Drone RTH Logic

RTH is a useful safety feature of DJI’s drones, so we’re going to take an in-depth look at what it is and how it works. It is a feature that is seriously worth paying attention to because one day it might save your drone and your wallet from breaking.

Applicable Products:Camera Drones

Refer to the video below for the Smart RTH feature:

DJI Mavic Series

DJI Mavic 4 Pro

RTH process

The aircraft is equipped with an automatic Return to Home function, which can be triggered by user proactively, low battery, or loss of control trigger (transmission signal lost). When the aircraft successfully records the Home Point and the positioning service is good, upon triggering Return to Home the aircraft will automatically return to the Home Point and land.

User proactively triggers RTH

During flight, press and hold the remote controller RTH Button, or click the Return to Home icon on the left side of the camera view in the DJI Fly App, in the pop-up interface, press and hold the Return to Home icon to trigger Return to Home.

Low battery triggers RTH

During flight, if the aircraft determines that the current battery level is only sufficient to complete the Return to Home process, the DJI Fly App will prompt you to execute Return to Home, click If confirmation is not made or a choice is not timely, the aircraft will automatically enter low battery Return to Home.

If the low battery Return to Home alert is canceled and flight continues, when the battery is only sufficient for landing, the aircraft will forcibly descend and cannot be canceled.

During the forced descent, the aircraft can be moved horizontally using the pitch stick and roll stick, and the descent speed can be controlled using the throttle stick. Please choose a suitable location for landing as soon as possible.

FailSafe RTH Trigger

After the signal lost behavior is modified to RTH, FailSafe RTH will be initiated when the signal of the remote controller is lost during flight.

When the environment and lighting are good, meeting the working conditions of the Vision System, the DJI Fly App will display the planned Return to Home path of the aircraft before the signal interruption for reference. The aircraft will return according to the set Return to Home route using the Advanced RTH process.

When the environment and lighting are favorable, meeting the working conditions of the Vision System, the DJI Fly App will display the aircraft's planned route before signal interruption for reference of the Return to Home path. The aircraft will return home according to the set Return to Home route using the Advanced RTH process.

Return to Home process

If the remote controller signal is restored, the aircraft will continue to execute Return to Home, and the app will update the planned RTH route.

When the environment or lighting does not meet the working conditions of the Vision System, the aircraft will stop and then execute the following Original Route RTH process:

• If the Return to Home distance (horizontal distance between the aircraft and the Home Point) >50 m, the aircraft adjusts the nose direction towards the return flight direction, then flies 50 m in reverse along the historical flight path, and subsequently enters Altitude Stabilization RTH.

• If the Return to Home distance is between 5-50 m, the aircraft will fly back to the Home Point in a straight line at the current altitude.

• If the Return to Home distance ≤5 m, the aircraft will land immediately.

Advanced RTH

When Advanced RTH is triggered, the aircraft will automatically plan the optimal RTH route for Advanced RTH.

The planned route will be displayed on the DJI Fly map and will be adjusted in real-time according to the environment. During the Return to Home process, the aircraft will intelligently adjust its speed based on the environment (wind speed and direction, obstacles, etc.).

During the Return to Home process, if the communication signal between the remote controller and the aircraft is good, short press the RTH Button on the remote controller or click [X] on the camera view in the DJI Fly App to exit Return to Home. After exiting RTH, you can regain control of the device.

DJI Mavic 3/Mavic 3 Classic/DJI Mavic 3 Pro

Advanced RTH is enabled if the lighting is sufficient and the environment is suitable for vision systems when Smart RTH triggered. The aircraft will automatically plan the best RTH path, which will be displayed in DJI Fly and will adjust according to the environment.

RTH Settings

RTH settings are available for Advanced RTH. Go the camera view in DJI Fly, tap System, Safety, and then RTH.

1. Optimal: Regardless of the RTH Altitude settings, the aircraft automatically plans the optimal RTH path and adjusts the altitude according to environmental factors such as obstacles and transmission signals. The optimal RTH path means the aircraft will travel the shortest distance possible reducing the amount of battery power used and increasing flight time.

2. Preset: When the aircraft is further than 50 m from the home point when RTH begins, the aircraft will plan the RTH path, fly to an open area while avoiding obstacles, ascend to the RTH Altitude, and return to home using the best path. When the aircraft is a distance of 5 to 50 m from the home point when RTH begins, the aircraft will not ascend to the RTH Altitude and instead return to home using the best path at the current altitude. When the aircraft is near the home point, the aircraft will descend while flying forward if the current altitude is higher than the RTH Altitude.

Advanced RTH Procedure

1. The Home Point is recorded.

2. Advanced RTH is triggered.

3. The aircraft brakes and hover in place.

a. The aircraft lands immediately if it is less than 5 m from the Home Point when RTH begins.

b. If the aircraft is farther than 5 m from the home point when RTH begins, the aircraft will plan the best path according to the RTH settings and fly to the home point while avoiding obstacles and GEO zones. The aircraft front will always point in the same direction as the flight direction.

4. The aircraft will fly automatically according to the RTH settings, environment, and the transmission signal during RTH.

5. The aircraft lands and the motors stop after reaching the Home Point.

The aircraft will enter Straight Line RTH when the lighting is not sufficient and the environment is not suitable for the Advanced RTH.

Straight Line RTH Procedure:

1. The Home Point is recorded.

2. Straight Line RTH is triggered.

3. The aircraft brakes and hover in place.

a. If the aircraft is farther than 50 m from the Home Point when RTH begins, the aircraft adjusts its orientation and ascends to the preset RTH altitude and flies to the Home Point. If the current altitude is higher than the RTH altitude, the aircraft flies to the Home Point at the current altitude.

b. If the aircraft is at a distance of 5 to 50 m from the Home Point when RTH begins, the aircraft adjusts its orientation and flies to the Home Point at the current altitude. If the current altitude is lower than 2 m when RTH begins, the aircraft will ascend to 2 m and files to the Home Point.

c. The aircraft lands immediately if it is less than 5 m from the Home Point when RTH begins.

4. The aircraft lands and the motors stop after reaching the Home Point.

Failsafe RTH

If the Home Point was successfully recorded and the compass is functioning normally, Failsafe RTH automatically activates after the remote controller signal is lost for more than six seconds. Note that the action the aircraft performs when the remote controller is lost must be set to Return to Home in DJI Fly. When the lighting is sufficient and the vision systems are working normally, DJI Fly will display the RTH path that was generated by the aircraft before the remote controller signal was lost and return to home using Advanced RTH according to the RTH settings. The aircraft will remain in RTH even if the remote controller signal is restored. When the lighting is not sufficient and the vision systems are not available, the aircraft will enter Original Route RTH.

Original Route RTH Procedure:

1. The aircraft brakes and hover in place.

2. a. If the aircraft is farther than 50m from the Home Point, the aircraft adjust its orientation and flies backwards for 50 m on its original flight route before entering Straight Line RTH.

b. If the aircraft is farther than 5m but less than 50m from the Home Point, it enters Straight Line RTH.

c. The aircraft lands immediately if it is less than 5m from the Home Point when RTH begins.

3. The aircraft lands and the motors stop after reaching the Home Point. The aircraft will enter or remain in Straight Line RTH even if the remote controller signal is restored during Original Route RTH

Mavic 2

If the aircraft is further than 20m from the Home Point when the RTH procedure begins: it will ascend to the preset RTH altitude (with at least 2 m of the altitude above ground) and then fly to the Home Point at a speed of 12 m/s. Forward and backward vision systems will be enabled. If the current altitude is higher than the RTH altitude, the aircraft will fly to the Home Point at the current altitude.

When the aircraft is between 5m and 20m from the Home Point when the RTH procedure begins, if the RTH at Current Altitude option is enabled in the DJI GO 4 app and the aircraft flies to the Home Point at the current altitude, unless the current altitude is less than 2 m, in which case the aircraft will ascend to 2 m and then fly to the Home Point at a speed of 3 m/s. Forward and Backward vision systems are enabled. If the RTH at Current Altitude option is disabled, the aircraft will land immediately.

If the aircraft is less than 5 m from the Home Point when the RTH procedure begins, It will immediately.
* The default RTH altitude of Mavic 2 is 20 m.

Mavic Pro/Mavic Pro Platinum

If the aircraft is further than 20 m from the Home Point: the aircraft will ascend to the RTH altitude and return to the Home Point.
When the aircraft is between 5 m and 20 m from the Home Point, If the forward vision system is functioning normally, the aircraft will ascend to 10 m and return to the Home Point.
(If the altitude is higher than 10 m, return to the Home Point at current altitude).
If the forward vision system is disabled, the aircraft will land immediately.
When the aircraft is less than 5 m from the Home Point, the aircraft will land immediately.
* The default RTH altitude of Mavic Pro is 20 m.

DJI Flip/DJI Neo

When using DJI Flip/DJI Neo with a remote controller, the Smart Return to Home (RTH) function can be enabled. There is only landing function due to critically low battery and no Smart RTH option if DJI Neo is controlled via Wi-Fi or without a controller.

User proactively triggers RTH:

Press and hold the mode button on the motion controller or the RTH button on the remote controller to start RTH. The device will return to the latest recorded home point. During RTH process, press the lock button on the motion controller or the flight pause button on the remote controller to cancel RTH. After exiting RTH, users can regain control of the device.

Low battery triggers RTH:

If the current battery level is only enough to complete an RTH flight, a warning prompt will appear in DJI Fly to remind the user of returning to the Home Point. RTH can be cancelled during the process. If the user ignores the warning and continues to fly the device, the battery level may be not enough for the device to land safely, which may lead to the device crashing or being lost. If the battery level is enough for landing only, the device will descend compulsorily. This process cannot be cancelled. During the descent, it is able to control the horizontal orientation via a controller.

[RTH Logic]

1. The Home Point is recorded.

2. RTH is triggered (by a user controller operation, device low battery, or signal lost).

3. Based on varying RTH distances (the horizontal distance between the device’s current position and the Home Point), the device displays different behaviors:

• If the device is no more than 5 m from the Home Point, it lands immediately.

• If the distance is more than 5 m but no more than 20 m, the device flies to the Home Point in a straight line at the current altitude. (If the height of the device is less than 2 m to the ground, it will ascend to 2 m, and then fly to the Home Point in a straight line.)

• If the device is further than 20 m from the Home Point when RTH begins, it will ascend to the set RTH altitude. The device flies to the Home Point at the current altitude if the set RTH altitude is lower than the current altitude.

The device will land after reaching the Home Point automatically.

FailSafe RTH (remote controller signal lost or video transmission signal lost):

After the signal lost behavior is modified to RTH, FailSafe RTH will be initiated when the signal of the controller or video transmission is lost during flight. First, the device will fly backwards for 20 m on its original flight route before entering Straight Line RTH. During Failsafe RTH, if the signal of the controller is restored, the device will enter Smart RTH.

DJI Air Series

DJI Air 3S

User-Initiated Return
During flight, press and hold the smart return button on the remote controller, or tap the return icon on the left side of the DJI Fly App flight interface. In the pop-up interface, press and hold the return icon to trigger the return.

Low Battery Return
During flight, if the aircraft determines that the current battery level is only sufficient to complete the return process, the DJI Fly App will prompt you to execute the return. Whether you click confirm or do not make a timely choice, the aircraft will automatically enter low battery return mode.

If you cancel the low battery return alert and continue flying, when the battery level is only sufficient for landing, the aircraft will force a descent, which cannot be canceled.

During forced descent, you can control the horizontal movement of the aircraft using the pitch and roll sticks, and control the descent speed using the throttle stick. Please quickly choose a suitable location to land.
• When the smart flight battery is critically low and there is not enough power to return, you should land the aircraft as soon as possible. Otherwise, the aircraft will fall directly when the power is exhausted, causing damage or other dangers.

• During forced descent, do not continuously push the throttle stick up to keep the aircraft hovering for a long time. Otherwise, when the aircraft's power is completely exhausted, it will fall directly.

Return-to-Home Triggered by Signal Loss
If the aircraft is set to return home when it loses connection, during flight, if the remote control signal is lost, the aircraft will initiate a return-to-home procedure. When the environment and lighting conditions are good and meet the requirements of the vision system, the DJI Fly App will display the planned return path of the aircraft before the signal was interrupted for reference. The aircraft will return home using the advanced intelligent return process based on the set return route. If the remote control signal is restored during the return process, the aircraft will continue to execute the return, and the app will update the planned return path.

When the environment and lighting conditions do not meet the vision system's working requirements, the aircraft will stop and then execute the following original route return process:
• When the return distance (the horizontal distance between the aircraft and the return point) is >50 m, the aircraft will adjust its heading towards the return flight direction, then fly 50 m in reverse along the historical flight path, and then ascend to the set return altitude.
• When the return distance is between 5-50 m, the aircraft will fly back to the return point in a straight line at the current altitude.
• When the return distance is ≤5 m, the aircraft will land directly.

DJI Air 3

When Advanced RTH is triggered, the aircraft will automatically plan the best RTH path, which will be displayed in DJI Fly and will adjust according to the environment. If the control signal between the remote controller and the aircraft is good, exit RTH by tapping in DJI Fly or by pressing the RTH button on the remote controller. After exiting RTH, users will regain control of the aircraft.

Trigger Method

• The user actively triggers RTH Advanced RTH can be initiated either by tapping in DJI Fly or by pressing and holding the RTH button on the remote controller until it beeps.

• Aircraft low battery When the Intelligent Flight Battery level is too low and there is not enough power to return home, land the aircraft as soon as possible.

To avoid unnecessary danger caused by insufficient power, the aircraft automatically calculates if the battery power is sufficient to return to the Home Point according to the current position, environment, and flight speed. A warning prompt will appear in DJI Fly when the battery level is low and only enough to complete an RTH flight. The aircraft will automatically fly to the Home Point if no action is taken after a countdown.

The user can cancel RTH by pressing the RTH button on the remote controller. If RTH is canceled following the warning, the Intelligent Battery may not have enough power for the aircraft to land safely, which may lead to the aircraft crashing or being lost.

The aircraft will land automatically if the current battery level can only support the aircraft long enough to descend from its current altitude. Auto landing cannot be canceled, but the remote controller can be used to control the horizontal movement and the descent speed of the aircraft during landing. If there is sufficient power, the throttle stick can be used to make the aircraft ascend at a speed of 1 m/s.

During auto landing, move the aircraft horizontally to find an appropriate place to land as soon as possible. The aircraft will fall if the user keeps pushing the throttle stick upward until the power is depleted.

Loss of remote controller signal

The action of the aircraft when the remote controller signal is lost can be set to RTH, land, or hover in Setting >Safety > Advanced Safety Settings in DJI Fly. If the action is set to RTH, the Home Point was successfully recorded and the compass is functioning normally, Failsafe RTH automatically activates after the remote controller signal is lost for more than six seconds.

When the lighting is sufficient and the environment is suitable for the vision systems to work normally, DJI Fly will display the RTH path that was generated by the aircraft before the remote controller signal was lost. The aircraft will start RTH using Advanced RTH according to the RTH settings. The aircraft will remain in RTH even if the remote controller signal is restored. DJI Fly will update the RTH path accordingly.

When the lighting is not sufficient or the environment is not suitable for the vision systems to work normally, the aircraft will enter Original Route RTH. The aircraft will enter or remain in Preset RTH if the remote controller signal is restored during RTH. The Original Route RTH procedure is as follows:

1. The aircraft brakes and hovers in place.

2. When RTH begins:

• If the RTH distance (the horizontal distance between the aircraft and the Home Point) is farther than 50 m, the aircraft adjusts its orientation and flies backward for 50 m on its original flight route before entering Preset RTH.

• If the RTH distance is farther than 5 m but less than 50 m, it adjusts its orientation and flies to the Home Point in a straight line at the current altitude.

• The aircraft lands immediately if the RTH distance is less than 5 m.

3. The aircraft begins to land when it reaches above the Home Point.

DJI Air 2S

Smart RTH includes Straight Line RTH and Power Saving RTH. Power Saving RTH will be triggered only when certain conditions are met:

Straight Line RTH:

If the aircraft is farther than 50 m from the Home Point when RTH begins, it will adjust its orientation and ascend to the preset RTH altitude and fly to the Home Point. If the current altitude is higher than the RTH altitude, the aircraft will fly to the Home Point at the current altitude.

If the aircraft is at a distance of 5 m to 50 m from the Home Point when RTH begins, it will adjust its orientation and fly to the Home Point at the current altitude (If the aircraft altitude (attitude above the ground rather than the relative altitude) is less than 2 m, the aircraft will ascend to 2 m first.)

If the aircraft is less than 5 m from the Home Point when RTH begins, the aircraft will land immediately.

Power Saving RTH (which will be triggered only when conditions are met):

During Straight Line RTH, if the aircraft is further than 480 m and the altitude is more than 90 m higher than the RTH altitude as well as more than 290 m higher than the Home Point, a prompt appears in DJI Fly asking the user if they wish to enter Return to Home and Land in order to save power. After selecting Return to Home and Land, the aircraft calculates the best angle (14° horizontally) and then flies to the Home Point. When the aircraft reaches 200 m above the Home Point or the RTH altitude, it will land and the motors will stop.

The aircraft exits from Return to Home and Land and enter Straight Line RTH if the pitch stick is pulled backward, the remote controller signal is lost, or the Vision Systems become unavailable.

Failsafe RTH:
Preconditions: The GPS signal is strong, the compass is functioning normally, and the Home Point was successfully recorded (All of these conditions must be met. Otherwise, the aircraft is unable to return to the Home Point).
Failsafe RTH automatically activates after the remote controller signal is lost for more than 6 seconds. The aircraft will fly backwards for 50 m on its original flight route and enter Straight Line RTH (Please refer to related contents for Smart RTH). The aircraft enters Straight Line RTH if the remote controller signal is restored during FailSafe RTH.

After flying backwards for 50 m:
1. If the aircraft is less than 50 m from the Home Point, it will fly back to the Home Point at the current altitude.
2. If the aircraft is farther than 50 m from the Home Point and the current altitude is higher than the preset RTH altitude, it will fly back to the Home Point at the current altitude. Otherwise, the aircraft will ascend to the preset RTH altitude and enter Straight Line RTH.
* Small tips: The aircraft will fly backwards on its original flight route only when it is farther than 50 m from the Home Point. If the aircraft has been farther than 50 m from the Home Point before flying backwards for 50 m, the aircraft will stop flying backwards and enter Straight Line RTH.

Mavic Air 2

Smart RTH includes Straight Line RTH and Power Saving RTH. Power Saving RTH will be triggered only when certain conditions are met:

Straight Line RTH:
If the aircraft is farther than 50 m from the Home Point when RTH begins, it will adjust its orientation and ascend to the preset RTH altitude and fly to the Home Point. If the current altitude is higher than the RTH altitude, the aircraft will fly to the Home Point at the current altitude.
If the aircraft is at a distance of 5 m to 50 m from the Home Point when RTH begins, it will adjust its orientation and fly to the Home Point at the current altitude (If the aircraft altitude (attitude above the ground rather than the relative altitude) is less than 2 m, the aircraft will ascend to 2 m first.)
If the aircraft is less than 5 m from the Home Point when RTH begins, the aircraft will land immediately.

Power Saving RTH (which will be triggered only when conditions are met):
During Straight Line RTH, if the aircraft is further than 400 m and the altitude is more than 90 m higher than the RTH altitude as well as more than 290 m higher than the Home Point, a prompt appears in DJI Fly asking the user if they wish to enter Return to Home and Land in order to save power. After selecting Return to Home and Land, the aircraft calculates the best angle (16.7° horizontally) and then flies to the Home Point. When the aircraft reaches 200 m above the Home Point or the RTH altitude, it will land and the motors will stop.
The aircraft exits from Return to Home and Land and enter Straight Line RTH if the pitch stick is pulled backward, the remote controller signal is lost, or the Vision Systems become unavailable.
* When Mavic Air 2 firmware is updated to v01.00.0460, if the user does not set the RTH altitude, the default RTH altitude of 100 m will be used.

Failsafe RTH:
Preconditions: The GPS signal is strong, the compass is functioning normally, and the Home Point was successfully recorded (All of these conditions must be met. Otherwise, the aircraft is unable to return to the Home Point).
Failsafe RTH automatically activates after the remote controller signal is lost for more than 11 seconds. The aircraft will fly backwards for 50 m on its original flight route and enter Straight Line RTH (Please refer to related contents for Smart RTH). The aircraft enters Straight Line RTH if the remote controller signal is restored during FailSafe RTH.

After flying backwards for 50m:
1. If the aircraft is less than 50m from the Home Point, it will fly back to the Home Point at the current altitude.
2. If the aircraft is farther than 50m from the Home Point and the current altitude is higher than the preset RTH altitude, it will fly back to the Home Point at the current altitude. Otherwise, the aircraft will ascend to the preset RTH altitude and enter Straight Line RTH.
* Small tips: The aircraft will fly backwards on its original flight route only when it is farther than 50 m from the Home Point. If the aircraft has been farther than 50 m from the Home Point before flying backwards for 50 m, the aircraft will stop flying backwards and enter Straight Line RTH.

Mavic Air

If the aircraft is further than 20 m from the Home Point when the RTH procedure begins, it will ascend to the preset RTH altitude (at least 3 m above ground) and then fly to the Home Point at a speed of 8 m/s. Forward and backward vision systems will be enabled. If the current altitude is higher than the RTH altitude, the aircraft will fly to the Home Point at the current altitude.
If the aircraft is between 5 m and 20 m from the Home Point, it will fly to the Home Point at the current altitude, unless the current altitude is less than 2.5 m, in which case, the aircraft will ascend to 2.5 m and then fly to the Home Point at a speed of 3 m/s. Forward and Backward vision systems are enabled.
If the aircraft is less than 5 m from the Home Point when the RTH procedure begins, it will land immediately.
* The default RTH altitude of the aircraft is 20 m.

DJI Avata Series

DJI Avata 2

RTH Procedure

1. The Home Point is recorded.

2. RTH is triggered.

3. When RTH begins, the RTH procedure varies according to different RTH distances (the horizontal distance between the aircraft and the Home Point):

a. The aircraft lands immediately if the RTH distance is less than 5 m.

b. If the RTH distance is farther than 5 m but less than 20 m, it flies to the Home Point in a straight line at the current altitude.

c. If RTH distance is farther than 20 m, it ascends to the RTH altitude and flies back to the Home Point. The aircraft flies to the Home Point at the current altitude if the RTH altitude is lower than the current altitude.
4. The aircraft begins to land when it reaches the spot above the Home Point.

Landing Protection

Landing Protection activates during RTH and auto landing.

1. During Landing Protection, the aircraft will automatically detect and carefully land on suitable ground.

2. If the ground is determined unsuitable for landing, the aircraft will hover and wait for pilot confirmation.

3. If Landing Protection is not operational, the goggles will display a landing prompt when the aircraft descends to 0.25 m. Press and hold the lock button on the motion controller and the aircraft will land.

Loss of remote control or video transmission signal（FailSafe RTH is triggered if the signal is disconnected for 3.5s.）

When the remote control signal or video transmission signal is lost, the aircraft will automatically initiate Failsafe RTH if the Signal Lost Action is set to RTH.

The aircraft will fly backwards 50 m along its original flight route and then perform the RTH procedure. The aircraft will directly perform the RTH procedure if the signal is restored when flying backward along the original flight route.

DJI Avata

RTH (Straight Line)

1. The Home Point is recorded automatically.

2. RTH is triggered (with the remote controller or due to a low battery level of the aircraft of or RC signal is lost).

3. If the aircraft is less than 5 m from the Home Point when RTH begins, it lands immediately. If the aircraft is more than 5 m and less than 50 m from the Home Point when RTH begins, it will return home at the current altitude with a maximum horizontal speed of 3 m/s.

If the aircraft is further than 50 m from the Home Point when RTH begins, it will ascend to the RTH altitude and return home at a horizontal speed of 12 m/s. The aircraft flies to the Home Point at the current altitude if the RTH altitude is lower than the current altitude.

After reaching the Home Point, the aircraft lands and the motors stop.

Low Battery RTH

When the Intelligent Flight Battery level is too low and there is not enough power to return home, land the aircraft as soon as possible. Otherwise, the aircraft will fall when the battery depletes, resulting in the aircraft being damaged and other potential hazards.

In order to avoid unnecessary danger due to insufficient power, DJI Avata aircraft will intelligently determine whether the current battery level is sufficient to return to the Home Point based on the current location. Low Battery RTH is triggered when the Intelligent Flight Battery is depleted to the point that the safe return of the aircraft may be affected.

RTH can be canceled by the remote controller devices. If RTH is canceled following a low battery level warning, the Intelligent Flight Battery may not have enough power for the aircraft to land safely, which may lead to the aircraft being crashed or lost.

The aircraft will land automatically if the current battery level can only support the aircraft long enough to descend from its current altitude. Auto landing cannot be canceled, but the remote controller can be used to alter the direction of the aircraft during the landing process. Pressing the accelerator when using the motion controller during landing can make the aircraft stop descending and fly at the current altitude to adjust the horizontal position. The aircraft will continue to descend after releasing the accelerator is released.

Failsafe RTH

If the GPS signal is strong, the Home Point was successfully recorded and the compass is functioning normally, Failsafe RTH automatically activates after the remote controller signal is lost for more than 3.5 seconds. The aircraft will fly backwards for 50 m on its original flight route and then enter Straight Line RTH. The aircraft enters Straight Line RTH if the remote controller signal is restored during FailSafe RTH.

The response of the aircraft when the wireless signal is lost can be changed in the goggles. The aircraft will not execute FailSafe RTH if land or hover has been selected in the settings.

Other RTH Scenarios

A prompt will appear in the goggles and RTH will be initialized if the video downloaded signal is lost during flight, while the remote control devices can still be used to control the movements of the aircraft.

DJI Mini Series

DJI Mini 5 Pro/DJI Mini 4 Pro

Trigger Method

• The user actively triggers RTH Advanced RTH can be initiated either by tapping in DJI Fly or by pressing and holding the RTH button on the remote controller until it beeps.

• Aircraft low battery When the Intelligent Flight Battery level is too low and there is not enough power to return home, land the aircraft as soon as possible.

You can cancel RTH by pressing the RTH button on the remote controller. If RTH is canceled following the warning, the Intelligent Battery may not have enough power for the aircraft to land safely, which may lead to the aircraft crashing or being lost.

Loss of remote controller signal

1. The aircraft brakes and hovers in place.

2. When RTH begins:

• If the RTH distance is farther than 5 m but less than 50 m, it adjusts its orientation and flies to the Home Point in a straight line at the current altitude.

• The aircraft lands immediately if the RTH distance is less than 5 m.

3. The aircraft begins to land when it reaches above the Home Point.

DJI Mini 2 SE/ DJI Mini 4K

Low Battery RTH

To avoid unnecessary danger due to insufficient power, DJI Mini 2 SE will intelligently determine whether the current battery level is sufficient to return home based on the current location. Low Battery RTH is triggered when the Intelligent Flight Battery is depleted to the point that the safe return of the aircraft may be affected.

The user can cancel RTH by pressing the RTH button on the remote controller. If RTH is cancelled following a low battery level warning, the Intelligent Flight Battery may not have enough power for the aircraft to land safely, which may lead to the aircraft crashing or being lost.

The aircraft will land automatically if the battery level is extremely low. Auto landing cannot be canceled but the remote controller can be used to alter the horizontal movement and the descent speed of the aircraft during landing (the descend speed cannot be adjusted when the battery level can only last long enough to descend from its current altitude).

Other RTH Scenarios

There will be a prompt to initiate RTH if the video link signal is lost during flight while the remote controller is still able to control the movements of the aircraft. RTH can be cancelled.

RTH Procedure (Straight Line)

1. The Home Point is recorded.

2. RTH is triggered.

a. If you press the RTH button when the distance between the drone and the Home point is less than 20 m, the app will pop up a confirmation window asking whether to descend, and the drone will not return to the Home point.

b. If the aircraft is farther than 20 m from the Home Point when RTH begins, it will ascend to the present RTH altitude and return home at a horizontal speed of 10.5 m/s. If the current altitude is higher than the RTH altitude, the aircraft will fly to the Home Point at the current altitude.

4. After reaching the Home Point, the aircraft lands and the motors stop.

Failsafe RTH

In DJI Fly, you can set the action of the aircraft as Return to Home, Land, or Hover when the remote controller signal is lost. If the action was set as Return to Home, and where the Home Point has been recorded, the GPS signal is good, and the compass is functioning normally, Failsafe RTH will automatically activate after the remote controller signal is lost for more than 11 seconds.

The aircraft will fly backward for 50 m on its original flight route and ascend to the present RTH altitude to enter Straight Line RTH. When the aircraft flies backwardF along the original flight route and is less than 20 m from the Home Point, it will stop flying backward on the original flight route and enter Straight Line RTH at the current altitude.

The aircraft will enter or remain in Straight Line RTH if the remote controller signal is restored during RTH.

DJI Mini 3

Low Battery RTH

When the Intelligent Flight Battery level is too low and there is not enough power to return home, land the aircraft as soon as possible. Otherwise, the aircraft will fall when it runs out of power, resulting in the aircraft being damaged and other potential hazards.

To avoid unnecessary danger due to insufficient power, DJI Mini 3 will intelligently determine whether the current battery level is sufficient to return home based on the current location. A warning prompt will appear in DJI Fly when the battery level is low and only enough to complete an RTH flight.

The user can cancel RTH by pressing the RTH button on the remote controller. If RTH is cancelled following a low battery warning, the Intelligent Flight Battery may not have enough power for the aircraft to land safely. As a result, you may crash or lose your aircraft. The aircraft will automatically land if the battery level is extremely low. Auto landing cannot be canceled but the remote controller can be used to alter the horizontal movement and the speed of descent of the aircraft during landing. The aircraft will land automatically if the battery level will only last long enough to directly descend and land from its current altitude. The action cannot be canceled but the remote controller can be used to alter the horizontal movement of the aircraft.

Other RTH Scenarios

There will be a prompt to initiate RTH if the video link signal is lost during flight while the remote controller is still able to control the movements of the aircraft. RTH can be cancelled.

RTH Procedure (Straight Line)

1. The Home Point is recorded.

2. RTH is triggered.

3. If you press the RTH button when the distance between the drone and the Home point is less than 20 m, the app will pop up a confirmation window asking whether to descend, and the drone will not return to the Home point. If the RTH distance is greater than 20 m, the drone will return home at a horizontal speed of 10.5 m/s.

4. After reaching the Home Point, the aircraft lands and the motors stop.

• The aircraft cannot return to the Home Point if the GNSS signal is weak or unavailable. The aircraft may enter ATTI mode if the GNSS signal becomes weak or unavailable after entering Failsafe RTH. The aircraft will hover in place for a while before landing.

• It is important to set a suitable RTH altitude before each flight. Launch DJI Fly and set the RTH altitude. In RTH, if the current altitude of the aircraft is lower than the RTH altitude, it will automatically ascend to the RTH altitude first. If the current altitude of the aircraft reaches or is higher than the RTH altitude, it will fly to the Home Point at its current altitude.

• During RTH, the speed and altitude of the aircraft can be controlled using the remote controller if the remote controller signal is normal. However, the aircraft cannot be shifted leftward or rightward. When the aircraft is ascending or flying forward, push the control stick completely in the opposite direction to exit RTH, and the aircraft will brake and hover.

• GEO zones may affect the RTH. Avoid flying near GEO zones.

• The aircraft may not be able to return to the Home Point when the wind speed is too high. Fly with caution.

Failsafe RTH

The action the aircraft performs once it loses the remote controller signal can be set as Return to Home, Land, or Hover in DJI Fly. If the action was set as Land or Hover, Failsafe RTH will not be activated. If the action was set as Return to Home in advance, and where the Home Point has been recorded, the GNSS signal is good, and the compass is functioning normally, Failsafe RTH will automatically activate once the remote controller signal is lost for more than 11 seconds.

The aircraft will fly backwards for 50 m on its original flight route and ascend to the preset RTH altitude to enter Straight Line RTH. The aircraft enters Straight Line RTH if the remote controller signal is restored during Failsafe RTH. When the aircraft flies backwards along the original flight path and the distance from the Home Point is less than 20 m, the aircraft stops flying backward on the original flight route and enters Straight Line RTH at the current altitude.

DJI Mini 3 Pro

Straight Line RTH

If Smart RTH is initiated by the user, the aircraft will enter Straight Line RTH. Straight Line RTH Procedure:

1. The Home Point is recorded.

2. Smart RTH is triggered.

3. The aircraft brakes and hovers in place:

a. If the aircraft is farther than 50 m from the Home Point when RTH begins, the aircraft will adjust its orientation and ascend to the preset RTH altitude, then fly to the Home Point. If the current altitude is higher than the RTH altitude, the aircraft will fly to the Home Point at the current altitude.

b. If the aircraft is at a distance of 5 to 50 m from the Home Point when RTH begins, the aircraft will adjust its orientation and fly to the Home Point at the current altitude. If the current altitude is less than 2 m when RTH begins, the aircraft will ascend to 2 m and fly back to the Home Point.

c. The aircraft will land immediately if it is less than 5 m from the Home Point when RTH begins.

4. The aircraft will land and the motors stop after reaching the Home Point.

It will return home at a horizontal speed of 10.5 m/s.

Low Battery RTH

Low Battery RTH is triggered when the Intelligent Flight Battery is depleted to the point where the aircraft may not be able to return safely. Return home or land the aircraft immediately when prompted. To avoid unnecessary danger due to insufficient power, DJI Mini 3 Pro will determine whether the current battery level is sufficient for returning home based on the current location. A warning prompt will appear in DJI Fly when the battery level is low and only enough to complete an RTH flight.

The aircraft will land automatically if the current battery level can only support the aircraft long enough to descend from its current altitude. Auto landing cannot be canceled but the remote controller can be used to alter the horizontal movement and the speed of descent of the aircraft during landing. If there is sufficient power, the throttle stick can be used to make the aircraft ascend at a speed of up to 1 m/s.

Failsafe RTH

The action the aircraft performs once it loses the remote controller signal can be set as Return to Home, Land, or Hover in DJI Fly. If the action was set as Return to Home in advance, and where the Home Point has been recorded, the GNSS signal is good, and the compass is functioning normally, Failsafe RTH will automatically activate once the remote controller signal is lost for more than three seconds. If the aircraft is 50 m or less than 50 m from the Home Point when the remote controller signal is lost, it will fly to the Home Point at its current altitude. If the aircraft is more than 50 m from the Home Point when the remote controller signal is lost, it will fly backwards for 50 m on its original flight route, and then enter Straight Line RTH. The aircraft will enter or remain in Straight Line RTH if the remote controller signal is restored during RTH.

After flying backward on the original route for 50 m:

1. If the aircraft is 50 m or less than 50 m from the Home Point, it will fly back to the Home Point at its current altitude.

2. If the aircraft is further than 50 m from the Home Point and the current altitude is higher than the preset RTH altitude, it will fly back to the Home Point at its current altitude.

3. If the aircraft is further than 50 m from the Home Point and the current altitude is lower than the preset RTH altitude, it will ascend to the preset RTH altitude and then fly back to the Home Point.

DJI Mini 2

[RTH Procedure (Straight Line)]
1. The Home Point is recorded. 2. RTH is triggered (with the remote controller or DJI Fly app or due to a low battery level). 3. If the aircraft is less than 20 m from the Home Point when RTH begins, it will hover in place and not return to home (firmware v1.1.0.0 and above is required. Otherwise, the aircraft will land directly). If the aircraft is further than 20 m from the Home Point when RTH begins, it will return home at a horizontal speed of 10.5 m/s. 4. After reaching the Home Point, the aircraft will land.
* After the DJI Mini 2 firmware has been updated to v01.01.0000, the default RTH altitude is 100 m.

Failsafe RTH
If the GPS signal is strong, the compass is functioning normally, and the Home Point was successfully recorded, Failsafe RTH automatically activates after the remote controller signal is lost for more than 11 seconds.

When the firmware is updated to v1.1.0.0 and above, the aircraft will fly backwards for 50 m on its original flight route and ascend to the preset RTH altitude to enter Straight Line RTH. The aircraft enters Straight Line RTH if the remote controller signal is restored during FailSafe RTH.

When the aircraft flies backwards along the original flight path and the distance from the Home Point is less than 20 m, the aircraft stops flying backwards on the original flight route and enters Straight Line RTH at the current altitude.

In DJI Fly, you can change the settings of how the aircraft responds when the remote controller signal is lost. The aircraft will not execute Failsafe RTH if land or hover has been selected in the settings.

Mavic Mini

If the aircraft’s current altitude is lower than the set RTH altitude, the aircraft will ascend to the preset RTH altitude (while ascending, the user can stop the ascent by pushing the throttle stick, and the aircraft will return to the Home Point at the current altitude) and then fly back to the Home Point. If the current altitude is higher than the preset RTH altitude, the aircraft will return to the Home Point at the current altitude in straight line (The throttle stick and the Pitch stick are controllable, but the Yaw stick and Roll stick are not controllable).
After the aircraft returns to the Home Point, it will automatically land and stop motors.
Notes: The logic for Mavic Mini and other products varies. While ascending during its return to home, the aircraft is controllable when the altitude is lower than 20 m.
* The default RTH altitude of the aircraft is 20 m.

Phantom 4 Series

If RTH is triggered when the aircraft is further than 20 m from the Home Point: the aircraft will ascend to the RTH altitude or return to the Home Point at the current altitude (If the current altitude is higher than the RTH altitude).
Ascending logic during the RTH procedure: the user can control the aircraft before the aircraft ascends to 20 m and then cancel the RTH procedure.
The aircraft will stop ascending and immediately return to the Home Point at the current altitude if you move the throttle stick after the aircraft reaches 20 m.
If RTH is triggered when the aircraft flies within a 20 m radius of the Home Point: the aircraft will land immediately.

1. The Home point has been refreshed.
2. If the RTH is triggered when the aircraft is 20 m farther from the Home Point, there is no image transmission RTH (failsafe) effect.
1. Normal RTH: Keep the original RTH logic of the flight controller and execute the Straight Line RTH. The aircraft will when an obstacle is sensed.
2. Safe RTH: There are no image transmission and failsafe scenes. The aircraft will return to the Home Point based on previous flight scenes to improve the possibility of image transmission recovery. Fly the aircraft backwards for 60 seconds. If the remote controller remains disconnected after 60 seconds, perform the RTH procedure.

Principle introduction: The aircraft will record all content seen by the vision system during single power-on and flight and establish its own map information to ensure a safe and unrepeated safe RTH path.

Phantom 3 Series

If RTH is triggered when the aircraft is further than 20 m from the Home Point: the aircraft will ascend to the RTH altitude or return to home at the current altitude (If the current altitude is higher than the RTH altitude). Ascent during RTH: The ascent is automatic until an altitude of 20 m is reached but the RTH procedure can be canceled. Once an altitude of 20 m is reached, when you move the throttle stick, the aircraft will stop ascending and fly to the Home Point at the current altitude. If RTH is triggered when the aircraft is farther than 20 m from the Home Point, the aircraft will land immediately.

To learn more details about Return to Home, you can go to Download Center on the DJI official website, and check “Return to Home " in the User Manual of the corresponding product.

Notes

1. When the lighting is not sufficient for vision systems (e.g. flying at night), the drone cannot avoid obstacles.

2. The drone may enter ATTI mode and automatically land when the GPS signal is poor or lost.

3. GEO zones may affect the RTH. Avoid flying near GEO zones.

4. The drone may not be able to return to the Home Point when the wind speed is too high. Fly with caution.

Tips

1. Please check the surrounding environment, and it is important to set a suitable RTH altitude in the app before each flight. Make sure that the RTH altitude is higher than the surrounding buildings or mountains (RTH altitude is based on the position of recorded Home Point).

2. Please do not continue to fly the drone after canceling the RTH during Low Battery RTH. Otherwise, the aircraft will be forced to land due to critical low battery level.

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