Did your drone just randomly stop working? Or the propellers are spinning, but the drone won’t take off? It can be frustrating to see your drone not flying when you want to fly it. If you are looking for solutions to this problem, then you have come to the right place.
This article shall discuss why your drone won’t take off even when the propellers are spinning. We shall also look at some of the generic fixes and some popular hobby drones and their fixes.
If the drone you are trying to fly is not taking off, here is the list of probable reasons and solutions to get it back to work. Like us, even machines need to warm up, especially in cold weather, to do the tasks efficiently. So, give the drones some time to warm-up. If the compass is not calibrated, the drone cannot fly. So, check for the system calibration. Another primary trouble creator is the propellers not being mounted properly. Make sure to read the marking on the propellers and the mounts to assemble the drone correctly. In addition to these, the government’s no-fly zones prompt the manufacturers to pre-install no-fly zones onto the copter. Your drone will notify you with a warning, and it won’t take off. If the drone faced any crashes before flying, there is a fair chance that the sensitive parts like the propellers might be damaged. You can replace the propellers by yourself or consult a technician to do so. Lastly, another simple yet most overlooked reason would be the inactivity of the drones. Check for battery connection, battery power surge. After the troubleshooting is done, the drone is ready to fly high in the sky.
WHY WON’T YOUR DRONE TAKEOFF?
WARM-UP TIME:
In the cold weather, your drone needs a bit of warming up. Before you start panicking, give the drone some time to warm up. In the latest high-end drone models, the drone notifies you about the warm-up time. You can’t find that in the basic versions. So give the drone some time to warm up before taking it to the skies again.
COMPASS NOT CALIBRATED:
You may not be required to do this more often as the latest firmware options already calibrate the compass. But this is the most overlooked reason why your drone is not flying. So, check for the system calibration. If the calibration is not done, then your quad won’t fly.
Read the instructor’s manual to get a picture of how to calibrate your drone. Carefully calibrate the compass and happy flying.
PROPELLERS NOT MOUNTED PROPERLY:
If you never had the experience of fixing drone propellers, you can easily get confused and mount them in the wrong direction. When mounted correctly, the propellers will create the airflow and lift required for the drone to fly.
Make sure to read the marking on the propellers and the mounts to assemble the drone correctly. It can be dangerous to fix the wrong blade on the wrong mount, leading to uncontrolled flight and a scary crash.
NO FLY ZONE:
Drones have the capacity and problem of interfering with both government and commercial activities. For this reason, they are highly regulated, and the government mentions some specific no-flying zones.
In the latest drone series like DJI Mavic air and phantom series, the manufacturer already pre-installed the no-fly zones into the copter. Your drone will notify you with a warning, and it won’t take off.
So, check out for these warnings and be sure you are in a flying zone and enjoy the flight.
BENT AND BROKEN PROPELLERS:
When was the last time your drone had a major crash? If the answer is sometime before it stopped flying, then check for broken and bent propellers. These are sensitive parts of the propeller that can get easily damaged.
Look for a bend on one or more of the propellers by adjusting the propeller to the eyesight. If there is a bend on any propeller, slowly and lightly press the bend back to its original propeller. Be extremely careful as these parts are susceptible to breakage; There is a possibility of breaking the propeller if you press it firmly.
If one of the propellers is broken, you can easily change it as they are available at affordable prices. But you have to be extra careful, as you are taking some part of the drone apart for fixing the new wing.
DRONE DIDN’T TURN ON:
If the drone does not show any activity, then check for battery issues. Once unplug the battery and plug it back in to see if it was the connection error. If the battery is an old one, then try and replace it with a new one. Make sure you have taken the battery of the right size for the drone. If you have taken a battery with more power than required, then it may cause problems.
Also, look for other miscellaneous reasons like water damage or crash damage where you can find the solution and get back to the skies.
POPULAR HOBBY DRONES AND THEIR FIXES
Propeller Spinning Problems with the DJI MAVIC MINI
DJI Mavic Mini is the most commonly used hobby drone which costs around 339USD. This mid-range drone is known for its endurance and ease-of-use. One of the major problems persisting in this drone is that it won’t take off after some flight hours. Not mounting the propellers in the right way is one of the main reasons why the DJI MAVIC MINI won’t take off. Before taking the skies, read the manufacturer’s manual thoroughly and align the propellers in the right direction with markings. Also, check the alignment once or twice before the fight because losing control in mid-air will probably result in a crash.
Reasons why your DJI MAVIC 2 PRO won’t take off
DJI MAVIC 2 Pro is a high-end quadcopter costing around 1998USD. DJI Mavic 2 Pro offers plenty of features and three flight modes, P-mode, S-mode, T-mode. The most common problem observed in these kinds of drones is the compass is not calibrated, which will result in the drone not taking off. There are so many videos on the internet showing you exactly how to calibrate your drone for the best flight. After calibration, your drone must be ready for the next flight.
Reasons why your DJI PHANTOM 4 PRO won’t take off
DJI PHANTOM 4 PRO is a very high-end drone and is a true beast. This has all the features a drone flyer can dream of. It can fly at super-fast speeds of 45MPH and also go to good heights 6000m. One customer who bought DJI PHANTOM 4 PRO recently had a recently posted problem in the forum. The drone wouldn’t take off no matter how hard he tried. Then he realized that he was flying in the no flying zone. Be sure first to check whether you are in the no-fly zone or not before flying your drone. Because the no-fly zone maps are already calibrated inside the drones. DJI provides customers with all the zones in the US, which you can check out here: https://www.dji.com/flysafe/geo-map
Reasons why your SKYDIO 2 won’t take off
SKYDIO 2 is one of the most powerful drones in the market, costing 999USD. This model only comes with a single battery, and if you want to have extra batteries, then you have to purchase them separately.
Also, another problem with this model is that you cant charge the batteries of the drone on the flight. This is a major concern because if the battery gets out in the mid-flight, there is a 100% chance of a crash. Also, there are so many instances where the battery was the main concern for the drone not taking off. Please do check the batteries before the flight and make sure you have a couple of extra batteries fully charged to enjoy your flight time.
