Auto landing at 65% battery?

[electronicstuff]

Took the Phantom 3 Standard out for a flight today, compass calibrated and GPS locked throughout the flight but twice at around 65% Battery 459 feet and at 45% again a little over 400 feet it changed modes to auto landing, the altitude limit is set at 1650 ish feet, so not sure if it was because I was within a 8 miles of Luton airport .

Could this be a altitude limit as a result of being near a no fly zone? Tho I don't like the idea of it just landing, rather warn me and just stop me going any higher.

I was using Litchi so maybe there would have been warnings in DJI Go

 

[Philltayl]

Took the Phantom 3 Standard out for a flight today, compass calibrated and GPS locked throughout the flight but twice at around 65% Battery 459 feet and at 45% again a little over 400 feet it changed modes to auto landing, the altitude limit is set at 1650 ish feet, so not sure if it was because I was within a 8 miles of Luton airport .

Could this be a altitude limit as a result of being near a no fly zone? Tho I don't like the idea of it just landing, rather warn me and just stop me going any higher.

I was using Litchi so maybe there would have been warnings in DJI Go

8 miles in which direction?. North , South , East or West? Luton is a class D airspace and it varies between surface and about 2500' outwards. If you are to the South East, you also have Stanstead class D

 

[rockydog]

Not trying to be the drone police, but are you aware that your legal height limit is 400 ft ?

 

[Philltayl]

Not trying to be the drone police, but are you aware that your legal height limit is 400 ft ?

In the UK, it not a legal limit but a guideline set by the CAA. Unless you can show me the statute?????

 

[KongWerks]

Check your logs. Should be something in there. If you get a chance try the flight with just the GO app and see if it re-occurs.

 

[electronicstuff]

Not trying to be the drone police, but are you aware that your legal height limit is 400 ft ?

Yes quite aware, but as said it's guidance and not something I make a regular habit if doing

 

[electronicstuff]

8 miles in which direction?. North , South , East or West? Luton is a class D airspace and it varies between surface and about 2500' outwards. If you are to the South East, you also have Stanstead class D

So east of Luton Airport (minsden chapel Langley)

 

[electronicstuff]

Check your logs. Should be something in there. If you get a chance try the flight with just the GO app and see if it re-occurs.

Yes I checked AirData logs and nothing, so I'll have to check the stored flight data from the drone it's self. I will try with the go app next time

 

[Philltayl]

So east of Luton Airport (minsden chapel Langley)

You are inside Luton CTA...Class D airspace...surface to 3500'

Not the best place to fly your P3....

 

[electronicstuff]

You are inside Luton CTA...Class D airspace...surface to 3500'

Not the best place to fly your P3....

Ok so we are looking at the P3 reaching 400ft and aborting the assent by auto landing. Makes me think if you were out of controller range, say flying a Litchi mission which went to that height at some point the craft would just land wherever it was and you would have no control if you had lost signal

 

[electronicstuff]

You are inside Luton CTA...Class D airspace...surface to 3500'

Not the best place to fly your P3....

Also agree on not the best place, I tend to get low down shots but went for a higher up gimbal pointing down one. I'll keep my altitude low next time

 

[Philltayl]

Ok so we are looking at the P3 reaching 400ft and aborting the assent by auto landing. Makes me think if you were out of controller range, say flying a Litchi mission which went to that height at some point the craft would just land wherever it was and you would have no control if you had lost signal

Not sure why it did the auto land. You need to post the flight log so people can analyse it. But if you look at the first diagram in the pdf file , you will see that you are in controlled airspace and that is never a good thing.

 

[Philltayl]

Also agree on not the best place, I tend to get low down shots but went for a higher up gimbal pointing down one. I'll keep my altitude low next time

The airspace is from surface to 3500' so even if your 20' off the ground , you are still in class D airspace...

 

[Pharm]

In the UK, it not a legal limit but a guideline set by the CAA. Unless you can show me the statute?????

It's only a legal limit here in the U.S. for commercial flights (part 107). For hobbyists here, there's no legal limit (airspace and common sense notwithstanding) either.

 

[electronicstuff]

The airspace is from surface to 3500' so even if your 20' off the ground , you are still in class D airspace...

This shows me just outside, so not sure

 

[Philltayl]

View attachment 84153

This shows me just outside, so not sure

Look at the chart I posted.......west of the A1 is actually in Luton Control Area....Class D....

BTW Luton's airspace has a nasty habit of changing almost every year as it gets more flights. Not sure if the developers can keep up with it. I also fly passenger carrying aircraft as well as my P3

 

[electronicstuff]

Look at the chart I posted.......west of the A1 is actually in Luton Control Area....Class D....

BTW Luton's airspace has a nasty habit of changing almost every year as it gets more flights. Not sure if the developers can keep up with it. I also fly passenger carrying aircraft as well as my P3

Ok I thought you definitely know what you are talking about. I think it's all about safe flight and keeping your altitude low, looking at nats map I can see what you are saying. But obviously not a complete no fly zone to the point at which the P3 will not take off, but an area to be mindful of when flying.

 

[Deleted member 62848]

Took the Phantom 3 Standard out for a flight today, compass calibrated and GPS locked throughout the flight but twice at around 65% Battery 459 feet and at 45% again a little over 400 feet it changed modes to auto landing, the altitude limit is set at 1650 ish feet, so not sure if it was because I was within a 8 miles of Luton airport .

Could this be a altitude limit as a result of being near a no fly zone? Tho I don't like the idea of it just landing, rather warn me and just stop me going any higher.

I was using Litchi so maybe there would have been warnings in DJI Go

Also can come from battery ,being smart batt it can predict your fight depending how you fly ,it calculates if you have enough battery power to return to your home point,i get same on me p4 ,my critical batt level 10% but had forced landing at 30% because battery was predicting my flight,,hope i word that right,,not sure if warnings show on djigo if you use litchi,me same litchi user but data not stored in djigo app ,goes to airdata healthydrones..

 

[electronicstuff]

Also can come from battery ,being smart batt it can predict your fight depending how you fly ,it calculates if you have enough battery power to return to your home point,i get same on me p4 ,my critical batt level 10% but had forced landing at 30% because battery was predicting my flight,,hope i word that right,,not sure if warnings show on djigo if you use litchi,me same litchi user but data not stored in djigo app ,goes to airdata healthydrones..

Yea I mainly use Litchi and sync to Air data (healthy drones) it was definitely not a power issue as I was directly over head. So I'm going for a no fly zone altitude limit as it only happened above 400ft

 

[solentlife]

OK .... auto land is initiated if within 20m of home point in event of failsafe.

You say you were directly overhead. Not a good aspect for antenna - especially if you start to climb. The drop in signal soon loses connection as you climb, particularly if you do not re-orientate your RC antenna ... but of course that is only temporary as you cannot alter AC antenna.

I did a test in an open field to see if I could hit max height.

First was direct up above me .... I hit 250m and things started breaking up ... I landed.

Second I flew out approx 200m from me and I hit 489m and couldn't get her to rise anymore ... but all was full control etc.

Note that GO stops the P3 at 500m altitude above Home point which it regards as zero.

Theoretically if the P3 is flown manually totally without any APP - it is supposed to be able to reach 6000m ! Obviously its physical air density / prop capability item then.

Nigel