Anafi: disable RTH, indoor, Flight plan

[zwo]

Hello,

is it possible to deactivate RTH for the Anafi? I had almost an accident indoors, where the Anafi wants to start RTH. And a while ago when i was testing Flightplan, i made a flightplan from a to b with a autolanding at the end. A minute before the landing RTH started because of a battery warning for a save RTH. I didn't had the intention of flying back to the home point. I just wanted to reach/land at point b. There were 30% battery power left for 200ft.

Cheers

 

[JANGER]

I had similar issue in the forest last trip. I keep Anafi low, around 2 meters over ground and fly in such situation several meters path, when he suddenly started RTH? and flied quickly up to rich RTH? altitude. He was no controlled at all. Lucky me, there were no trees close to his way, but it was only accident. After he high up 50 meter he hovered and finally I have back control and can force him down manually.

 

[zwo]

I think an option "disable RTH" is important. What is the best way to contact Parrot?

 

[Miguel Costa]

If you press Home button anytime during the RTH process, it stops immediately and hovers, waiting for your input.
I've had some close calls with loosing connection and the drone automatically entering RTH with obstacles around and above the drone, it's freaking scary.
Every time it automatically enters RTH, I immediately press the little Home button in the SC3 and evaluate the situation for a few seconds before I let it resume RTH or try to manually maneuver it myself.

 

[zwo]

Thanks for tip! I will try that next time. It would be so much easier if there were an option for disabling RTH (like in DJI Go).

 

[zwo]

I just found a video, where someone had a problem with RTH during a flightplan:

From the video description:

Parrot! Please let the pilot decide to turn RTH on or off.

If you want to support this request, please contact Parrot: Support...

Subject: Option to turn off RTH in Freeflight 6

Reasons: flightplans, flights in forests, mountains, Indoor flights

Thank you!

 

[Zamzara]

Flightplans already continue despite loss of connection, although confusingly the controller still (wrongly) tells you it will RTH. I agree about an option to disable in manual flight, with an appropriate warning.

 

[Jagerbomb52]

This guy had this one posted on Facebook. Said it was windy but got a lot worse as his flight progressed. He was running a flight plan also and the Anafi just decided it had enough and went into RTH. I think he was very lucky to even get his Anafi back ?

 

[Dirk_ANAFI]

What do you think Anafi should do instead of RTH when running out of battery power or loosing connection?

Should it stay at that point -perhaps far away from you and out of sight- hoovering and land where it is?
Or should it display "Pilot, pls. bring me home!" on FF6 screen?
I ask a bit provocative, because what will you really do without RTH? In the linked video Anafi is obviously not in sight any more. I would have been glad to have RTH in that situation.

 

[Zamzara]

I wouldn't disable it in any situation I might need it.

In the case of the video above where a different landing place is desired, it might be good to be able to set home to the desired endpoint. It might be possible now with Fake GPS and Follow Me.

 

[PikkuY]

Guess the option to disable automatic rth is a bit risky for parrot as it would surely increase the amount of reclamations due to "fly aways".

 

[zwo]

What do you think Anafi should do instead of RTH when running out of battery power or loosing connection?

Should it stay at that point -perhaps far away from you and out of sight- hoovering and land where it is?
Or should it display "Pilot, pls. bring me home!" on FF6 screen?
I ask a bit provocative, because what will you really do without RTH? In the linked video Anafi is obviously not in sight any more. I would have been glad to have RTH in that situation.

I think It's not about disabling automatic RTH forever. I would disable automatic RTH only in specific circumtances like flightplans. And the RTH button on the controller and in FF6 should be still functional as a manual trigger.

 

[Dirk_ANAFI]

I think It's not about disabling automatic RTH forever. I would disable automatic RTH only in specific circumtances like flightplans. And the RTH button on the controller and in FF6 should be still functional as a manual trigger.

RTH is a life-saving feature of a partly autonomous UAV. The decision to RTH arises from a distress situation of the UAV: not enough battery power to get home or no connection to the pilot.
If you don't allow the UAV to react on these distress situations autonomously with RTH, then many more Anafis will get lost.
A functioning button to manually initiate RTH will not be helpful in each situation, because there might be no connection to the pilot.
So if you tell Parrot to disable/enable RTH as a user's choice, then you'll have to tell Parrot's programmers what the drone should do in the above distress situations if RTH is not enabled.
Example:
If no connection to the pilot:
Stay at position and wait? Land if battery becomes < 5%?

If still connection to the pilot:
React normally on pilot's commands assuming, that the pilot has life-feed and knows what to do? Land at any position if battery becomes < 5%?

 

[zwo]

There is already an option for disabling RTH during a flight plan in FreeFlight Pro (Bebop, Disco). I hope theyl think about it for FF6. Shouldn't the Anafi thermal also operate in buildings for rescuing people? It doesn't make sense, if the Anafi lose the connection and try a RTH in a building.

 

[Landbo]

There is already an option for disabling RTH during a flight plan in FreeFlight Pro (Bebop, Disco). I hope theyl think about it for FF6. Shouldn't the Anafi thermal also operate in buildings for rescuing people? It doesn't make sense, if the Anafi lose the connection and try a RTH in a building.

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You cannot use FreeFlight Pro for your Anafi. In FF6 Flight Plan, you actually have the opportunity to decide if Anafi should land at the last waypoint. I don't know if that option overwrites a low battery RTH command. You can find the option in Plan Options.

If you want to fly manually, you can probably use Follow Me without marking anything to follow, which should mean Anafi returns to your phone's position if she lose connection to the controller. What I am suggesting here I have not tried in practice but you are welcome to test my theory yourself.

I agree with you it would be useful to be able to turn off auto RTH on indoor flight. However, I think it would be a disaster for many not so experienced pilots and be able to do it outdoors. For indoor flight, I would actually rather it was possible to fly in ATTI mode which means that Anafi's flight controller does not use the GPS at all but only the ultrasonic sensor and the downward flow camera.

Regards Leif.