Can DJI Avata Fly Sideways? (Explained for Beginners)

Have you seen those videos where the footage moves horizontally to the left or right?

This camera movement adds depth to your videos, making it more evident that you’re filming a third-dimensional shot.

You can achieve those kinds of takes flying Sideways with the DJI Avata!

Stay with us if you want to learn the step-by-step procedure to fly sideways with Avata. We also cover the reasons to fly sideways, when it’s safe, and other exciting ways to use this feature.

How to fly sideways with DJI Avata #

Flying sideways means the drone will move horizontally.

If you want the drone to move to the right, the Avata needs to maintain a clockwise roll angle. Or, if you want the drone to move to the left, the Avata needs to maintain a counterclockwise roll angle so the recorded video will have the same angle.

HorizonSteady #

This feature stabilizes the recorded image so it looks completely horizontal or leveled. While flying, you won’t notice this difference in the Googles 2 On-Screen Display OSD.

Enabling this feature is quite easy. Here’s how to do it.

1. Put your Goggles 2 on, and pair them with the RC and Avata. Now you will see the Goggles 2 OSD.
2. Find the touch panel on the right side of the Goggles 2.
3. Swipe your finger forward on the touch panel to access the Menu.
4. Swipe your finger down from the top edge of the touch panel to highlight the Settings option and tap it.
5. Swipe your finger down from the top edge of the touch panel to highlight the Camera option and tap it.
6. Swipe your finger down from the top edge of the touch panel to highlight the EIS option and tap it.
7. Then choose HorizonSteady. If it was enabled, leave it that way.
8. Swipe your finger to the rear edge of the touch panel until you are out of the Menu.
9. Once in the Head Tracking icon, tap it to enable it. It must be light yellow.

Motion Controller #

The Motion Controller needs another step before you can use it, as you must enable Head Tracking first.

To enable the Head Tracking function, follow the steps below:

1. Put your Goggles 2 on, and pair them with the RC and Avata. Now you will see the Goggles 2 OSD.
2. Find the touch panel on the right side of the Goggles 2.
3. Swipe your finger down from the top edge of the touch panel to access the shortcut menu.
4. Swipe your finger forward on the touch panel until you highlight the Head Tracking icon.
5. Once on the Head Tracking icon, tap it to enable it. It must be light yellow.

So now we can focus on flying sideways to the right first:

1. Hover your Avata to a safe altitude.
2. Tilt your head to the right.
3. Turn your hand clockwise and press the accelerator gently. The Avata will fly sideways to the right.

If you want to fly sideways to the left:

1. Hover your Avata to a safe altitude.
2. Tilt your head to the left.
3. Turn your hand counterclockwise and press the accelerator gently. The Avata will fly sideways to the left.

FPV Remote Controller 2 in Mode 2 #

In Normal and Sport Modes, you must push the roll to the side you want to fly sideways.

In Manual Mode, you must constantly adjust the throttle to avoid losing height. Also, you must control the roll angle, or your Avata will turn over aggressively, losing control.

We advise avoiding flying sideways in Manual Mode as it’s an assured loss of control.

So, to fly sideways with the FPV RC 2 to the right:

1. Hover your Avata to a safe altitude.
2. Push the right stick to the right. The Avata will roll slightly clockwise, flying sideways to the right.

And to fly sideways to the left:

1. Hover your Avata to a safe altitude.
2. Push the right and stick to the left. The Avata will roll slightly counterclockwise, flying sideways to the right.

Why should I fly sideways? #

The best way to fly sideways is to do it slowly at a high frame rate. This motion gives the video a beautiful, smooth vibe that immerses the viewer.

The best camera parameters to achieve this kind of cinematic is with the 2.7K at 120FPS. You can play it back in slow motion, adding a more dramatic feel to the shot.

We recommend you only fly Sideways in Normal Mode.

Then you won’t have to control the throttle to maintain the Avata altitude, and you will have more time to press the Brake button when finding an obstacle.

Is it safe to fly sideways with the DJI Avata? #

Avata lacks obstacle avoidance sensors like Mavic 3. It won’t stop to auto-maneuver to avoid the obstacle.

Plus, you won’t be able to spot the obstacles on the sides quickly as the camera can’t turn to the left or right, just up or down.

The only Avata lifeguard is the propeller guard. It’s sturdy enough to withstand crashing into a wall or trees at low speed.

So, if this undesirable situation happens and your Avata falls upside down, you can always use the turtle mode to recover it and take off.

The above reasons are more than enough to only fly in obstacle-free areas. You can also study your flight path first, understanding its risks and possible collision spots.

That way, you’ll have plenty of time to press the Brake button, making the Avata immediately stops and hover in place.

Also, avoid using the Head Tracking with the Motion Controller to fly sideways in closed or full of obstacles areas.

This combo tends to make you feel vertigo, which means potentially losing the awareness that leads to Avata’s loss of control.

Orbiting a target with the Motion Controller #

If flying sideways wasn’t interesting enough, you can combine the Motion Controller with the Head Tracking feature to orbit a target. It gives you the feeling of flying sideways in a circular motion.

First of all, only orbit static objects such as vegetation or a lamppost. Avata lacks collision avoidance sensors and the Intelligent Flight Orbit mode, making it dangerous to perform this maneuver.

To perform an orbit with the DJI Avata, follow the steps below:

1. With your Avata, Motion Controller, and Google 2 paired, enable the Head Tracking feature.
2. Hover your Avata to a safe altitude and distance from the target. The camera must be looking at the target.
3. With the Goggles 2, look at the target your want to orbit. The cross icon must be fixed in the target.
4. Turn your hand clockwise and press the accelerator gently to orbit the target from the right side.
5. Start tilting your head to the left gently. The circle with a white contour must be on the upper right-side edge of the Goggles 2 OSD.
6. Or, turn your hand counterclockwise and press the accelerator gently to orbit the target from the left side.
7. Start tilting your head to the left gently. The circle with a white contour must be on the upper left-side edge of the Goggles 2 OSD.

These steps are easy, but achieving this maneuver to perfection requires practice.

Start in Normal Mode to gain confidence. When you get to be a Normal Mode pro orbiter, then change to Sport Mode to orbit the target faster.