Hi folks. Just bought my first drone, a DJI Pro 4. I want to take some footage on a boat, which will be moving. If I ask return to home will it return to where it was launched (the sea as the boat will have moved) or will it come back to me.
Thanks for your help.
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It will return to where it took off from unless you update the home point to the position of the controller before telling it to return to home
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Also consider what you want the drone to do if signal is lost etc.
The normal action is to RTH, which wouldn’t be great for you… you may be better getting it to hover in that situation, so you have time to decide what to do.
Caution with launching from boats.
Recommend hand launching rather than from the deck / other boat surface, and preferably with the boat stationary in the water.
Bobbing boats can cause auto launch.
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I personally would return manually…Using RTH on a moving boat could potentially send your drone to a watery grave!
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One thing to remember too. Make sure the home postion is logged before you go on your flight. Get your satalites first or your return to home point may not be exactly where you take off from.
Will you be taking off from land and then going to the boat (good idea). Or taking off from the boat. If the boat then make sure the battery warning is earlier so you have a better change of flying back to you.
Have you got care refresh, I think you need to consider it.
Good luck and do not forget to post it for us to see.
The whole point of the question is that he won’t be where he took off from. He’ll be on a moving boat.
In that case, in the event of no signal I would set it to hover and then if there is a problem you can get the person operating the boat to get closer to the drone.
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Which is not much use if the boat is a cross-channel ferry or the skipper is unwilling to cooperate. I think you have to work to the principle that RTH, quickshot modes, or follow me are unacceptably risky from anything that is in motion such as a boat, train, or road vehicle. Follow me is not going to end well if the moving vehicle is moving faster than the drone can keep up.
You will (I think) need to manually fly the drone and keep VLOS, and ensure that you are able to land on the boat or vehicle, or a location from which you can recover the drone, all of which may present difficulties.
Even if the boat is at anchor dont rely on RTH as you could have swung on the mooring, especially if the tide has changed. Never use RTH on a boat ever. just learn to fly a few manual returns
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Besides … I would only use RTH in an emergency, never for a leisurely return.
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That probably depends how frigging cold it is and how totally numb you are from the elbows down. 
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My advice is to do your homework and get VERY familiar with RTH in Cine/Normal and Sport modes. The attached video is excellent. If you’re new to drone flying, a moving boat, focusing on photos and videography composition, water and a finite battery life will add real risk to losing your drone if you’re not familiar with RTH features or the manual options open to you - Best of Luck👍 https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=3Maj-Efbeog
Quite ambitious if you’ve only just got your first drone…
Practice RTH with it set to the controller as mentioned.
But practice in dry land first, and move from your TO point, then update the RTH position.
But whatever practice first!!
Steve
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Had a few landings like that on Rannoch Moor 
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Not sure I’d be flying from a boat if the skipper wasn’t fully onboard (so to speak) and willing to alter course or change speed if necessary.
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Even if the magnetic interference of a few thousand tons of steel allowed the take-off in the first place.
Hand launching is possible - but I’d agree you need to be fully capable of manual flying it back to the ferry unaided.
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Most ferries run at about 18 knots, and some drones, including the OP’s Mini 4, will have trouble keeping up, particularly if the ship is sailing into a headwind.
Nowhere have I recommended it - but 18kts is only 21mph/9.26m/s
And 12m/s is 26 mph.
So not a deal breaker, really.
For any flight wind, and all other factors, has to be considered.
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Remember to disable the collision avoidance as it will prevent to drone getting near the boat to catch. I’ve been caught out. You can sometimes back in if it’s only forward looking.
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