I fail to understand why anyone would want to try and fly their Mavic Air using a phone or tablet to control it. All Mavic Airs come with a controller so just use that. It is far better.

There are so many posts about problems and range issues with using a phone to control your drone. The simple answer is just don't do it

If you use your phone as the screen then use the cable to connect to the controller and turn off the WiFi on the phone or even better put it in airplane mode.

If you have ever connected you Mavic Air to your phone and then use another device as a screen and your phone is in your pocket or nearby the chances are that the Mavic Air will grab the last WiFi connection which will be your phone. Then the controller wont be able to connect.

I am convinced this is what is happening with all those people who have gone travelling, Connected their drone to their phone to fly it (Why you would do this beats me) and now cant reconnect the drone to the controller.................Why because it is already connected you your phone which is probably in your pocket.

People need to think things through

Dennis

Yep. I have no idea why anyone would try to control an $800 drone with a phone but people do stupid stuff all the time.

I saw the remote for $250 and I thought it was worth $200, $50 more then the Spark controller, so the Air would be worth 600 n change, although I agree, use the controller

Why someone would use their phone:
If you are bike riding or performing an activity that makes it difficult to deal with the remote, I could see someone using their device as the controller while using active track. This does make me a little nervous because of the poorer connection, but I haven't had an issue yet the few times I have done this with my Spark which does not have as good a connection as the Mavic Air.

Why you are wrong about connecting to a phone causing problems with connecting to the remote:
Both on the Spark and the Mavic Air, the drone is either in "Connect to Remote" or "Connect to Device" mode. It will not spontaneously switch between the devices if one loses connection. If you use your phone, you need to pair the Mavic Air with the remote the next time you use the remote.

What could happen though is you could be flying near your house using your phone, lose connection for a second at which point your phone will connect to your home wifi and not attempt to connect back to the Mavic Air.
The bigger issue with using a phone with the Mavic Air is that dynamic home point does not work yet. You can hit the range limit pretty quickly. The removable sticks on the Mavic Air controller do make it a little easier to handle if you wanted to film an activity using active track but it still requires some creativity for finding a way to carry the remote.

Tom_A Posted at 2018-3-12 20:11
Why someone would use their phone:
If you are bike riding or performing an activity that makes it difficult to deal with the remote, I could see someone using their device as the controller while using active track. This does make me a little nervous because of the poorer connection, but I haven't had an issue yet the few times I have done this with my Spark which does not have as good a connection as the Mavic Air.

You seem to have made a good argument why not to use a phone as a controller. Creates far more issues than it is worth. Just don't do it. Why do you think the drone is supplied with a remote controller

Dennis

If you don't need range and don't want to fold / store the remote for a quick shot using only the phone is a great solution. I use it for sometimes.

Nah, it comes with a remote so use it. Same as I don't get hand gestures, you'd look like a demented fool standing there waving at your AC hoping it works, not for me, but for those that want to fly without the RC or using hand gestures, knock yourself out, whatever floats your boat. After all different strokes for different folks. And that should be the point, if it tickles your fancy work away. Personally I'm using my RC's

I'll admit to liking the idea of being able to use my phone; the thought of being out on a bike ride with just the MA and my phone for some quick footage appeals. However, and it's why I won't any time soon be using just my phone, I've always hated using joystick controls for mobile games and figure flying a £700 drone with crappy virtual sticks is tantamount throwing money away. At least in games you get to restart the level! That plus the stories of fly-aways and those of people struggling to re-link their controllers, means my MA will be strictly controller controlled.

smart capture < control by phone

I use a LOT just the phone. On my spark, I just have not even got the controller (RC) at all (Fly Less Combo). Phone on pocket really works great for me. If need to use the remote, those footage (below) would not be possible. All of then was using only phone, on my pcoket.

If it do not works for you, works a lot for me. ;-)

Controller for me. Don't want to chance losing my bird because of bad WIFI connection.

Woe Posted at 2018-3-13 07:55
Controller for me. Don't want to chance losing my bird because of bad WIFI connection.

Controlled space and planned flight. Never had a problem flying just with wifi, and, afterall, RTH will kick in in the event of a disconnection.

Adriano Araujo Posted at 2018-3-13 07:58
Controlled space and planned flight. Never had a problem flying just with wifi, and, afterall, RTH will kick in in the event of a disconnection.

Understood. It's not for me. not a fan of using wifi to fly my bird. Big ups to those who do.

I use a remote all the time.
Would make for a good poll.

I've done all three (no phone/remote using just gesture control) on the Mavic Air, and like the flexibility. There are times when no remote is nice, but mostly I do use the remotes when flying. Feel more in control that way.

Wow.  I would not have guessed that so many owners use only the phone.  I'm too risk averse to do it.

Bigplumbs Posted at 2018-3-12 23:00
You seem to have made a good argument why not to use a phone as a controller. Creates far more issues than it is worth. Just don't do it. Why do you think the drone is supplied with a remote controller

Dennis

It's really more of an argument for not flying using your phone without knowing exactly how things are going to work and for that matter, flying with the remote without knowing how things work. My first flights were in a very boring to film, flat area just so I could get accustomed to how things work.

I can't see the advantage of using just a phone near my house since that would require switching modes, deleting my home network from the phone and then switching modes back again. Out hiking or on a bike ride would be a different situation, but not really tempted now on the Mavic Air since dynamic home point is not working. I still have my Spark and can see myself just using the phone on a hike.

I tell friends to buy cheap drones and learn to fly them first before buying something expensive.

I don't use RTH every time I finish a flight, but have tested it with both the Spark and the Mavic Air because I want to be sure I know how they are going to work in varying situations. I have chosen flat areas with lots of space to do this testing and I'm right on the pause button the second I activate RTH.

The real message here is know your AC.

Not sure I agree with your initial post that "If you have ever connected you Mavic Air to your phone and then use another device as a screen and your phone is in your pocket or nearby the chances are that the Mavic Air will grab the last WiFi connection which will be your phone."  It remembers the LAST connection.  If you want to pop it out for a quick shot, etc. with your phone, be prepared to relink to the controller next time.  But is does not reconnect to phone "if you have ever connected".