So, I should preface this with I own a
Mavic 2, not a Phantom. I came to this forum via a search for info about the new FAA Authorization law.
Out of range for my drone is about 5 miles, not sure I'd ever feel comfortable flying it that far away. Flying behind cover violates what I understood the VLOS rule to be, so I plan to avoid that as well.
Signal interference and mechanical failure could manifest in various ways, so I'll try to address them all.
1) Viewing Device failure. I use an iPad as my primary device, and I always have my phone as a back-up should the iPad experience a hardware or software failure.
1.a) The
Mavic 2 controller has a data display distinct from the viewing device. In the event of a viewing device failure, my controller still shows me basic telemetry, such as altitude, speed, and distance. While it's doesn't show orientation, I could discern that by monitoring distance as I moved the flight stick forward.
2) Loss of signal. If the drone loses control signal for more than 2 seconds it initiates an emergency Return to Home.
3) Controller failure. If the controller experiences a hardware or software failure the same emergency Return to Home will either be initiated automatically, or can be forced by turning off the controller or otherwise disrupting it's signal
There is also a dedicated return-to-home button on the controller that forces the drone to return to it's last known home point.
Anytime the aircraft telemetry quits, I'd suggest there are more options than just visual flight or sacrificing it into the ground. I'm not flying a model plane that requires forward movement to remain airborne. If I let go of the sticks, or even set the controller down entirely, the drone will simply hover in place, and would do so without input from me until such time that the battery level triggers a return to home. If I had a viewing device failure I'd be comfortable allowing the drone to hover wherever it was while I swapped devices. If it looses signal it doesn't matter what I do, it will return on its own, same if the controller fails.