Ugh! I can't believe I didn't scope this out prior to buying my mavic. I've just learned there's no way to switch to ATTI mode manually. This is totally unacceptable. I've had 3 fly aways with my P3P where immediately switching to ATTI mode saved my aircraft. Having 200+ hours on manual quads, I'm very comfortable removing the nannies and flying manually.

I understand that it will switch to ATTI mode in the event of a detected compass or GPS error, but I've had fly aways start where I switched to ATTI mode and saved the aircraft from hitting something *before* the aircraft realized that there was an error.

Did DJI improve something about the Mavic that makes it much faster to detect compass or GPS errors? I see the forum is still filled with the occasional fly away sad stories just like the phantom sections.


My guess is that DJI did this to prevent inexeperienced pilots from losing control of their aircraft and that they did this believing they'd prevent more crashes by inexeperienced owners than the crashes that experienced owners ould prevent by having instance access to full manual control.

Is there any work around for this? I saw that some had programmed the sport mode button to switch to ATTI mode but that is now been prevented in the latest firmware update.

Sadly, not that I know of. I'd be perfectly happy even with them negating warranty coverage if the aircraft were in Atti mode at the time of a crash or mishap. The only time I could see it being of value is for getting yourself out of trouble or recovering from bad GPS or compass data.

Its useful in an area of weak or patchy GPS coverage to stop it going in and out of P-GPS mode.  Example might be woodland or even indoors.

gnirtS Posted at 2017-8-16 16:10
Its useful in an area of weak or patchy GPS coverage to stop it going in and out of P-GPS mode.  Example might be woodland or even indoors.

Indoors you should absolutely be flying in vision mode.

gnirtS Posted at 2017-8-16 16:10
Its useful in an area of weak or patchy GPS coverage to stop it going in and out of P-GPS mode.  Example might be woodland or even indoors.

I do about a 3rd of my flying at my vacation home in Pinecrest. That's between trees a lot of the time. I always use ATTI mode then.

I'm considering popping the $100 for the care refresh instead and just assuming I'm going to destroy it several times.

Is there any work around for this?

Not really, unless you consider covering the rear of the Mavic with aluminum foil to be practical. That's the only way I know of to trigger ATTI mode outdoors.

I saw that some had programmed the sport mode button to switch to ATTI mode but that is now been prevented in the latest firmware update.

I haven't heard of this before, but in any case the likelihood of your Mavic going into ATTI mode is pretty slim. I've done a fair amount of flying with mine and the only time it happened was when I accidentally overlooked a message about compass interference before takeoff.

As for the folks who've reported it on here, keep in mind that even those represent only a relatively small number of the thousands of Mavics being flown on a regular basis. And in many of those cases it happened for the same reason it happened to me: pilot error.

DroneFlying Posted at 2017-8-16 16:34
Is there any work around for this?

Not really, unless you consider covering the rear of the Mavic with aluminum foil to be practical. That's the only way I know of to trigger ATTI mode outdoors.

The problem is if it DOESN'T go into ATTI mode when the compass goes nuts and causes the beginning of a fly away. If it switched to ATTI mode as soon as a real problem occurred, then I think I'd be fine with it but given the report of mavics flying away dispute the sworn statements of users that they were not going that direction or the opposite direction, I tend to believe that it's just like the P3P which can fly away due to compass or GPS errors that have not yet triggered ATTI mode.

Mavic doesn't support to switched to ATTI Mode manually, it will go to ATTI Mode when the GPS signal isn't available or there is a compass interference. If the connection between the drone and RC still works, you can still control the drone.

DJI Thor Posted at 2017-8-16 18:27
Mavic doesn't support to switched to ATTI Mode manually, it will go to ATTI Mode when the GPS signal isn't available or there is a compass interference. If the connection between the drone and RC still works, you can still control the drone.

For clarification, what would happen the moment the MP switched from GPS to ATTI mode in such an event?  Other than the RC saying plainly on the display, and maybe a voice indicating the switch of modes, would the flight be otherwise affected?  If flying in a straight line and the switch occurs, would it hiccup or just keep flying in the same straight line?

i agree that Dji should offer with a warning, an atti mode switch...   several things that make atti mode desirable..or at least opti/vps mode...   example..flying under a bridge, gps and compass both bound to flip out atti mode will engage automatically and usually at a seemingly random time, have way under iut and suddenly atti mode...and anyone dealt with sudden atti mode knows drone suddenly feels panicky and more sensitive..terrible place to be is under a bridge when atti mode decides at a delayed point to engage..

having owned 2 sparks i can confirm as well specially with the spark that once gps and compass are gone, the spark is basically flying blind and retarded.. i can't say the mavic pro will act the same way, not until i get one.. if it loses both compass and gps that it freaks out like spark can do.... but i rather go into some situation when compass and gps are down or flipped in full manual from get go and my doing.. so i know what im dealing with, not have it decide when its convenient for it to switch.. which will result in a more unstable flight..  

for people may lack understanding of why someone wants atti over auto mode... then..i dont even know why you are on the mavic pro forums.... but ill try to make some analogy... its like having a car with a temperamental automatic gearbox that gets confused with simple situations at complete random..  if you had full manual control or semi manual control it would probably solve that problem or help cure it... (ii imagine people that did not understand the atti mode vs p-gps mode that i lost with this analogy too)

Simple search would have saved you the sorrow! Making an informed decision... may apply here!

I am the E Posted at 2017-8-16 20:47
Simple search would have saved you the sorrow! Making an informed decision... may apply here!

Yea, I know, but despite all the hours of research on the mavic, I never once read about this issue. I think I would have had to explicitly search for this issue to find it.

sorka Posted at 2017-8-16 22:14
Yea, I know, but despite all the hours of research on the mavic, I never once read about this issue. I think I would have had to explicitly search for this issue to find it.

Try this in google, it took two seconds,:

Does mavic has ATTI mode

Tombolian Posted at 2017-8-16 18:47
For clarification, what would happen the moment the MP switched from GPS to ATTI mode in such an event?  Other than the RC saying plainly on the display, and maybe a voice indicating the switch of modes, would the flight be otherwise affected?  If flying in a straight line and the switch occurs, would it hiccup or just keep flying in the same straight line?

If GPS signal lost or compass had been interference, the drone will enter to ATTI mode passively, it acts the same as the ATTI mode with Phantom 3P.

A manual switch to ATTI mode would have been desirable, if only for the practising purpose.

There is nothing worse than suddenly to get thrown into ATTI without knowing how the aircraft reacts to your controls in such conditions.

I suspect the lack of user selected ATTI mode on the Mavic is less about controlling the aircraft and more about preventing the aircraft from operating in a NFZ. I guess GEO fencing would be pointless if the Mavic's GEO position was disabled.  

Fingers Posted at 2017-8-17 04:06
I suspect the lack of user selected ATTI mode on the Mavic is less about controlling the aircraft and more about preventing the aircraft from operating in a NFZ. I guess GEO fencing would be pointless if the Mavic's GEO position was disabled.

These are two separate functions.

ATTI is about manual control of the inputs without fly-by-wire intervention.

GPS can (and should) still be on whenever there is reception to record the AC's position and preventing take-off in an NFZ.

Fingers Posted at 2017-8-17 04:06
I suspect the lack of user selected ATTI mode on the Mavic is less about controlling the aircraft and more about preventing the aircraft from operating in a NFZ. I guess GEO fencing would be pointless if the Mavic's GEO position was disabled.

In Phantom-style ATTI mode the GPS information is still known and used to handle NFZs appropriately; it just isn't used to maintain the aircraft's position.

Yes, you can reprogram the sport button to ATTI and yes it reverts back to GPS in later firmware. But there are solutions for that, but not allowed to discuss them here.

Nees Posted at 2017-8-17 04:37
Yes, you can reprogram the sport button to ATTI and yes it reverts back to GPS in later firmware. But there are solutions for that, but not allowed to discuss them here.

Are you referring to the video below? Because that's the only thing I've come across and I'm familiar with the various Mavic hack sites / videos / etc.

Either the video is just click bait or (more likely) the person who created it isn't very knowledgeable. The reason his Mavic switches from OPTI mode to ATTI when he selects "Sport" is because he's indoors (so no GPS) and sport mode disables VPS, which is what's needed to achieve ATTI mode. So yes, anyone can "enable ATTI mode" indoors by selecting sport mode, but no hacking "solution" -- forbidden or otherwise -- is needed and indoors-only ATTI mode isn't what the OP is asking for.

I agree with this.  About a month ago, I finally had one of the incidents I keep reading about.  The Mavic would not stop and hover but kept forward flight,  I still had directional control so I made a split second decision and I purposely aimed for tree which caught it as I hoped and no damage was done except losing 3 props.  I did have to climb the tree to get it.  If I had the ability to switch to a manual fly mode, I could have flown in manually down to the street without issue.

I know the error I made, taking off on the deck of a house, right next to its metal roof.  Everything seemed normal on initial takeoff until I left the vicinity of the roof.  People say don't do this...  I am here to tell you - really don't do this!

Having a manual mode would totally make this a non-issue.

It'll be interesting to see what DJI do with the Mavic 2. Surely they'll bring ATTI mode in.

Xman1 Posted at 2017-8-17 06:49
I agree with this.  About a month ago, I finally had one of the incidents I keep reading about.  The Mavic would not stop and hover but kept forward flight,  I still had directional control so I made a split second decision and I purposely aimed for tree which caught it as I hoped and no damage was done except losing 3 props.  I did have to climb the tree to get it.  If I had the ability to switch to a manual fly mode, I could have flown in manually down to the street without issue.

I know the error I made, taking off on the deck of a house, right next to its metal roof.  Everything seemed normal on initial takeoff until I left the vicinity of the roof.  People say don't do this...  I am here to tell you - really don't do this!

What you described sounds like what I call "BATTI" (as in "bad attitude") mode, and it's not the same as true ATTI. I've experienced both, and flying in (true) ATTI mode isn't much help in learning to deal with BATTI. The best thing to do if you encounter BATTI is use the throttle to gain enough altitude to clear the nearby obstacles, because the Mavic also begins rotating as though you're applying rudder, and once it has rotated enough you're able to fly normally. But yes, as you mentioned, the best strategy is avoidance by not taking off near metal.

DroneFlying Posted at 2017-8-17 06:50
What you described sounds like what I call "BATTI" (as in "bad attitude") mode, and it's not the same as true ATTI. I've experienced both, and flying in (true) ATTI mode isn't much help in learning to deal with BATTI. The best thing to do if you encounter BATTI is use the throttle to gain enough altitude to clear the nearby obstacles, because the Mavic also begins rotating as though you're applying rudder, and once it has rotated enough you're able to fly normally. But yes, as you mentioned, the best strategy is avoidance by not taking off near metal.

I wish I had known that at the time, but I know now.  I did lose my white strobe in the process, but that is a small price to pay for what I thought could have happened.  I was in bear country too so you didn't want to go trekking through the woods to go find it either as they were all around that day.

Xman1 Posted at 2017-8-17 07:02
I wish I had known that at the time, but I know now.  I did lose my white strobe in the process, but that is a small price to pay for what I thought could have happened.  I was in bear country too so you didn't want to go trekking through the woods to go find it either as they were all around that day.

I understand; I'm glad you were able to recover the aircraft and get away with a relatively painless and inexpensive loss.

Drone-Mike Posted at 2017-8-17 06:51
It'll be interesting to see what DJI do with the Mavic 2. Surely they'll bring ATTI mode in.

I think full ATTI mode is going the way of the manual transmission.  The dumbing down of a society that holds everyone else responsible for their own failures.  DJI is using this to cover themselves.  Just makes business sense.

How many forums have to tell you the same answer till you get it. No atti mode.

DroneFlying Posted at 2017-8-17 05:08
Are you referring to the video below? Because that's the only thing I've come across and I'm familiar with the various Mavic hack sites / videos / etc.

Either the video is just click bait or (more likely) the person who created it isn't very knowledgeable. The reason his Mavic switches from OPTI mode to ATTI when he selects "Sport" is because he's indoors (so no GPS) and sport mode disables VPS, which is what's needed to achieve ATTI mode. So yes, anyone can "enable ATTI mode" indoors by selecting sport mode, but no hacking "solution" -- forbidden or otherwise -- is needed and indoors-only ATTI mode isn't what the OP is asking for.

Sport Mode doesn't disable VPS.

I am the E Posted at 2017-8-16 22:47
Try this in google, it took two seconds,:

Does mavic has ATTI mode

I think you mean "have", not "has" and like I said before I'd have already thought of that question to ask that question.

It did not appear on any of the P4 vs Mavic pros/cons lists that I found.

DJI Joe Posted at 2017-8-17 09:13
Sport Mode doesn't disable VPS.

You're right; I was thinking of OA.

DJI Thor Posted at 2017-8-17 01:15
If GPS signal lost or compass had been interference, the drone will enter to ATTI mode passively, it acts the same as the ATTI mode with Phantom 3P.

That is not the same as "choosing" ATTI mode a compass or GPS error happens *before* the drone has detected it or if it ever detects it.

Fingers Posted at 2017-8-17 04:06
I suspect the lack of user selected ATTI mode on the Mavic is less about controlling the aircraft and more about preventing the aircraft from operating in a NFZ. I guess GEO fencing would be pointless if the Mavic's GEO position was disabled.

Goefencing and ATTI are not mutually exclusive.

BumblerBee Posted at 2017-8-17 04:17
These are two separate functions.

ATTI is about manual control of the inputs without fly-by-wire intervention.

Pitch and roll is still fly by wire even in ATTI mode and I believe altitude strictly based on barometer as well.

Nees Posted at 2017-8-17 04:37
Yes, you can reprogram the sport button to ATTI and yes it reverts back to GPS in later firmware. But there are solutions for that, but not allowed to discuss them here.

When you say revert, does it give you ATTI even for say 10 seconds? This would be enough for me.

Drone-Mike Posted at 2017-8-17 06:51
It'll be interesting to see what DJI do with the Mavic 2. Surely they'll bring ATTI mode in.

typical of what i have been seeing reading changes between Dji generational products...  2nd gen maybe have a few hardware changes bit most of it will be software tweaks..  basically what we see in mod scene now, will likely come out in 2nd gen as a official feature..

Oracle Miata Posted at 2017-8-17 07:27
I think full ATTI mode is going the way of the manual transmission.  The dumbing down of a society that holds everyone else responsible for their own failures.  DJI is using this to cover themselves.  Just makes business sense.

i have some input here:   manual transmission is still a common thing in other parts of the world, just mainly north america doesn't favor them.  similar to wagons and hatchbacks..  less common in north america, more common in europe, asia, and other bits and regions of the world..  

what i would mostly use Atti for is avoiding crashes.. one thing i hate from my first Spark i owned was when atti mode triggered on its own and because it happened when i wasn't quite expecting it, ended up even more worse off..  if i could have flow into a situation in full manual or flipped the switch myself to manual control mode as problems started to occur i'm sure i would have been better prepared..

I also made the purchase inadvertently. I could not imagine that they would remove the ATTI mode. So do not even bother looking before you buy! My mistake...  I heard that it goes into automatic ATTI mode when it detects problems in the compass and busola but with me this did not happen and my Mavic hit the wall of a pumping station. Fortunately he did not hurt anyone and did not fall into the river. But I had the trouble of having to buy a new Gimbal.

sorka Posted at 2017-8-17 09:17
I think you mean "have", not "has" and like I said before I'd have already thought of that question to ask that question.

It did not appear on any of the P4 vs Mavic pros/cons lists that I found.

Yes "have"...! but both will bring the same results.

You can also check this video if you are dying to "HAVE" not "HAS" ATTI MODE on your MAVIC!  

I am the E Posted at 2017-8-17 13:36
Yes "have"...! but both will bring the same results.

You can also check this video if you are dying to "HAVE" not "HAS" ATTI MODE on your MAVIC!  

This video has nothing to do with manually activating ATTI mode.

I am the E Posted at 2017-8-17 13:36
Yes "have"...! but both will bring the same results.

You can also check this video if you are dying to "HAVE" not "HAS" ATTI MODE on your MAVIC!  

That same video has been around a while and is always the one people point refer to when claiming that the Mavic is difficult to fly in ATTI mode -- but it isn't. I've also flown in ATTI mode and despite what the guy in that video claims the Mavic flies just fine without GPS. It glides to a stop when you release the right stick and drifts with the wind otherwise, but that's the expected behavior and doesn't make it particularly difficult to control.


I strongly suspect that the reason the video author found his Mavic hard to fly was because he (by his own account) had attached a GoPro camera to the Mavic while he was flying it. In other words, the reason it was difficult to fly wasn't because it was in ATTI mode but because the extra weight it was carrying made it less maneuverable.