Fly Aways?

[ItsMeAgain]

I'll try not to wear out my welcome on the first day posting here but I have gathered up a lot of questions.

I have read many posts that say that flyaways are user error. Some say (like the manual) to calibrate every time; others say not necessary. I have done it every time so far. Certain accounts say DJI admitted a problem based on flight data and replaced a drone; most often not. Some posts I read were from those who said they had flown for a long time and knew how to fly w/o a doubt and who didn't believe flyaways were anything more than stupidity...until it happened to them.

When doing my shopping research I was under the impression that a P3 4K was good to like 1.2km VLOS and I figured that was plenty so I did not need to spend more to get LightBridge. So far I have only flown in beginner mode but am already tired of hitting the limits. It seems hard to believe that a wi-fi signal from a cell or ipad is capable of reaching anywhere near that 1.2km limit but I'm not looking forward to watching my bird head off into the horizon

Sorry if this has already been beaten to death but I'm looking for feedback specific to a P3 4K

Thanks

 

[msinger]

A "fly away" is a pilot's explanation of a situation that he/she does not understand. With the advanced flight logging added in the P3, almost every incident can be deciphered post-flight these days. Take the time to read and understand the Phantom manual, practice, educate yourself by watching videos online, etc. and you'll greatly reduce the chances of experiencing a fly away yourself.

 

[kirk2579]

I'll try not to wear out my welcome on the first day posting here but I have gathered up a lot of questions.

I have read many posts that say that flyaways are user error. Some say (like the manual) to calibrate every time; others say not necessary. I have done it every time so far. Certain accounts say DJI admitted a problem based on flight data and replaced a drone; most often not. Some posts I read were from those who said they had flown for a long time and knew how to fly w/o a doubt and who didn't believe flyaways were anything more than stupidity...until it happened to them.

When doing my shopping research I was under the impression that a P3 4K was good to like 1.2km VLOS and I figured that was plenty so I did not need to spend more to get LightBridge. So far I have only flown in beginner mode but am already tired of hitting the limits. It seems hard to believe that a wi-fi signal from a cell or ipad is capable of reaching anywhere near that 1.2km limit but I'm not looking forward to watching my bird head off into the horizon

Sorry if this has already been beaten to death but I'm looking for feedback specific to a P3 4K

Thanks

The wifi signal from the phone/tablet is not directly picked up by the phantom.

the phone uses wifi to connect to a wifi router/repeater in the RC unit.
the quad then communicates to the phone via the wifi repeater.

good luck and have fun flying!

PS
+ 1 on what msinger said above about flyaways...

 

[k_ogre]

With these sky chickens a fly away is very unlikely if you follow the rules if you fly to far or a cell tower kills your signal it will fly right back to your feet. Note mods and apps that let you fly beyond your signal increase your chance of losing your bird . 40mph wind is bad also. Follow the rules be smart and you should be ok.

 

[OrlyP]

"Fly-away" is a catchphrase to describe aircraft behavior wherein the aircraft, from the perception of the pilot, moves away from him, seemingly uncontrollably. Causes of fly-aways varies. From what I gather, most fly-aways are caused primarily by pilot error. This can further range from basic stupidity to simply not understanding fully the mechanisms in place to prevent this.

For the few 'freak of nature' fly-aways, more often than not, DJI will replace your in-warranty aircraft IF there's evidence in the Flight Data Recorder (FDR) to suggest that it's not pilot error (ie. mechanical, sensor failure, firmware/software-related issues, battery fault, etc.) Otherwise, they may only offer discounts to replace your aircraft.

 

[RodPad]

Wow, All good!, I like all reply's!!

Rod

 

[RodPad]

I'll try not to wear out my welcome on the first day posting here but I have gathered up a lot of questions.

I have read many posts that say that flyaways are user error. Some say (like the manual) to calibrate every time; others say not necessary. I have done it every time so far. Certain accounts say DJI admitted a problem based on flight data and replaced a drone; most often not. Some posts I read were from those who said they had flown for a long time and knew how to fly w/o a doubt and who didn't believe flyaways were anything more than stupidity...until it happened to them.

When doing my shopping research I was under the impression that a P3 4K was good to like 1.2km VLOS and I figured that was plenty so I did not need to spend more to get LightBridge. So far I have only flown in beginner mode but am already tired of hitting the limits. It seems hard to believe that a wi-fi signal from a cell or ipad is capable of reaching anywhere near that 1.2km limit but I'm not looking forward to watching my bird head off into the horizon

Sorry if this has already been beaten to death but I'm looking for feedback specific to a P3 4K

Thanks

Welcome to the forum!!

This caught my attention.
"Some say (like the manual) to calibrate every time; others say not necessary."
Assuming this statement was related to compass.
I think this is a good chat on the compass, and I very rarely do it anymore..
Compass Calibration, A Complete Primer

Rod