Last updated: February 10, 2024It is general knowledge! By major modes of transportation, robots are sent on a life-saving rescue where human first responders should not or cannot go. Moving from its use in outer space, salvaging a hurricane disaster zone to delivering groceries to your doorstep, their use has become a popular culture in recent times. But what if your drone stuck in tall trees and needs your help? If you wonder how to get a drone out of a tree, you are in the right place.
Basically, a drone is a flying robot that can be controlled with a remote or fly separately due to an inbuilt software in its system working together with onboard GPS and sensors.
It was originally designed for use in the military, for instance, its history can be traced back to 1849 when Venice was fighting for its freedom from Austria and it was used as an instrument of war. However, they now have a wide range of roles they perform in day-to-day civilian lifestyles. Some of those uses include surveillance, search, rescue, and monitoring the traffic and weather. Its use in the business world can also not be underestimated as you can use it for photography and videography, fishing, and agriculture to mention a few.
One of the most usual contingencies that can occur while you’re flying your drone for a spin is getting it stuck in a tree. It might render you perplexed especially if the drone is new and it costs a lot of money. In light of the frustrating incident, a number of questions will flash through your mind and the main one will be “how do I get my drone out of the tree without causing any damage to it?”
Be not dismayed, this article is your best bet for a drone rescue operation!
In your tactical mission to be the hero and save your drone, avoid the following things in whatever you do:
Truly that tiny little voice in your head that actively puts in so much effort to avoid stress might suggest to you to shake the tree. Don’t! This will only worsen the situation because your drone might lose the grip the tree has on it and start falling and it will most likely fall on thicker branches with force and haste. Voila, your device will crash and you should bid it farewell and peaceful rest.
This is another sure ingredient for the damage to your drone in no time. When you throw an object at the tree even if your drone comes loose, what is the assurance that it won’t fall down and break? Sadly, you would have just paid a lot to buy your drone and not even experience the goodness it’s meant to offer you.
It might seem to you like using water to blow the drown down through a hose is one of the things you can resort to when your drone gets stuck in a tree. Perish that thought! Your drone is most likely not waterproof but water-resistant as in it can fight a splash of water but not a torrential downpour of water from a hose. So, you know the rest of the story if by chance you decide to settle for this idea- the collapse and death of your drone.
The cause of your frustration might be multiplied by two if you want to use another drone to get the stuck drone out of a high tree. Why? These odds are against you that you will end up with two stuck drones in a tree.
A major issue with this method is that the underlying point that a drone has no business flying at such close range to a tree is jeopardized.
Since we have successfully talked about the don’ts of the operation, let’s move on in this section with the best ways to get a drone out of a tree. Follow these instructions and be sure you’re getting your baby out without a scratch even.
Roger this captain! It might sound like an obvious thing to do but it is still one of the best ideas on how to get a drone out of a tree, of course, if you’re lucky enough to not have run out of battery. Flying it out might be one of your if not the best shots. It saves you a lot of energy, time, money, and worry.
It is noteworthy to state that you should proceed with utmost care and caution when trying to fly your way out. This is because if the path you want to fly it out from is not clear enough and it encounters obstacles you might cause your drone much more damage from the one that has occurred from getting it stuck in the tree.
I bet this technique has a front-row seat in your heart and is part of the first thing that pops into your head when your drone is stuck. Yes, it is feasible and recommended rescue method if the situation and environment permit. And this is the best way to get a dead drone out of a tree when you can’t fly it out.
I mean, it will be outrightly irrational to want to climb a tree if you never did as a kid, not sure if you can, haven’t climbed one throughout your lifetime, the branches of the tree appear too fragile to hold your weight and for you to get a good grip, if you are scared of heights and if the tree is too tall and death or serious injury might occur if you fall from such height.
As a result, before you climb it is advised you map out a plan and a blueprint of your climb and rescue path. You should also study the type of tree it is for instance you should consider if the leaves are not so thick your drone can cut through and sadly fall like Olympus.
If by chance you are caught in a situation where climbing the tree isn’t an option because of the aforementioned reasons or for reasons best known to you, you can get yourself a support system- a ladder!
All you have to do is lean in your ladder on the tree and get your drone out if where it’s stuck in is within the reach of your eyes. A ladder is safer than climbing a tree because it is certain it will hold your weight but I guess there is nothing wrong in going for two-factor authentication. That is, have someone hold the ladder for you when you climb so you are double sure it will not sway and you won’t slip or trip. A ladder is an easily accessible equipment if you don’t have one you can always loan it from an equipment store.
Why is the fiberglass material recommended? Because if you use a material that’s too sturdy or strong your drone may not be resilient enough to stand a hit from the rod. A fiberglass rod has the feature of being the perfect kind of study to not retreat or surrender under the drone’s weight.
Your drone might be stuck so high up in the tree your hand can’t reach it or might be stuck deep inside the branches. This is where using a rod comes in to carefully free your drone of any tangles. From reviews, if you don’t have a fiberglass rod you can settle for a broomstick, pool cues, big bamboo, and a professional pole.
If you had the luxury of time to scan through the don’ts of your rescue operation you must have noted that it is not recommended to throw anything at the tree. However, if you are to employ the fishing line technique be ready to break and go against norms!
You can use a fishing line to throw a weight (an object that has the characteristic of being soft but weighty, a baseball and a stone of about a fist size fall perfectly into this category) to get your drone from the tree. Bond your fishing line (we recommend using a solid Kevlar-coated fishing line like the one from KastKing) across the weight and be sure it is plush enough so it won’t slip off by first giving it a test throw-off in the tree with your drone stuck inside it.
The next step to take is to wind down the fishing line and lay it in as straight as 180° so it leads you up to the tree. After which, throw the weight over the part of the tree that your drone with of course the fishing line fixed to it. Like another rescue method, you should be careful so you don’t cause damage to your drone. If you follow the steps correctly, the object should land on the ground and the fishing line should hang upside down in a “U” shape over the branches. Shake the fishing line carefully in such a way as to make the drone fall but not in an abrupt manner so you can catch it when it does or have a friend as a backup to catch it. Just in case the angle you’re at is not ideal enough and the drone does not appear to be moving try cutting the line and throwing it again.
Otherwise known as a bucket truck, you can perform this by fixing the aerial work platform to a bigger vehicle as this power-driven device will simply raise you up into the air as high enough as the tree so the power to get the drone out of the stuck tree is within your reach and at the tip of your fingers.
This is an expensive solution so if you don’t want to buy an aerial work platform which indeed is too steep and is advised not to be bought, you can loan it from an equipment shop at a decent price.
The way this mechanical device works for you to get your stuck drone is related to how the bucket truck functions. You can use it as a single device or stand it on the back of a truck and one major advantage they have over their counterpart is that they are cheaper to loan. One main con to it is that they don’t go up as high. You can settle for this if the tree is not so high.
Lastly, if you’ve exhausted all the options above, you may start to wonder who to call to get a drone out of a tree. The answer is professionals-firemen. Before you do this, it is important to note that you inform them about the situation of things and why exactly you have called them. I’m sure you don’t want to end up in jail because of a piece of tech you can’t even use if by chance you get incarcerated. This is because on the priority scale of the fire department, getting your stuck drone out of the tree doesn’t fall on the top position of the list.
If they don’t mind helping then congratulations, you are in luck! If they are not available, you should seek other solutions.
In whatever you do always remember to not attempt rescues that are above your mechanical or physical ability, and respect the sanctity of life. It will be nothing but a suicide mission!
Saving the life of your drone from a high tree will undoubtedly be stressful but make sure you stay calm and rush into jumping to conclusions and give yourself time to think and make decisions.
Happy Flying!
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