How I Crashed My Drone Filming a World Record Water Rocket (That Wasn’t Even Moving)

It was supposed to be the perfect evening.

The sun was melting into the ocean in that golden, cinematic way drone pilots live for. The sky glowed, the beach was calm, and I had one mission: help my brother film some B-roll footage for his YouTube video about his world record-breaking water rocket.

Yes — you read that right. Last year, he set a new record for how high you can fly with a water rocket. This wasn’t some backyard bottle experiment. This was serious engineering. And now, all we needed was a few creative drone shots of the rocket sitting on the sand to add some visual flair to the video.

Perfect conditions. Static subject. What could possibly go wrong?

A Cinematic Setup

With my drone, Snoopy, freshly charged and ready to roll, I took to the skies. I wanted to capture slow, cinematic fly-arounds of the rocket — the kind of wide, dramatic angles that elevate a simple shot into a documentary moment.

The first pass? Smooth.

The second? Even better — the low light, long shadows, and soft ocean glow made everything look magic.

And then came the third.

The Crash I Didn’t See Coming

In hindsight, this is the part where the dramatic music should’ve kicked in. I was too confident, too focused on getting the perfect arc, and not nearly focused enough on what was above and behind the shot.

Here’s the thing: the rocket wasn’t moving. Nothing was moving. But I was getting more creative with each pass, tightening the arc and flying lower – trying to make it just a bit more cinematic.

And that’s when it happened.

Focused on the shot, I didn’t notice the tree branches overhead. I was fixated on the screen, not my surroundings. Then — THWACK. Snoopy clipped a branch, flipped, and vanished into the canopy.

Everything went quiet. The controller screen went black. My stomach dropped.

Operation: Rescue Snoopy

Within seconds, everyone went into “rescue mode.” My brother and nephews leapt into action like they’d been training for this moment their entire lives.

They grabbed what they proudly referred to as their Water Rocket Retrieval Pole – they quickly deployed what looked like a purpose-built retrieval device — a sleek, extendable pole designed with the same level of precision as the rocket itself. Clearly, this wasn’t their first time rescuing things from trees.

As luck would have it, another drone pilot happened to be flying nearby and offered to help. He sent his drone up to hover near the tree, helping us locate where Snoopy had gotten himself lodged.

There he was. Caught between branches like a forgotten Christmas ornament.

With some careful manoeuvring — and a lot of encouragement from below — the retrieval pole did its job. Snoopy tumbled from the tree and hit the sand with a light thud.

A Slightly Bent but Not Broken Bird

When I picked him up, I braced myself for the worst. But aside from one damaged propeller and a bit of sand in the gimbal, Snoopy was fine.

My nephew, a professional photographer, pulled out his air blower (like a tiny leaf blower for cameras) and went to work removing every last grain of sand. Within minutes, Snoopy was cleaned, inspected, and ready to fly again — albeit with one less prop.

Lesson Learned: Never Trade Awareness for Style

What took Snoopy down wasn’t bad weather, poor calibration, or a fast-moving subject. It was me — distracted by “getting the shot” instead of paying attention to my surroundings.

The rocket wasn’t moving. I didn’t need to fly fast. I didn’t need to fly close. I just needed to fly smart.

Lesson learned:
When your subject is standing still, you have all the time in the world. Use it.
Look up. Look around. Rehearse your moves. Then press record.

Snoopy lives to fly another day — and I live with a new mantra burned into my pilot brain: No shot is worth losing your drone.

Engineering the Impossible: World Record Water Rocket Launch