So, new guy here, both in flying a drone, and on the forums.

I've looking through a lot the threads on flyaways since it is probably the thing I fear the most as a new drone pilot.

A lot of the threads explain what happened, what made the drone do a flyaway, how they got it back, how it was lost in the wilderness forever ect.

I guess I am more looking for a comprehensible list on what to do if it happens?

I saw that some have used ATTI-mode on their Phantom to stop the drone, but as I understand it, we don't really have that option on the Mavic.

So what should a noob like me press when panic starts to set in?

And I guess if we loose RC signal, we can only hope and pray for a safe RTH?

Thanks for your feedback!

To make sure the Failsafe RTH setting correctly and check all the DJI Go 4 setting before take off the drone.

I do that before every flight, but in case my drone decides to take off out over the ocean, and the controls don't respond. How do I stop it then?

I have seen guys who changed their RTH point and then suddenly the drone took off because it registered a wrong location. What should they have done to stop it?

Veritas Posted at 2017-7-16 08:04
I do that before every flight, but in case my drone decides to take off out over the ocean, and the controls don't respond. How do I stop it then?

I have seen guys who changed their RTH point and then suddenly the drone took off because it registered a wrong location. What should they have done to stop it?

Most flyaways are directly down to operators, many taking off to hastily without checking that there AC is ready to take off, very few checks just left stick up and away we go.
Then when there's a problem, it's back here everything is dji's fault, if anyone disagrees there a bully.
So I'll leave you a tip that might help you going forward, it takes 2 minutes and I use it before every

1/ Never calibrate Compass unless prompted to.

2/ start AC leave until you receive enough gps lock ,

3/ if you get Compass interference turn off AC and move to another location,
without interference.

4/ In bottom left hand corner on your map you will see small red triangle, check to make sure that this triangle is pointing in the same direction (heading) as your AC, this will show good compass on the ground.

Raise AC to height of 8ft
Hover for 20 seconds
Fly forward 2ft
Backward 2ft
Left 2ft
Right 2ft
Up 2ft
Down 2ft
Yaw left
Yaw right
Each time returning to hover position
If you have a good horizontal each time, you will then know you have good gps good IMU and good Compass, and your ready to fly.

This exercise takes less than 2 minutes and is worthwhile doing before every flight,

hallmark007 Posted at 2017-7-16 08:30
Most flyaways are directly down to operators, many taking off to hastily without checking that there AC is ready to take off, very few checks just left stick up and away we go.
Then when there's a problem, it's back here everything is dji's fault, if anyone disagrees there a bully.
So I'll leave you a tip that might help you going forward, it takes 2 minutes and I use it before every

^^ What he said!

I never calibrate anything unless prompted & have only calibrated the Mavic Compass once.

My Spark has had nothing calibrated and has been perfect out of the box.

Always wait for a good GPS lock and check the Map to make sure the aircraft and you are in the same place before you set off. Never ever had a problem.

hallmark007 Posted at 2017-7-16 08:30
Most flyaways are directly down to operators, many taking off to hastily without checking that there AC is ready to take off, very few checks just left stick up and away we go.
Then when there's a problem, it's back here everything is dji's fault, if anyone disagrees there a bully.
So I'll leave you a tip that might help you going forward, it takes 2 minutes and I use it before every

Thanks, that's a good pre-flight checklist and seems worthwhile to do before going off.

It is always good to know the preventive measures to avoid a flyaway, but I'm also curious as what to do in the event that it should happen.

Veritas Posted at 2017-7-16 08:41
Thanks, that's a good pre-flight checklist and seems worthwhile to do before going off.

It is always good to know the preventive measures to avoid a flyaway, but I'm also curious as what to do in the event that it should happen.

If your AC looses gps it will automatically go into Atti mode, it will maintain its height through barometer, but will drift on the wind, as long as you have VLOS you can control the AC, Raise AC High where you can still see it, ( better chance of regaining gps higher up ) but remember you are now fighting the wind so stick movements need to be full and sometimes prolonged, it's not easy but with patience and no panicking most should be able to do it. If it's very windy always look for the nearest safe landing spot away from people and houses, and get AC on the ground.

hallmark007 Posted at 2017-7-16 08:53
If your AC looses gps it will automatically go into Atti mode, it will maintain its height through barometer, but will drift on the wind, as long as you have VLOS you can control the AC, Raise AC High where you can still see it, ( better chance of regaining gps higher up ) but remember you are now fighting the wind so stick movements need to be full and sometimes prolonged, it's not easy but with patience and no panicking most should be able to do it. If it's very windy always look for the nearest safe landing spot away from people and houses, and get AC on the ground.

Thank you, that's very useful knowledge.

I wonder why there is not an ATTI switch then on the RC the to give complete control to the pilot then. But maybe it will be no problem with only automatic ATTI mode.

Thank you for the replies, it gave me a little more peace of mind.

Veritas Posted at 2017-7-16 09:08
Thank you, that's very useful knowledge.

I wonder why there is not an ATTI switch then on the RC the to give complete control to the pilot then. But maybe it will be no problem with only automatic ATTI mode.

Nobody has ever given a reason, it's a pity though.

Always carry a pistol with you...

You wouldn't want that.
If you loose lock with GPS  chances of  getting Mavic lock on ATTI  would be slim
Like other above suggest go into setting and Change
LOSS OF SIGNAL with Controller  RTH  Not Landing or Hover........ Best advice for a Mavic Pilot
If you plan on flying over water 30M or less ..Turn off your downward position sensor OFF
and Forward  Avoidance Sensor..... set to Hover Not fly around or Fly over
.
Never fly on less then 20% battery
.
.

seems to me the most likely cause of flyaways is due to strong wind. How this becomes a problem is that during RTH the drone flies back in a power that is not equal to sport mode - therefore less ability to fly against the wind and if the wind is too strong then it will lose ground - my advise is dont go over water or mountain tops in strong wind especially if wind is blowing off shore or off peak. set your battery warning to 30% or higher - will give you a bit of grace period to notice if something appears wrong and then a bit of time to make counter measures. When u start to panick also start looking for an identifyable place to crash land (like a path or ridge line ect) - and yes i u lose rc signal, then hope and pray for safe rth - also look through recent threads were what to do in this situation is set out

Always maintain VLOS (means close enough to actually be able to see it) - especially in high wind.
Set yr battery warning to 30% or higher.
If drone is drifting away and still too far to be able to get home - identify a safe landing spot and head for that.
When at the spot keep yr throttle down until it is certain that the drone has landed - (if it has not landed and u release the throttle it will try again to go for home, even if it only ends up moving a bit that could be critical)
RTH is in slow mode - if  you notice a problem then switch to sport mode - practice entering sport mode
Especially in windy conditions u should rather fly your drone home yrself and not rely on RTH.

Veritas Posted at 2017-7-16 09:08
Thank you, that's very useful knowledge.

I wonder why there is not an ATTI switch then on the RC the to give complete control to the pilot then. But maybe it will be no problem with only automatic ATTI mode.

The issue of whether or not DJI should allow the ATTI option voluntarily has been discussed in lots of threads.  Personally, I was ambivalent, until my MP mysteriously and suddenly went from 17 satellites locked at 5 bar signal strength to ATTI mode and blew behind a stand of tall trees where I lost LOS.  Since then I've thought that it would be good to have it as an option, so people won't be caught out and have the option to practice so they're comfortable if/when this happens.  Also in some countries (the UK, I think), drone pilots who wish to operate commercially must demonstrate proficiency operating a drone in ATTI, so you're pretty much forced to use another machine to qualify.  Not ideal.

As a new mavic pilot this is a great thread. Thanks for the tips everyone

Veritas Posted at 2017-7-16 09:08
Thank you, that's very useful knowledge.

I wonder why there is not an ATTI switch then on the RC the to give complete control to the pilot then. But maybe it will be no problem with only automatic ATTI mode.

The best course of action when you end up in ATTI is to make sure you fly in LOS. When the fly away happens turn the AC so the REAR of the AC is facing you and then bring your baby back home safely.

You can do that by looking at the RED ARROW in the radar screen at the lower left make sure the head of the arrow is facing away from you. Once you are in control and the AC is close then you turn the AC so the front of the AC is facing you and bring it home.

If you end up in Atti mode and still have video feed just look at the screen and imagine you are sitting in the cockpit . Move the sticks in the direction you wish to go .

I actually had this issue. Was flying the thing and the surrounding buildings must have blocked enough satts that the GPS got reported as weak - it started drifting left whenever exposed to wind.

Made certain shots nigh-impossible since the camera wouldn't stay still.

Hello Guys

I had to Calibrate my Compass last night as the App told me so, though I am worried that it may be not correct? How do I know for sure what my Drone is setup correctly with the Compass settings as turning the Drone around smoothly isn't really that easy as you have to turn it 360 degrees.

In the Settings it tells me that the Compass is "Good".

KodiaRok Posted at 2017-7-17 23:51
Hello Guys

I had to Calibrate my Compass last night as the App told me so, though I am worried that it may be not correct? How do I know for sure what my Drone is setup correctly with the Compass settings as turning the Drone around smoothly isn't really that easy as you have to turn it 360 degrees.

It's probably fine; it's not really important that the rotation be particularly smooth or at a consistent speed. The important thing is that you completed the revolutions, and it wouldn't have allowed you to complete the calibration if you hadn't done so.

DroneFlying Posted at 2017-7-18 02:30
It's probably fine, but the truth is that there's no way to be absolutely certain. As far as the "smoothness" of your calibration goes, don't worry about it: the important thing is that you completed the revolutions during calibration, and it wouldn't have allowed you to complete the calibration if you hadn't done so.

Cheers Mate

I just did, just to be sure, another Compass Calibration and went for a Testflight with my mate, he had his first flight just before.

Everything runs smoothly and the Drone flies amazing. We are both Running the Drone with an Android Device (Galaxy S6 Edge + and S8) and the latest Firmware (0.900)..no crashes with the App and no issues either.

What surprises me though is, as I made the Firmware Update last night, and once I did plug another Battery in, it didn't ask me to update the batteries firmware, so the jump from 0.800 to 0.900 didnt change any significant stuff for the intelligent battery I suppose, otherwise it wouldn't make any sense.

It's not the First Flight for me, but considering the smoothness, I am very happy that I own this Drone.

Is it normal that with certain Firmware Updates, the other batteries don't need an update for the firmware, when I plug them in?

CharlieFliesDro Posted at 2017-7-16 10:49
You wouldn't want that.
If you loose lock with GPS  chances of  getting Mavic lock on ATTI  would be slim
Like other above suggest go into setting and Change

Thanks for the tips, would you kindly explain to me the reason behind 1) turing downward sensor off and 2) forward obstacle sensor to hover, when flying over water 30m or less?

These were what people advice, however what is the logic behind them, and what do we want to achive by doing so?

I am learning to take still photo over water and mainly over wave. the only reason I tried to turn off dowward sensor is that: I found the mavic drift over wave, and my explanation to that is that the downward optical sensor tried to maintain it's pos over wave (which is always drifting).

Anyone experience on this is much appreciated.

KodiaRok Posted at 2017-7-17 23:51
Hello Guys

I had to Calibrate my Compass last night as the App told me so, though I am worried that it may be not correct? How do I know for sure what my Drone is setup correctly with the Compass settings as turning the Drone around smoothly isn't really that easy as you have to turn it 360 degrees.

How do I know for sure what my Drone is setup correctly

Follow the post-takeoff checklist posted by Hallmark007 above.  Do a short test flight.

DronePix Posted at 2017-7-18 04:57
Thanks for the tips, would you kindly explain to me the reason behind 1) turing downward sensor off and 2) forward obstacle sensor to hover, when flying over water 30m or less?

These were what people advice, however what is the logic behind them, and what do we want to achive by doing so?

Turning off downward sensors, when flying lower than 15 meters, your VPS downward sensors need a fixed textured surface also good light to work properly, if the water is continually moving then it's hard to get a fix, so as you've seen a lot of movement can take place, so the need for turning downward sensors off, you can leave all other sensors on . Not sure what you mean about hover, you might be referring to RTH , I don't know.
Good luck...

hallmark007 Posted at 2017-7-18 07:59
Turning off downward sensors, when flying lower than 15 meters, your VPS downward sensors need a fixed textured surface also good light to work properly, if the water is continually moving then it's hard to get a fix, so as you've seen a lot of movement can take place, so the need for turning downward sensors off, you can leave all other sensors on . Not sure what you mean about hover, you might be referring to RTH , I don't know.
Good luck...

I wonder if turing off the "downward sensor(s)" turn off the optical sensor only, or optical sensor plus ultrasound sensor? I suspect the later, however if it was replying on the barometer and GPS only with the downward sensor turned off, why would it make it oscilate in altitute according to the wave?

Cheers,
PS "hover" I meant hover the mavic in one spot rather than moving it or RTH. I do not undersatnd how forward sensor has anything to do with flying above water, and how it would make it "fly away".

DronePix Posted at 2017-7-18 13:21
I wonder if turing off the "downward sensor(s)" turn off the optical sensor only, or optical sensor plus ultrasound sensor? I suspect the later, however if it was replying on the barometer and GPS only with the downward sensor turned off, why would it make it oscilate in altitute according to the wave?

Cheers,

Just turn off VPS , you can't turn of barometers, you should be able to hover, if your AC is moving up and down with wave not sure what that is. Front sensors can stay on.

DronePix Posted at 2017-7-18 04:57
Thanks for the tips, would you kindly explain to me the reason behind 1) turing downward sensor off and 2) forward obstacle sensor to hover, when flying over water 30m or less?

These were what people advice, however what is the logic behind them, and what do we want to achive by doing so?

Sure .....you turn the downward position sensor off because Below 60ft 30m
Mavic has issues with the downward position sensor and smooth water and in my case i experience loss of control off and on
Over 60ft No issues

Forward Sensor turn Off... if you fly higher then say Building,trees,
I fly mostly afternoon and the setting sun or Light reflecting upwards will Give you issues and at say 300ft your mavic will just stop and won't fly forward.(nothing around)

Now if you fly Low  adjust your setting when you forward avoidance sensor activate set to hover not Fly over or around
flying over trees Not good idea if you happen to be under a branch
flying around  Not good might run sideways into another tree
Hover is the best option If your mavic stops (hovers) might be able to back up then turn off/back
.
and always set Loss of signal with controller to RTH( Return To Home) Not Hover or Landing
This is not the same as loss of feed (when you lose Picture In GO4)
DON'T PANIC.....
And my hard Rule Never Fly Mavic with less then 20% battery
.
......C.
.
.

dronist Posted at 2017-7-16 14:07
The best course of action when you end up in ATTI is to make sure you fly in LOS. When the fly away happens turn the AC so the REAR of the AC is facing you and then bring your baby back home safely.

You can do that by looking at the RED ARROW in the radar screen at the lower left make sure the head of the arrow is facing away from you. Once you are in control and the AC is close then you turn the AC so the front of the AC is facing you and bring it home.

What is the reason for BACKWARD flying when returning manually in ATTI mode? Added speed?

The camera would be pointing in the opposite direction from your flight, so it won't be as easy to correlate mad data and the video feed. Plus, as stated in another thread, turning off forward sensors and going full forward will bring you to the sweet spot speed of 50kmh for faster return or for fighting against the wind.

BumblerBee Posted at 2017-7-25 00:57
What is the reason for BACKWARD flying when returning manually in ATTI mode? Added speed?

The camera would be pointing in the opposite direction from your flight, so it won't be as easy to correlate mad data and the video feed. Plus, as stated in another thread, turning off forward sensors and going full forward will bring you to the sweet spot speed of 50kmh for faster return or for fighting against the wind.

What is the reason for BACKWARD flying when returning manually in ATTI mode? Added speed?

No, there's no added speed. I'm guessing he's recommending that because many people will find the control stick input most intuitive when the Mavic is facing away from them: forward elevator makes it move forward, right aileron makes it go right, etc.

BumblerBee Posted at 2017-7-25 00:57
What is the reason for BACKWARD flying when returning manually in ATTI mode? Added speed?

The camera would be pointing in the opposite direction from your flight, so it won't be as easy to correlate mad data and the video feed. Plus, as stated in another thread, turning off forward sensors and going full forward will bring you to the sweet spot speed of 50kmh for faster return or for fighting against the wind.

If you go to a flying school one of the first things you may be thought is to learn to fly your drone with rear facing you, try it in normal P mode fly your drone out 150 metres and bring it back doing some figure of 8 with rear always facing you, if you master this it will become a useful go to when you get into trouble as droneflying said, right will always be right and left the same.

Thanks! I see the reasoning and the value of such an exercise. Shall try that.
I don't have trouble with the inversion of control when an aircraft is facing me, by in a stressful situation simplicity is the key.

BumblerBee Posted at 2017-7-25 03:22
Thanks! I see the reasoning and the value of such an exercise. Shall try that.
I don't have trouble with the inversion of control when an aircraft is facing me, by in a stressful situation simplicity is the key.

Believe me your brain will play tricks on you very fast. This is one of the way to help when you are in ATTI mode.

Again the best defense is to stay in LOS. It will eliminate 99% of your problems.

Take a look at this post: https://www.heliguy.com/blog/201 ... ser-error-flyaways/

Really useful info.

Veritas Posted at 2017-7-16 08:04
I do that before every flight, but in case my drone decides to take off out over the ocean, and the controls don't respond. How do I stop it then?

I have seen guys who changed their RTH point and then suddenly the drone took off because it registered a wrong location. What should they have done to stop it?

If your drone decides to take off out over the ocean and doesn't respond to controls then there is nothing you can do except don't fly over the ocean.

You learn to trust your set up , your preparation, your Mavic, and you make the decision as to what environment you decide to fly in. It's as simple as that...

Nelsonlee Posted at 2017-7-16 07:58
To make sure the Failsafe RTH setting correctly and check all the DJI Go 4 setting before take off the drone.

Has a flyer like me, there always a  uneasiness of you letting your $1000.00 bird fly away into the air and not knowing if it going to return to you . There's no way of getting around that feeling, it takes time , you have to fly  lot hours to get pass that feeling. So, take a deep breath do all your pre flight check and trust in this sophisticated machine to return back to you.. Never try any thing that you are not sure of that may lead you and your bird into trouble.. happy flighting.