The Question
My drone successfully takes off but remains hovering at the takeoff altitude instead of proceeding to the first waypoint of the mission. Why is this happening, and how can I fix it?
The Answer
A drone hovering at takeoff typically indicates that the flight mission was not successfully uploaded to the aircraft. Follow these steps to resolve the issue:
Check Connection Status: Ensure the drone is properly connected to the DroneDeploy Ground App. If the connection is unstable, the mission parameters may not sync correctly.
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Check for updates or NFZ notices in DJI.
- Read more about NFZ and LAANC troubleshooting here
- If you are in a LAANC area, we recommend lowering the planned altitude by 5 to 10 feet to give the drone some wiggle room.
Toggle Flight Modes Switch the remote controller to P or N: Having the controller in A, C, or S mode will certainly cause issues when launching the drone.
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Restart the Mission
Navigate to the Projects tab.
Select your active flight plan.
Click the Fly button to re-initiate the pre-flight checklist.
Ensure the "Upload Mission" step in the checklist completes successfully before takeoff.
Verify Firmware and App Version This functionality is available in the latest version of the app. Ensure your drone firmware and the DroneDeploy Ground App are up to date to prevent sync errors.
What causes hovering?
Hovering issues are typically related to hardware, environmental factors, or the use of a drone in No-Fly Zones.
- If related to hardware, you would likely see issues with the drone in other settings such as within the DJI app.
- Hovering can also be caused by environmental factors such as GPS issues or Remote Control (RC) connection issues.
GPS
If it’s GPS-related, you'll generally get an in-app warning, but sometimes there are silent compass errors that will not notify you. There are many things that can disrupt your GPS signals, including cloud cover, mountains, and foliage. The compass of the drone, which communicates with the GPS, allows the drone to know its heading or direction in space. The compass has an internal magnetometer that can be affected by things like reinforced concrete, buildings, and antennas, which can also result in poor GPS. These are all considerations to take into account when choosing a place to plan a mission, and more importantly, where to start the mission. To avoid GPS issues, we recommend calibrating your compass prior to taking off. Should you need to bring the drone home during a hovering event caused by poor GPS, you’ll want to return the drone manually.
RC Connection
If it’s an RC connection issue, you will generally get a notification in-app of this. When this happens, your drone may hover if this is what you had set it to do in DJI in the event RC connection is lost. You may need to get closer to the drone and re-establish the connection should you want to take over manually.
Using an Air 2S drone?
The Air 2S is unique compared to other DJI drones in that the connection between the drone and the RC (Remote Controller) is vital for the drone to continue the mission. With the Air 2S, waypoints are sent in real-time. That means if the signal from the RC is interrupted in any way, the drone will hover until reconnected.
Troubleshooting Hovering in the Air 2S:
1. Ensure the signal between the controller and RC is strong, and that the USB from the RC to the mobile device is always intact and connected.
2. Calibrate the compass and gimbal. You can do this in DJI Fly. It's important to calibrate the compass often, and in fact, we recommend you do this every time you fly your drone. Compass issues can be the number one cause of hovering behavior.
3. Double-check and make sure the drone's firmware is up to date, as well as the version of DroneDeploy.
4. Ensure the drone controller is in N mode. Positioning mode is what makes autonomous flight possible. Having the controller in C or S mode will certainly cause issues when launching the drone in a mission. Once you've done these four things, close out of DJI and reopen DroneDeploy to start the mission.
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