A "Follow Me" question regarding altitude... especially with "Orbit"

[gotdurt]

In Follow Me Orbit mode (or any of the other Follow Me modes, for that matter), does the Anafi maintain altitude relative to the ground directly below it?

I'd like to use my Anafi to follow me on my mountain bike down some steep hills in the Orbit mode. There are some trees, but mostly ash junipers that max out around 20-25', so I'd set it at 30-40' to stay above the trees... however, I'm concerned that, as I descend, the drone might fly into the trees or even the hill itself as it circles toward it... if it maintains altitude as it orbits (like a tilted orbit), then it should be safe, in theory...

I'm not sure how to test this without risk... your experiences?

 

[Gipsz Jakab]

In Follow Me Orbit mode (or any of the other Follow Me modes, for that matter), does the Anafi maintain altitude relative to the ground directly below it?

I'd like to use my Anafi to follow me on my mountain bike down some steep hills in the Orbit mode. There are some trees, but mostly ash junipers that max out around 20-25', so I'd set it at 30-40' to stay above the trees... however, I'm concerned that, as I descend, the drone might fly into the trees or even the hill itself as it circles toward it... if it maintains altitude as it orbits (like a tilted orbit), then it should be safe, in theory...

I'm not sure how to test this without risk... your experiences?

i saw side tracking keep the altitude: Kilmannan Reservoir - Using Anafi's Follow Me Mode with a Mountain Bike

 

[Rocky the FS]

In Follow Me Orbit mode (or any of the other Follow Me modes, for that matter), does the Anafi maintain altitude relative to the ground directly below it?

I'd like to use my Anafi to follow me on my mountain bike down some steep hills in the Orbit mode. There are some trees, but mostly ash junipers that max out around 20-25', so I'd set it at 30-40' to stay above the trees... however, I'm concerned that, as I descend, the drone might fly into the trees or even the hill itself as it circles toward it... if it maintains altitude as it orbits (like a tilted orbit), then it should be safe, in theory...

I'm not sure how to test this without risk... your experiences?

My experience in a similar situation was a (lucky) crash. I set the Anafi to Follow Me, started out from the saddle down an increasingly narrow and steep jeep road on my motorcycle. I positioned the Anafi 50 feet behind me and 30 feet up. After about 300 yds., as the gully narrowed, the Anafi descended to only a few feet above the ground and then hit a bush (with no damage). So it didn't hold either altitude above the surface or above me. I would expect similar results in your scenario.

I would test it while walking so you can monitor the drones altitude and behavior relative to the hillsides and abort if necessary.

 

[gotdurt]

i saw side tracking keep the altitude: Kilmannan Reservoir - Using Anafi's Follow Me Mode with a Mountain Bike

I saw that video too, but I couldn't really tell if he was changing elevation much, if any, seemed pretty flat.

 

[gotdurt]

My experience in a similar situation was a (lucky) crash. I set the Anafi to Follow Me, started out from the saddle down an increasingly narrow and steep jeep road on my motorcycle. I positioned the Anafi 50 feet behind me and 30 feet up. After about 300 yds., as the gully narrowed, the Anafi descended to only a few feet above the ground and then hit a bush (with no damage). So it didn't hold either altitude above the surface or above me. I would expect similar results in your scenario.

I would test it while walking so you can monitor the drones altitude and behavior relative to the hillsides and abort if necessary.

Interesting. Yeah, I was thinking anout how I could test it safely without obstructions. Maybe if I can find an embankment or something that I can ride along side of and up/down, and watch how it behaves...