How to fly Skydio X2D in Attitude Mode

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  1. Skydio
  2. Skydio X2D - Offline
  3. Skydio X2D Flight

Attitude Mode is a new Vehicle Mode available on Skydio X2D that allows you to disable the visual and GPS navigation systems. Designed to be flown by expert pilots, in GPS-denied environments, or where there is the potential for jamming, Attitude Mode offers a manual flight experience. You have direct stick control of the aircraft’s throttle, yaw, pitch, and roll angles, rather than relying on automatic altitude and position stabilization. All autonomous functions, such as Return to Home and Obstacle Avoidance, are disabled.

[warning text="Accidents resulting from an Attitude Mode flight are not covered under warranty and may result in injury or property damage. Attitude Mode should only be used by Expert Pilots. Please fly cautiously and conservatively as the Skydio safety features are disabled. Do not hand launch or hand land."]

Skydio Enterprise Controller is in the default Flight Mode 2

controller_joysticks.png

[note text="The flight control sensitivity is locked in Attitude Mode and cannot be customized in the flight speed settings."] 

Flight in Attitude Mode requires decisive joystick movements while avoiding aggressive overcorrections.

Throttle - controls how much lift your drone is creating which allows it to ascend and descend

Yaw - rotates the drone around its center either clockwise or counterclockwise

Pitch - controls the forward and backward movement of your drone

Roll - controls the right and left movement of your drone

Step 1 - Select the Settings menu icon

    • Attitude Mode selection is only available pre-flight

Step 2 - Select the Drone tab

Step 3 - Select Vehicle Mode

Step 4 - Select Attitude

    • the drone will reboot and calibrate
 Attitude_mode_select.jpg
attitude_mode_reboot.jpg

Step 5 - Select Begin Flight

Step 6 - Arm the motors

    • hold the throttle joystick down in a full-throttle down position
    • and then press and hold the launch/land button for 1 second
    • the motors will start to spin at idle speed
attitude.jpg

Step 7 - Maintain a full-throttle down until you are ready to launch

Step 8 - Launch 

    • steadily throttle up through a neutral position
    • apply a quick upward thrust to the throttle joystick to launch your drone off the ground
    • steadily increase altitude by continuing to throttle up 

[caution text="When taking off, do not use sudden or aggressive pitch or roll inputs. This will put the drone into a bank, which could cause the arms and propellers to strike the ground."]

Expected flight behaviors:

    • recovering from sharp banks and high-velocity maneuvers requires subtle joystick inputs
    • there is no position hold - stabilizing your Skydio X2D in the wind requires actively correcting the roll and pitch
    • there is no altitude hold - your Skydio X2D will gain and lose altitude if you are not actively correcting
    • the maximum speed is capped by the maximum forward pitch angle
    • there is no autonomous return for any reason - you will need to manually return and land when the battery is low
    • a lost connection - will result in an emergency land in place. In case the connection is regained, the emergency landing will be canceled and you will regain full control.
    • obstacle avoidance is disabled - maintain a visual on objects behind and to the side of Skydio X2D will drift

Step 9 - Control gimbal pitch 

    • press L1 to snap the gimbal back to the horizon
    • the gimbal range is -90° to 90°
CS_Econt_top_closed_arrow_L1_ill.png

To land

There are no autonomous landing features while in Attitude Mode. You will need to manually disarm as Skydio X2D will not automatically detect touchdown.

Step 1 - Fly to a clear, level, and safe landing area

Step 2 - Slowly descend using the throttle joystick

Step 3 - Minimize lateral drift

    • correct the roll and pitch to minimize lateral drift as your drone touches down

Step 4 - Simultaneously press L2 and R2 to disarm 

    • the propeller blades will stop spinning
CS_Econt_back_open_arrows_R2L2_ill.png

Vehicle Modes persist across flights and power cycles. To exit Attitude Mode, land, and select a new vehicle mode.

[warning text="pressing L2 and R2 simultaneously at any time during the flight will disarm the drone and stop the propeller blades resulting in a freefall."]

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