Do I need to Connect to Mavic WIFI?

[Curlingace]

New to all drones..
Question is when connecting to MA with controller coneceted to phone via little usb cable, do I need to connect my phone to the drones WiFi network also?
Or is controller to drone connection all that is required?
Is an board WiFi only for control with no remote controller, as in phone ot tablet only?
In short when do you connect to the MA WiFi?

 

[msinger]

Question is when connecting to MA with controller coneceted to phone via little usb cable, do I need to connect my phone to the drones WiFi network also?

No.

 

[tcope]

Initially you need to use the DJI Go app to register via wifi but this is usually done from your home or other location with wifi access before you fly. Also, if you have your Air now and have not read the online manual _several_ times, do so _before_ you fly. This will greatly increase your odds of not crashing your Air within the first few flights.

You can either connect your phone itself to the Air and fly via wifi (highly not recommended) or connect the phone and controller to the Air via the controllers RC signal (recommended).

Again, please read the online manual _several_ times before you fly for the first time.

DJI - The World Leader in Camera Drones/Quadcopters for Aerial Photography

 

[msinger]

Initially you need to use the DJI Go app to register via wifi but this is usually done from your home or other location with wifi access before you fly.

To clarify, @tcope is suggesting you connect your mobile device to Wi-Fi so it's able to connect to the Internet. You should not connect your mobile device to the Mavic Air's Wi-Fi and attempt to register.

 

[InvisibleName]

New to all drones..
Question is when connecting to MA with controller coneceted to phone via little usb cable, do I need to connect my phone to the drones WiFi network also?
Or is controller to drone connection all that is required?
Is an board WiFi only for control with no remote controller, as in phone ot tablet only?
In short when do you connect to the MA WiFi?

As so often, scary question when it is all detailed in the user guide - PLEASE read before you go anywhere near getting airborne!!

 

[tcope]

As so often, scary question when it is all detailed in the user guide - PLEASE read before you go anywhere near getting airborne!!

I agree 100%. I'm not one to tell someone to RTFM to get the right answer but I know when it sounds like someone has not read it. IMHO, most crashes (almost all) happen because the person has not read and understood (for the most part) what the manual explains about flying. The drone is marketing as having all of these features that make it safe and easy to fly and human nature is that people just want to fly it asap. While DJI has done a great job making their drones easy to fly, it is still very important that the person read... and re-read the manual. Fly a short time and then read it again.

 

[Baker's Drone]

No.

Just checked out the new release of the DJI Smart Controller. Looks pretty nice, maybe a little pricey, but if it just came out hopefully the price will drop in time.
I did notice under the notes that wi-fi is required. Why is that, and how is this different than just using my phone without using wi-fi?

 

[msinger]

I did notice under the notes that wi-fi is required.

Wi-Fi is only required when you want to use features that require the Internet (like logging into your DJI account).

how is this different than just using my phone without using wi-fi?

It's identical to using a phone or other mobile device that does not have a cellular connection. Those types of devices also require Wi-Fi since they aren't able to connect to the Internet via a cellular connection.