DJI FPV – How to Take Off and Land (Step-by-Step Guide)

So, you finally got your DJI FPV drone and are trying to figure out how it works, or you’ve fancied this drone for a while and would like to know how it operates. Either way, knowing how the DJI FPV takes off and lands is the first step to safely flying the drone.

You can take off and land the DJI FPV manually using the Remote Controller, or using the RTH (Return-to-Home) and automatic landing features.

With the controller, you need to push the left stick up to take off and down to land it.

But when using the motion Controller, initiating RTH and allowing the drone to land itself is the best option.

Please keep reading to learn more about how the DJI FPV works.

How to take off the DJI FPV #

There are two ways you can control the DJI FPV drone:

• The Remote Controller
• Motion Controller

1. The Controller #

Just like any other drone, the DJI FPV comes with a controller. So, before we take off, let’s first learn how to set up.

Connecting the Drone to The Controller #

To link the drone to the controller, follow these steps:

1. Power on the goggles by pressing once, then press and hold.
2. Do the same for the controller.
3. Then, press the drone’s power button for 5 seconds until you hear a beep.
4. After this, there will be a blinking sequence, and the drone’s LEDs will be Yellow.
5. Next, press the power button on the controller for 5 seconds until you hear beeps, and you’ll see the LEDs blinking.
6. When the blinking stops and turns to a solid color, and the controller and drone show battery levels, these two devices have been linked.

Taking Off #

Now let’s launch the drone into the air.

1. Press the power button once to check the controller’s battery level, and press it and hold to power it on.
2. Check the drone’s battery level by pressing it once, then press and hold to power on.
3. Do the same for the goggles by pressing the power button once, then a second time to power it on.
4. Before taking off, set the remote controller to N (Normal) Mode.
5. Fit the goggles, and adjust the interpupillary distance using the buttons at the bottom of the goggles. Doing this lets you set the goggles to a view that’s comfortable for you. You can also get corrective lenses if you use glasses.
6. Check the screen on the goggles. Ensure the GPS signal strength is strong and you are not getting any errors.
7. To fire up the motors on the drone, push both sticks inwards and downwards.
8. Once they start rotating, push the left stick upwards to make the drone take off and increase in altitude. You can use the same button to bring the drone down by pushing the stick down, or yaw to the left or right by pushing the stick left and right.
9. You can use the right stick to pitch forward or backward by pressing it up or down or rolling the drone to the left or the right by pushing the stick left and right.

2. The Motion Controller #

The motion controller is another fantastic and fun way to fly the DJI FPV. It mimics your hand and wrist movements, allowing you to control the drone by just moving your hand. Below is how you can take off and fly using the Motion Controller.

1. Make sure your goggles are using the latest firmware by connecting your smartphone to the goggles and accessing the DJI Fly App. The Motion Controller also has a USB port to update the firmware when necessary, or to charge the Motion Controller.
2. To connect the motion controller to the drone, switch them on. Press the power button on the drone for 5 seconds until you hear a beep, and do the same for the controller. Then, give them up to 30 seconds to connect.
3. There are four main buttons on the motion controller; the power button on the right, a large break button next to the power button, and a red button and a grey button on the left.
4. The red button engages the drone’s motors and makes it take off and land. The grey button allows you to switch between Normal and Sport Mode.
5. On the left, there’s the gimbal button and the Shutter button that allows you to take photos or switch between taking photos and recording video.
6. At the front, there’s the accelerator. The more you press the accelerator, the faster the drone will move.
7. To take off with the motion controller, double press the lock button (the red button) to arm the motors. Then, press and hold that same button to take off.
8. Once it’s up, use the accelerator button for cruising, and move your wrist to turn the drone in different directions. For instance, to move down, tilt the controller down, to move right, tilt it to the right, and so on.

How to land the DJI FPV #

After enjoying your flight, or if you need to land due to an emergency, below are the ways you can land the DJI FPV.

How to land using the Remote Controller #

1. When you need to land, press the RTH button, and the drone will fly back to the home point. This point can be set after the drone takes off.
2. Make sure the drone is in N mode when using the RTH.
3. On the goggles screen, you will be able to monitor the home point, shown by an H and an arrow pointing down.
4. You can also switch off the RTH mode by pressing the Pause flight button once.
5. But as long as the route to RTH has no obstacles, and you made sure to remember the home point, the drone should effectively land itself.
6. If you want to land it manually, bring the drone above the landing pad or above your arm, then bring it down gradually by pushing the left stick downwards until it lands. Once it lands, keep pressing the left stick down to disarm the motors.

How to land the DJI FPV using the Motion Controller #

While flying using the motion controller is fun and intuitive, it’s not always precise, especially when landing. Since you can’t really control every aspect of landing with this control method, you will have to rely on Return-To-Home and auto land features.

1. To initiate landing with RTH, press the Break button, and the drone will hover.
2. Then press it again to activate RTH. Ensure you monitor the Home Point since it may change due to GPS inaccuracies.
3. To initiate automatic landing, while the drone is hovering above the landing position, press and hold the Lock Button (the Red button).

FAQ #

Can you fly DJI FPV in Manual Mode with the Motion Controller? #

No, you can’t. Currently, DJI only enables you to fly in Normal Mode and Sport Mode when using the Motion Controller. To fly in Manual Mode, you need the Remote Controller.

Can you hover DJI FPV in Manual Mode? #

Not really. In manual mode, all control is left to you. You will have to stabilize the drone manually. If you leave it to hover, it may drift and crash. The safest mode to keep the DJI FPV in is the Normal Mode. And when you feel like you’ve got the hang of it, you can try the Sport Mode. If you’re a beginner in FPV flying, avoid the Manual Mode.

How hard is it to fly the DJI FPV? #

FPV drones are quite intimidating compared to traditional drones, but DJI did its best to make the DJI FPV as easy to fly as possible. However, it still needs some getting used to. Luckily, you can cruise at slow speeds in the Normal mode as you figure out how everything works.

When should I land my FPV Drone? #

It would help if you landed a drone when the batteries are about 30% (don’t let them get completely depleted). Strong winds, rain, snow, or a connection loss are other reasons to land the drone.

What App Does DJI FPV Use? #

DJI FPV drones use the DJI Fly App.

Can you fly DJI FPV with a Phone? #

You can fly DJI FPV with your phone by transferring the goggles’ footage to the phone’s screen using OTG cables, but a phone isn’t necessary for flying. DJI FPV is designed to work with goggles, hence the name FPV. A phone is best used when updating the firmware.

Conclusion #

Taking off and landing the DJI FPV shouldn’t be that hard. You just have to understand the controls. But taking off and landing is the easy part. Once you have that nailed, you need to practice maneuvering the drone and pulling off stunts.

It would also be great to start with simulators like DJI’s Simulator or a third-party simulator like Liftoff until you’re confident enough to use the actual drone.

These two allow you to use the DJI FPV’s controller and a view similar to that of the goggles.