How to Prevent A Drone Flyaway Prevention is better than, well, trying to locate a missing drone. So here are some tips for preventing flyaways that every drone owner should know. 1. Do a Pre-flight CheckNever fly your drone without doing a pre-flight check. Check that the batteries are fully charged, the controller is properly linking to the drone and all the components are working as expected. Remember to also check the weather around the area you are flying. Sudden wind or rain can cause a flyaway or damage your drone. 2. Remember to Set a Home Point and RTH AltitudeBefore taking off make sure you have set your home point. This is the point where the drone will automatically fly back to if the batteries go low, it loses signal or you activate RTH (Return To Home).
If you are on a moving object such as a boat set a dynamic home point. Otherwise the drone will land far away from where you’ll be or even splash down into the water. As you set a home point also specify an RTH altitude. Make sure it’s higher than the highest trees, objects or buildings in the area. This ensures the drone doesn’t bump into anything as it flies back. Even if your drone has obstacle avoidance, as many new DJI camera drones do, it’s still a good idea to set an altitude. The sensors may not work in low light and can miss some obstacles such as thin branches or glass. 3. Recalibrate Your CompassDon’t just rely on your GPS to guide your drone. It also needs a compass to be able to orient itself properly in RTH mode.
For DJI drones you can check the status of the compass on the DJI GO app. It will show you when the compass needs to be recalibrated. This is usually necessary when there is too much magnetic interference where you are flying. 4. Fly Within Line of SightThis is common sense. There is a reason the FAA requires you to keep your drone in sight at all times. By flying your drone too far out of sight you not only risk losing it, it could also endanger others. Also make sure there is enough light to see your drone. If it’s foggy, fly your drone closer than usual or wait for the weather to clear. Additionally, don’t fly your drone if it’s too late in the evening or too early in the morning when there isn’t enough light.
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