Hi All, I’m planning to fly at Durdle Door and wanted to ask, if anyone has experience, of flying through the arch, then out of sight, coming up over the top of the cliff. The drone would be out of sight and potentially out of signal coverage aswell. I’ve looked at a lot of drone films of the area and only one I’ve seen shows the drone actually going through the arch and coming out the other side successfully, twice. Thats one question: how is that done? The other is, on several films I hear sounds of the waves, seagulls etc. Are these special effects added in or is there some way of recording sound through the remote?
I’d be interested in the answer to this myself, and certainly wouldn’t attempt anything like it until I know more about what is likely to be the outcome. Ithink that something like this could be achieved by waypoint flying, since this is predicated on gps and not controller signal, but the sense of relief when the drone comes back into view would be palpable. If your drone does not support waypoint flying, it is possible that Litchi or Maven apps will be able to enable this, depending on your drone model.
TTBOMK you cannot record audio from the drone, which would only be prop noise anyway, but sound fx can be added to the footage in post-editing, or one could use the smartphone to live record from the TOAL point.
Almost certainly, although some drones, especially FPV use gopro’s that can record sound but 99% prop noise.
Shouldn’t be a problem, I’ve seen quite a few go through. It’s a huge hole for a seasoned FPVer to fly through and signal Shouldn’t be an issue. Just watch out for waves if its a bit choppy.
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Actually, thinking about this, you would have to fly through the arch with the drone constantly in your VLOS, and maintain VLOS after it has passed through, turn 180 degrees, and fly back through the arch; the CAA requires you to keep VLOS at all times, so if anything were to go wrong while the drone was out of sight (and that is probably when something is most likely to go wrong anyway, as you are ‘flying blind’) I suspect that you would be liable for any third party loss, and uninsured.
You could fly off the beach straight through the hole, bearing a little east of due south, and a spring low tide would give you the closest approach, best angle, snd most headroom, but IIRC the beach is quite a steep slope into the sea
There is a current NOTAM active 21-24 October for the area that you need to check out before flying.
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They are making a film there at the moment. The Drone Show Live guys went down at the weekend and found them filming for a new Fantastic Four film.
Actually, representatives from the CAA have openly agreed (on a YouTube channel that shall not be named) that this is impractical in practise and a certain amount of latitude either way was acceptable.
I guess it’s a bit like doing 80mph on the motorway, generally ignored until of course it all goes wrong!
Personally, I wouldn’t hesitate to fly through the arch, especially if you had a spotter keeping a watchfull eye for you too. 
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I look forward to the footage
Check the flying restrictions during the week, fine at weekends 
as @D0c.Col says use a spotter if worried about VLOS
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@Nikonitis On the sounds, you simply record gulls and waves on your sound recorder (or phone) and edit them in. No drone will pick up nice ambient sounds without it being overpowered by the props’ noise…
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Get it out get it up & get it in (Drone)
My advice stay as close as you can so the signal is stronger make sure RTH height is set and try not to get nervous about sending it the last thing you need is finger wobble and the shakes.
Take a spotter and plan/vision the route you want to do I’m sure you’ll be fine.
Remember you can edit anything it doesn’t have to be one run you can take the best bits and put them together and add sounds after.
Pretty sure we all look forward to seeing the results good luck.
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If your doing a walking vlog or next to the sea etc, the Neo does a half decent job with a phone in follow mode etc. 
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There are several videos members have taken at Durdle Door - check this search.
Durdle Door has no restrictions - other than the rathe arsey Weld Estate that own the land and have a no drone policy … but there are fewer of their people about at this time of year.
Early morning and evening is good - flown there many times.
Flying from the main cliff top, which is higher than the Door itself, gives good visual coverage most of the time.
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Reminds me of this🤣
I think all audio is recorded by the phone and not the drone. The DJI phone software filters the sound of the props as well.
C
Its100% the phone or DJI mike but the Neo base software drowns out the prop noise once a few metres away … or so.
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He worries me 
gets gimble overload so brings it down to fix this he decided a Calibrate Compass nothing wrong in doing a calibration but I would do it holding drone in center and rotate not myself be center and rotate around myself 
@Nikonitis
I would get a good high location do a signal test just dropping up and down on both sides making sure you know if signal be lost as if it does while not in LOS it kick in RTH and raise up again the signal be regained. I would myself turn off Obstacle avoidance sensors and as I see what you want to do is go into sports mode this also turn off Obstacle avoidance sensors but if you confident and can use sticks properly without slightly drifting the speed get you through and by time it realises lost signal you be out the other end and RTH kick in. You would hate Obstacle avoidance sensors to kick in the gap and slow the drone then stop and signal loss then it go into RTH and raise upwards and crashes down
It’s not recent. The carparks have signs … and have done for several years.
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AIUI the beach between high and low water marks is Crown Property, and the King doesn’t mind you using it for TOAL. I believe Durdle is an SSSI but probably not for birdnesting reasons that a drone pilot needs to worry about.
A spotter within the CAA requirement of standing alongside the pilot will make no difference to observing the drone if it is out of VLOS from the Home Point, but an ‘unofficial’ one up on the cliff with a view of the seaward side of the door on a mobile could help with informing the pilot. If signal is lost, the drone should simply hover where it is or come home by RTH; if the pilot, instructed by the spotter on the cliff who can observe the hovering drone, then moves to join the spotter, he can regain signal & control, bringing the drone back to where it can be safely landed.
Iffy, though; there are likely to be Ken/Karens who have seen the notices in the car park (because Ken/Karens never walk anywhere) and will no doubt want to give you the benefit of their ‘advice’. Good thing about this, is that there are all sorts of dangerous cliffs and tidal currents, they’d never find the bodies…
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Good to know. My view of the CAA is that they are by and large a sensible bunch who have our interests at heart. But it still needs to be established as legal precedent.
I can’t help feeling that, stricltly according to the letter of CAA regulations and the drone code, the requirement for VLOS ‘at all times’ means that most of us are flying illegally most of the time, and it bothers me a bit. But the same applies to commercial airline pilots, who are required to keep a constant lookout from their cockpits but actually spend most of their time referring to insturments, which is analagous to our referring to RC or phone screens.
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Come on @TheJohnster get the drone flown and share some piccies or video
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I am quite surprised that most on here are encouraging you to fly BVLOS without authorisation and regardless of what some say, contravening the regulations laid down by the CAA in CAP 722. If you choose to ignore these regulations then it is down to you alone if prosecuted and not the people saying yeah go for it.
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