Welcome Inspire Pilots!
Join our free DJI Inspire community today!
Sign up

Feeding The Trees

Joined
Jan 30, 2015
Messages
1,144
Reaction score
657
Location
South Florida, USA
Was flying earlier this morning, practicing my figure 8s. The rising sun was behind me. As the 8s flew by, they were getting bigger and sloppier. The Inspire came out of one loop and heading back into the next figure 8. This time, the copter flew passed me. I turned my body to follow it and the bird flew right into the sun and vanished. I was instantly blinded!

My instinctual reaction was to snap my head around, away from the sun. I glanced down at the iPad's screen. It was filled with green leaves. I panicked. My heart was pounding so hard I thought the hat was going to bounce off my head. My thoughts became a blur of nonsense.

Honestly, I don't remember what I did, but I do remember thinking, “Hit reverse and climb!” I kept expecting to hear the crunch of leaves and branches and the crash of a shattered Inspire. Nothing! This all happened within the space of a second, maybe two at the most, but it seemed like an eternity as it was unfolding.

Surprised by the silence, I turned back toward the copter. I was stunned. It was hovering well above the tree. I was shaking like a leaf. My mouth was dry as cotton and my stomach had a knot in it the size of a basketball.

Once I regained my wits, I carefully backed her up. My thumbs were quivering on the sticks so uncontrollably I could barely manage. Finally, I was able to land her without any further mishap, but I was a mess! I stood there, with my heart still pounding, and stared at the unscratched Inspire 1 in total disbelief. How did she not fly into the tree?

If any of you are old enough to remember the book or movie, God Is My Co-Pilot, I truly believe that was the case this morning.

Flying the Inspire 1 is more fun than people should be allowed to have.
 
Hehe.... Been there, done that and immediately afterwards I really don't like the uncontrollable stick wibbly wobbly like I have just contracted Parkinson's Desease (no offence intended to anybody).
I also find that my body suddenly craves a cold beer. :p
 
Very glad you got outta that one unscathed! :) It's humbling to know that even the most experienced pilots have mishaps and close-calls and have "the shakes" after. What an amazing beast of a machine we have, and oh how fragile...
 
I live for the adrenalin rush I get from flying my inspire!!
One on flight my arms were tingling severely after I barely got it back for about twenty minutes..
I've never experienced anything quite like it and that's saying a lot because I've done things in cars and on motorcycles that would make the faint of heart piss their pants..lol..
Glad it worked out well for you!!
Turbo..
 
  • Like
Reactions: sirnikolas
Very glad you got outta that one unscathed! :) It's humbling to know that even the most experienced pilots have mishaps and close-calls and have "the shakes" after. What an amazing beast of a machine we have, and oh how fragile...

Thanks, Ferdi, but make no mistake, I am not an experienced pilot. The Inspire 1 is my first and only RC aircraft. Been flying since the end of January.

There are folks here who have forgotten more than I'll ever know about flying quads.
 
I live for the adrenalin rush I get from flying my inspire!!
One on flight my arms were tingling severely after I barely got it back for about twenty minutes..
I've never experienced anything quite like it and that's saying a lot because I've done things in cars and on motorcycles that would make the faint of heart piss their pants..lol..
Glad it worked out well for you!!
Turbo..

Thanks, Turbo. This morning, rather than an adrenalin rush, it was more like a feces fiasco! Glad I took care of that before I left the house.
 
Thanks, Ferdi, but make no mistake, I am not an experienced pilot. The Inspire 1 is my first and only RC aircraft. Been flying since the end of January.

There are folks here who have forgotten more than I'll ever know about flying quads.
Oh, well that doesn't change my opinion of you :) You are very active in the community and I respect that.

My first crash (with a Phantom 2) was in a tree when it went sideways over my head. By the time I got my head turned it was in a tree. Since then I won't allow any quad to go over my head. There's always a spiteful tree waiting to jump in the way ;)
 
  • Like
Reactions: turbodronepilot

Members online

Forum statistics

Threads
22,277
Messages
210,655
Members
34,326
Latest member
BobbyeriGop