Elsinore Grand Prix wasn’t my best day flying.
Ok, So life is not always a bundle of joy. For months I was exited to fly for the Elsinore Grand Prix. I couldn’t wait to get out there. I practiced, bought new extra set of batteries. Even stepped up my game to the new DJI Phantom 2 vision PLUS. I was going to make sure everything was perfect.
I drug my spotter, (AKA my mom), out to the stadium several times prior and bright and early starting day. I got there early enough that I flew in my usual spot. Took the new “Big Red” up to a nice height to get a nice view of the track and the parking lot where everyone camps. Then we went over off of Franklin St. and practiced flying there so I can catch the jumps. Great day flying… all dialed in.
Now the big day is hear. Sunday morning, I get up early and head to the prime spot for jumping…. of Franklin St. The street is blocked off so I get permission from security and the police to go set up down the street. I’m all set up and ready to go. I fire up “big Red” and instead of going up…. He flips on his side and breaks a blade. 🙁 What the heck!!!!! I realized I had installed the new ground station and I still had my phone on this setting. Its ok…. Change my phone, stick a new set a blades on and I’m ready to go again. This time, up 5′ and flying off to Lake Chevrolet to left of me.
I’m confused and frazzled and decide ok I will just fly “Faithful Fanny” After calming my nerves. I start up Fanny… sounds fine… ok ready? Up and 5′ taking off the left. Lucky for me my spotter caught the darn thing. Ok that’s it. If Fanny can’t fly I definitely did something wrong and I need to go home an figure it out.
So that was the end of my flight at the Elsinore Grand Prix. Yes I did get a few photos and a little bit of film. I came home studied and studied, recalibrated (which I did there also after the crash). I completely restarted my phone and flew later at home and it seem to be fine. I think I needed the whole problem was in my phone. ;( But I did learn a valuable lesson, everything must be perfect. If anything doesn’t seem quite right or the sequence is not the same, the results wont be the same. And the lesson I already knew “don’t mess with things until after the big event”. Duhh
