One way flight into hazardous area

MustangO4

New member
With all the hurricanes and whether going nuts right now, was having a discussion about one way flights into (not over) hazardous situations. First let me state that I would certainly not advocate for it and I have absolutely no intention of doing anything like this. My aircraft are too expensive to me and I have no SAR training or any reason to do something like this aside from getting a cool YouTube video which is not a good reason

However, it is interesting to think about if you had a reason and opportunity to fly into something like a tornado, hurricane, lightning storm, wildfire etc where the additional debris of your aircraft would not be a problem like very rural, over water etc. What would be a good choice and what preparations would you do? Additionally this violates FAA guidance so presumably you would need to be some sort of SAR pilot or storm chaser with appropriate certifications.

Purpose built multirotor hex, that is outrageously overpowered and has an extremely stable auto pilot?

Other options would be planes but I have a sneaking suspicion that they would be launched off course long before they could get close enough to be interesting.

Jets? Rockets?

Another interesting aspect would be to consider the debris you will potentially leave behind. Lipo batteries and hazardous materials in the aircraft would be a consideration in certain situations. What steps can you take to mitigate exacerbating an already bad situation? Maybe ruggedize your battery box so it cannot leak. Maybe using some less hazardous power source.

Again not advocating for this. It would be illegal in most circumstances and a waste of a decent drone. However as I'm sitting here bored watching the weather channel I thought I would ask if anybody does this sort of thing, or has any experience with it and what they did and used.

The spin off conversation if anyone has experience in it, would be purpose built bad weather search and rescue remote controlled model aircraft.

And I think to keep this interesting it should be mostly a discussion of technologies that are readily available in our hobby as opposed to government, military, NASA type technologies.
 
Last edited:

PsyBorg

Wake up! Time to fly!
Well.. I was on Nimitz and we launched planes out side the eye, went into the eye launched more. Went back out to recover the planes out side and back in to recover the ones in the eye.

I can tell you for a fact beyond ANY doubt you are not getting RC ANYTHING remotely close to a hurricane safely or not.

I fly quads A LOT. I have flown in 25 mph sustained with gusts over 35 and that was pushing the limits of control for keeping on course. No way you would get near a cat 1 let alone the cat 4 and 5's going on right now.

Long range specially built S.A.R. drones or RC vehicles are a good aid AFTER the damage but that is in the hands of professionals. NOT in the hands of untrained knuckleheads trying to grab 5 minutes of fame on you tube, and most certainly NOT for any fool with a DJI product.
 

PsyBorg

Wake up! Time to fly!
They have not actually flown that IN a hurricane. They have collected data AROUND a small one in 2014 that was downgraded to a tropical storm. They do not specify when the drone was flown in the storm and they never state how far into it it made it.

You have to think realistically here. Just how much power can that plane carry with all the sensors and telemetry gear let alone fight the winds to even get near the storm... on a good day say they can get 30 minute flights.. that would be cut down to several minutes at best in 100+ mph winds let alone flying long enough to penetrate a storm that is MILES from edge to eye.