bummed new Air 2 owner LOL

[thereverend801]

Hey friends,
I'm Andrew and brand new to the drone world.
I purchased a used Air 2 recently to help get some Real Estate shots of our home we are selling here in Talent, OR. After a few flights, I was at my mom's and trying to get an overhead shot (she is selling her house too) and all of a sudden, it just started flying backward at top speed! It was literally about 15 feet above my head. Thankfully it hit a tree a few blocks over and because of the video, I was able to track it down. Since she lives in a busy neighborhood, I thought maybe it could have been interference of some sort. I updated everything, calibrated everything and tried it out again at home... It seemed to work and I was able to fly through one entire battery pack. I put another pack on and after initial take off and hovering above me for a few moments, it did the same dang thing... just took off at top speed backwards! I hit RTH and it stopped moving but would not actually initiate the return to the starting point. The RTH canceled and once again it took off backwards. I tried RTH multiple times with the same response. I finally figured out that I could turn the drone and increase/decrease altitude so I started flying it backwards and was able to gently crash land in my backyard.
Of course the dude who sold it to me will not respond to any of my messages now so I have a drone that I'm afraid to use.
I'm going to put this into the forum to see if I can get a little help and hopefully have a drone I can use safely again.

Cheers to you all!

 

[msinger]

Welcome to the forum!

 

[LoudThunder]

I'm Andrew and brand new to the drone world. I purchased a used Air 2 recently to help get some Real Estate shots of our home we are selling

Welcome from the Hampton Roads area of Virginia, USA. We have a Member's Map in the Upper Right of the Title Bar. Click on "Members" and then Click on "Member's Map…" Check it out and you might find some new flying friends.

Member Map

mavicpilots.com

First off, I cannot help you with what might be the issue with your drone but you need to know that you are probably "flying on very thin ice" legally speaking. But you cannot be doing what you are doing for your Mom… If you are going to take real estate photos, even for your mother, you need a Part 107 License from the FAA…


But, as a New Drone Pilot, there are a couple of Legal Things you may need to do…

If you have not already done so, you will need to get your TRUST Certificate. You can get that at the Pilot Institute Web Site (FREE…) . Your Drone weighs more than 250-grams (0.55 pounds) and while you are flying under The Exception for Recreational Flyers, you are required to register your Drone.

Link to the TRUST Certificate at the Pilot Institute Web Site (FREE…)

FAA TRUST Online Portal for Recreational Drone Operators - Pilot Institute

Get your FAA TRUST Certificate of Completion to legally fly drones for recreational reasons in the United States.

trust.pilotinstitute.com

Link to the FAADroneZone (Optional Registration for Drones under 250-Grams…)

FAADroneZone

faadronezone.faa.gov

If you are considering acquiring your Part 107 License, here is a link to get you going…

Aviation School: Free & Paid Pilot Training Classes - Pilot Institute

Pilot Institute offers courses on drones and airplanes from world-class experts. Pass the Part 107 or Private Pilot exam and take to the skies.

pilotinstitute.com

Since you live Oregon, there are specific laws and rules for you to follow, please check the link below for all the Rules and Laws that are in effect in your neck of the woods and it also links you to some of the Best Places to Fly in your area… Also, if you travel on vacation, visit friends, and relatives in other parts of the country, check back here so you do not run afoul of the law.

Drone Laws and Best Places to Fly in Every US State - Pilot Institute

pilotinstitute.com

Even if you have flown Drones before, here is some Good Old Fashion Advice…

You paid a lot of money for that Drone, put your phone number on it. If your drone gets lost or stuck in a tree and it finally comes down when you are not around, give the finders an opportunity to contact you so it can be returned.

Now, for the Fun Part, But do not let the excitement of the moment get the best of you. When you are going out to fly, do it slowly and deliberately. Get used to a set procedure and even practice it.

There are so many things I could write but these are the highlights that I feel need mentioning.

Plug in your phone/tablet into your controller; turn on the Controller and DJI Fly App (if it does not start on its own…). On the Drone, open the front legs, then open the back legs, then remove the Gimbal Cover.

The Gimbal is the most delicate item on the Drone and banging or bumping can damage it. I also fastened a short "Remove Before Flight" ribbon to the cover so it's more noticeable and I do not forget to remove it…

Turn on the drone and watch it come to "life." Watching the Gimbal go through its self-check is almost like watching a puppy or kitten opening its eyes for the first time…

Place the drone down (preferably on a Landing Pad) while it finishes its self-test (collecting satellites, etc…).

Check your battery status (Phone, Drone, and Controller), check the Signal Strength, by now the Controller should have reported it updated the Home Point.

Lift off, 6- feet (2-meters) or so, hover a bit, check the controls (move the drone a bit forward, back, left, right, yaw left and right). By now, your Controller will probably report again, Home point Updated.

If you go out in a rush and race thru your start up and take off before the drone has finished it prep, it may update its Home Point over that pond or that old tree you are flying over and in your excitement, you'll fly the drone long past it Low Battery point and when it engages Return to Home and lands in the pond or in a tree; it will be all on you…

Now go have fun, learn to fly the drone by sight before you try to fly it out a distance depending on the video feed, FPV.

I would also advise you to use YouTube and watch a lot of the Videos on flying and setting up the Drone. When it is too dark, too cold, or too wet, you can "fly it vicariously" through YouTube. Also watch some of the Blooper Drone Videos and learn how not to fly your "New Baby."

Below is the link to all of the downloads offered by DJI for the Air 2, including the User Manual.

After you read the Manual, read it again, you will be surprised what you missed the first time and you will be better prepared for that first "scary moment…"

Mavic Air 2 - Download Center - DJI

At DJI Download Center, Learn aboutMavic Air 2

www.dji.com

Fly On and Fly Safe…

 

[Hauptmann]

Welcome to our forum, from Hauptmann, in Hurst, Texas!

You'll love the flexibility of vantage points an aerial camera platform affords--you'll get shots and videos you could only dream of before! I fly a Mavic 2 Pro now, but will soon add a Mini 3 Pro to my “fleet”.

I have not experienced the behavior you describe. Wish I could help you. We have over 150,000 members—many from your part of the South--who enjoy helping each other get the most out of our hobby. Most of the questions you'll have will’ve already been addressed, and are easy to search. If you have NEW questions, just ask!

I attached a couple of links below, which will make learning piloting and photo/video skills easy. They specifically refer to the Mini 3 Pro, but his “moves” apply to any drone (DJI, anyway).

Glad to have you with us!
Rich R (aka Hauptmann)

 

[Meta4]

all of a sudden, it just started flying backward at top speed! It was literally about 15 feet above my head. Thankfully it hit a tree a few blocks over
... I put another pack on and after initial take off and hovering above me for a few moments, it did the same dang thing... just took off at top speed backwards! I hit RTH and it stopped moving but would not actually initiate the return to the starting point. The RTH canceled and once again it took off backwards.

That's an interesting incident and definitely not something you should experience in normal flight.
The recorded flight data might be helpful in finding what caused it.

Go to DJI Flight Log Viewer | Phantom Help
Follow the instructions there to upload your flight record from your phone or tablet.
That will give you a detailed report of the flight.
Come back and post a link to the report it gives you.
Or .. just post the txt file here.

Someone might be able to analyse it and give you an understanding of the cause of the incident and how to prevent it in future.

Did you launch from the same spot for all the problem flights?

 

[MA2 317]

Hello from the Crossroads of America thereverend801.

Nice to meet you Andrew.

As stated above, retrieve the flight log(s) from the device and post a link.

There are members here that can read the logs and see what happened.

Good luck and welcome to the Forum.

 

[old man mavic]

welcome to the forum

 

[wjkrysak]

Welcome to the forum. We look forward to your participation and your view of the world. Sorry about your situation. Looks like you are getting some solid advice, already. Also post your question in the MA2 forum. There should be plenty of help.

 

[Kendallfordguy]

Welcome from Wisconsin!

 

[Chetk7677]

Welcome from Florida.

 

[Gagey52]

Greetings Andrew, welcome to the forum from the outback of Australia.
I see you posted your issue to the crash section, good move.
Regards

 

[PakNheat380]

Welcome to the forum from NW Montana.

 

[millbah]

Hi & welcome Andrew. Could the problem that you did not have gps lock or lost lock?

 

[Meta4]

Hi & welcome Andrew. Could the problem that you did not have gps lock or lost lock?

No ... not having GPS doesn't cause the drone to zip off unpredictably.
When the OP posts flight data, what actually happened will be clear.

 

[thereverend801]

That's an interesting incident and definitely not something you should experience in normal flight.
The recorded flight data might be helpful in finding what caused it.

Go to DJI Flight Log Viewer | Phantom Help
Follow the instructions there to upload your flight record from your phone or tablet.
That will give you a detailed report of the flight.
Come back and post a link to the report it gives you.
Or .. just post the txt file here.

Someone might be able to analyse it and give you an understanding of the cause of the incident and how to prevent it in future.

Did you launch from the same spot for all the problem flights?

I added a post under the crash and fly away help forum with the flight data

 

[thereverend801]

Hi & welcome Andrew. Could the problem that you did not have gps lock or lost lock?

I don't believe so... the flight logs didn't show any issues in that way.

 

[Meta4]

I added a post under the crash and fly away help forum with the flight data

I saw that thread earlier, but it seems to have vanished now ??

 

[thereverend801]

I saw that thread earlier, but it seems to have vanished now ??

Oh interesting… yeah, it doesn’t show in that forum now.
Do new posts from new members have to go through an approval process maybe?

 

[RodPad]

Yes hum, I only show 4 messages in your history, if you used the same subject line?
I would try that thread again, with "Air 2 Crash"

Oh, Welcome.

Rod..

 

[GFields]

Greetings from Birmingham Alabama USA, welcome to the forum! We look forward to hearing from you!

The thread in question was hung in the Approval Queue. I just approved it so move all discussion about the incident to that thread.

Air 2 flying backward on it's own!​

Thanks