Sports mode can be your friend!!

InvisibleName · May 29, 2018

I was flying above a viaduct across a valley yesterday and, although it was breezy, didn't cause me any concern; that is, until I got the 25% battery remaining warning & tried to return! I was at about 28m high and when I push the stick forward... nothing happened, it made no forward movement at all! I quickly realised that the high wind warnings I'd been getting meant exactly that! So, a quick switch over to Sports mode sorted that - nose down, no more than 1/2 stick forward, and back it came - no problem!

Canuk · May 29, 2018

Sport mode does well fighting the wind but I have found that sport mode eats battery like a cop eating doughnuts .

tcope · May 29, 2018

Also, you should shoot for having the Mavic back to the landing location at 30% battery. That way if you have any issues (such as strong winds) you have a buffer.

Former Member · May 29, 2018

tcope said:
Also, you should shoot for having the Mavic back to the landing location at 30% battery. That way if you have any issues (such as strong winds) you have a buffer.

^^^ What (s)he said.

ChrisW81 · May 29, 2018

I have made a similar mistake. Ever since then I have used an app called Windy; iOS store and possibly Android.
It shows current wind speed and direction. The handy feature is the elevation tab. Allows you to set the map to show wind speed at a certain elevation.
Is it perfect? No. It does help to plan flights and any possible change in wind pattern.

I’m sure there may be other apps that are better at this. If anyone knows of one please mention them.
Fly Safe

FlyGuy8675309 · May 29, 2018

Always be aware of wind speed & direction! The auto RTH when the battery is getting low does not take head winds into account, so if you went out with a 15 mph tail wind until 50% battery and then spin it home, you may not have a good time with that.

One tip: Fly as low as you can if it's windy.

MrRobville · May 30, 2018

I recently flew on a mountain top with heavy winds, as I wanted to take a shot with the Mavic, I carefully tested the waters first. By gradually moving the drone further out first and see how it responds to the wind. It kept fairly straight despite fighting the wind, so I made one shot with the drone about 30m out and 15m up and returned with about 80% left. Enough for the drone to come back at a snails pace if it encounters high headwinds.

In (potentially) windy conditions I think it's good practice to carefully test the wind conditions and only shoot what you want to shoot with some kind of planned shot in mind and return as soon as possible after you've taken the shot. Never wait for the battery warning to kick in first. Also, for such conditions, always keep an eye out for potential emergency landing spots, so if you're not able to fly back, you can still put it down somewhere and walk there instead.

soulsurfer · Jun 5, 2018

I film windsurfing so my drone usually has to deal with a lot of wind while going fast (40-60 km/h) and at some range. I am overall pretty impressed with the Mavic Air, but also have to go to sports mode to keep up with the windsurfers (they like to sail with the wind coming from the side). The only downside is that it is much harder to get smooth video in sportsmode the controls react much more abruptly. Practice, practice, practice

marciosantos · Jun 10, 2018

Is there a real relationship between sports mode and a high battery drain?

I think sports mode is a great function when you have to a fly far away, and in my opinion, it takes less time to go to the target (saving battery) . The drone inclinates on a high degree and its behavior makes it extremely faster.

It is my opinion, but I really would like to know.

Regards,
Marcio

janbso · Jun 10, 2018

I think you are right, but on the other hand it is more difficult to fly. On Mavic Air the obstacle sensors are shut down. How far are you going to go? More than you can see?

marciosantos · Jun 11, 2018

janbso said:
I think you are right, but on the other hand it is more difficult to fly. On Mavic Air the obstacle sensors are shut down. How far are you going to go? More than you can see?

Yes, last flight was almost 1.7km away for example. I used sports mode to go there, recorded some videos, and returned on sports mode again.

For sure, the drone is much more responsive, but you have to take care using it. Collision sensors are turned off and it is more difficult to control because of the very sensible stick controls, but it is good to return faster to the home point on a straight line when the battery is getting low.

soulsurfer · Jun 15, 2018

Agree, I also always use sports mode for the transport section and switch to regular flying when it is filming time (unless there's too much headwind). It's a comfort knowing that I can get the drone over dry land within minutes when I am filming over water. And obviously no collision detection is required over the water, so using regular mode is one a question of having more nimble controls and get smoother video.

ddublu · Jun 15, 2018

Having experienced a couple of pretty serious IMU/heading issues, I am tempted to change the Mode button from Sport to ATTI.

Lapeer20m · Jun 15, 2018

I agree with others that the greatest distance covered per battery is in sports mode.

The longest flight time is in p-mode

dewster · Jun 15, 2018

Sports mode kept my craft from flying away on a windy day. I was only able to hold its position in the air. I quickly landed after the wind died down. Hands were shaking.

Mossiback · Jun 15, 2018

I am not sure about the Air, but if you disable the forward sensors on the Pro it will fly faster yet retain the same stick responsiveness. It also is reported to be more battery efficient than sports mode. If you need to go faster, then sport mode is an option.

mavicn00b · Jun 16, 2018

dewster said:
Sports mode kept my craft from flying away on a windy day. I was only able to hold its position in the air. I quickly landed after the wind died down. Hands were shaking.

Its scary the first time but you can have fun in the wind, just be sure to fly into the wind on a full battery if you decide to, coming home it uses barely any battery. I was getting 40-50kmh winds today with my spark and it handled it like a champ! Rocking back and forth 45degrees you'd swear its about to tip over but it wont.