Enhancement request

[GoogleCodeExporter]

Feature that you'd like us to add or change you'd like us to make:

I am creating a new request that was originally made by me in August 2010 in 
the original Ardupilot issues section here. 
http://code.google.com/p/ardupilot/issues/detail?id=12

Things have changed somewhat since I originally requested this feature back in 
2010. It appears that the feature was added at some point, but no-one seems 
clear on its operation.
This is what I suggest; we need something both convenient and safe. Since a 
large number of users tend to fly at the same field repeatedly, and their 
flying sites have rules not allowing flight behind the flight line, I would 
suggest the following:

1) The mission planner be used to set the desired home position along with a 
mission file, which can then be uploaded to the APM.

2) Upon boot and 3D lock the APM checks the stored home position and compares 
it's location to the current location. If the stored location is within 200m of 
the current location, wag the ailerons, then use the stored location. If the 
stored location is greater than 200m from the current location, wag the 
elevator, then overwrite the stored location with the current location and use 
it as home.

I think 200m is a safe distance, keeping the plane within sight at all times 
while not being overly close at the same time. The user might have a home 
location he defines in the MP where his loiter radius is 45m and he sets home 
at 80m (by mouse click). Or he might choose to place home further out, so long 
as he doesn't exceed 200m from the location where the APM boots up. Then on 
subsequent flights either on the same day or on other days he would retain the 
stored home location as long as the boot location was within 200m and the 
mission file hadn't changed. This would also require that the mission planner 
always uploads a home location.

NOTE: For those that don't use the Mission Planner or Telemetry, this feature 
should probably have a parameter allowing the user to either turn it on or off.

This feature has been discussed recently here 
http://diydrones.com/forum/topics/creating-a-switch-to-set-home?commentId=705844
%3AComment%3A1314169&xg_source=msg_com_forum . 

Original issue reported on code.google.com by kvca...@gmail.com on 3 Jul 2013 at 2:01

[GoogleCodeExporter]

I also think that we need a feature of this sort to satisfy the club 
requirements of NOT flying behind the flight line. It is my opinion that this 
method would also stop potential mistakes when setting the home location in MP 
then having it "stick".

Original comment by jezmopi...@hotmail.com on 3 Jul 2013 at 8:58

[GoogleCodeExporter]

This Enhancement request has been duplicated on the new GitHub issue tracker 
here:https://github.com/diydrones/ardupilot/issues/416 please post your 
comments there instead.
Thanks

Original comment by kvca...@gmail.com on 3 Jul 2013 at 9:11