Are flight plan flights immune to wifi signal loss problems.

[Shiningmonk]

I know that if I am flying manually and encounter a wifi signal loss, e.g. from trees or houses, my controller will not be able to communicate with the drone. However, if it is already executing a flight plan, am I right that all the data will already have been uploaded to the drone, flight plan doesn't need a wifi signal provided it has a GPS signal, and it will complete the flight plan as intended?

 

[Sportback]

I know that if I am flying manually and encounter a wifi signal loss, e.g. from trees or houses, my controller will not be able to communicate with the drone. However, if it is already executing a flight plan, am I right that all the data will already have been uploaded to the drone, flight plan doesn't need a wifi signal provided it has a GPS signal, and it will complete the flight plan as intended?

Yes, you are right. The drone will complete the flight plan with the uploaded data althought you lose control for a while.

 

[Island Xpress]

That is very interesting, I thought even when following a flight plan, Anafi will return if the communication is interrupted for more than 1.5 minutes? Has someone really tried this?
It would mean when using a flight plan the communication is only important during start and landing?

 

[Jagerbomb52]

This is the way it works, it will finish the flight plan if it has enough battery power to do so and return to home point. If it figures it cannot finish the flight plan, at that time it will RTH.

 

[Island Xpress]

Thanks, very much.
That is much more than what I expected. I'm very cautious with flight plans, check them several times before I fly. This is even more important as there is no possibility to interrupt the flight plan for manual controlling in case of a loss of communication.

 

[pmh1nic]

This brings up a point that I hadn't though. I know the drone has be kept within visual line of sight for the purposes of safety and signal. That said if I wanted to fly under a bridge from one side to the other there would be a moment when the drown is out of line of sight. If the flying under a bridge is part of a flight plan then connection with the controller shouldn't be a problem but what if connection with the control AND loss of GPS happens at the same time. My thinking is there may be a brief period while under the bridge where some or all of the GPS signals might be lost. What happens in that situation?

 

[Rocky the FS]

I think it would have to do with how long the drone was out of both controller and GPS link. I've seen a few videos of that situation and nothing untoward happened. However, the drone was only under the bridge for maybe 5 or 6 seconds.

I suspect that the Anafi would just go into a hover but I'M not going to test this! You can tell us all about it after YOU try it!

Or, you could just get down under the bridge yourself during the shot.

 

[Sportback]

That is very interesting, I thought even when following a flight plan, Anafi will return if the communication is interrupted for more than 1.5 minutes? Has someone really tried this?
It would mean when using a flight plan the communication is only important during start and landing?

Yes, I've sent It with a flight plan and have been without communication for more than 3 minutes. The drone finished the flight plan and came without problem.

 

[Reconnaissance Squadron]

That is very interesting, I thought even when following a flight plan, Anafi will return if the communication is interrupted for more than 1.5 minutes? Has someone really tried this?
It would mean when using a flight plan the communication is only important during start and landing?

Yes, some people have really tried this. Again and again and again. It's a bit addictive. You have to be sensible about overall distances and speeds and altitudes but you can plan for flights where you know the signal is likely to be lost for several minutes. The trickiest bit is knowing what to do with yourself when the signal has been lost. I tend to take a camera and try to distract myself from the awkwardness. I think you could launch the drone, load up the flight plan and hit play, then switch the controller off, drive away and come back when the drone was due back. You could... But I wouldn't recommend being that keen on losing a drone.

 

[Island Xpress]

Can fully understand your feelings.
Had a similar situation on a long flight in the mountains, lost the connection while flying a flight plan. No signal, no sign of the Drone on the display for several 5? very long minutes, panicked, hit RTH several times, no responses, gave her up and was ready to go when she suddenly hovered exactly where planned.
Wondering what my blood d pressure was...
Thought of a miracle, now I know better.

 

[pmh1nic]

I think it would have to do with how long the drone was out of both controller and GPS link. I've seen a few videos of that situation and nothing untoward happened. However, the drone was only under the bridge for maybe 5 or 6 seconds.

I suspect that the Anafi would just go into a hover but I'M not going to test this! You can tell us all about it after YOU try it!

Or, you could just get down under the bridge yourself during the shot.

Test pilot I'm not .

 

[Reconnaissance Squadron]

This is the way it works, it will finish the flight plan if it has enough battery power to do so and return to home point. If it figures it cannot finish the flight plan, at that time it will RTH.

Exactly. I can confirm every point through direct experience.

BUT YOU ARE OUT OF LUCK NOW.

 

[Tend Wong]

I pulled out the USB connection to the phone and also closed the controller altogether. The drone waited about 10 seconds then proceeded to do an RTH without completing my flight plan. At the time, I had 60% battery power and the home position was merely 100m from the drone. By right, it should have completed my flight plan, so why didn't it?

My controller and drone are both on 1.4.1, FreeFlight 6 on 6.4.3.

 

[Reconnaissance Squadron]

I pulled out the USB connection to the phone and also closed the controller altogether. The drone waited about 10 seconds then proceeded to do an RTH without completing my flight plan. At the time, I had 60% battery power and the home position was merely 100m from the drone. By right, it should have completed my flight plan, so why didn't it?

My controller and drone are both on 1.4.1, FreeFlight 6 on 6.4.3.

Possibly the controller sends a "I am being switched off" message which the drone interprets as some kind of desperate cry for help... Maybe I'm anthropomorphizing too much here but that would make some sense. If you were trying to mash the RTH button and it didn't register it you might turn off the controller because you had no other option. If the drone is aware of this highly unusual move it might go to its default serious error protocol which presumably would be to engage RTH.

I have often lost contact (scrub that, almost every mission I lose contact) but I have never switched the controller off. I place the controller on a fence post or my car roof pointing in the right direction and wait for the signal connection to be reestablished. Putting it on the car roof has the added benefit of the buzz that registers the contact being made again becomes audible on the metal roof. Walking around with a lifeless controller in your hand is not a good look, neither is holding it high above your head...

 

[Tend Wong]

Possibly the controller sends a "I am being switched off" message which the drone interprets as some kind of desperate cry for help... Maybe I'm anthropomorphizing too much here but that would make some sense. If you were trying to mash the RTH button and it didn't register it you might turn off the controller because you had no other option. If the drone is aware of this highly unusual move it might go to its default serious error protocol which presumably would be to engage RTH.

I have often lost contact (scrub that, almost every mission I lose contact) but I have never switched the controller off. I place the controller on a fence post or my car roof pointing in the right direction and wait for the signal connection to be reestablished. Putting it on the car roof has the added benefit of the buzz that registers the contact being made again becomes audible on the metal roof. Walking around with a lifeless controller in your hand is not a good look, neither is holding it high above your head...

Thank you. Was just trying to simulate a lost connection to see if RTH would be engaged during flight plan mode but I think I will just have to get a true loss of connection to see what will happen.

 

[Rocky the FS]

.... Putting it on the car roof has the added benefit of the buzz that registers the contact being made again becomes audible on the metal roof. ...

That's a great idea! Plus it might give the controller a bit of signal enhancement (convertibles need not apply) .

 

[Reconnaissance Squadron]

That's a great idea! Plus it might give the controller a bit of signal enhancement (convertibles need not apply) .

Yes, I have thought about that. It isn't so close to the antennas that it will act as a parasitic reflector, and it isn't a parabolic reflector, but it may enhance the ground plane a little. It does seem to work, on a recent flight it reestablished contact further away than the point it had lost contact while in my hands, although that isn't a scientific finding, just an anecdote. I just wanted to sit it down somewhere but it balanced really well and pointed itself at the right bit of sky.

Ahh. I have a new phone, it's heavier, I might not be able to do this any longer.

 

[Rocky the FS]

Bring an old tennis shoe and stick it under.

 

[CheshireLad]

Exactly. I can confirm every point through direct experience.
Here's a flight plan I flew earlier today, with anticipated loss and return of signal. I watched it as it neared the point I expected it to lose signal and eventually it did lose it. I anticipated it would fly on getting further away still, dropping down low then returning to maximum altitude and coming back towards me. A couple of minutes later, as anticipated, it reestablished the connection. I then had to go home to see whether it had captured the video as expected. Indeed it did.
The feeling of losing contact is bad, but the feeling of it coming back again after achieving the mission you set it is priceless. Remember now that Flight Plan isn't free, it costs about the price of a cheeseburger, an excellent investment!

Found this by chance, looking for something else..... but I was wondering if you know the people at all who live in this mansion? From your video narration it seems you don't!

 

[Webvan]

I still think that RS is the one and only David G. so it might well be his house ;-)