documentation of flights

[InspireAggie]

what are you guys doing to document before flying? I guess in the case of a downed inspire, you will need flight logs. I've read where folks take a screen shot of the compass calibration. Is that something that is located in the flight log? I mean, are those values recorded prior to any flight? If so, then I'll stop the screen shots. What I've done is first of day. Calibrate. Then look at my compass settings and take an ipad screen shot.

So, provided it's not pilot error and I fly into a tree, what should I also being doing or just doing the compass calibration enough and then putting it in the air? Thoughts?

All this is more for an electronics failure resulting in a crash. What do I need to prove it wasn't my fault?

 

[ajohnsonlaird]

That's a very good question. It actually raises a larger question: What would DJI see that would cause them to say, "pilot error" versus "DJI's problem?"

The IMU really only needs to be calibrated once per firmware upgrade. The compass needs to be calibrated each time you fly in a new location. So where is the "pilot fault" / "DJI fault" line?

All of the IMU and compass data is recorded in the flight log .txt files, which you can access via http://www.uavforecast.com/djilogs if you ask for the Comprehensive CSV file.

Try uploading on of the .txt files stored in your tablet PC to that link - DJI can see everything that the aircraft is doing, and everything the pilot is doing. Hence back to my original question: Where's the threshold between pilot error and DJI error?

To partially answer my own question: if a battery goes from 50% to 5% in a few seconds, that suggests that it might be DJI's error not the pilots.... but flying into a tree (not that I have ever done that) or landing hard (moi?) -- those seem like my problems not DJI's.

Andy.

 

[InspireAggie]

I would answer your question by saying this. Pilot error is probably physically harming the inspire by conduct. Meaning flying into an object or landing aggressively.
Could not calibrating the compass fall under this? Well, the instructions say to do so at every location. That's what I do. I was told by a couple of DJI reps who moderate the forums that if you go over 100 miles you should and not every location within 100 miles. So....if I did have a crash and it was within this space, would I be at fault? Well, why risk it. I don't calibrate every flight. I do the first flight of the day at that location and I normally take a screenshot of the values of the compass. At least I have something documented for that day.

Otherwise....any electronics failure. GPS fall out, compass error, battery error, is on DJI. I can only control the sticks, not those things. That's my opinion.

 

[Kilrah]

The problem is that you usually have no way of proving anything yourself, and DJI are the only ones to have access to the detailed log data and can make it say whatever they want...
If they see you haven't calibrated they can say you should have because it's in the manual and that's the reason for the crash, yet if you calibrated they can say it was a place with a disturbed magnetic field and you shouldn't have. So you're basically tied to their good will and honesty.

 

[PB30X]

The problem is that you usually have no way of proving anything yourself, and DJI are the only ones to have access to the detailed log data and can make it say whatever they want...
If they see you haven't calibrated they can say you should have because it's in the manual and that's the reason for the crash, yet if you calibrated they can say it was a place with a disturbed magnetic field and you shouldn't have. So you're basically tied to their good will and honesty.

One of the many reasons another vendor designs a blackbox for all manufactured drones and make it mandatory for these companies to follow through on connections and data ports!! Wishful thinking but don't like the fact they have final word in any incident[emoji6]!!