What Is Altitude Hold?

Have you ever wondered why a drone stays in the air without the pilot controlling the remote control? If you follow any travel vloggers, you may have witnessed they managed to capture footage that does not require them to control the drone. What makes that shot possible is something called the "altitude hold". Most hobbyists will look for this feature when buying a drone because it makes it easy to fly a drone.

As drone technology improves, the advancements have created viable opportunities for beginners to fly the drone. Moreover, the best drones have multiple engaging features that make flying a drone easy for an amateur. Read on to learn more about how Altitude holds work for drones.

ALTITUDE HOLD AND ITS FUNCTIONALITY

For safety and ease of flight, drones need to be stable in the open space. It is nearly impossible to fly a manual drone with no Altitude Hold because many factors, such as the weather condition, can play a role in the flight. When flying manually, the pilot must understand how to navigate the wind and control the drone as an aeroplane pilot would.

Today, most drones come with Altitude Hold, and in some cases, the pilot can enable or disable it. You can even set the maximum Altitude [height] for DJI drones. If you allow Altitude Hold, the drone will keep hovering at its position without you controlling the remote. This feature is powerful because the pilot can shift their focus on getting the perfect shots without worrying about the drone maintaining its Altitude. For example, a travel vlogger can shoot their bike ride video without worrying about the drone's position and stability, which helps to focus on the content rather than the equipment itself.

PROBLEMS WITH THE ALTITUDE HOLD FEATURE

While Altitude Hold is a fantastic feature in drones, it still has limitations. The primary consideration is that the functionality is not 100% perfect. For example, when the weather condition is abnormal, you may find that Altitude Hold is not keeping the drone up. As a result of this failure, the pilot may have to step in manually. The following are some common problems that drone pilots may face when using Altitude Hold:

1. Chaos When Flying Manually: When Altitude fails to hold, confusion can reign when an inexperienced pilot is flying the drone manually.
2. Landing Issues: With the help of Altitude Hold, a Return To Home function may be available on the drone. This functionality allows pilots to set their GPS coordinates, and the drone will return to where they take off. However, the drone will struggle to utilise the Altitude Hold to return home in extreme weather conditions. Manufacturers are now equipping drones with advanced GPS positioning and ultrasonic sensors to overcome this issue. These two combines can make the drone more stable in intense weather conditions. For example, the DJI Mini 2 has a level 5 wind resistance, meaning it can withstand a wind speed of 19-24 miles per hour (29-38 kph).

WHICH DRONES HAVE THE ALTITUDE-HOLD FEATURE?

The altitude hold feature is available with most drones on the market today. So whether you go for DJI or Holy Stone quadcopter, this feature is added to cheap and expensive drones.

CONCLUSION

The technology used in the traditional aviation industry integrates into the futuristic UAV industry. It is safe to say that this feature has caused a boost in the sale of drones since it makes flying a drone easier. Although the technology isn't perfect, improvements are in progress. Soon, hobbyist drones like the DJI Mini 2 will be able to hover in extreme weather conditions whilst maintaining the altitude hold.