fly away

[The Editor]

Why you were willing to bet on it. I calibrate each time I'm flying in the new place. quite often I check my calibration in the app as well. Just curious on your theory that's all

Because it is my belief that nearly every 'flyaway' that is compass related is caused by people inducing a skewed compass calibration at their flying site and not even knowing it.
Magnetic declination does not change dramatically unless you travel a long distance. However, by calibrating every time you cross the road or go a few miles to a new spot you run the risk of having the magnetometer (compass) influenced by an external object. The Inspires compass will calibrate to take into account this influence (say a large chunk of metal or even too close to your car etc) however, once you have taken off and moved away from that object, all that is acting upon the compass is the declinations true magnetic flux. Unfortunately, because you calibrated in a bad spot, the Inspire 'thought' the flux value/strength was where you took off from.
You now have a problem!!!!.... And so begins the TBE and the wrestle to get the craft back under control.

 

[Drone Mastery]

Again, the OP's problem is compass related. The giveaway is the drifting horizon coupled with the looping movements and the start of TBE.
I wouldn't mind betting you calibrated your compass right before you took off or at least at the location you were flying if this was not your first battery of the day?

Editor,

Why are you thinking that calibrating compass often is a bad thing? Doesn't make sense, you say that you don't recommend it and you don't do it very often. I have over 90 full flights on my I1, Calibrate it every time i fly in a different area and have Never had a compass failure, you cannot over-calibrate your compass! Better safe then sorry. My question to you sir is why do you think it is not good to recalibrate prior to flying in a different area? After calibrating, should you believe your mod values?

 

[Soflms]

@The Editor exactly why I asked, excellent information. I guess I'm guilty of calibrating too often one of the most useful post Ive read so thank you. @turbodronepilot happened to tell me the same thing through text right before you set it so thanks guys I'll take this information into consideration and definitely stick with a good calibration and not feel the need to do it every time I fly at a new place if its close

 

[Drone Mastery]

Because it is my belief that nearly every 'flyaway' that is compass related is caused by people inducing a skewed compass calibration at their flying site and not even knowing it.
Magnetic declination does not change dramatically unless you travel a long distance. However, by calibrating every time you cross the road or go a few miles to a new spot you run the risk of having the magnetometer (compass) influenced by an external object. The Inspires compass will calibrate to take into account this influence (say a large chunk of metal or even too close to your car etc) however, once you have taken off and moved away from that object, all that is acting upon the compass is the declinations true magnetic flux. Unfortunately, because you calibrated in a bad spot, the Inspire 'thought' the flux value/strength was where you took off from.
You now have a problem!!!!.... And so begins the TBE and the wrestle to get the craft back under control.

And how do you know the flyaways are compass errors?

 

[aerialNJ]

I also went to another location about 10 miles away right after and flew it fine on the rest of the battery and another one. I updated all the firmware and calibrated the compass a few flights ago so I doubt it was compass related. I should have tried at mode.

 

[The Editor]

Editor,

Why are you thinking that calibrating compass often is a bad thing? Doesn't make sense, you say that you don't recommend it and you don't do it very often. I have over 90 full flights on my I1, Calibrate it every time i fly in a different area and have Never had a compass failure, you cannot over-calibrate your compass! Better safe then sorry. My question to you sir is why do you think it is not good to recalibrate prior to flying in a different area?

Look at my post above! That's the reason.
I have been designing, building and flying multis for some years now and used various flight controllers in the builds.
I have always advocated not to calibrate every time and I have NEVER had an issue with TBE or any form of compass related error.
The more you calibrate, the more risk you run of getting a bad calibration at some point.

People do have to make up their own minds though and understand why they are calibrating and the reasoning behind the science.
Its personal choice and that is the way I fly. Everyone can obviously choose their own modus operandi

 

[turbodronepilot]

Hey Soflms. .
as we learn more about what works and what doesn't work when it comes to compass calibration ,over time I've come to agree with the editor. .
when I first got into drones I had a phantom that I'd calibrate every battery because a veteran pilot recommend it..
as I've learned I started calibrating just the first battery or when I changed locations. .
Now after taking the editors advice I don't calibrate my compass unless I've done a firmware update or have moved great distances. .
recently I flew 200 miles away from my usual spot without calibrating and had no issues. .when I got home I didn't calibrate and had no issues. .
so as we learn more about the i1 things progress. .
so for the people who have seen this evolution on the this site it might seem confusing. .
keep in mind when you read old posts that things probably have changed. .
so maybe read threads back words. .
happy flying. .
turbo. ...

 

[Drone Mastery]

Look at my post above! That's the reason.
I have been designing, building and flying multis for some years now and used various flight controllers in the builds.
I have always advocated not to calibrate every time and I have NEVER had an issue with TBE or any form of compass related error.
The more you calibrate, the more risk you run of getting a bad calibration at some point.

People do have to make up their own minds though and understand why they are calibrating and the reasoning behind the science.
Its personal choice and that is the way I fly. Everyone can obviously choose their own modus operandi

Please explain to me how your compass will work if your in a area of lets say a large chunk if iron or anything that could interfere with your compass setting, lets suppose you don't calibrate, your compass will not consider these electromagnetic fields if you don't calibrate?

 

[turbodronepilot]

Please explain to me how your compass will work if your in a area of lets say a large chunk if iron or anything that could interfere with your compass setting, lets suppose you don't calibrate, your gps will not consider these electromagnetic fields if you don't calibrate?

That's correct. .if you don't calibrate it won't be effected. ..

 

[Drone Mastery]

Please explain to me how your compass will work if your in a area of lets say a large chunk if iron or anything that could interfere with your compass setting, lets suppose you don't calibrate, your gps will not consider these electromagnetic fields if you don't calibrate?

I guess for me, the thing is Not to give advice on something that we don't know is true... I look at it like, everytime we fly in a different area we are starting with a new machine, you calibrate a new machine.

 

[The Editor]

Please explain to me how your compass will work if your in a area of lets say a large chunk if iron or anything that will change a compass calibration, lets suppose you don't calibrate, your gps will not consider these electromagnetic fields if you don't calibrate?

Firstly GPS does not take anything into account. It is mearly a series of accurate time signals that is interpreted into 3 dimensional positional data. So the GPS doesn't care if you are sitting on top of an electromagnet or not.
My flying practice is simple. I ALWAYS check my mod values prior to EVERY take off. If they are not within spec, I do not fly from that spot. I move somewhere else (maybe a few feet away) and launch from there. I certinately do not recalibrate at that spot just to be able to take off.

 

[Drone Mastery]

That's correct. .if you don't calibrate it won't be effected. ..

Not true! If there is enough interference it will affect your compass.... Regardless if you calibrate it or not..... and as of my last question i meant to say compass rater then gps....

 

[The Editor]

I guess for me, the thing is Not to give advice on something that we don't know is true... I look at it like, everytime we fly in a different area we are starting with a new machine, you calibrate a new machine.

That's fine and I totally respect that.
My 'advice' comes from many hundred hours flying differing platforms in different locations and following my practice NEVER having an issue.
I am also CAA certified and fly commercially and my pre flight procedure appears in my ops manual lodged with the CAA.
It's my method and it works for me
Everybody is free to make up their own mind and I totally respect that.

 

[turbodronepilot]

Firstly GPS does not take anything into account. It is mearly a series of accurate time signals that is interpreted into 3 dimensional positional data. So the GPS doesn't care if you are sitting on top of an electromagnet or not.
My flying practice is simple. I ALWAYS check my mod values prior to EVERY take off. If they are not within spec, I do not fly from that spot. I move somewhere else (maybe a few feet away) and launch from there. I certinately do not recalibrate at that spot just to be able to take off.

Would you explain how pilots are having issues on their 2nd or 3rd batteries when they didn't calibrate? ?

 

[Drone Mastery]

That's fine and I totally respect that.
My 'advice' comes from many hundred hours flying differing platforms in different locations and following my practice NEVER having an issue.
I am also CAA certified and fly commercially and my pre flight procedure appears in my ops manual lodged with the CAA.
It's my method and it works for me
Everybody is free to make up their own mind and I totally respect that.

I know we all try to give the best advice, and as of now we don't know the facts. I believe we are all here to try and help ourselfs and others. So I understand that you are trying to give others good advice and i respect that... Happy flying to all

 

[turbodronepilot]

I think he was referring to me editor. .
like I said i am always evolving. .
We work together on this site to figure out problems and find solutions. .
Through this process I believe we have narrowed down what works and what doesn't.
You can choose to listen or not..
we all have opinions and ideas. .
some are true and some are not but these opinions are in an effort to help out the pilots who want to be on the cutting edge of information and have a good experience. .
Ive spent many hours talking with many pilots about this issue and as we learn things change. .
if you don't say anything then you can't say anything wrong ,but don't thrash me because I'm willing to stick my neck out to help others have a better experience. ..
turb...

 

[Drone Mastery]

I think he was referring to me editor. .
like I said i am always evolving. .
We work together on this site to figure out problems and find solutions. .
Through this process I believe we have narrowed down what works and what doesn't.
You can choose to listen or not..
we all have opinions and ideas. .
some are true and some are not but these opinions are in an effort to help out the pilots who want to be on the cutting edge of information and have a good experience. .
Ive spent many hours talking with many pilots about this issue and as we learn things change. .
if you don't say anything then you can't say anything wrong ,but don't thrash me because I'm willing to stick my neck out to help others have a better experience. ..
turb...

trashing you? and i was referring to Editor i believe he is trying and you perhaps to give the best advice you can however, you said something that i need to know turbo.... "what works and what doesn't" what doesn't work?

 

[The Editor]

Not true! If there is enough interference it will affect your compass.... Regardless if you calibrate it or not..... and as of my last question i meant to say compass rater then gps....

Ahh...understood re GPS/Compass.
And.....you are absolutely correct - which is my point.
If you are within the influence of something IT WILL affect your compass and the last thing you want to do is then calibrate to take into account that influence. The reason being is that once you take off and are clear of that influence the ONLY thing then acting on the compass is the true flux value for the declination you are flying in. If you had calibrated on the ground your calibration once clear of the ground would be skewed.
Hope that makes sense.

 

[aerialNJ]

I did a compass calibration w/ the last firmware a few flights ago & it's been flying great. I flew it again right after this incident about 10 miles away w/ the rest of the same battery and another one, no problems, did not recalibrate. video feed had a little lag from time to time tho but nothing crazy. Then I flew it again that evening, no problems, still no calibration. If the compass is fine and has no errors there is no need to calibrate every time. Ive driven a hundred miles away with every multi rotor I have owned and never had a problem. I can't see a bad compass calibration making it fly away at full speed like it did. I believe an outside signal was interfering in that location.

 

[The Editor]

I did a compass calibration w/ the last firmware a few flights ago & it's been flying great. I flew it again right after this incident about 10 miles away w/ the rest of the same battery and another one, no problems, did not recalibrate. video feed had a little lag from time to time tho but nothing crazy. Then I flew it again that evening, no problems, still no calibration. If the compass is fine and has no errors there is no need to calibrate every time. Ive driven a hundred miles away with every multi rotor I have owned and never had a problem. I can't see a bad compass calibration making it fly away at full speed like it did. I believe an outside signal was interfering in that location.

But look at your horizon in the video. This is classic compass related symptoms. If RC interference had affected your flight and caused the Inspire to fly off, the gimbal would still operate correctly and maintain horizon level. In your video the horizon goes from left to right tilt with the rotational movement of the aircraft.
This (in my humble opinion) is compass related and a form of integral wind up of compass induced error.
Did you happen to note your mod values prior to take off on this flight?