Secrets to Flying When Phone Disconnects

[BrucenYvette]

Flying my Mavic Pro, I have had two occasions when my phone and controller lost connection with each other, and lost VLOS while fiddling with the phone trying to reconnect and, having plenty of battery, I relied on the distance reading on the controller screen to fly back to home instead of using RTH.

I'm curious if, among my peers, some might offer some of their "secrets" to flying your drone home using only the distance reading.

I'd like practice doing it "on purpose". What I'm wondering about is that the distance meter can be declining, but when you've lost VLOS, you can easily fly right past yourself...that is, until meter starts increasing after your fly-by.

Again, I'm not looking for the RTH solution. I want to learn to do this effectively in the event that RTH is, for some reason, not an option.

 

[BigAl07]

This isn't meant as "snarky" as it reads but...

Learn to fly the aircraft purely LOS and get comfortable with that "feel". Then when (if) it happens you'll say, "I've got this" and simply fly the aircraft back and diagnose (hopefully resolve) the connection problem safely. Once you get used to actually flying the aircraft "visually" it makes the whole process easier and removes the Uh Oh moment when the display goes blank.

If you lose VLOS then you're no longer following FAA Rules so it's much better to remain within VLOS and not rely on your display device as they can go dead.

 

[dfb]

Flying my Mavic Pro, I have had two occasions when my phone and controller lost connection with each other, and lost VLOS while fiddling with the phone trying to reconnect and, having plenty of battery, I relied on the distance reading on the controller screen to fly back to home instead of using RTH.

I'm curious if, among my peers, some might offer some of their "secrets" to flying your drone home using only the distance reading.

I'd like practice doing it "on purpose". What I'm wondering about is that the distance meter can be declining, but when you've lost VLOS, you can easily fly right past yourself...that is, until meter starts increasing after your fly-by.

Again, I'm not looking for the RTH solution. I want to learn to do this effectively in the event that RTH is, for some reason, not an option.

Fly without a phone, everything you need is on the controller.

 

[brett8883]

Flying my Mavic Pro, I have had two occasions when my phone and controller lost connection with each other, and lost VLOS while fiddling with the phone trying to reconnect and, having plenty of battery, I relied on the distance reading on the controller screen to fly back to home instead of using RTH.

I'm curious if, among my peers, some might offer some of their "secrets" to flying your drone home using only the distance reading.

I'd like practice doing it "on purpose". What I'm wondering about is that the distance meter can be declining, but when you've lost VLOS, you can easily fly right past yourself...that is, until meter starts increasing after your fly-by.

Again, I'm not looking for the RTH solution. I want to learn to do this effectively in the event that RTH is, for some reason, not an option.

At some point you can hear the drone when you are flying it back and should be able to see it. Don’t fly BVLOS on purpose without video feed. Honestly that’s how and accident is gonna happen.

 

[BrucenYvette]

This isn't meant as "snarky" as it reads but...

Learn to fly the aircraft purely LOS and get comfortable with that "feel". Then when (if) it happens you'll say, "I've got this" and simply fly the aircraft back and diagnose (hopefully resolve) the connection problem safely. Once you get used to actually flying the aircraft "visually" it makes the whole process easier and removes the Uh Oh moment when the display goes blank.

If you lose VLOS then you're no longer following FAA Rules so it's much better to remain within VLOS and not rely on your display device as they can go dead.

Hey, Thanks

This isn't meant as "snarky" as it reads but...

Learn to fly the aircraft purely LOS and get comfortable with that "feel". Then when (if) it happens you'll say, "I've got this" and simply fly the aircraft back and diagnose (hopefully resolve) the connection problem safely. Once you get used to actually flying the aircraft "visually" it makes the whole process easier and removes the Uh Oh moment when the display goes blank.

If you lose VLOS then you're no longer following FAA Rules so it's much better to remain within VLOS and not rely on your display device as they can go dead.

Reply not "snarky" at all. Thanks. I may have given the impression of not having yet learned to fly my MP. I've got about 600 miles of primarily VLOS flight time on my MP, but I've learned to fly by telemetry. I envy you "youngsters" and ex-fighter pilots with eagles-eyes able to see your grey drones against grey sky at 2000 feet away LOL! I often find myself flying within VLOS and then have LSD kick in (Lost Sight of Drone).

I like your advice along with that of "dfb" in Utah (#3)!

 

[BrucenYvette]

At some point you can hear the drone when you are flying it back and should be able to see it. Don’t fly BVLOS on purpose without video feed. Honestly that’s how and accident is gonna happen.

Hey Brett, now I'm going make myself look like a noobie! You advise don't fly BVLOS on purpose without video feed. I agree, not to fly the Mavic without video feed. But what is "B" VLOS?

 

[brett8883]

Hey Brett, now I'm going make myself look like a noobie! You advise don't fly BVLOS on purpose without video feed. I agree, not to fly the Mavic without video feed. But what is "B" VLOS?

Beyond Visual Line of Sight. LSD as you’d put it ?

 

[BrucenYvette]

Beyond Visual Line of Sight. LSD as you’d put it ?

DUH! Time for me to give up LSD and either go back to flight school or return to my old hobby in which I was very well "grounded": Bashing RC trucks LOL!

 

[Mossiback]

I know you do not want the RTH option, so this is a hybrid RTH option: Start RTH with the RC button and when the distance starts decreasing, cancel RTH and fly manually (this is assuming that the RTH height is set properly for the location). Doing it this way should put it on the correct course home and would be hard to miss flying directly overhead.

 

[BrucenYvette]

I know you do not want the RTH option, so this is a hybrid RTH option: Start RTH with the RC button and when the distance starts decreasing, cancel RTH and fly manually (this is assuming that the RTH height is set properly for the location). Doing it this way should put it on the correct course home and would be hard to miss flying directly overhead.

Now THAT'S a great "secret"!! THANK YOU Mossiback!!!

 

[Madmax229]

DUH! Time for me to give up LSD and either go back to flight school or return to my old hobby in which I was very well "grounded": Bashing RC trucks LOL!

Keep flying (sunny side up) and bashing trucks, it is a hoot!

 

[Bruce Lythe]

Like the advice of initiate RTH then seek to acquire VLOS by using sound then cancel RTH - Mavic Air is usefully noisy!

 

[jag32266]

Just happened to me but my concern was I was in Tripod-mode doing a photo series. Being some distance away my issue was really wanting to get out of Intel-mode. RTH wasn't my idea of fun even with plenty of batt life at the speed of Tripod! I'm adept at flying as I learned on a bird with training wheels (the training wheels was only the fact it could take a licking and keep on ticking).

 

[BrucenYvette]

Like the advice of initiate RTH then seek to acquire VLOS by using sound then cancel RTH - Mavic Air is usefully noisy!

I fly the Mavic Pro and my being able to hear it has been the reason I've easily resisted the temptation to try out the quieter props.

 

[hiflyer201]

why would you not want to use return to home? that would be like trying to fly on instruments without an instrument panel. When you start fooling with your phone it's very easy to lose line of sight especially if there are trees nearby. Do yourself a favor and use the RTH. in most cases it will reconnect rapidly and you're good to to hit the cancel..and then the OK.

 

[hiflyer201]

I fly my spark in the house with my phone only but generally not outside. Once I took off just under my patio open air roof and then got a call. (should have used Airplane mode) I could see the drone and hear it but it dis-connected and started to RTH. It climbed to 30 meters and then descended to a couple of feet over the patio roof but then decided it didn't like the landing site and just hovered. I just stood there watching thinking WT---uh.. heck.. I finally got my wits about me and disconnected and reconnected the wifi re-connected the app and flew it to a better landing spot. I love the RTH feature...but I now pay more attention to where I launch from.

 

[cwoav8r]

I have only had my M2P for a few months, and unfortunately due to work I have only been able to fly on two separate days so far. On the first day I was very concerned about using my GS9+ because it was randomly shutting down (I think it was getting hot with the screen full bright) and sure enough on two of my flights the phone shut down and I had no control with the RC. One mission was a way point mission and the other was free flight. On the way point mission it had returned to home as planned and I cancelled the landing to do a little free flight. Both times I was hovering at about five feet when the phone crashed and had no control with the RC at all, not even RTH, and the M2P stayed there for over 60 seconds. The first time I grabbed it out of the air and shut it down with the power switch, the second I disconnected the cable from the phone to the RC and I got control back.

The second day on the first flight the phone crashed again, and long story short... disconnecting the phone returned control to the RC. I was suffering random phone reboots until I turned down the brightness and that seems to have solved the issue with the GS9+, but I am still a little gun shy to fly with it again. So, maybe with the android phones when the phone or app crashes a complete disconnect might be the proper emergency procedure...

 

[Turn11]

I relied on the distance reading on the controller screen to fly back to home instead of using RTH.

Before you fly, make the determination on what will your AC do if it looses connection with the RC(not the display). Hover, RTH or land and also think of the RTH height. Handle the worst case and the rest will take care of itself.
Too many people loose the display and think that disconnects the AC and do nothing. You still have connection and the sticks still work. Pause is your best friend when something goes haywire.
Learn how fast your bird reacts when you use your sticks to side slip or turn. Learn how fast the distance
You can use your distance to determine the way back home. If it is changing slowly, you are probably not coming home or going away,. Rudder for a “moment” then go forward, if the distance increases, turn the opposite direction
Take it out a hundred yards in a clear direction (I have an athletic field I like to try new things ). Practice and see how long you hold the rudder vs how far the AC turns. Remember in an actual emergency time and how much stick movement will vary from practice. PAUSE, get your wits about you and do what you have practiced..
Just my 2 cents

 

[Campin123]

Smart Controller = No Phone

 

[JAW]

Smart Controller = No Phone

Good point!
Have Smart Controllers reported instances of lost video? Is "manual" control lost if the video craps out? I probably could do a search and find the answers but it's early Sunday morning and I'm slightly hung over.