I am just curious. Every time I want to fly my Mavic Air, I can an error message that says I need to calibrate the compass. I do that, and then I can fly. Can anyone tell me why that happens?
It doesn't happen with the Spark.

Possibly your Mavic Air has gotten partially magnatized.  Have you added anyting to your Mavic Air which would be magnetic?

Are you flying from same location each time?   Possibly taking off, to close to a hidden source of magnetic inteference.

Have you followed DJI's Compass calibration process?  
- Making sure there are no sources of magnetic field interference with 10-meters of you?   I get well away (like 30-meters) from any sources, open grassy farm field.
- Along with making sure you have nothing on you which could cause magnetic field interference?

Hi. I am sorry for the trouble this has caused. With regards to this matter please try to calibrate the compass of your DJI Mavic Air once again and follow theses steps. Kindly please check the location where you are calibrating the compass of the said drone. Let me please provide you additional requirements for proper compass calibration. In calibrating the compass of the said drone do not calibrate your compass where there is a chance of strong magnetic interference, such as magnetite, parking structures, or steel reinforcements underground. Do not carry ferromagnetic materials with you during calibration, such as keys or cellular phones. Do not calibrate beside large metal objects. If in case this step will still not work. I would recommend you contact our support team to start up a ticket for the said drone at  https://www.dji.com/support?site=brandsite&from=nav . We have the team who would do their best to find out the reason of the said issue and then the corresponding resolution would be provided. Thank you.

Being practical and someone who owns and knows how Mavic Air works, if you take off from same area all the time, it shouldn’t continually ask for calibration, unless there is a time period like 30 days or so this will trigger calibration warning.
If you move location even short distance it can ask for calibration, yes it’s a nuisance and certainly not needed but it’s a problem I’ve had and many others also have, calibration is pretty simple and almost impossible to get wrong, Mavic air will not take off or give clearance if calibration is performed wrong and if it detected mag interference on the ground won’t take off.
Sorry can’t be of much help but this seems to be the way dji are leaving this craft .

HedgeTrimmer Posted at 2-18 13:22
Possibly your Mavic Air has gotten partially magnatized.  Have you added anyting to your Mavic Air which would be magnetic?

Are you flying from same location each time?   Possibly taking off, to close to a hidden source of magnetic inteference.

No, not a thing

HedgeTrimmer Posted at 2-18 13:22
Possibly your Mavic Air has gotten partially magnatized.  Have you added anyting to your Mavic Air which would be magnetic?

Are you flying from same location each time?   Possibly taking off, to close to a hidden source of magnetic inteference.

I put my keys in my back pocket, and my belt has a plastic buckle. On Sunday I was in the middle of nowhere, and still got the message. Once again, I had to recalibrate, but then am able to fly. Not a big deal, but kind of frustrating.

Climbnride58 Posted at 2-18 15:41
I put my keys in my back pocket, and my belt has a plastic buckle. On Sunday I was in the middle of nowhere, and still got the message. Once again, I had to recalibrate, but then am able to fly. Not a big deal, but kind of frustrating.

When I first got my Mavic Pro P, I ran into a similar problem as your Mavic Air.  DJI GO-4 App would say Mavic Pro P needed compass calibration.  I could calibrate compass, verify it was calibrated, fly drone without problems.  

But when I powered drone off and swapped battery, upon power-up, sometimes DJI GO-4 App would say Mavic Pro P again needed compass calibration.  Even if takeoff spot was same as before or takeoff spot was reloacted.

After wasting time (and frustration with poor help) with compass calibration messages, I got to where I ignored any further messages for rest of flying for that day.  Finally, I got to where I ignored messages even at start of flying day.  

When I switched from using iPhone5s and iPad to DJI's CrystalSky Ultra, stopped seeing compass calibration messages from GO-4.  If I went back to iPhone5s, compass calibration messages returned.   

Two differences were: 1) iPhone5s was running iOS and CrystalSky was running Android and 2) GO-4 App was coded and built to run on respective platform.
You might try running GO-4 on a different SmartDevice (borrow a  friends tablet, phone, pad) or trying de-installing and re-installing  GO-4.


You may want to open a support ticket, and see about getting your Mavic Air replaced.

HedgeTrimmer Posted at 2-18 19:58
When I first got my Mavic Pro P, I ran into a similar problem as your Mavic Air.  DJI GO-4 App would say Mavic Pro P needed compass calibration.  I could calibrate compass, verify it was calibrated, fly drone without problems.  

But when I powered drone off and swapped battery, upon power-up, sometimes DJI GO-4 App would say Mavic Pro P again needed compass calibration.  Even if takeoff spot was same as before or takeoff spot was reloacted.

I have an Android phone.
I will try deleting Go 4 again.
Thanks for the comments.

Climbnride58 Posted at 2-19 11:16
I have an Android phone.
I will try deleting Go 4 again.
Thanks for the comments.

please send us your feedback after those changes. Best Regards!