Flight Modes¶
This article provides an overview and links to the available flight modes for Copter.
Overview¶
Copter has 20 flight built-in flight modes, 10 of which are regularly used. There are modes to support different levels/types of flight stabilization, a sophisticated autopilot, a follow-me system etc.
Flight modes are controlled through the radio (via a transmitter switch), via mission commands, or using commands from a ground station (GCS) or companion computer.
| Mode | Alt Ctrl | Pos Ctrl | GPS | Summary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Acro | - | - | Holds attitude, no self-level | |
| Alt Hold | s | + | Holds altitude and self-levels the roll & pitch | |
| Auto | A | A | Y | Executes pre-defined mission |
| AutoTune | s | A | Y | Automated pitch and bank procedure to improve control loops |
| Brake | s | A | Y | Brings copter to an immediate stop |
| Circle | s | A | Y | Automatically circles a point in front of the vehicle |
| Drift | - | + | Y | Like stabilize, but coordinates yaw with roll like a plane |
| Flip | A | A | Rises and completes an automated flip | |
| FlowHold | s | A | Position control using Optical Flow | |
| Follow | s | A | Y | Follows another vehicle |
| Guided | A | A | Y | Navigates to single points commanded by GCS |
| Land | A | s | (Y) | Reduces altitude to ground level, attempts to go straight down |
| Loiter | s | s | Y | Holds altitude and position, uses GPS for movements |
| PosHold | s | + | Y | Like loiter, but manual roll and pitch when sticks not centered |
| RTL | A | A | Y | Retruns above takeoff location, may aslo include landing |
| Simple/Super Simple | Y | An add-on to flight modes to use pilot's view instead of yaw orientation | ||
| SmartRTL | A | A | Y | RTL, but traces path to get home |
| Stabilize | - | + | Self-levels the roll and pitch axis | |
| Sport | s | s | Alt-hold, but holds pitch & roll when sticks centered | |
| Throw | A | A | Y | Holds position after a throwing takeoff |
| ZigZag | A | A | Y | Useful for crop spraying |
| Symbol | Definition |
|---|---|
| - | Manual control |
| + | Manual control with limits & self-level |
| s | Pilot controls climb rate |
| A | Automatic control |
Recommended Flight Modes¶
In general when first starting to use Copter you should progress through the flight modes in the order listed below, being sure that you are comfortable with each before progressing to the next (click the links for more details):
Additional flight modes:
- Acro
- AutoTune
- Brake
- Circle
- Drift
- Flip
- FlowHold
- Follow
- Guided (and Guided_NoGPS)
- Land
- PosHold
- Sport
- Throw
- Follow Me
- Simple and Super Simple
- Smart RTL (Return-to-Launch)
- ZigZag
- Avoid_ADSB for ADS-B based avoidance of manned aircraft. Should not be set-up as a pilot selectable flight mode.
Most transmitters provide a 3 position switch but you can find instructions here for setting up a 6-position flight mode switch.
GPS Dependency¶
Flight modes that use GPS-positioning data require an active GPS lock prior to takeoff. To see if your autopilot has acquired GPS lock, connect to a ground station or consult your autopilot’s hardware overview page to see the LED indication for GPS lock. Below is a summary of GPS dependency for Copter flight modes.
Requires GPS lock prior to takeoff:
- Auto
- Circle
- Drift
- Follow
- Follow Me
- Guided
- Loiter
- PosHold
- RTL (Return-to-Launch)
- Smart RTL (Return-to-Launch)
- Throw
- ZigZag
Do not require GPS lock: