Flying Mavic with controller ONLY?

[Glen e]

Don't feel bad, you're absolutely right you need to read everything twice. Even if it's lousy documentation. My first flight I crashed into some bushes because I initiated an RTH, and the wind caught it and was bringing it down in some bushes close and I didn't realize, like you , the RTH button has to be held down and wait for the ring to light up. Needless to say I practiced that , for the next five flights.

 

[LaurenD]

Sounds like a wind problem for sure. I have and similar happen when flying in strong wind. I was able to get it back by allowing the RTH to kick in just long enugh for it to set its direction and then cancel RTH and flip it into sport mode full stick forward. Doing this will make it return 2x faster then it will in RTH mode. RTH is around 20mph sport mode is around 40mph
Also when flying in mountainous areas a small change in elevation can increase / decrease the wind velocity exponentially.

I'm glad you got yours back! Actually another thing I forgot to mention is that I was in sports mode since the person who flew it last used sports mode (and of course, I didn't check). I didn't have much experience with sports mode yet, and come to think of it, maybe it wasn't the wind that made me panic, but how freakin' fast the thing was going since I wasn't used to that mode? After I saw it was returning to home and going slowly, I actually did try to only use the forward stick It sped up at first, but then seemed to hit another wind wall and reverted to turtle speed.

 

[WIMMPYIII]

I'm glad you got yours back! Actually another thing I forgot to mention is that I was in sports mode since the person who flew it last used sports mode (and of course, I didn't check). I didn't have much experience with sports mode yet, and come to think of it, maybe it wasn't the wind that made me panic, but how freakin' fast the thing was going since I wasn't used to that mode? After I saw it was returning to home and going slowly, I actually did try to only use the forward stick It sped up at first, but then seemed to hit another wind wall and reverted to turtle speed.

Ya if the wind is sustained over 25mph it is pretty hard to control, and if you are getting gusts even higher, you can get get into deep dodo fast.
You may not even feel gusts at all from the ground but they could be extremely turbulent just a few feet above or out from the peak of the hill.
https://www.faa.gov/regulations_pol...ls/aviation/media/tips_on_mountain_flying.pdf

 

[scpd1092]

Thank you for sharing, and I'll take your lessons learned to heart. Do hope you find it! Which reminds me, I'll put my cell number/reward if found on mine tonight

I did this the day I got it. Its attached under the battery. Hopefully I never have to rely on this.

 

[LaurenD]

Just a little update..

I reported my case to DJI. They said the couldn't get any flight data from the controller logs. Just the stick movements are stored on the controller. They offered me 30% off the list price for mavic without battery and controller. Not a bad deal?

 

[pogopilot]

I'm glad you got yours back! Actually another thing I forgot to mention is that I was in sports mode since the person who flew it last used sports mode (and of course, I didn't check). I didn't have much experience with sports mode yet, and come to think of it, maybe it wasn't the wind that made me panic, but how freakin' fast the thing was going since I wasn't used to that mode? After I saw it was returning to home and going slowly, I actually did try to only use the forward stick It sped up at first, but then seemed to hit another wind wall and reverted to turtle speed.

Actually you were NOT in sports mode. You see even if the mode button is in the "sport mode" setting when you start your Mavic, it is actually in regular mode until you toggle it off and back on again as an added measure of safety.