Phantom Drone First Test Flight

In preparation for getting some aerial footage to complete our Cold Storage documentary, we took our new Phantom 2 drone out for a spin, sporting a GoPro Hero3+.

Our test flight consisted of several increasing altitude pushes, hovering to test the unit’s auto-stabilization, and steering around several basic obstacles. To film with consistent speed and control will require some practice, but by the end of our flight we were gaining increasing levels of comfort with the operation.

The auto-stabilization works well in conjunction with the gimbal, but in reviewing the footage, it becomes apparent that on occasion the body of the drone would come into view before it settled. Using a less wide-angle option on the GoPro will hopefully address this the next time out, as well as minimize the degree of fisheye distortion.

The position of the sun will also be a challenge during our shoot for the film, so as to avoid the cast shadow of the device appearing in the shot.

There is GPS functionality and more advanced features we intend to test in the next flight along with greater heights in a more open space.