Nearly lost my Mavic Air this morning - Home Point changed randomly

[InvisibleName]

You actually need to see what the specification is for the GPS capability of the Smart Device.

Smartphones and tablets in the Android world have a huge range of GPS capability from little to enhanced.

The important specifications:

Is it GPS, or GPS / GLONASS (Dual GPS)

How many RX channels. The more the better.

I use both Android and IOS. But the Androids are DJI Crystal Sky Displays with enhanced GPS capability.

This is basic HW outside of any FW and IOS / Android related bugs.

I’m curious, I use an iPad Air 2 which doesn’t have GPS - how does this fit into this equation?

 

[sar104]

I’m curious, I use an iPad Air 2 which doesn’t have GPS - how does this fit into this equation?

It doesn't. With no location data it simply cannot use the Go app functionality that relies on knowing the location of the controller.

 

[InvisibleName]

It doesn't. With no location data it simply cannot use the Go app functionality that relies on knowing the location of the controller.

So, although the function appears to be available in the app, it won’t actually do anything if selected?

 

[Aerial West]

it's also somewhat difficult to avoid using RTH at least occasionally on an aircraft that uses WiFI as its transmission technology.

My experience over the last 4 years or so has been different. I've been flying the Inspire 1 since it came out, the mavic pro, the inspire 2, the spark, and the air, and have never initiated the RTH.

I've had a drone drop signal and return as I was operating at the edge of it's transmission range with the interference where I was, but i take over the moment it has come back into range, and fly it manually again.

 

[Travisimo]

My experience over the last 4 years or so has been different. I've been flying the Inspire 1 since it came out, the mavic pro, the inspire 2, the spark, and the air, and have never initiated the RTH.

I've had a drone drop signal and return as I was operating at the edge of it's transmission range with the interference where I was, but i take over the moment it has come back into range, and fly it manually again.

If you're stating that you relied on the RTH function to fly your aircraft back within transmission range, it doesn't matter if you took over and fly it manually. You still relied on the RTH failsafe if the aircraft fly automatically using RTH parameters. It is impossible for a pilot to fly with 100% certainty that transmission will not disconnect, even if they fly within LOS and what they think is operational transmission range during any given flight. So, the teaching method should be to train pilots not to rely on RTH as a regular part of flight, but to know how it operates in the event that there is indeed a transmission failure. Failure to teach how RTH works and how to adjust its settings (with some actual hands-on practice) is just as dangerous as teaching to always rely on RTH, in my opinion.

It is commendable if you have not initiated RTH in the 4 years you how flown. But I think it's unrealistic to assume every pilot can fly with never a need for RTH initiating (failsafe RTH is not pilot-initiated). Certainly there is a risk for every pilot if they fly in congested areas or outside of line of sight, but I firmly believe that RTH should absolutely be taught and practiced - though not regularly relied upon. If transmission range were a set distance in every condition, then it would be an easier sell for me, but even then, things can happen. Disconnects can happen that cannot be attributed to pilot error, even though most of them can be avoided.

 

[jstefanop]

I'm a huge fan of Android, but dji does a much better job with the Apple app.

Yea this is why I would never fly drones with Andriod phones. They are no where near as reliable as Apple, and this is clearly an unreliable GPS lock on the phone, coupled with some poor android app programing the caused the homepoint to change.

 

[Aerial West]

If you're stating that you relied on the RTH function to fly your aircraft back within transmission range, it doesn't matter if you took over and fly it manually.

My point is that if you can control your craft, control it, at all times. If you lose control at any time, regain control asap. if you visual feed goes down, fly it from the map. if you lose full control, as soon as it reconnects, take back control. Having a drone land itself is completely unnecessary, and i don't know a professional drone pilot that does that.

Sure, try RTH in a clear area to see how it works. But someone who uses rth to avoid landing because of any piloting insecurities is in for a crashed drone.

 

[InvisibleName]

My point is that if you can control your craft, control it, at all times. If you lose control at any time, regain control asap. if you visual feed goes down, fly it from the map. if you lose full control, as soon as it reconnects, take back control. Having a drone land itself is completely unnecessary, and i don't know a professional drone pilot that does that.

Sure, try RTH in a clear area to see how it works. But someone who uses rth to avoid landing because of any piloting insecurities is in for a crashed drone.

Whilst I’m not knocking you “professional drone pilots”, remember that this forum is for everyone - from total beginners, to you pros. We appreciate all the advise that the ‘experts’ provide, but the Air was given the RTH feature for a reason, to help the amateur in their early days of flight, and for emergencies (loss of signal etc). The most important lesson that we amateurs appear to need to learn is how to setup RTH, and how the different operations of RTH work.

 

[Aerial West]

Whilst I’m not knocking you “professional drone pilots”, remember that this forum is for everyone - from total beginners, to you pros. We appreciate all the advise that the ‘experts’ provide, but the Air was given the RTH feature for a reason, to help the amateur in their early days of flight, and for emergencies (loss of signal etc). The most important lesson that we amateurs appear to need to learn is how to setup RTH, and how the different operations of RTH work.

The Inspire 2 has a RTH function too. They all do. But I would put forth that RTH is not the most important thing at all. Knowing your limits and never getting into a situation that requires RTH is the first thing to learn.

And let me be clear, i want everyone to fly better, take better images and video, and be better pilots. And all my responses are to just try and impart my limited knowledge so everyone is a better pilot. So here's my philosophy when I teach, and you can take it or leave it... everyone has their own approach.

In the same way that anybody who drives a Tesla and never parallel parks their own car would not be as good a driver, so goes RTH. This is not a beginner or pro concept, it's just familiarity with piloting.

Now, this is just my experience with several dozen pilots, but I know that if a beginner student comes to me and they have always used RTH to land, they are likely not going to be a good a pilot as someone who lands themselves. It's just always true. It usually reflects a familiarity and confidence in piloting. Often the student "gets nervous when it's close to the ground" and that's why they never landed themselves or avoid it. That's a bad thing.

landing is the first piloting skill i teach. We take off, we land. Straight up, straight down. Do that 3 times. Get that out of the way so we can start working on maneuvering in the joysticks planes of movement. Start understanding orientation.

On my end, I can't immediately think of any emergency that would require someone to manually activate RTH . Complete signal loss, controller failure/battery dead etc will automatically activate it, but that's all. And like i said, I take back control immediately.

For camera feed failure, fly back via map. For low battery, fly back via all means available. For GPS drop, say in high winds, fly back.

The confident, knowledgeable pilot will always get their craft back and be less susceptible to making mistakes like orientation mixups or oversteering in panic situations. These are when drones are lost.

I have no problem showing someone how RTH works... that would take only a few minutes and is an easy concept. And I do show someone all the functions of every button on the screen when teaching, including RTH (if you dont know what every button does, then you've not learned your craft well, the same way that if you're only shooting on automatic, you don't know the camera well either, and your images will never be as good as someone shooting manual with a working knowledge of the camera.)

i hope this sort of explains how I have no problem with RTH, but if you never hit it again, you'll be a better pilot in the long run, 100%.

happy flying.. we're all on this journey together.

 

[rapidgaz]

Could the op’s phone had the fake gps app running in the background.

 

[InvisibleName]

The Inspire 2 has a RTH function too. They all do. But I would put forth that RTH is not the most important thing at all. Knowing your limits and never getting into a situation that requires RTH is the first thing to learn.

And let me be clear, i want everyone to fly better, take better images and video, and be better pilots. And all my responses are to just try and impart my limited knowledge so everyone is a better pilot. So here's my philosophy when I teach, and you can take it or leave it... everyone has their own approach.

In the same way that anybody who drives a Tesla and never parallel parks their own car would not be as good a driver, so goes RTH. This is not a beginner or pro concept, it's just familiarity with piloting.

Now, this is just my experience with several dozen pilots, but I know that if a beginner student comes to me and they have always used RTH to land, they are likely not going to be a good a pilot as someone who lands themselves. It's just always true. It usually reflects a familiarity and confidence in piloting. Often the student "gets nervous when it's close to the ground" and that's why they never landed themselves or avoid it. That's a bad thing.

landing is the first piloting skill i teach. We take off, we land. Straight up, straight down. Do that 3 times. Get that out of the way so we can start working on maneuvering in the joysticks planes of movement. Start understanding orientation.

On my end, I can't immediately think of any emergency that would require someone to manually activate RTH . Complete signal loss, controller failure/battery dead etc will automatically activate it, but that's all. And like i said, I take back control immediately.

For camera feed failure, fly back via map. For low battery, fly back via all means available. For GPS drop, say in high winds, fly back.

The confident, knowledgeable pilot will always get their craft back and be less susceptible to making mistakes like orientation mixups or oversteering in panic situations. These are when drones are lost.

I have no problem showing someone how RTH works... that would take only a few minutes and is an easy concept. And I do show someone all the functions of every button on the screen when teaching, including RTH (if you dont know what every button does, then you've not learned your craft well, the same way that if you're only shooting on automatic, you don't know the camera well either, and your images will never be as good as someone shooting manual with a working knowledge of the camera.)

i hope this sort of explains how I have no problem with RTH, but if you never hit it again, you'll be a better pilot in the long run, 100%.

happy flying.. we're all on this journey together.

Thanks for your response, I really appreciate you taking the time to articulate your view on RTH, and I have taken onboard all your comments. I am actually trying to find somewhere in the UK that provides flying lessons for the recreational drone operator but, so far, no luck!

Happy flying and, more importantly, happy landings!

 

[Travisimo]

I have no problem showing someone how RTH works... that would take only a few minutes and is an easy concept. And I do show someone all the functions of every button on the screen when teaching, including RTH (if you dont know what every button does, then you've not learned your craft well, the same way that if you're only shooting on automatic, you don't know the camera well either, and your images will never be as good as someone shooting manual with a working knowledge of the camera.)

i hope this sort of explains how I have no problem with RTH, but if you never hit it again, you'll be a better pilot in the long run, 100%.

happy flying.. we're all on this journey together.

Completely agree that avoiding RTH is the best policy. I don't think it's that easy to explain RTH to new pilots though, especially when considering the RTH altitude, settings for hover, land, and return-to-home, behavior of RTH at different distances, explaining how RTH can actually cause a crash if you are below an object like trees or a bridge, and understanding that there is a huge difference between Failsafe RTH, low-battery RTH, and Smart RTH. There's actually quite a bit to learn there, and while I think we can both agree to avoid all of those as much as possible, I think it can take quite a bit of teaching for pilots to actually learn it well (flying without it, and how it actually works if they use it).

Absolutely right though, we are all definitely in it together and I am very thankful for all of you!