Why I NEVER use RTH (Return to Home) on My Drone | Drone Tip Of the Week

[@MythRsR1979]

I'm a certified drone pilot and I have been flying DJI drones since 2017. In my experience Sport mode is less battery efficient, so, yes, the drone will come back faster but with less battery remaining. Also, sport mode disables obstacle avoidance.

[@flyingfilmmaker]

Also a Part 107 pilot and I've been flying DJIs since 2018, so you've got one year on me. You well could be right. I don't think less efficient than RTH, but could well be less efficient than manually flying back in normal mode. I may have to make a video to test this. And yes it does disable obstacle avoidance? Never been a problem for me!

[@MythRsR1979]

@flyingfilmmaker True, obstacle avoidance haven't been a problem either. I rarely rely on it as I do a lot of night flying (Mavic 3T) so obstacle avoidance is off for me for many flights anyway. Just something to be aware of for newer drone pilots.

[@flyingfilmmaker]

@@MythRsR1979 Yep, definitely something to keep in mind.

[@brazoon1]

The most efficient speed isn't "max speed in sport mode". For most drones it is about 65-70% of top speed. Granted, 'top speed' may be more efficient than RTH speed (I'm not sure) but if you are concerned about making it back neither is a good choice. I put my Air 3 at about 30mph in cruise control and point it home.

[@flyingfilmmaker]

That’s fair. Could well be the case. But I’d rather get the drone back more quickly. Plus the drone spends a lot of time going up and down (mainly down) which can be done much more efficiently in sport mode.

[@Anadrolus]

@@flyingfilmmaker How is going up or down more efficient in sport mode ? You just aim home with your center cross, in any mode it's the same, and you come back in a straight line, the mode does not affect it, standard mode is just more battery efficient. Like an electric car, it's less efficient on a highway.

[@YarosMallorca]

@@Anadrolus in most DJI drones, especially newer models, the vertical speed in sport mode is faster, because it doesn't scan the surface below or above it. This is also the reason why landing an Air 3 or Mini 4 Pro in your hand while in Normal mode is almost impossible (it will refuse to descend if the surface isn't level) but it's not a problem in Sport mode.

[@Anadrolus]

@@YarosMallorca For the drone to not escape while you grab it with your hand, you need it to face you (at least works with the Mavic 3 Pro).

[@kevinsteele6799]

Cracks me up how folks showed up with pitchforks and torches over this video. If you want to use it all the time, fine, you do you. Knock yourself out. But if you're more comfortable with bringing it back yourself, as he said, then do that. No one cares because it's your business how you fly your drone. But this young man is a great pilot and knows his equipment. He's not scared of flying HIS drone HIS way. The rest of you can mind your own business. Props to you, young man!

[@denaco]

karens all over getting mad.

[@flyingfilmmaker]

The pitchforks and torches are a bit funny. I actually just tested it out and a video is coming with PROOF. 😁

[@kevinsteele6799]

​@@flyingfilmmaker Love it. You keep ignoring the morons and doing your thing.

[@Anadrolus]

@@kevinsteele6799 how dare you calling other morons, test it yourself, Sport mode is less battery efficient than standard mode. The problem of this video is that he is mixing two different matters, RTH or manual flying back, standard and sport mode are different matters. You can fly back manually with standard mode, it's the most battery efficient.

[@jacksonmacd]

I understand your points about returning home more quickly in Sport mode, and increasing the flight time by not climbing to a higher altitude. My question is about "range" - how far can the drone fly on the remaining battery in Sport mode versus Normal mode? Based on my experience as an airplane pilot, my intuition is that Normal mode provides more range. Every aircraft operations manual publishes these two speeds: Max Speed and Max Range (among others), and the Max Range speed is (always?) less than Max Speed. My intuition is that air friction physics makes it so. Why would a drone be any different? I've intended to conduct some controlled experiments to verify my intuition, but have never received my round tuit. Has anybody conducted such an experiment?

[@flyingfilmmaker]

Great questions! Some rational thought here. All these comments have made me wonder the same. So I just tested it and a video is coming with results. Short answer seems to be that Sport mode doesn't seem to use more battery percentage for the same distance traveled, at least in my my limited distance tests. If there is a difference, it's not very large. I think that this is because unlike an airplane, a drone has to expend a significant amount of energy to stay in the air at all (can't glide), and so going faster doesn't take as much extra energy as a plane. Just some thoughts after a basic test, definitely not a physicist or engineer. 😅

[@ricoterblanche9511]

Thanks, John! I've learned a lot from your other videos. I have a question (which might sound a bit basic) as someone new to drones. I often find myself wanting to get my drone back home as quickly as possible-maybe because I'm still a bit nervous and feel safer when it's close by. 😊 If I press the Return to Home (RTH) button while in Normal mode on my DJI Air 3, what is the maximum speed it will use to return? Does this depend on my speed settings in the RC2 controller, or does the drone have its own default RTH speed? Also, if it does use the speed set in the RC2 settings, would that be the same as pushing the joystick to full throttle? Thanks!

[@flyingfilmmaker]

Good question! RTH has it's own top speed, which at least on my Air 3S is 26mph, which is slower than the max normal mode speed. Video exploring this more coming soon.

[@notyouravgtyrone23]

Don't mind the hate comments brother, you found something that works and I'll start using this advice. I appreciate your videos, you have helped me learn much when it came to getting my Air 3. Much blessings!

[@flyingfilmmaker]

Haha thanks! I really seem to have stirred up a hornets nest with this one. 😂Awesome to hear my videos have been helpful!

[@MelonMaguYT]

Sport mode is way less efficient, my friend. The amount of drag is greater and not proportional at high speeds compared to lower speeds. That's why the most efficient speed (for flight time) is around 16 km/h.

[@Anadrolus]

Your video would be good if you didn't use Sport mode but normal, Sport mode is not battery efficient. You should mention that the drone freezes a few seconds when pausing RTH, or another reason is to film while coming back, it also depends of the wind direction, but it's very difficult to assess, at lower altitude there is presumably less wind so the drone come back faster.

[@flyingfilmmaker]

Sport mode is actually more battery efficient than RTH. Video dropping in a few days with proof that’s the case.

[@Anadrolus]

@@flyingfilmmaker Don't mix the terms sport mode and RTH, you can RTH or come back manually in any mode be it Cine/Standard/Sport. The most efficient for a good pilot is standard mode without using RTH, this way you're going back in a straight line.

[@orlandorengifo5288]

100% agree with you , thanks for sharing

[@flyingfilmmaker]

Ahh somebody who understands! 🙌

[@JohnnyMcMillan]

Terrible advice when putting in sport mode with obstacle avoidance turned off while returning to home

[@flyingfilmmaker]

Not using RTH with it switched to sport mode. Flying home manually in sport mode. 🙂

[@kevinsteele6799]

No it's not. He knows his equipment. You do you and let him fly his drone his way. All these armchair pilots coming out of the woodwork today. Hilarious.

[@Anadrolus]

@@kevinsteele6799 Well no, he does not know his equipment well, Sport mode is not the most efficient. Yeah sure he can fly the drone his way, but he makes a video with wrong advice so it's a different matter.

[@jmiyake68]

I suppose it would have been better if he mentioned that when you put it into sport mode, it cancels the obstacle avoidance system? Most pilots already know this, although the new pilots may not...

[@johnnokomis]

My fuel light just came on, better floor it to be able to make it to the gas station! This is the same logic as what you're suggesting. Descending too early could also be bad. I'd rather go into forced landing mode at 400' than at 40'.

[@flyingfilmmaker]

Not the same logic actually. A car uses minimal fuel while sitting still, whereas a drone is at significant percentage of it's full battery drain when hovering. Yes, the most "fuel efficient" speed may be slightly lower than 45 MPH, but it's not nearly the same curve as with a car. And as far as forced landing, you can always keep it flying by pushing up on the throttle, even in forced landing mode.

[@johnnokomis]

@@flyingfilmmaker This is not true either. Forced landing mode is exactly what the name implies. You can still control the drone but it is descending the entire time. That is why having 400' would give you more time to make it home in an emergency.

[@flyingfilmmaker]

@@johnnokomis Except it's not? If you push full throttle up it will ascend. You should try it out in a safe area.

[@johnnokomis]

@@flyingfilmmaker Ok this is a direct quote from the Low Battery RTH section in the Mavic 3 User Manual. "Auto landing cannot be canceled but the remote controller can be used to alter the horizontal movement..."

[@Anadrolus]

@@johnnokomis you are absolutely right, better to trigger forced landing higher.

[@Quis85]

I agree 👍🏿 💯. I also tell new pilots learn and practice manually coming home. Once I figured out even if I get lost there's no way I am really lost. Because I can easily change maps and it will show me where I am and where the drone is. And it's a line from you to the drone. You can use that and fly back safely. I was in Dominican Republic 🇩🇴 couple weeks ago. And I don't know the area and I flew aways off. Turning the drone around I was still lost lol. I flip the maps and easy easy easy saw where I was compared to where the drone was. I continued to fly because I understood where I was and able to fly back without using RTH. You are right. You do get lost at times when you not paying attention lmao 🤣. I'm guilty 🤣. The drone makes it so easy to catch ya self. But when you don't know these things I can see people in panic mode. Understandable! Nevertheless these drones are very smart and intelligent 👌🏿 I'll say it again. You can't lose your drone! You just can't. Does it happen sure crazy situations happen? But generally speaking. You can't lose your drone.

[@flyingfilmmaker]

Yep, very true! No shame in using RTH now and then, but generally it’s not the most useful. On the newer drones you also get a AR homepoint which is super helpful.

[@blueline308]

This is content that is produced when one has ran out of ideas. This is terrible advice, but it gets the job done of getting views and engagement.

[@flyingfilmmaker]

How is it terrible advice? This is the method I ACTUALLY use every time I fly my drone. Is there some advantage to waiting longer for RTH to bring the drone back vs flying back manually??

[@johnnokomis]

Just because it's your method doesn't mean it's right. Sprint 200m and jog 200m then see how winded you are after each. Just because it's faster doesn't make it more efficient. Read the users manual that came with the drone and report back what you find. ​@@flyingfilmmaker

[@kevinsteele6799]

Your comment wins the "Most Pointless Comment on KZbin" award today. Mind your own business and let him fly his drone as he sees fit. He's got the experience with his equipment. No one is telling you how to fly your drone (if you even have one), so chill out.

[@DroningaboutIreland]

Been flying 6 years and I never use RTH to fly home in normal circumstances, never.

[@TimMayhew259]

I also do not use RTH. And also cancel it even when battery is low

[@drogers5511]

I disagree with this. My Rc2 froze up during flight. The button was the only way I could get it to land to restart the drone & controller.

[@Mike-iy7bk]

Not wise advice in many ways.

[@sutv6754]

i COULD NOT DISAGREE MORE. THIS VIDEO IS SO WRONG AS A WRONG COULD BE. NO OPTICAL AVIOIDANCE PROTECTION WHEN LAND IN SPORTS MODE. RIDICOLOUS. i'M NOT BEING A HATER AT ALL, BUT IN MY OPINION YOU CANNOT BE MORE INEXPERIENCED AND WRONG. BOO. i AM A PRO WORKING PILOT WITH MY CERTIFICATION FOR MANY YEARS.RUN FOR YOU LIFE FROM THIS GUYS ADVISE. TOTAL NONSENSE IN EVERYWAY IS THIS ADVICE

[@flyingfilmmaker]

From one "pro" to another. First maybe figure out how to turn of caps lock? And second, I'm kinda surprised a pro can't land without obstacle avoidance... I've actually flown drones without obstacle avoidance before. 😀And if you're REALLY worried about it, you can always turn it back on once you get low enough that you could run into obstacles.

[@kevinsteele6799]

If you're a pro pilot and you rely on RTH, then are you really a pro pilot? Nope. Go away, troll. And all caps doesn't make you look any smarter....

[@liamw2334]

Your not a pro if you don't get what he's saying here 😂😂 he's sharing good POINTS your more focused on the fact that sport mode doesn't use obstacle avoidance 😂😂😂 rather than the fact you could easily land it your self once the drone get back to where you can see it, only nubes use obstacle avoidance and rely on it to land if you can land it in sport mode are you even a pro

[@markyu70]

Terrible advice!

[@YarosMallorca]

Nope it is not. Maybe you should go and fly and try yourself. Or watch his latest video with the tests.

[@markyu70]

@@YarosMallorca It is bad to turn off obstacle avoidance. Sport mode is not much faster or more battery friendly. Avoidance detection is not so hungry as motors. I never discharge battery under 10% flying, and I never have to hurry returning. Why all this extreme fast flying and stupid advice? I fly to record nice smooth video, to enjoy and relax. I usually carry 6 batteries, so I take time and can fly long when I have spare time. I mostly use Mini 4 Pro in cinema mode (it has more than 200 hours in the air without any incident), but even with Neo I typically fly in cinema, rarely in normal mode. I don't like people who rush with cars, and it is the same with drones. Why unnecessarily rise adrenaline to yourself and others?

[@YarosMallorca]

@@markyu70 I'm not in a hurry either, and if you like RTH then by all means use it! It's definitely very handy, especially in failsafe situations for all pilots. What I'm saying is, let's say a beginner buys a Mini 2, Mini 4K or even a Mini 3, no obstacle avoidance, and let's be honest that's what most people will buy as their first drone to not spend much. They use RTH, get distracted and now their drone crashed. If they were flying back manually, either in Normal or Sport mode doesn't matter, they would see the (potential) obstacle and avoid crashing. It's not RTH itself or its speed/slowness which is worrying me, it's more the reliance of automatic modes and obstacle avoidance, especially for new pilots which is concerning.