Anyone here ever use Mission Planner?

I got a large fixed wing.
I have over 10 years of experience flying quads and helis, but this will be my first plane flight in 8 years.

The bird was around $10,000. And my thermal sensor cost $4000.00
So im a little nervous.

The flight software of choice for this particular bird is Mission Planner for Ardu and pixhawk.

I believe I have everything set up correctly (Fingers Crossed) and am about to take her for her maiden flight mapping 5 km2.

Does anyone here have any experience with this program ? and if so any tips to make life easier?


Edit to add:

I have my PPL. Mission Planner is a fairly advanced software. All ive done was use my basic flight principles - Utilizing Crosswinds to achieve tighter turn radius at way points, set up a gradual landing of 20 meter increments, take off and landing into the wind.

From some of the tutorials ive watched this seems to be good a practice.

Well it works, kinda sketchy at times, but it definitely does the job.
Now to begin the photogrammetry processing of 3700 images

a reply to: Macenroe82

What are we talking about here, RC aircraft? Games?

I don't understand.

Are you doing this for fun, research / science, hobby, competition...what?

originally posted by: Flyingclaydisk
a reply to: Macenroe82

What are we talking about here, RC aircraft? Games?

I don't understand.

Are you doing this for fun, research / science, hobby, competition...what?

My thoughts exactly. 10g is very cheap for a plane but right on point for those powered paragliders. Never knew they had fixed wing ones though.

Off topic here, I made those kabobs you posted the recipe for. OMFG those are delicious thank you

a reply to: Flyingclaydisk

RC aircraft.
Im a drone pilot for a mining company

My job is to fly a drone every day and convert the images to photogrammetrical models. Above ground and underground.
I also build them and have done a lot of consultant work for other companies.

But I am new to fixed wing craft and the mission planner software.

But to add, I was able to fly the mission area with the rc fixed wing.

My question was in regards to the Mission Planner software - there is a lot to grasp at first, and I feel like im doing things the long way - entering degrees, alts agl....
There has to be a more streamlined procedure to it and was hoping someone here may had some experience with the software.

a reply to: Macenroe82

Cool! Thanks.

Unfortunately, I can't help you with the software, but I do have a drone and what you are doing sounds very cool. As a former surveyor, I'd like to learn some of that too. I'm a pretty good amateur photographer and I photograph old gold and silver mines as a hobby. I'd love to be able to use my drone to augment some of my adventures. Many of the sites are posted now due to vandalism so getting close can be difficult (legally).

Sound cool, I'd love to hear more!

a reply to: Flyingclaydisk

You definitely should recreate some of your adventures in 3d.
You can use Pix4d - they have an app that is free to use and will read your camera and drone. It will set it up so you create a grid and it will take the pics with the appropriate over lap and side over lap.
Then go on their website and take a free 14 day trial.

Although I do not recommend it, but you could also try using Drone deploy.
They offer the same thing. However their app loves to crash, freeze, or generally send your bird on a fly away until you manually take over lol.

Here is a fly through of a 3d model I did awhile back of a water management facility at the mine.
I cannot remember the scale I set that video at, but it was something like 10 meters per second.

a reply to: Flyingclaydisk

Also a handy site/app that ive been using is called windy.com
Its free.
It has loads of layers you can utilize to professionally plan each of your flights.
Wind direction, speed, incoming weather, airports/aerodromes, you name it windy has it and I find it as a must have.