What to do when your Mavic goes into atti mode - best practices

[marklyn]

I thought I saw a post of this some time ago but couldn't find it.
What would a best practice be for returning the drone within VLOS and, in particular, not in VLOS?
I understand the RTH won't work but would Pause (at least to think a moment)?
Would you be able to gain altitude (again, out of the way of anything if it drifts, and get some breathing room)?

Would be interested in hearing what would be the best thing to do in both situations.
PS, sometimes I fly in the country with lots of open space so even though I may have VLOS capability, I might not be able to readily identify a spec 8000' away.

 

[WillyWonka]

Well, I assume there are a lot of opinions on this one.

Bottom line, the drone will need your input quickly. The drone will not hover on a spot. It might be pushed by wind, descent or whatever. Watch your altitude above ground and your direction. The map indicator might be your best friend. Turn it towards you and fly it back while maintaining altitude. Since you flew it around, I assume you know about obstacles. If the wind pushes it away use sports mode for higher speed towards you.

Looking forward to other input....

 

[Callum]

If there are any obstacles in the vicinity gain some altitude.

You then need to determine the orientation of the MP. Within VLOS should be able to do it by sight.

Outwith VLOS use the video feed to work out the direction you need to travel in to bring it back into sight.

If you have no video feed you need to use the telemetry on controller.

Goal is to reduce distance, try different directions untill distance starts dropping.

Main thing is not to panic. Also don't be cautious with stick inputs, you sometimes need to give it full stick to get the response your looking for in atti mode.

 

[BD0G]

Try out flying in ATTI mode. Tape a piece of tin foil over the top of the Mavic Pro. This will block GPS reception and you will get to train flying in ATTI mode. This will help curb the stress that can occur when the Mavic Pro enters this mode on its own. Its a way to practice for a possible scenario.

Do this in the open of course as you will not have the precise orientation gained when using GPS mode.

 

[marklyn]

Can I assume that when in atti mode you should be able to see the direction, altitude, all telemetry data (assuming you have a signal), right?

 

[MadValley]

Can I assume that when in atti mode you should be able to see the direction, altitude, all telemetry data (assuming you have a signal), right?

I've been stressing about this a bit myself. The one time mine went into ATTI mode on it's own it was like I was flying a rock. It wouldn't hold altitude. Hovering was not an option. Anyway, I haven't had much weather to fly in of late but what I want to practice when things get a bit less rainy is to go to a wide open area, send it up about 250' and about the same distance away, turn around and just practice flying with only the RC and see what I need to do to figure out where it is and bring it back to me. The problem with using only the RC is you've got very limited telemetry, basically just altitude, clearance and speed. I like @BD0G's idea with the tin-foil hat. I might have to roll that into the mix at some point.

 

[javelina]

Try out flying in ATTI mode. Tape a piece of tin foil over the top of the Mavic Pro. This will block GPS reception and you will get to train flying in ATTI mode. This will help curb the stress that can occur when the Mavic Pro enters this mode on its own. Its a way to practice for a possible scenario.

Do this in the open of course as you will not have the precise orientation gained when using GPS mode.

You've tried this already? (the foil thingy?)

 

[BD0G]

You've tried this already? (the foil thingy?)

Sure.
Like I typed - Make sure that you are in a wide open area and plan for the unstable nature of flight.

Get off the ground kinda fast so that if it drifts it does not drift into an object. Then just work on training to fly in this fashion. Once you master it then ATTI mode is not so scary when the Mavic enters this mode on its own.


Plus there are Youtube videos of guys doing the same thing. Dont wrap the tin foil all the way around like the guy in the video just cut a piece to cover the top only and not the back and sides like the guy in the following video. Then just tape it down with some clear tape so it does not shift. That way the Mavic Pro will not overheat like it did for the guy in the video. He should have though about the exhaust ports for heat.

 

[Ghost_ATX]

Sure.
Like I typed - Make sure that you are in a wide open area and plan for the unstable nature of flight.

Get off the ground kinda fast so that if it drifts it does not drift into an object. Then just work on training to fly in this fashion. Once you master it then ATTI mode is not so scary when the Mavic enters this mode on its own.


Plus there are Youtube videos of guys doing the same thing. Dont wrap the tin foil all the way around like the guy in the video just cut a piece to cover the top only and not the back and sides like the guy in the following video. Then just tape it down with some clear tape so it does not shift. That way the Mavic Pro will not overheat like it did for the guy in the video. He should have though about the exhaust ports for heat.

That's interesting. I have both a P3P and a Mavic, and I've flown the P3P in atti mode often, which feels very different than the 2 times my Mavic has briefly gone into atti mode. The P3P is much easier to control. However, I'd be interested in practicing atti on my Mavic as a just-in-case scenario. I may test this out in a very, VERY open field when the weather warms up. If I don't chicken out. Ha. In any event, thanks for sharing.

 

[BD0G]

Welcome!

 

[Dabrain]

That way the Mavic Pro will not overheat like it did for the guy in the video. He should have though about the exhaust ports for heat.

[/QUOTE]
Wait, what, a millennial think it through. LOL

 

[mikemoose55]

I have flown fixed wing for 45+ years have many air hours. This as you know is all VLOS operation.

With or without experience there are always times I will lose orietation of the aircraft. Colors, light at different times of day , shadows and sun blindness, distance are all responsible for loss orientation or VLOS at times on an aircraft that is moving at 50 , 60 MPH or more.

Given that, the method I have learned to rely on is knowing at all times mentally the last known elements of the aircraft, attitude, direction, altitide, speed etc. If it was in a banked right turn and I lose vision I know to reduce the degree of bank, add small up elevator and never turn vision away from the spot in the sky where the aircraft was last visually understood adjusting sight only to the expected line of flight.

I realize this is easier said than done but it comes with time and experience. Additionally you have to control the panic element, this is the big one.

Yes the geometry , color , size and flight characteristics are different fixed wing vs multi rotor but think of this , multi rotors can fly without your instruction fixed wing are largely dependant on control input at all times or they will surrender to gravity.
Experience , knowing your aircraft, and having an emergency plan will bring success more often than failure and panic control can only add to successful recovery.
mikemoose55

 

[marklyn]

I have flown fixed wing for 45+ years have many air hours. This as you know is all VLOS operation.
Given that, the method I have learned to rely on is knowing at all times mentally the last known elements of the aircraft, attitude, direction, altitide, speed etc. If it was in a banked right turn and I lose vision I know to reduce the degree of bank, add small up elevator and never turn vision away from the spot in the sky where the aircraft was last visually understood adjusting sight only to the expected line of flight.
mikemoose55

I couldn't agree with you more. Every mission I create (on Litchi) I already have most altitudes (low/high) memorized, identify any areas that I know I really need to watch and I constantly have an idea of altitude, speed and where the drone should be going at any moment (turning on audio announcements for distance/altitude/speed is very beneficial albeit repetitive). It may take me 10 times longer to set up a mission due to planning, thinking it out, visualizing in my mind what I want the drone to see and do, and it's probably overkill but when I take off and land safely from a long mission, I feel like I did my homework. That being said, there isn't a flight that goes by where I still might forget or overlook one thing, even with a checklist! Happy flying!

 

[HoozierDroneDaddy]

I thought I saw a post of this some time ago but couldn't find it.
What would a best practice be for returning the drone within VLOS and, in particular, not in VLOS?
I understand the RTH won't work but would Pause (at least to think a moment)?
Would you be able to gain altitude (again, out of the way of anything if it drifts, and get some breathing room)?

Would be interested in hearing what would be the best thing to do in both situations.
PS, sometimes I fly in the country with lots of open space so even though I may have VLOS capability, I might not be able to readily identify a spec 8000' away.

Unlike a fixed wing, the advantage to the multi-rotor is you can go Forwards, Backwards, Left and Right. If you are not sure of the orientation, and you have VLOS as you should, then simply fly to the left, if the UAS does not go left or right, then your know it is pointed away or towards you, yaw left and repeat, it should now go left or right, and you now have its correct direction and can bring it home.

 

[sar104]

That's interesting. I have both a P3P and a Mavic, and I've flown the P3P in atti mode often, which feels very different than the 2 times my Mavic has briefly gone into atti mode. The P3P is much easier to control. However, I'd be interested in practicing atti on my Mavic as a just-in-case scenario. I may test this out in a very, VERY open field when the weather warms up. If I don't chicken out. Ha. In any event, thanks for sharing.

I've seen the comment that ATTI is quite different with the Mavic than the Phantoms quite a few times recently, but I don't think that's the case. With all these aircraft, in ATTI mode the FC simply stabilizes attitude (holds pitch and roll level in the absence of elevator and aileron inputs), altitude (in the absence of throttle input), and yaw (in the absence of rudder input).

The first graph below shows the basic flight characteristic of ATTI mode:



Positive elevator stick produces negative pitch, accelerating the aircraft up to 17 mph (just like in P-GPS mode), but when the elevator stick is centered again, the pitch simply goes to zero rather than a positive value that would decelerate the aircraft back to rest. The aircraft coasts, with its speed decreasing only due to air drag. 23 seconds later it is still moving at 3 mph, until negative elevator is applied to slow it to a stop and then start to fly backwards. The key point here is how well the FC maintains zero pitch with centered elevator stick.

In contrast, after switching back to P-GPS mode, the FC actively brings the aircraft back to rest when the elevator stick is centered by applying opposite pitch:



This flight was conducted with almost no wind to simplify the situation. With wind, in ATTI mode the aircraft will accelerate to match the local wind speed in the absence of corrective stick input. But note, from the first graph, that aerodynamic drag takes some time to decelerate (or accelerate) the aircraft.

 

[BD0G]

Good summarization. So in essence in ATTI mode with no stick inputs the Mavic Pro becomes a "glider".

 

[sar104]

Good summarization. So in essence in ATTI mode with no stick inputs the Mavic Pro becomes a "glider".

Sort of. Another way of looking at it is that it becomes a good example of Newton's 1st Law of motion.

 

[MadValley]

The first graph below shows the basic flight characteristic of ATTI mode:

Are your charts from a Mavic or Phantom? The one time my MP dropped into ATTI mode I was basically flying in complete manual. It refused to hold altitude without throttle input. The rest of the control inputs were as you describe, though.

 

[FASTFJR]

Are Mavic owners really loosing GPS that often? My Phantom 3P had over 300 hours on it when I sold it. Not once did I ever loose GPS. My first Mavic had about 2 hours on it before I gave it to my son. I lost GPS a few times for 10-12 seconds each event. My new MP only has about 15 minutes of flight time so far, so far so good

 

[Callum]

Are Mavic owners really loosing GPS that often? My Phantom 3P had over 300 hours on it when I sold it. Not once did I ever loose GPS. My first Mavic had about 2 hours on it before I gave it to my son. I lost GPS a few times for 10-12 seconds each event. My new MP only has about 15 minutes of flight time so far, so far so good

Twice in same day on around 50 flights so not really an issue for me.

I think the mavic switches more easily to atti than P3 having a dual compass.

Wonder if real compass redundancy will make it into consumer drones, shouldn't be too hard to add another magnetometer to mavic 2.