+Fr Robert Ballecer, SJ So where do you guys go to fly your quads that is not too windy? As...

[G+_Steve C]

 

+Fr. Robert Ballecer, SJ  So where do you guys go to fly your quads that is not too windy?  As unstable as it is, I used to be able to keep my X5C in my yard at least but I can't even do that anymore.  Unless I try to keep it close to the ground the wind will pick it up and it will go sailing away over the fence!  There aren't any big fields around here either so I'm about to give up.

[G+_Taylor Graham]

I used to love flying my syma inside. Even in small rooms, even in my tiny apartment. If you slam into the walls, it doesnt matter. I cant tell you how many times i took my syma straight into a wall at full speed because i overshot a circuit or something. Go slow at first, work your way up. Parking garage would work too.

[G+_Steve C]

There are no parking garages around but if I can barely keep it in my yard there's no hope of flying it inside unless I had an empty basket ball court.  The X5 C is never under any kind of control, it mostly just goes where it wants and I can sort of herd it in the general direction I want it to go but not always.  Indoors it will just hit the first thing it finds close by and crash every time, it can't actually be steered around obstacles or anything.

[G+_Taylor Graham]

Trust yourself! I was able to do it in a room that was like 10x15. I only flew into myself occasionally. When there's no wind its easier to keep it on track. What about a gym/auditorium somewhere? like a YMCA/school maybe? 

[G+_Steve C]

I don't have any large empty rooms.  It's so unstable I'd need something like the main lobby of a large shopping center or enclosed stadium.  Actually the guy who flies them at the mall keeps crashing into things and people!  I bought a Hubson from that guy and can't keep it in my yard but he couldn't fly it at the mall either which should have given me a hint that it's not controllable.

[G+_Ben Reese]

I fly my Hubsan inside. I've got tall living room ceilings which helps, but it's not bad with 8ft ceilings either.

[G+_Steve C]

My Hubsan is so erratic and unstable it won't even stay in the yard so trying to fly it inside would be out of the question.  Took it out yesterday and it zoomed way up over the house, over the fence, and landed in the neighbor's yard next door!

[G+_T Burns]

If you haven't yet, try flying in expert mode. It handles the wind a lot better but has less climbing ability

[G+_Steve C]

Ha ha, I wonder where he found a desert with no wind?  It most be in a virtual reality world!  So that's how he makes the drones appear to fly so smoothly with no hands!  Is there a new version of Second Life that has flying drones?

[G+_Taylor Graham]

They're really not that hard to fly mate, even in wind. I've had mine out in ~10-15 mph winds. Obviously it flies better below 10mph, but its okay between 10 and 15 if you turn on high rates. Is your area like constant 20+mph winds?

[G+_Steve C]

Don't be ridiculous, there's no way you can fly in 10-15 mph winds!

The X5C and X8C don't have any sensors to tell where they are so they can't hold their position and will just blow away if there is even the slightest breeze.  My AR Drone can barely stay in the yard when there is a slight breeze and it knows where it is!  The wind here is so strong it's ripping the roofs off houses and blowing down trees and power poles but usually is just enough to blow anything out of my yard.

[G+_Ben Reese]

Steve C?, I just watched the video you have on YouTube labeled your first flight. It's not that bad...

 

I'm not sure where you are that it's normal to have shingles blown off the roof on a normal day. We (in Kansas) have some days with regular 20 MPH winds and 40-50 MPH gusts, but it usually takes a thunderstorm with hail or a tornado to start removing shingles from the roof.

 

I've also flown my Hubsan X4 in 15-20 MPH winds. It's certainly not easy and I've almost lost it a couple times, but it's doable.

[G+_Steve C]

Not that bad?  Did you notice when it went way up in the air over the rooftops and the trees?  It did that all on it's own while I was trying to keep it from going too high!  I can usually keep it within a 20' square area but there really isn't any sort of control possible.

While it's trying to get away I'm mostly trying to herd it back to the center area and keep it from zooming too high and going out of sight or diving down and hitting the ground.  The X5C's biggest problem is not having any way to keep it near the same height or even within 10' of a certain height and the Hubson X4 is even worse!

My AR Drone is much better and can hover at a set height by itself but I still have to be careful to keep the wind from blowing it away since it's so light.  BTW, there's another thunderstorm outside right now!