I just tested the RTH Height is NOT RETAINED!! Dji is totally wrong and this BUG is Dangerous!!

For everyone: You must enter return to home Altitude manually EACH time after you turn off the the Bird and tablet!! Under the latest firmware IT RESETS to 0 after power cycle!! If you have a signal loss the bird will take a straight path to your home at current height and MAY collide with any obstruction in the way!!

arun mehta


edit: May 14-2015


Just retested both my Inspires they Both retain the RTH height IF you fly past 20 meters from home point . i was testing less than 20 meter hence the failure to retain RTH height number


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Its a good observation, DJI should check this ASAP!!

I had this problem with my previous bird.  It was a defective barometer not the App, but I agree DJ should double check.  You should perhaps get your aircraft checked also.
Check the vertical height with actual height.

Very dangerous indeed.

What app are you using? I am using IOS and it has retained it the last few times.

Same here, running IOS and it seems to be saving all the settings

I'm using the iPad never lost the RTH altitude user setting once after several flights , the earlier firmware and the latest nothing changed here I've checked it often since your posts. Sounds like your bird is having trouble or your device.

daver/m Posted at 2015-5-11 09:57
I'm using the iPad never lost the RTH altitude user setting once after several flights , the earlier ...

Daver...I am with you. I never lost any of my settings. They all transferred over just fine.
This whole thing is nothing but a big mess and of course noone from DJI is here to help.

Thanks for the advice. One question: what should be a recommended RTH altitude?
Thanks again.

Same here with my ios app it resets the fail safe setting for return every time you power the air craft down..
I chose to switch back to my android tablet and no issues... Has to be the app I suspect.

This has to be a firmware bug and I refuse to use the IOS app till they get this figured out. Back to the android ,,sucks cuz I liked the ios app is was much better via the map cache feature..

ChevereFly Posted at 2015-5-11 13:55
Thanks for the advice. One question: what should be a recommended RTH altitude?
Thanks again.

At least 20 feet higher than the highest obstruction (building, tree, hill) where you fly.  You can always take the bird up to a hover in your first flight in a new area, do a 360 degree rotation and ensure everything is BELOW you, then add 20 feet to that altitude and set it as your RTH height.  Then just ensure you are never taking off from UNDER anything - you want to ensure that your home point is always completely in the clear.

ChevereFly Posted at 2015-5-11 13:55
Thanks for the advice. One question: what should be a recommended RTH altitude?
Thanks again.

I set mine for 50 m as a fail safe. There is lots of sky its when your low things get dicey so best escape is always up!
And as poster before me (Petegold)  stated.. Make sure launch area is clear of obstructions as you may have to hit RTh and never take off under an obstruction or wires etc..

daver/m Posted at 2015-5-11 09:57
I'm using the iPad never lost the RTH altitude user setting once after several flights , the earlier ...

You HAVE to power cycle BOTH Bird AND TABLET to lose the RTH Height !!!

I seem to be ok after upgrade.  I'm running the iOS app...have you uncovered further info on your observation?

Do we have DJI feedback on this?  (Damn...I know the answer...

yes,  I found with the new 1.1 OS version of the app the Failsafe RTH setting is not retained in the app when you close the app and reopen it and power cycle the bird as well.   I would agree theres a bug,  so I also reset the RTH number from zero as part of my preflight check list now.

The first time I took my inspire to fly after the update I still had the RTH att set, but the next few time it was in 0, so i had to change it to...

FromAdronesEye Posted at 2015-5-11 21:52
The first time I took my inspire to fly after the update I still had the RTH att set, but the next f ...

Exactly the same here,...

I've not had any problems.

Mike-the-cat Posted at 2015-5-11 23:02
I've not had any problems.

No problems here, when I power up my Ipad Mini 2 it reads 0 as soon as I power up the bird it reads 50m as set several power ups ago.  I aways check before flying though as i always have, it's part of my pre-flight checklist.

dentin11 Posted at 2015-5-11 21:22
yes,  I found with the new 1.1 OS version of the app the Failsafe RTH setting is not retained in the ...

Same here using the IOS app with the ipad mini.  I heard here on several posts it retains the set fail safe but displays 0 so yes there is a bug.
Android tablet works fine no issues IOS not so much .

Hello all,

Mine does not retain height after shutting down the controller and the aircraft. I'm using the Ipad Air.

Many posts here claim the RTH is retained. ONly when you turn OFF(completely) the Ipad AND the AIRCRAFT ...you lose the setting for RTH NOT just turning off app only ....hence the partial reproducibility of this bug

arunmehta Posted at 2015-5-12 17:35
Many posts here claim the RTH is retained. ONly when you turn OFF(completely) the Ipad you lose the  ...

The setting is cached inside the aircraft. This is clever because a number of people use multiple devices to fly one particular aircraft or multiple devices on multiple aircraft. The DJI Pilot  app only 'forgets' when it is opened without the aircraft being linked to the transmitter and tablet.

Honestly, your sensationalistic tone is not helpful. Also as pointed out in a very logical manner, it is flawed. I would recommend you voluntarily withdraw the post.

Mike-the-cat Posted at 2015-5-13 12:11
Honestly, your sensationalistic tone is not helpful. Also as pointed out in a very logical manner, i ...

Mike-the-CAT are you with DJI? Have you tested AFTER turning off the aircraft  AND then trying to land RTH because I HAVE and it does NOT work. The craft DOES NOT rise to that height that i put in 100 meters...IT just landed at that site.  did not even come to the home point!!

If aircraft was following my (as you call "cached") height instructions it should RISE or LOWER to 100 meters AND then try to land at HOME POSITION. IT DID not. If you find my posts sensationalistic it is because I do NOT want to lose my aircraft by hitting a tree. I am warning my fellow Inspire owners about the danger!!
BTW i have two Inspires and i have tested on BOTH!

EDIT: The aircraft does rise to my prescribed 100 meter height and land on my Home point ONLY if it has flown PAST the 20 METER radius! below 20 meters it land at the same heihght and same spot.

Mike-the-cat Posted at 2015-5-13 12:11
Honestly, your sensationalistic tone is not helpful. Also as pointed out in a very logical manner, i ...

OK to Please MIKE the CAT This morning this is what i did:

I RE tested BOTH Inspires that i have they both confirm that after the powerdown cycle on BOTH TABLET AND AIRCRAFT  the aircraft LOSES the height it is supposed to ascend BEFORE landing at the Homepoint

IN both my tests the aircraft ascended to my prescribed height of 50 meters when RTH was issued BEFORE the POwercycle on tablet and the Aircraft (the airpad 3 air has to be turned off by pressing on the power button for 10 seconds and then sliding off)

AFTER turning off (hard off) BOTH aircraft and Remote and tablet

when i issued the RTH command the aircraft LANDED at the CURRENT HEIGHT and current location!!!

very dangerous!!!

I challenge anyone to repeat these tests and come up with DJI answer that the aircraft retains the RTH altitude!! Not happening my friends You have to  enter EACH time the RTH altitude!!

And this is exactly what's happened to me! The craft lost signal suddenly and went straight to a building and crash!

GrahamJ Posted at 2015-5-11 21:21
Do we have DJI feedback on this?  (Damn...I know the answer...

Lol Silly question.......




PM me ! Oh that's right we can't.

sbarryjackson@s Posted at 2015-5-11 09:11
What app are you using? I am using IOS and it has retained it the last few times.

I'm using iOS and it didn't retain settings. Latest app and firmware.

Hi arunmehta,
When you test RTH, did you fly the craft more than 20m (65ft) away? If the craft is too close to the home point, it will land as is.

The 0 number is a display issue in app, the actual value is programmed to the craft. And we just did a test just like yours: power on -> program the height -> fly out more than 20m -> RTH -> power cycle everything -> App shows 0 -> fly out more than 20m -> RTH. The craft will ascent as previously programed during the second RTH.

Also, during RTH, and throttle movement on the remote will cancel the ascent.

I use nvidia shield and everything looks ok even the RTH keeps the set altitude.

DJI-JS Posted at 2015-5-14 04:59
Hi arunmehta,
When you test RTH, did you fly the craft more than 20m (65ft) away? If the craft is to ...

No i flew less than twenty meters away.. i did not want to lose by sending it into the adjoining golf course..so maybe it does retain after that distance i will test tomorrow at 21 meters away and report back

Thanks i am glad someone from DJi is responding and straightening this out

arunmehta Posted at 2015-5-13 21:27
OK to Please MIKE the CAT This morning this is what i did:

I RE tested BOTH Inspires that i have  ...

I RTH'ed today but from a distance > 2000m and no problems, rose to 30m as programmed; regained control from a switch to ATTI. Was using the system on a new tablet  having programmed that height on another tablet previously (default is 20m).

I think the 20m rule set by DJI (to land where the copter is) is so that people don't RTH onto themselves by accident.

There is a related post: http://forum.dji.com/thread-15059-1-1.html

Mike-the-cat Posted at 2015-5-14 13:30
I RTH'ed today but from a distance > 2000m and no problems, rose to 30m as programmed; regained con ...

Dear Mike the Cat,

I was also 2500 feet away today and the RC signal got lost the aircraft did rise to 100 meters and come back to home point!! A real life unintended test ...SUCCESS!! i have modified the name of the post and added corrections to my posts

arun

arunmehta Posted at 2015-5-14 19:22
Dear Mike the Cat,

I was also 2500 feet away today and the RC signal got lost the aircraft did ri ...

Thanks Arun. Enjoy flying! The Inspire is quite an advance over the P1 and P2 in flight control systems, stability, speed and user interface.

I've had my share of mishaps with the other two systems but so far, the Inspire has behaved itself. Fingers crossed.

BTW, unless you are flying over trees from the ground level or in a place where there is lots of wifi traffic, you should do lots better than 2500 feet. In clear conditions, I've gone up to over 3.2 km with a stock transmitter and no modifications.

FictitiousPerso Posted at 2015-5-14 00:19
Lol Silly question.......

LOL...love your work mate...

my inspire retains the Rth preset altitude no matter if I turn the bird and iPad off and on ,change the battery's etc , it holds the setting no matter what I do, good I guess then.
Tested this several times and just not having this problem ....

daver/m Posted at 2015-5-17 05:55
my inspire retains the Rth preset altitude no matter if I turn the bird and iPad off and on ,change  ...

try turning the ipad off(hard off) with a hold on for 10 seconds on the power button not just 1 second..