Establishing return behaviors for your X2 is a critical pre-flight safety precaution that ensures a safe return flight and landing. When a return is triggered, either manually or autonomously, Skydio X2 will continuously analyze real-time GPS coordinates or use the vision navigation system and ascend to a specified height before beginning the return flight.

Customize your return settings to ensure no obstacles, people, or animals will be in the pathway of your returning drone. Skydio X2 will retain its current obstacle avoidance setting while returning.

X2-user_guide-returning-0.png

Quick Steps

Set a Return Location and Home Point:

Step 1 - Select the Return to Home icon  X2-user_guide-flying_x2-maps_icon-3__home_point_.png

Step 2 - Set a return location as either the Launch Point or your current location (Phone)

Step 3 (optional) - Select and hold a point on the map to create a Home Point or move the existing Home Point

launch_point.jpg
    • You need to set your return location before each flight—Home Points are not saved between flights
    • Skydio X2 will automatically return to a set Home Point if the communication link is lost unless otherwise specified in the waypoint settings
    • Selecting a Home Point on the map will give you the option to fly to that location immediately or to remove it from the map
[caution] Setting a Home Point requires a GPS connection. [/caution]

Set Return Behaviors:

Step 1 - Select the Settings icon  X2-user_guide-flying_x2-flight_screen_icon-1__device_settings_.png

Step 2 - Select the Drone tab

Step 3 - Select Return Behavior

 

 

S2E_drone_settings_menu-2_UI_A0121.jpg

The Return Behavior menu allows you to set:

    • Return Type
    • Return Height
    • Height Behavior
    • Drone Looks
    • Return Speed
    • Low Battery
    • Lost Connection

 

CS_S2PE_return_ehavior_menu_UI.png

Step 4 - Set Return Type to GPS or vision

Visual return for flight in GPS-denied environments 

    • requires returning to the Launch Point
    • setting a Home Point or your Phone/controller as the return location requires GPS
S2_Return-Types_UI.png

CS_X2E_return_type_table.png

Skydio X2 returns based on Return Type

Step 5 - Select Return Height

    • set the height the drone ascends to before returning
    • set height from 0 - 984 ft (300 m)
    • default return height is set to 66 ft (20 m)

 

Height_Slider.jpg

Step 6 - Select Height Behavior

Absolute - ascends to the specified Return Height above the launch point before returning

    • For example, if the Return Height is 32 ft and the drone is at 20 ft when the return is commanded, Skydio X2 will ascend 12 ft before returning.

Relative - ascends to the specified Return Height above the current position before returning

    • For example, if the Return Height is 32 ft and the drone is at 20 ft when the return is commanded, Skydio X2 will ascend 32 ft and then return at a height of 52 ft.
Height_Behavior.png

Step 7 - Select Drone Looks

    • set Skydio X2 to either look toward or away from the return destination while flying

 

drone_looks.jpg

Step 8- Set the Return Speed

    • using the slider set from 2-22 mph (3-35 km/h)

 

speed_slider.jpg

Step 9 - Set the Low Battery behavior

You have two options when selecting a Low Battery Return Behavior:

    • Always Ask (default) - when the battery is only sufficient to return and land, you will be asked to select the return behavior
    • Return to Home Point - If you have a Home Point set, your drone will automatically return there when the battery is only sufficient to return and land
CS_S2P_media_UI_low-battery-auto-return3_cropped_annoy.png
[note] You must set a Home Point to use the Low Battery Return to Home Point. [/note]
[caution] Using Return to Home Point requires a GPS connection. [/caution]

Step 10 - Select Lost Connection Return Behaviors to choose how your want your drone to behave if the signal to your controlling device is lost:

    • Return when Disconnected - toggle Off to disable Return when Disconnected and the Lost Connection menu. Skydio X2 will not return if it loses connection—it will hover until it reaches low battery and land.
    • Wait Before Return - Specify the amount of time that you want Skydio X2 to wait before it initiates a return flight, allowing time to reconnect.
    • Land Once Returned - When enabled, Skydio X2 will return, hover for a specified amount of time, and land.
    • Wait Before Land - Specify the amount of time between 0 to 300 seconds (default - 240 seconds) that you want Skydio X2 to wait before landing. Only available when Land Once Return is toggled on.
S2E_lost-connection_UI.jpg

[info text="If the return type is set to GPS but the Skydio X2 enters a GPS denied situation, your drone will return to the last known GPS point using vision navigation. If a GPS link is not re-established your drone will return to the launch point using vision navigation."] 

Explore More

Explore related articles for additional information

Access the Skydio X2E Manuals, Checklists, and Guides

 

Skydio, Inc. A0104

Was this article helpful?