Hi, I’ve had my Mini3 Pro for around 9 months and enjoyed flying to take both still and video. My method control seems to be a blend of visual and using the screen, although recently more use of the screen. I had a chat with a North Wales Police drone operator at a RAF Valley families day. His role is additionaly to instruct other police officers as drone operators. Interestingly his method is only to use the screen without visual reference to the drone in the air and his greatest challenge whilst instructing students to to do the same and to forget trying to be visual. Not withstanding the regs regarding line of sight I would be interested in other people methods on this subject.
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Unless he’s using a spotter then he’s wrong.
Technically as a drone operator he should be watching the drone, and have a second person watching the screen. Ideally for their kind of operation the perfect scenario would be operator using VLOS and a tiny bit of screen, plus an observer to watch the drone plus a third officer to watch a second screen to check what they are filming.
Back to your question.
I will fly line of sight to what i want to film. The use the screen as i am shooting a clip, if the clip is not too difficult to do i may look back at the general location of the drone once i have finished that clip visually locate the drone (if i can) before doing the next clip.
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I haven’t been doing this long at all but I fly the drone into position by watching the drone, then I look at the screen while I record a clip or take a photo, my wife keeps an eye on the drone whilst I am looking at the screen. I believe that this is compliant with the rules.
Yep, you’ve got to look at the screen occasionally. Whether it’s framing a shot, selecting a POI or object to track. Camera settings too, on Pro mode require changing. Yet according to the CAA we’re supposed to look at our drone and the airspace around it, near enough all the time.
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From what I saw on that “Sky Coppers” programme, they were always in pairs: pilot and spotter.
Usually both looking at the screen
I don’t think he suggested in any way he was doing the whole gig himself, more of a comment of his drone piloting part of the team. I’ve seen people flying drones from sitting down on a bench or on the ground and I’ve often wondered how can they have visual on the drone from a static position. Personaly I use a mix of and screen and visual but I’m getting to use/trust the screen more as my confidence grows. I find it useful to do a good reconnaissance in advance wherever possible.
I agree, he should be watching the drone.
I also watch the drone then look at the screen then back at the drone if you can find it in the sky again.
It’s so easy to lose something as small as a mini 2.
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