, where you slide in (and fool the sensors) rather than land - this does look alot safer, alot more controlled.

tough one, often where I fly there aren't great places to take off/land (too uneven, dirt, grass, bush)

thanks again for the video!

Kilrah · Apr 3, 2021

I hand launch/catch the FPV almost every single flight, as usual I disable the smart landing thing you don't want to have on for hand catch.

John Gowland · Apr 3, 2021

thetechnobear said:
great video @John Gowland

I hand catch my Mavic Air all the time,
.... but really not sure I want to do the FPV, those blades are vicious!
also the fpv does not seem quite so 'still' in the air as the mavic, its more prone to little movements..

that said, Ive not seen your technique before, where you slide in (and fool the sensors) rather than land - this does look alot safer, alot more controlled.

tough one, often where I fly there aren't great places to take off/land (too uneven, dirt, grass, bush)

thanks again for the video!

I agree the FPV does, move a bit in the air, good observation, but for a powerful little beastie remarkably little. I live in a relatively hot and dry place where there is lots of dust, and feel better to avoid the drone intake. Jus good to have choices. Thank you.

jiker69 · Nov 2, 2022

Kilrah said:
I hand launch/catch the FPV almost every single flight, as usual I disable the smart landing thing you don't want to have on for hand catch.

What is Smart Landing? Do you mean RTH?

Kilrah · Nov 2, 2022

No, it's a thing that was called "landing protection" on GO4 drones and is no longer offered as a user-adjustable setting but you can get to it with a parameter editor like the drone-hacks app, typically called something like "avoid_ground_and_smart_landing_enable*.

It's what makes the aircraft stop 30ish cm above ground when you come down to land and initiates an uncontrollable automatic landing when you then hold the stick down.

When off you get full control regardless of height so no surprises.

djwak59 · Oct 6, 2023

John Gowland said:
It is safest not to do it, but if you are going to do it anyway, do it as safe as you can.
If this kills you, don't complain to me. If it gives you some awesome facial scars that will attract others to your new look then you can blame me

Go to the YouTube link if you want to see the hand and catch other DJI drones.
Be safe and enjoy the power and agility of this little beastie.

Sorry, I NEVER hand launch OR catch ANY of my drones, ESPECIALLY the FPV !

John Gowland · Oct 7, 2023

I am not suggesting any one does it but if you are going to, this is the safest way to do it. Sometimes we need to chil.

djwak59 · Oct 7, 2023

It’s just one of the first things I learned NOT to do when I started flying drones years back. I won’t even hand launch or catch my Mini 2.
I’m just sayin, it’s not for me that’s all.

John Gowland · Oct 7, 2023

Yesterday, I sent me Mini 2 off from my 29th floor and when it returned it lost its bearing completely, there is no way I was going to try and catch that! I was lucky it crashed in the balcony. Tough little bugger. I love that drone. But each to their own friend.

AKflyer · Oct 31, 2023

I "hand catch" my DJIs, including my FPV, on almost every landing. Actually, it's more accurately a "hand landing". While it's hovering in front of me, I hold my open palm a couple of feet below it, then with the other hand using the remote simply hold the stick down so that it descends straight down, lands gently on my palm and shuts down the motors on its own. No special hand motions or positions, turning off sensors, or fooling sensors. It's about as simple and non-dramatic as it could possibly be.

SWTSU · Oct 31, 2023

Not a fan by of hand launch/landing.

There have been countless stories of drones doing goofy things during everyday flying, and unless you have to do this due to location, why risk it? The FPV can jack you up. I would hate to earn a Scarface nickname bc I wanted to save ten seconds.