DJI Mavic Pro & Air: What Is Atti Mode?
As a new owner of a Mavic Pro or Mavic Air you might be little confused when the controller keeps displaying “Atti Mode”. (not to be confused with OPTI mode, which is another thing altogether).
Atti mode is a specific set of settings that the drone uses that are easy to understand, but not so easy to control if you are used to the normal GPS mode.
Let me explain…
Technically, What Is DJI’s Atti Mode?
Before we jump into the Mavic drones specifically, it is a good idea to understand what Atti Mode is for most drones on the market.
Atti Mode is short for Attitude Mode, where the drone will maintain a specific altitude but not position. That means the drone will remain at the same height but drift around in the wind.
It also means that there is no auto-braking when you are flying, so the drone will continue moving in the direction you are flying until you push the stick in the opposite direction to brake.
What Is GPS Mode Then?
In GPS Mode the Mavic Air (or Pro) uses the satellites from the GPS system to help with positioning. In fact, it uses them a lot.
When the drone is in GPS mode a lot of things are happening automatically, many that are not really obvious:
- Maintaining position while hovering is one of them
- Auto-braking is another
What Is Atti Mode On the Mavic Pro?
Atti Mode on the DJI Mavic is a little different to previous DJI drones because it is NOT a mode you can specifically choose to use.
On the Mavic, Atti Mode is when there are not enough satellites around or connected to put the craft in GPS mode.
(Read more details on the Mavic in the manual)
So, when you are indoors or have just started your drone, the controller will almost always warn you that it is in Atti Mode. At least until it has found enough satellites to use GPS (or alternatively it might use OPTI mode while you are indoors).
If you do not wait for the GPS to be fully active (ie. enough satellites found), you risk crashing your drone. (** Unless you are in OPTI Mode – where the optical sensors can help you out)
Trust me, I did it just last week while trying to show off my drone to some friends. I didn’t wait for the GPS before taking off and then wondered why the drone was behaving so erratically. A few minutes later, as it landed not so gracefully in knee-high grass, more like a lawnmower, it dawned on me! Atti mode :>
If you want to see a video of someone forcing their Mavic Pro into Atti Mode and how hard it is to fly, see the video below:
Your Mavic Is In Atti Mode, Should You Fly?
I have never done this (on purpose), but have read up on the forums and this is what I can tell you:
- Atti Mode is very different to normal GPS mode on the Mavic Pro & Air (or any other drone)
- You need to be very careful when flying it in this mode (practice in a wide-open space first)
- You have to learn to compensate for the wind and brake by reversing the drone’s direction on the controller
If you are indoors, you will likely always be in Atti Mode to begin with, so be careful. Consider using Tripod Mode (which dampens the controller) so you are less likely to hit anything along with OPTI mode.
Remember the Mavic Pro does not have side or back sensors so walls are a big issue (On the Mavic Air this is less of an issue as they are sensors/cameras on all sides). Make sure you have plenty of space though, whenever you fly inside..
In the video below are more details on flying a Mavic Pro inside (including some settings you should be careful to set: hint, Return To Home altitude can be a big issue).
Why Do People Like Atti Mode?
With drones like the Phantom 4 you can specifically enter Atti Mode and disable the automatic compensation that the drone tries to apply.
Why would you want to do this when it is a lot riskier? Two reasons:
- You get a lot smoother motion when filming
- It is a lot more fun and responsive to fly
BUT, with the Mavic Pro we do not have this option. It is only really a warning that GPS is not ready yet.
Conclusion
Atti Mode is really just a warning that the drone is not ready to fly or cannot lock on enough GPS signals, so be sure to wait when you start your drone and check before you fly.
Losing control of it after take off is not something any of us want, especially when you just spent over $1000!
OTHER MAVIC PRODUCTS
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About the Author Roger Timbrook
Roger is a little obsessed with travel. He has been to over 40 countries, broken 3 suitcases and owned over 10 backpacks in 12 months. What he doesn't know about travel, ain't worth knowing!
