Most reliable flying mode?

NaiveFlight · Jun 4, 2017

What is the most reliable mode to fly in. And also how does each mode work? And what do they actually do? I just want to learn, but info is confusing out there, anyone care to dumb it down for idiots like me to understand better?

TTFullTimer · Jun 4, 2017

GPS mode is the most "reliable" in that the drone knows where it took off and where it is. You know where the drone is and can even see which direction it is travelling. Wait for the GPS to lock on and the ready to fly message comes up. I like to auto launch since the drone only goes up a few feet and hovers until it gets its home point. If you enable precision landing before you take off it also looks at the ground where it took off from. I use one of the fold up circular landing pads and it has lots of geometry for the Mavic to see. Then fly whereever you want taking pictures or recording video. If you are sure you can tell where the drone is heading you can just fly it back to you. If you are at all in doubt use RTH Return to Home. It will land within inches of the take off point. When I am around obstacles at my take off point I let the drone come home then exit RTH and fly it down even hand catching it from time to time.

Until you are thoroughly familiar with the controls and how the Mavic responds, stay in beginner mode. It is no more reliable than GPS mode but for sure you will not lose visual track of the drone both height and distance are very limited. In all other respects the Mavic responds exactly as if it were not in beginner mode. So you get a real feel for when you let it loose to go further. Like all things lots of practice will make you a better pilot. And just like a pilot or a driver or any other mode of movement that requires some precision and common sense, Never get so familiar you believe you are bullet proof.

Probably the most technical mode for experienced pilots is Airplane mode. Just my guess never used it.

NaiveFlight · Jun 4, 2017

TTFullTimer said:
GPS mode is the most "reliable" in that the drone knows where it took off and where it is. You know where the drone is and can even see which direction it is travelling. Wait for the GPS to lock on and the ready to fly message comes up. I like to auto launch since the drone only goes up a few feet and hovers until it gets its home point. If you enable precision landing before you take off it also looks at the ground where it took off from. I use one of the fold up circular landing pads and it has lots of geometry for the Mavic to see. Then fly whereever you want taking pictures or recording video. If you are sure you can tell where the drone is heading you can just fly it back to you. If you are at all in doubt use RTH Return to Home. It will land within inches of the take off point. When I am around obstacles at my take off point I let the drone come home then exit RTH and fly it down even hand catching it from time to time.

Until you are thoroughly familiar with the controls and how the Mavic responds, stay in beginner mode. It is no more reliable than GPS mode but for sure you will not lose visual track of the drone both height and distance are very limited. In all other respects the Mavic responds exactly as if it were not in beginner mode. So you get a real feel for when you let it loose to go further. Like all things lots of practice will make you a better pilot. And just like a pilot or a driver or any other mode of movement that requires some precision and common sense, Never get so familiar you believe you are bullet proof.

Probably the most technical mode for experienced pilots is Airplane mode. Just my guess never used it.

Thank you so so much for your detailed help, I am very thankful for any good advice.

I've been pretty comfortable flying around, just ever understood gps more or just rc mode or which is best to rely on. One this is for sure, if I'm 400 or more feet away it's super hard for me to know where I'm going unless I get video feed.

I haven't flown more than 800 feet away, even then... With the heart racing. My fear is thst if I lost video feed I would panic and hit RTH. (and hope that it actually got to communicate with mavic)

Side note (if video is lost. Is everything else lost too by default? If so... Mavic RTH automatically since signal is lost right?

Second side note. ( if I ever get confidence to Fly 1 mile away in a Suburban area filled with houses and possible interference... Will I loose video feed for sure? Also... How do I control quality of video feed. (can I choose a low quality video setting in exchange for a reliable connection?) if I lost connection 1 mile away I would shlt sideways

TTFullTimer · Jun 5, 2017

NaiveFlight said:
Thank you so so much for your detailed help, I am very thankful for any good advice.

I've been pretty comfortable flying around, just ever understood gps more or just rc mode or which is best to rely on. One this is for sure, if I'm 400 or more feet away it's super hard for me to know where I'm going unless I get video feed.

On your device running DJI Go 4 the video feed from the camera will display along with another smaller box in the corner that shows the location of your Mavic with ah arrow showing the direction of the forward portion of the Mavic with an arrow. Find that when you are hovering somewhere and then use the stick to rotate the Mavic. The arrow will follow. There is also a dot showing the Home position. So point the arrow toward home and fly forward. Soon you will see the Mavic.

I haven't flown more than 800 feet away, even then... With the heart racing. My fear is thst if I lost video feed I would panic and hit RTH. (and hope that it actually got to communicate with mavic)

In another thread here one of the experienced members commented that when video feed gets choppy control signal is soon to follow as disconnected. So if you get choppy video feed and don't want to just Auto RTH when the control feed quits communicating. Stop, turn the drone around and head back. And be sure to enable all modes of RTH, Signal loss, low battery and commanded.

Side note (if video is lost. Is everything else lost too by default? If so... Mavic RTH automatically since signal is lost right?

See answer above. Most likely video will go first followed shortly by commands.

Second side note. ( if I ever get confidence to Fly 1 mile away in a Suburban area filled with houses and possible interference... Will I loose video feed for sure? Also... How do I control quality of video feed. (can I choose a low quality video setting in exchange for a reliable connection?) if I lost connection 1 mile away I would shlt sideways

The farther you go out horizontally if there is terrain, vegetation or buildings the higher you will need to go to maintain line of sight. Think of it this way. Put the Mavic a few feet above the peak of the roof of your house, then fly it away from the side of the house where you are standing. Very soon you will not be able to see the Mavic even though it is just as high as when you could see it. The angle of the things in front of you is steeper than the angle to the Mavic. Now when the Mavic just barely disappears command it to a higher altitude. And there it will be. The controller signals going out the location signals and video coming back are Line of Sight no obstacles in between. If your house is twenty feet high and you are standing 100 feet behind it, when your mavic is 100 feet on the other side you are going to need to raise it an additional twenty feet. For every additional hundred feet out you are going to need another twenty feet of altitude. I kind of use a rule of thumb for me. If I am going out 1000 feet I want to be at 200 to 300 feet high. So I just take it up right away then fly away.

NaiveFlight · Jun 5, 2017

TTFullTimer said:
The farther you go out horizontally if there is terrain, vegetation or buildings the higher you will need to go to maintain line of sight. Think of it this way. Put the Mavic a few feet above the peak of the roof of your house, then fly it away from the side of the house where you are standing. Very soon you will not be able to see the Mavic even though it is just as high as when you could see it. The angle of the things in front of you is steeper than the angle to the Mavic. Now when the Mavic just barely disappears command it to a higher altitude. And there it will be. The controller signals going out the location signals and video coming back are Line of Sight no obstacles in between. If your house is twenty feet high and you are standing 100 feet behind it, when your mavic is 100 feet on the other side you are going to need to raise it an additional twenty feet. For every additional hundred feet out you are going to need another twenty feet of altitude. I kind of use a rule of thumb for me. If I am going out 1000 feet I want to be at 200 to 300 feet high. So I just take it up right away then fly away.

Thank you so much, I'll respect this rule from now on. And if done so I shouldn't loose video the whole time? If I loose video can I still *panic* and press Rth on the controller and it to respond?

Peregrine · Jun 5, 2017

As long as you still have radio connection, then yes. If you lose ALL connection, then the Mavic's survival instinct should kick in, and return it to home.