Airmanship ATTITUDE
Zen and the Art of Drone Happiness
Flying drones for the first time, is both a pleasure and a humbling experience . . . and getting off on the right foot will save you hours or split seconds of grief as you watch your new purchase either explode in a flash of particles, or slowly drift away out of sight, no matter what your command . . or simply NEVER come home after sending it off on a "MISSION IMPOSSIBLE" task. This discussion will help you avoid these traumas and live to fly another day. . . from personal experience as well as documented disasters. This goes for large or small drones . . cheap or expensive. There are also some helpful checklists at the end of this discussion, that you can modify to your liking.
No. 1- TO FLY OR TO CRASH IS A PERSONAL CHOICE: Once you get it out of the box and decide to fly . . . STOP . . check the documentation on FLIGHT MODES and read enough to understand system behavior. Few . . I mean VERY FEW apparent fly-aways are from real systems failures, especially with DJI Products. The VAST majority are the result of NOT understanding what state the drone is in and why it is behaving unexpectedly. More likely it's doing what you asked it to do but you were not aware of or mistaken in the actual command you gave. Beyond the fundamentals: . .do proper Controller, IMU and Compass Calibrations before you fly first time and then once in a while as well. Do a Compass Calibration before flying in a new area and not over concrete (Concrete often has a lot of steel rebar in it that disrupts the compass) or near vehicles, fences, steel buildings or SHIPS! . . try to stay 20-30 ft away at least. Believe it or not some sandy beaches can also be poor magnetic areas. Make sure BOTH IMUs calibration displays are near zero and relatively equal. Check the radio frequency bars (HD Menu on the controller) especially when flying in new areas, to check for interference. It may not prompt you.
If you do think you understand all the commands then at least learn ONE MORE command. Know how to CANCEL.(See No.5 here). Know how to cancel a command . . PRACTICE how to CANCEL a command in various flight states. It will save most crashes and many fly always. Beyond that, if you have never flown a drone before, even if you have a pilot's license, study the various GPS Flight Modes, as well as Cine and SPORT mode and don't try getting too fancy too fast. It should go without saying, but the initial goal of creating that awesome flying sequence smoothly panning through the trees should not be your first use of "Follow" maybe. . . and don't fly out of sight . . . or in autonomous modes, at least not till you have lots of experience switching modes and building hours on short trips where things go mostly as planned. . . then press your limits consciously not unintentionally. That's good Airmanship.
No. 2 - IN THE BEGINNING, BEGINNER IS A GOOD THING . really . . Use Beginner Mode (Cine Mode with 50m Distance and 50m altitude limits) to practice switching from flying it pointed away from you and then back facing you when the LEFT/RIGHT controls stick movements are opposite. Get comfortable switching back and forth will ensure you don't "instinctively" fly into a tree or bush when you "instinctively" try and avoid it. In a wide open field with no trees put your back to the sun and wind. If you are looking INTO the sun it's harder to judge distance and speed. . . Now with the drone facing away from you practice a low level square circuit say 10ft above the ground, and stop at each corner and without turning fly the next side of the box .. .try it in the opposite direction. Then with the drone facing you do it again in both directions. Remember the right stick movements are opposite when it's facing toward you. Try practicing that same circuits with the Drone facing away. Fly Normal mode and switch from one to the other before you try SPORT. Trust me, if you do this, SPORT Mode will be a lot more fun than picking up the pieces.
Also, be aware how you can see the position and orientation of the drone in the display at all times. Bottom left corner (Radar display), Look for the GREEN line with a little RED pointer, so you know the direction of HOME (you). The little arrow head is the direction the DRONE is facing. That's very handy during panic time when you've lost sight, battery is LOW and gotta get it back in view. Just turn left or right to point down the line and push the right stick forward. It will come to you directly even if you can't find yourself yet in the camera view. Make adjustments along the way to keep it pointing down the green line. BUT . . . BEFORE YOU DO ANYTHING Check the Altitude FIRST, and get it above the tallest trees or building and remember if you flew down the valley the altitude may be NEGATIVE . . When in doubt go high. . . but, keep in mind the wind can be a LOT stronger at 400ft than at 100ft.
No. 3 - WHOEVER HAS CONTROL, CAN? - I always do a "control check" after lifting off FWD BACK (YAW LEFT RIGHT) UP DOWN . . before I fly away . . .and listen for the "The Home point has been registered - Please check it on the map" . . . if you don't hear that check the satellites in view ( tiny top right icons, you need 8 or 9 at least) and if necessary force a HOME point by clicking the icon with the human. That means make HOME where the controller is. If there is no clear indication there is a HOME point . . then it may never come home. NOTE: there's a new feature: DYNAMIC HOMEPOINT, where you can actually set your current location after it has taken off. Try doing that in an open field BEFORE you need it and you won't panic so much when it's not responding the way you think it should. . . you may just need to CANCEL the current mode. Try flying in HOME LOCK mode and COURSE LOCK and understand the difference. . . . and by all means know where the CANCEL/ RED X hot spot is on your screen for quick action. (See No. 5 CANCEL)
No. 4 - INDOORS THROUGH THE FOREST - Indoor flying and under trees is NOT something to start with. . . but if you insist . . . If you are flying indoors or under trees TURN OFF RTH. Set "loss of signal" to HOVER so it won't try to climb to a "safe" altitude and chew its way through the trees trying get there. (it's under "Advanced Settings" which is under "Main Control settings". If there is no wind (like in your house). Use Cine or Tripod Mode. This will make sure stick commands are LESS sensitive so a slip of the finger won't cause it to unexpectedly dash off into the wall or your mom's favorite Ming vase.
No. 5 - TO CANCEL OR NOT TO CANCEL? - Knowing how to CANCEL a mode or command like RTH is invaluable. You can cancel almost any command by switching between modes like S N or A/Cine/Tripod mode or hitting the PAUSE button just to the right of your left thumb. Hitting PAUSE causes it to halt where it is and hover and await a new command. Even better PRACTICE doing it. Just reading about it is not enough when you need to react immediately and correctly the first time, in tight quarters when things are moving in the wrong direction so to speak. If its drifting away and you THINK it's not responding it may be that your finger inadvertently switched to ATTI Mode (phantom or inspire controller LEFT Index finger. Right side for a Mavic ) when you thought you were only adjusting the gimble. . . the Phantom Mode controls are barely 10mm apart under your LEFT index finger. On a Mavic Pro or 2Pro it's the slider button on the right side of the controller. They have moved it to a better spot or eliminated ATTI MODE recently.
N0. 6 - WIND AND SUN ARE YOUR FRIEND - Do at least SOME Mission Planning for EVERY trip . . even a short one . . with the wind in mind . . . . and NEVER NEVER TAKEOFF and fly down wind for any distance to start with, unless there is no alternative. Have you thought about how long it will take to get home after you got that really cool shot of the cruise ship? Any pilot is always aware of the wind direction/speed and sun angles. You do not want to start thinking about it when an emergency arises or when the planned flight path changes. Drones are very good that way, as they are always compensating for wind in GPS mode. . . not so much in ATTI Mode. I'm always subconsciously looking at leaves and water, flags clouds and smoke to assess wind and I prefer to fly past my landing point coming home just to get an "into wind" approach . . and I approach DOWN SUN whenever possible. Last thing you want is an "in your face" approach with the sun in you eyes.
No. 7 - PRACTICE YOUNG GRASSHOPPER - PRACTICE - One of the best things you can do to prevent odd behavior is to anticipate those behaviors by going from one flight mode to the other until it is second nature. . . So you know where ALL the menus are, that means more than once and AFTER you have done a few "Thought Experiments" with the drone on the ground. If you practice the right things first in your head, then do it in the air, multiple times. It's much better if you new drone being down here and you wish it was up there, rather than it being up there and you wishing it was down here.
No 8 - MENU - WHAT MENU? - Once you are in the air every minute counts . . every second sometimes, when things take a turn for the unexpected. Spend a few minutes BEFORE ever going flying first time and then once in a while thereafter, just going through the display menus . . Grab a coffee and the controller and turn the machine on for half an hour (just 30 min) and explore them thoroughly to learn how to get to sub-menus and settings . .. there are tons of them. . . . nothing worse than going through menu after menu multiple times looking for gimble settings while you are struggling with wind and viewing angles and burning up electrons at a great rate and you forgot you had set the low battery warning to 20% not 30. . . you may not only miss the shot but you may leave you return time to late and end up in the drink. . . .permanently. Camera settings are a great example. There are so many options and settings that even a seasoned photographer would benefit from trying many of them with the drone running but NOT FLYING so that when they are in the air it's easy to make a change without having to focus on settings and jeopardize control of your machine. Being a pilot, navigator, camera man, safety officer, observer and film director ,all at the same time, is a challenging role for one brain. Knowing the menus by heart will lower that workload.
No. 9 - A PLAN FOR A PLAN - "Just going off for a flight" can be fun and a great adventure but it's not the place to start. Every flight should really be thought through to some degree. The less decision making done in the air the better. If you plan well and stick to the plan then when exciting opportunities happen you can likely change plans without flying off into the unknown. If you are doing a "high speed dash" overhead be sure you know what is behind you because it may all look clear coming in but you are entering a new environment directly behind you that you have NOT been looking at. . . . Are you sure what the next few seconds look like because you will only know if you thought about it FIRST. An old flying instructor of mine used to say "Never let the aircraft take you somewhere that your brain has not already been to 30 seconds ago."
No.10 - LIMITING THE LIMITLESS - With practice all maneuvers are quite safe and easy to perform without overloading your memory banks . . I mean YOUR human memory. Synapses fire quite randomly under the stress of deciding WHAT to do let alone HOW to do or how FAST to respond. This will normally lead to serious overload . . . so give yourself more working memory by making "immediate actions" second nature. By that I mean, the more you work a familiar configuration and have experienced the referred reaction under all circumstances the better. This is how you will know when you are approaching the limits of either you or the drone. If you do not know the limits of your capabilities ( and those of the aircraft) . . at some point . . .you will likely EXCEED them. . . sometimes you get to experience a real thrill . . .then again, sometimes you only get to experience it once . . and even then only briefly.
TIPS for avoiding 'fly-aways". Apparent FLYAWAYS are 99% operator error but REAL ones can often that can be avoided by ensuring a good compass lock. The dual compasses are VERY sensitive and are easily confused by nearby METAL.
I learned the hard way never take off from concrete (due to rebar), some sandy beaches are really bad too (high iron content) or near vehicles <10-15 ft (too much metal) or even near a fence especially chain link<10-15ft. Look for open grass dirt tarmac or . . not recommended for novice pilots, what I often prefer is HAND LAUNCH. . .and (be careful doing that in windy conditions). Then no matter how you take-off . . wait and do a "hover check" at 10 ft . . . Wait till you hear the "Home point has be set please check it on the map" before doing any maneuvers. Then just before departing check SATS >10 and heading matches in the way you're pointing (look at the bottom left "Radar" view) . . just like real pilots do . . . saves a lot of anguish trying to figure out what happened AFTER the fact. Also if you're new to the game read "ZEN and the ART of Done Happiness" . . . again . . . and have more fun! . . On the issue of magnetic interference I've even gone to using a Megnetometer APP available for Android and iPhone . . it works . . . and it's very sensitive Like the Mavic Compass.
No. 1- TO FLY OR TO CRASH IS A PERSONAL CHOICE: Once you get it out of the box and decide to fly . . . STOP . . check the documentation on FLIGHT MODES and read enough to understand system behavior. Few . . I mean VERY FEW apparent fly-aways are from real systems failures, especially with DJI Products. The VAST majority are the result of NOT understanding what state the drone is in and why it is behaving unexpectedly. More likely it's doing what you asked it to do but you were not aware of or mistaken in the actual command you gave. Beyond the fundamentals: . .do proper Controller, IMU and Compass Calibrations before you fly first time and then once in a while as well. Do a Compass Calibration before flying in a new area and not over concrete (Concrete often has a lot of steel rebar in it that disrupts the compass) or near vehicles, fences, steel buildings or SHIPS! . . try to stay 20-30 ft away at least. Believe it or not some sandy beaches can also be poor magnetic areas. Make sure BOTH IMUs calibration displays are near zero and relatively equal. Check the radio frequency bars (HD Menu on the controller) especially when flying in new areas, to check for interference. It may not prompt you.
If you do think you understand all the commands then at least learn ONE MORE command. Know how to CANCEL.(See No.5 here). Know how to cancel a command . . PRACTICE how to CANCEL a command in various flight states. It will save most crashes and many fly always. Beyond that, if you have never flown a drone before, even if you have a pilot's license, study the various GPS Flight Modes, as well as Cine and SPORT mode and don't try getting too fancy too fast. It should go without saying, but the initial goal of creating that awesome flying sequence smoothly panning through the trees should not be your first use of "Follow" maybe. . . and don't fly out of sight . . . or in autonomous modes, at least not till you have lots of experience switching modes and building hours on short trips where things go mostly as planned. . . then press your limits consciously not unintentionally. That's good Airmanship.
No. 2 - IN THE BEGINNING, BEGINNER IS A GOOD THING . really . . Use Beginner Mode (Cine Mode with 50m Distance and 50m altitude limits) to practice switching from flying it pointed away from you and then back facing you when the LEFT/RIGHT controls stick movements are opposite. Get comfortable switching back and forth will ensure you don't "instinctively" fly into a tree or bush when you "instinctively" try and avoid it. In a wide open field with no trees put your back to the sun and wind. If you are looking INTO the sun it's harder to judge distance and speed. . . Now with the drone facing away from you practice a low level square circuit say 10ft above the ground, and stop at each corner and without turning fly the next side of the box .. .try it in the opposite direction. Then with the drone facing you do it again in both directions. Remember the right stick movements are opposite when it's facing toward you. Try practicing that same circuits with the Drone facing away. Fly Normal mode and switch from one to the other before you try SPORT. Trust me, if you do this, SPORT Mode will be a lot more fun than picking up the pieces.
Also, be aware how you can see the position and orientation of the drone in the display at all times. Bottom left corner (Radar display), Look for the GREEN line with a little RED pointer, so you know the direction of HOME (you). The little arrow head is the direction the DRONE is facing. That's very handy during panic time when you've lost sight, battery is LOW and gotta get it back in view. Just turn left or right to point down the line and push the right stick forward. It will come to you directly even if you can't find yourself yet in the camera view. Make adjustments along the way to keep it pointing down the green line. BUT . . . BEFORE YOU DO ANYTHING Check the Altitude FIRST, and get it above the tallest trees or building and remember if you flew down the valley the altitude may be NEGATIVE . . When in doubt go high. . . but, keep in mind the wind can be a LOT stronger at 400ft than at 100ft.
No. 3 - WHOEVER HAS CONTROL, CAN? - I always do a "control check" after lifting off FWD BACK (YAW LEFT RIGHT) UP DOWN . . before I fly away . . .and listen for the "The Home point has been registered - Please check it on the map" . . . if you don't hear that check the satellites in view ( tiny top right icons, you need 8 or 9 at least) and if necessary force a HOME point by clicking the icon with the human. That means make HOME where the controller is. If there is no clear indication there is a HOME point . . then it may never come home. NOTE: there's a new feature: DYNAMIC HOMEPOINT, where you can actually set your current location after it has taken off. Try doing that in an open field BEFORE you need it and you won't panic so much when it's not responding the way you think it should. . . you may just need to CANCEL the current mode. Try flying in HOME LOCK mode and COURSE LOCK and understand the difference. . . . and by all means know where the CANCEL/ RED X hot spot is on your screen for quick action. (See No. 5 CANCEL)
No. 4 - INDOORS THROUGH THE FOREST - Indoor flying and under trees is NOT something to start with. . . but if you insist . . . If you are flying indoors or under trees TURN OFF RTH. Set "loss of signal" to HOVER so it won't try to climb to a "safe" altitude and chew its way through the trees trying get there. (it's under "Advanced Settings" which is under "Main Control settings". If there is no wind (like in your house). Use Cine or Tripod Mode. This will make sure stick commands are LESS sensitive so a slip of the finger won't cause it to unexpectedly dash off into the wall or your mom's favorite Ming vase.
No. 5 - TO CANCEL OR NOT TO CANCEL? - Knowing how to CANCEL a mode or command like RTH is invaluable. You can cancel almost any command by switching between modes like S N or A/Cine/Tripod mode or hitting the PAUSE button just to the right of your left thumb. Hitting PAUSE causes it to halt where it is and hover and await a new command. Even better PRACTICE doing it. Just reading about it is not enough when you need to react immediately and correctly the first time, in tight quarters when things are moving in the wrong direction so to speak. If its drifting away and you THINK it's not responding it may be that your finger inadvertently switched to ATTI Mode (phantom or inspire controller LEFT Index finger. Right side for a Mavic ) when you thought you were only adjusting the gimble. . . the Phantom Mode controls are barely 10mm apart under your LEFT index finger. On a Mavic Pro or 2Pro it's the slider button on the right side of the controller. They have moved it to a better spot or eliminated ATTI MODE recently.
N0. 6 - WIND AND SUN ARE YOUR FRIEND - Do at least SOME Mission Planning for EVERY trip . . even a short one . . with the wind in mind . . . . and NEVER NEVER TAKEOFF and fly down wind for any distance to start with, unless there is no alternative. Have you thought about how long it will take to get home after you got that really cool shot of the cruise ship? Any pilot is always aware of the wind direction/speed and sun angles. You do not want to start thinking about it when an emergency arises or when the planned flight path changes. Drones are very good that way, as they are always compensating for wind in GPS mode. . . not so much in ATTI Mode. I'm always subconsciously looking at leaves and water, flags clouds and smoke to assess wind and I prefer to fly past my landing point coming home just to get an "into wind" approach . . and I approach DOWN SUN whenever possible. Last thing you want is an "in your face" approach with the sun in you eyes.
No. 7 - PRACTICE YOUNG GRASSHOPPER - PRACTICE - One of the best things you can do to prevent odd behavior is to anticipate those behaviors by going from one flight mode to the other until it is second nature. . . So you know where ALL the menus are, that means more than once and AFTER you have done a few "Thought Experiments" with the drone on the ground. If you practice the right things first in your head, then do it in the air, multiple times. It's much better if you new drone being down here and you wish it was up there, rather than it being up there and you wishing it was down here.
No 8 - MENU - WHAT MENU? - Once you are in the air every minute counts . . every second sometimes, when things take a turn for the unexpected. Spend a few minutes BEFORE ever going flying first time and then once in a while thereafter, just going through the display menus . . Grab a coffee and the controller and turn the machine on for half an hour (just 30 min) and explore them thoroughly to learn how to get to sub-menus and settings . .. there are tons of them. . . . nothing worse than going through menu after menu multiple times looking for gimble settings while you are struggling with wind and viewing angles and burning up electrons at a great rate and you forgot you had set the low battery warning to 20% not 30. . . you may not only miss the shot but you may leave you return time to late and end up in the drink. . . .permanently. Camera settings are a great example. There are so many options and settings that even a seasoned photographer would benefit from trying many of them with the drone running but NOT FLYING so that when they are in the air it's easy to make a change without having to focus on settings and jeopardize control of your machine. Being a pilot, navigator, camera man, safety officer, observer and film director ,all at the same time, is a challenging role for one brain. Knowing the menus by heart will lower that workload.
No. 9 - A PLAN FOR A PLAN - "Just going off for a flight" can be fun and a great adventure but it's not the place to start. Every flight should really be thought through to some degree. The less decision making done in the air the better. If you plan well and stick to the plan then when exciting opportunities happen you can likely change plans without flying off into the unknown. If you are doing a "high speed dash" overhead be sure you know what is behind you because it may all look clear coming in but you are entering a new environment directly behind you that you have NOT been looking at. . . . Are you sure what the next few seconds look like because you will only know if you thought about it FIRST. An old flying instructor of mine used to say "Never let the aircraft take you somewhere that your brain has not already been to 30 seconds ago."
No.10 - LIMITING THE LIMITLESS - With practice all maneuvers are quite safe and easy to perform without overloading your memory banks . . I mean YOUR human memory. Synapses fire quite randomly under the stress of deciding WHAT to do let alone HOW to do or how FAST to respond. This will normally lead to serious overload . . . so give yourself more working memory by making "immediate actions" second nature. By that I mean, the more you work a familiar configuration and have experienced the referred reaction under all circumstances the better. This is how you will know when you are approaching the limits of either you or the drone. If you do not know the limits of your capabilities ( and those of the aircraft) . . at some point . . .you will likely EXCEED them. . . sometimes you get to experience a real thrill . . .then again, sometimes you only get to experience it once . . and even then only briefly.
TIPS for avoiding 'fly-aways". Apparent FLYAWAYS are 99% operator error but REAL ones can often that can be avoided by ensuring a good compass lock. The dual compasses are VERY sensitive and are easily confused by nearby METAL.
I learned the hard way never take off from concrete (due to rebar), some sandy beaches are really bad too (high iron content) or near vehicles <10-15 ft (too much metal) or even near a fence especially chain link<10-15ft. Look for open grass dirt tarmac or . . not recommended for novice pilots, what I often prefer is HAND LAUNCH. . .and (be careful doing that in windy conditions). Then no matter how you take-off . . wait and do a "hover check" at 10 ft . . . Wait till you hear the "Home point has be set please check it on the map" before doing any maneuvers. Then just before departing check SATS >10 and heading matches in the way you're pointing (look at the bottom left "Radar" view) . . just like real pilots do . . . saves a lot of anguish trying to figure out what happened AFTER the fact. Also if you're new to the game read "ZEN and the ART of Done Happiness" . . . again . . . and have more fun! . . On the issue of magnetic interference I've even gone to using a Megnetometer APP available for Android and iPhone . . it works . . . and it's very sensitive Like the Mavic Compass.
GENERIC CHECK LISTS
GREY for mission Prep. The Emergency section is generic but the LED Lights Codes are for DJI most models
Light GREEN for Pre-Start
Dark GREEN for Post Take-OFF The MINI checklist is adapted for photographers who don't want to track flight times etc
Light BLUE for Pre-Landing
Dark BLUE for Post Landing The Site Survey version is for commercial use but generally applies (more compact)
These Files are copyright but you are hereby authorized to copy and modify them as you like.
Light GREEN for Pre-Start
Dark GREEN for Post Take-OFF The MINI checklist is adapted for photographers who don't want to track flight times etc
Light BLUE for Pre-Landing
Dark BLUE for Post Landing The Site Survey version is for commercial use but generally applies (more compact)
These Files are copyright but you are hereby authorized to copy and modify them as you like.
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