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Drone Visibility against stark blue/stark grey skies

Kristina Fowler

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My P4P is the standard white color. I'm having increased difficulty spotting it against stark blue and stark grey skies (approx. 500-1,000 ft straight line distance). In your opinion, would applying a dark "skin" to the hull make it easier to spot?? In these instances, the sun is more or less in front of me. Not so much an issue when the sun is to my back. Thanks in advance.

Example:

0cfc498ef193481dea29d79803d7dbf1.png
 
If you're using high intensity strobes already a skin is totally USELESS at this point. Remember that skins only reflect light around the aircraft where-as strobes are EMITTING their own light.

At distance just about any color sUAS becomes a "pixel" on the horizon. You have 2 options really:

Getting brighter strobes (and there is a LOT of differences in intensity)
Fly closer to your location
 
Getting brighter strobes (and there is a LOT of differences in intensity)
I find this to be a daunting task. As good as I think I am at searching online, it took me quite a while to find the ones I have. Do you have sources you can share? My strobes are useless after about 500 ft straight-line distance on an average day.
 
@TreeLineView gave you the suggestion many of us have come to use and trust.

On a bright sunny day almost any light source will be useless after a few hundred yards. It's hard to compete with the nuclear ball in the sky for light emission.
 
We found that size and color are all make the difference. Obviously White phantoms are hard to see at a distance and Black Inspire/Matrice are much easier. Only thing I can add to this discussion is to use a Visual Observer always. I agree Strobe/Skins can help.
 
After attending a UAS workshop, I am going to add black and yellow to the underside of my Phantom. (I may just add strips of colored duct tape!) Bioengineering tells us those colors are the easiest to see at a distance--like bees.
 
We also found the Obsidian colored phantom to be easier to see in the sky than the white one. We have the same discussion with people when they are choosing the color of the Mavic Air they are buying. So color can make some difference, but the strobes really do help.
 
After attending a UAS workshop, I am going to add black and yellow to the underside of my Phantom. (I may just add strips of colored duct tape!) Bioengineering tells us those colors are the easiest to see at a distance--like bees.
Consider going to a local hobby shop (or ordering online) the self adhesive wrap material used on foam planes. We used to wrap it around carbon booms on are self made octocopters for assistance with orientation. Worked much better than the LED light strips we had used previously.
 
One of our guys put chrome covering on his Inspire 2, says on a sunny day it reflects the sunlight very well. I personally don't like the idea but it works for him. I have 20/10 vision and still have difficulty keeping the drone in view at all times especially with antonymous flights such as mapping and videos. Honestly I spend more time watching the display than the drone, but the fun begins when the display goes blank and you can't see your drone.
 
What effect does the strobe have on flight time? With my job I need maximum flight time on may of my flights.
 

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