I just had my first flyaway. Thanks to the advice given on this forum I was able to recover it.

The only thing that had changed was my Nexus 7 decided it needed to update Android - which it did. I launched from my balcony using 4.1.15 (but no OTG) like I have done many times before. I set the Spark down on some grass in the open and clear of anything. Shut down, started up with new home point set and took off. After about 5 mins I got a message saying link to AC was lost. It went up some then started returning to the home point a steady pace. I was quite interested because it was the first time I had needed a RTH.

However it went past the home point and continued its steady way into the distance not responding to any stick controls. I switched to sport mode, as has been suggested on the forum, and was able to regain control. I have always been about nervous, having read other peoples problems, but this little episode has actualy given me increased confidence in using my Spark.

Out of curiosity, why not an OTG? Seeing how 4.1.15 works perfect with it.

this is a good feedback.

Good job, you could look into log to see if homepoint was saved.

So your Nexus updatet to Android 8.x?

Oops, MM is the latest, so what was the update for?

awesome, heads-up piloting. i've found that keeping up on the forum really does help with a number of issues.

Thanks for the post, good info.  Where there any issues in the flight log?  Atti mode, home point not set or updated, etc.

I was not using OTG because I was just doing some local testing. I would use it if I was doing some work at a distance.
I have no idea what the Android update was. I rarely connect the Nexus to the internet as I keep it solely for drone work (and echo sounding with a different app)
I will get around to checking the logs and report back if I find anything untoward.
And yes Solestacz , it is definitely worth keeping an eye on the threads here - just don't be too put off by some of the more excitable pilots.

MikB Posted at 2018-1-28 07:20
I was not using OTG because I was just doing some local testing. I would use it if I was doing some work at a distance.
I have no idea what the Android update was. I rarely connect the Nexus to the internet as I keep it solely for drone work (and echo sounding with a different app)
I will get around to checking the logs and report back if I find anything untoward.

Thank you for this information MikB Did you have video feed  at anytime after it said the AC was lost?

No I was just demonstrating the Spark to a friend and was not recording.

Glad you knew what to do. I'm always afraid to fly my Spark too far for fear of fly-aways. Switching to Sport Mode is something that I'm going to remember. Thanks for sharing.

Thanks for sharing this. It's good to know that Sport Mode can be used in this manner.

Never do it again from the balcony. It's not only the Ac should be at a clear area but also the RC. This is important for downlink restoring during lost connection.

Good recovery

Ahmed Hussain Posted at 2018-1-28 08:37
Never do it again from the balcony. It's not only the Ac should be at a clear area but also the RC. This is important for downlink restoring during lost connection.

Thanks for that info. I grounded it clear to check satellites and avoid compass errors.
I guess some sort of interference did prevent a re-connection. I have flown from there many times before but, of course, that means nothing.

MikB Posted at 2018-1-28 08:10
No I was just demonstrating the Spark to a friend and was not recording.

I was referring to the DJI Go video signal on your phone. Did that feed ever come back or were you LOS the entire time?

Heartfelt congratulations, good job!

Spark Kam Posted at 2018-1-28 08:59
I was referring to the DJI Go video signal on your phone. Did that feed ever come back or were you LOS the entire time?

Ah sorry, I misunderstood. No, it never came back. I just relied on line of sight

MikB Posted at 2018-1-28 09:51
Ah sorry, I misunderstood. No, it never came back. I just relied on line of sight

Ok....Thank You! Great Information!!

Does RTH shut down remote stick inputs?  I  don't mind autopilot helping for mundane tasks but if I grab the control sticks, like in a real airplane, the aircraft better respond.

Odd that RTH was flying right by the home point.  If it didn't have compass or GPS so it couldn't find home point, then it shouldn't have been able to go into RTH mode.  If it did have a good compass and GPS, then it shouldn't have been able to fly past the established home point.  Odd.

Gunship9 Posted at 2018-1-28 10:28
Does RTH shut down remote stick inputs?  I  don't mind autopilot helping for mundane tasks but if I grab the control sticks, like in a real airplane, the aircraft better respond.

Odd that RTH was flying right by the home point.  If it didn't have compass or GPS so it couldn't find home point, then it shouldn't have been able to go into RTH mode.  If it did have a good compass and GPS, then it shouldn't have been able to fly past the established home point.  Odd.

I should have said I assumed RTH had started. It was only when it sailed past I started to panic (I was going to lose sight of it behind the house) and switched to Sport mode. I suppose I could check the log.

What I do find strange is that the RC was not communicating with the AC but as soon as I switched to Sport mode it had control.

When in rth, mine can be overridden at any time with sticks.
Sounds like home point was mis- recorded by not waiting long enough. Spark will set it asap in flight, but you could be way off by then. If gps was not locked rear indicators would have been yell not green.

I understand that is the case but I think I was not in RTH mode - I just jumped to that conclusion. I am pretty confident that home point was set correctly because, as I said, I put it down on the ground away from the house away from any interference and waited till I was sure I had satellites and home point fixed before taking off again. I need to check logs to see what I did wrong.

Nice info about Sport mode. I've found many problems that occur can be fixed by keeping calm using your brain.

Bing Err Posted at 2018-1-28 16:48
Nice info about Sport mode. I've found many problems that occur can be fixed by keeping calm using your brain.

"Calm" is not quite the word I would have used in my situation. I had to change my underwear three times before it landed!

One thought did occur to me. If you lose contact as described and have lost sight of the AC you can use the trace on the map to know which way the AC was pointing at the time. Then by using the right stick only you may at least bring it back to within sight.

Does RTH shut down remote stick inputs?

Answer= YES

No. when mine lands on rth I can correct its descent as required.

MikB Posted at 2018-1-28 14:06
I should have said I assumed RTH had started. It was only when it sailed past I started to panic (I was going to lose sight of it behind the house) and switched to Sport mode. I suppose I could check the log.

What I do find strange is that the RC was not communicating with the AC but as soon as I switched to Sport mode it had control.

Sir, sorry for your lost. Please try to find your drone with the last location. I would recommend you contact our support and start a case: http://www.dji.com/support. You can provide the flight records to locate the problem.

Glad to hear you managed to gain control of your Spark. I have used my Spark in my garden and living room in sports mode a lots of times and It’s great. It’s very responsive to the sticks. Attic mode without SPorts it acts very weird sometimes if there are too many obstructions.