I just read that the Mavic Air is Extended Wi-Fi?  What is this and how does it compare to the other drones?  Should I worry about it flying away?

Extended  wi-fi supposedly gives you up to 5km range in perfect conditions

I just tested mine out over the weekend and have had pretty bad transmission not flying that far away. My screen was glitch and it was not the best flying experience.

Here is the thing with WiFi connections between the drone and the controller, if you fly in an urban area or even residential area that has a lot of wifi around you'll most likely be able to get your drone about .5mi away from you before the signal cuts out and the drone automatically returns to you.  If you go on youtube there are a ton of videos showing people getting their drones out about 3000km, but those tests are being done in areas with almost NO wifi interference.  I have an air, and I love it, and while I wish I could just get it to go a bit further I am ok with its current max distance especially since I fly it in the NYC area.  If this is something that turns you off, then you may want to wait a few weeks until DJi announces the Mavic Pro 2, which is supposedly going to have most of the same features as the air but will use OcuSync to connect to the controller and allow you to travel a much great distance.  

LIke my buddy NutNFancy use to say, "what is your POU (Philosophy Of Use)"?  Know that and you'll know which drone to purchase.

I wish I could tell you otherwise, but I'd stick with the Mavic Pro until DJI resolves some image transmission issues with their new Mavic Air

Hi, there. Please take our specs as reference. Hope you can find your best choice.

You should not experience fly away as drone should automatically came back to home point when signal is lost. But signal strength in CE mode is really very weak and so sensitive for interferences.

Well I'm in a urban area area and I get very good range especially if you pick a custom Channel....

Op message me if you would like I will show you some range test I am right outside of Philadelphia PA very urban area lots of WiFi the mavic air performs great. Stock I got out to 13,000 feet consistently I just put on a  4hawks antenna the other day and now my battery limits me. Don't be discouraged by the comments especially with the people that don't own one

Thanks for all the feedback.  I have my Mavic Pro and was thinking of getting the Air because it had a more protected gimbals and that it had those two new quick-shots that look so cool but that wi-fi does really concern me.  Hopefully they will do a software upgrade to satisfy my desire to do asteroid quick-shot.  In the long run its justifying the costs of another drone.

I have received TWO mavic airs in the past month and they both have terrible range.  I am fairly certain something is wrong with both of them.  They both get "Weak Transmission" and then  "Aircraft Disconnected" whenever I get 100-500 feet away.  I've tested this in 3 locations and get the same results everywhere.  Maybe they are defective but this is inexcusable.  I've had several other drones that have all performed much better.  This can't be a simple WiFi issue.  And DJI support won't admit the problem.  I did the updates with DJI assistant 2 and that didn't help.  These are both going back to the store.  DJI get your s%$# together...  

Dam this makes me not want one now

fans1b692b8d Posted at 2018-4-28 17:00
Dam this makes me not want one now

How far do you want to fly away from you ?
How congested is the area you want to fly ?
On a bad day it flies way out of sight anyway which is already against most laws. Range is not a huge issue with this aircraft but it DOES NOT fly as far as the pro out the box.

fans1b692b8d Posted at 2018-3-8 04:18
Thanks for all the feedback.  I have my Mavic Pro and was thinking of getting the Air because it had a more protected gimbals and that it had those two new quick-shots that look so cool but that wi-fi does really concern me.  Hopefully they will do a software upgrade to satisfy my desire to do asteroid quick-shot.  In the long run its justifying the costs of another drone.

If you have the Pro, I would struggle to justify getting the Air as well.  I have both; there's no doubt the Air is a fantastic little drone and immediately makes the Mavic Pro fell very large and heavy by comparison. But some points I'd make are:
1. The range is hit and miss; in my long range test I got to just under 2 Kms (just over a mile). BUT, along the beach last week (near a residential area with lots of interference I guess) I was suffering repeated signal loss when the Air was only 200 metres away from me.
If you have got used to the Pro, you may find the Air's unpredictable range very frustrating
2. Battery life: You have to get spare batteries as you get low battery warnings after 15 mins.
3. The cool new quickshots are great, but in practice, how many times do you want to wrap things up into an asteroid small planet look?  You do it a few times, then the novelty wears off.

I have a play list of AIR-related videos, covering the precise differences and also a few range tests.
Have a watch, but if range and battery life are  important, you may struggle with the air.
Cheers
Ian in London

Parisi2274 Posted at 2018-3-6 07:23
Here is the thing with WiFi connections between the drone and the controller, if you fly in an urban area or even residential area that has a lot of wifi around you'll most likely be able to get your drone about .5mi away from you before the signal cuts out and the drone automatically returns to you.  If you go on youtube there are a ton of videos showing people getting their drones out about 3000km, but those tests are being done in areas with almost NO wifi interference.  I have an air, and I love it, and while I wish I could just get it to go a bit further I am ok with its current max distance especially since I fly it in the NYC area.  If this is something that turns you off, then you may want to wait a few weeks until DJi announces the Mavic Pro 2, which is supposedly going to have most of the same features as the air but will use OcuSync to connect to the controller and allow you to travel a much great distance.

I would love 3,000 Kms

I only have the Air so cannot compare personally to the Pro, which would undoubtedly fly further from what I have read.
For me, the Air gives plenty far enough range and very stable connection.  With spotters I have gone over a mile across fields with occasional trees, which is well beyond the legal VLOS.  In more wifi congested areas I have stayed VLOS with no issues.  I know the pro has better range, better battery, and better controller and has lower noise, so in many ways is superior.  I had a hard time deciding between the two but for my needs, the smaller pack size and weight were the clincher.  I can take the air with me on long cycle rides, something I would find far harder with the size and weight of the pro.  The better bitrate and object avoidance are nice to have too.
The perfect drone for me doesn't yet exist, but the Air was the best compromise for me.  That's the biggest thing to accept, the perfect drone for you may not exist either, but which one meets your needs best?