This guide follows the DJI Avata 2 and DJI FPV Remote Controller 3 user manuals. Menu names are given as they appear in the goggles.
What you need
Manual mode works only with the DJI FPV Remote Controller 3. The DJI RC Motion 3 motion controller does not support it. Manual mode is also disabled by default, so the M position on the flight mode switch does nothing until you set it up.
DJI's advice is to practise in a simulator first. The FPV Remote Controller 3 works with Liftoff, Uncrashed, The Drone Racing League (DRL) and the Drone Champions League (DCL). The simulator article on this site has more on how to practise.
Step 1: stop the throttle from re-centring
Out of the box the throttle stick springs back to the middle, like on a camera drone controller. In Manual mode the throttle has no centre position: the stick sets motor power directly, so it must stay where you leave it.
Behind each stick, under the rubber grip on the back of the controller, are two screws:
- F1 sets the resistance of the stick's up-down movement. Tightening it clockwise increases resistance.
- F2 sets the spring. Tightening it clockwise reduces the spring, so the stick stops returning to the centre.
In Mode 2 the throttle is on the left, so you adjust the left F1 and F2. In Mode 1 and Mode 3 the throttle is on the right and you adjust the right-hand pair. The procedure from the manual:
- Turn the controller over and open the rubber grip behind the throttle stick.
- Using the 1.5 mm hex key from the box, tighten F2 clockwise until the throttle no longer re-centres.
- Tighten F1 clockwise to get the resistance you like.
- Put the rubber grip back.
Do this only on the ground, never during a flight. The stick tension and grip article on this site explains how to judge throttle resistance on FPV radios in general.
Step 2: assign Manual mode to the switch
Power on the drone, goggles and controller and make sure they are linked. Press the 5D button on the goggles and go to "Settings" > "Control" > "Remote Controller" > "Button Customization" > "Custom Mode", then select Manual mode. The custom position can be set to Manual or Sport.
The flight mode switch on the controller has three positions: N (Normal), S (Sport) and M (Manual). After this step, M means Manual.
DJI lists one more condition: Manual mode cannot be enabled if the maximum flight distance in the goggles is set below 30 m.
Step 3: start with the attitude limit
The first time you use Manual mode, the drone's maximum attitude is restricted, so it will not tip over as far as a full acro drone would. Once you are familiar with Manual mode, the manual says you can switch the restriction off in the goggles and adjust Gain and Expo to your liking.
Leave the limit on for the first few batteries, and when you start changing Gain and Expo, do it in small steps so you can tell what each change did.
Starting, flying and stopping
In Manual mode the motors start differently than in Normal mode:
- Keep the throttle stick at the bottom.
- Press the start/stop button twice. The motors spin up.
- Raise the throttle slowly to take off.
After landing, press the start/stop button twice to stop the motors. DJI recommends switching to Normal mode before landing and landing on flat ground so the drone does not tip over.
The status light on top of the drone slowly blinks purple when it is in Manual mode, which is a quick way to check the mode before take-off.
Your safety net: the pause button
Press the flight pause/RTH button once in Manual mode and the drone brakes, levels itself, hovers and switches to Normal mode. This is the most useful button while learning: if you get disoriented, one press brings you back to a stabilised drone. Hovering in place depends on GNSS or the vision systems being available, so do not count on it in every situation.
Holding the same button starts return to home.
In Manual mode, pressing the start/stop button twice stops the motors at any time, including in the air. The drone then falls, so treat it as an emergency stop only.
Limits worth knowing
- Top speed: 27 m/s in Manual mode, but no more than 19 m/s in EU regions. Normal mode gives 8 m/s and Sport 16 m/s.
- Low battery: when the battery is low, the drone's power output in Manual mode is limited. Land earlier than you would in Normal mode.
- Unstable turns: DJI warns that attitude may become unstable when turning at high speed, above 3000 m above sea level, or when flight speed exceeds 13 m/s or wind exceeds 7.9 m/s.
- Close to the ground or obstacles: be careful enabling Manual mode below 5 m or with obstacles within 5 m of the drone.
- Signal loss: the drone's reaction to lost remote controller signal (hover, land or RTH) is set in the goggles. Check it before your first Manual flight. The Betaflight failsafe article on this site covers the general idea for custom-built drones.
Turtle mode and Easy ACRO
Manual flying means occasional upside-down landings. Avata 2 has a turtle mode for flipping itself back over. You can start it from the goggles menu under "Control", or assign it to the C1 button on the FPV Remote Controller 3 in "Settings" > "Control" > "Remote Controller" (the other option for C1 is ESC beeping, handy for finding the drone in tall grass).
Easy ACRO is a different thing. It is a set of one-button tricks (flip, roll, 180° drift and others) for the RC Motion 3, after which the drone stabilises itself. It is not Manual mode and does not teach you to fly acro.
A sensible first session
- Practise in a simulator with the same controller until you can hover, fly circles and land in acro without crashing.
- Adjust the throttle screws at home, not at the field.
- Choose a large, open area away from people.
- Take off as described above and climb well clear of the ground and obstacles before trying anything. DJI's caution threshold is 5 m.
- Fly simple lines and wide turns. Keep a thumb near the pause button.
- Switch back to N before landing.