DJI Air 3S Drone User Manual

DJI Air 3S Drone

Product Profile

Using for the First Time

Click the link or scan the QR code to watch the tutorial videos.

https://www.dji.com/air-3s/video

Preparing the Aircraft

1. Remove the gimbal protector from the camera.
2. Unfold the front arms and the rear arms as shown.
3. Attached the propellers.

• It is recommended to use the DJI charger to charge the Intelligent Flight Battery. Visit the official DJI website for details.
• Make sure the gimbal protector is removed and all arms are unfolded before powering on the aircraft. Otherwise, it may affect the aircraft’s self-diagnostics.
• It is recommended to attach the gimbal protector when the aircraft is not in use.
• Make sure to place the propellers of the front arms into the two dents on both sides of the aircraft’s back. DO NOT push the propeller blades onto the back of the aircraft, which may cause the propeller blades to deform.

Preparing the Remote Controller

DJI RC 2

1. Remove the control sticks from the storage slots and mount them on the remote controller.
2. Unfold the antennas.
3. The remote controller needs to be activated before first use, and an internet connection is required for activation. Press, then press and hold the power button to power on the remote controller. Follow the on-screen prompts to activate the remote controller.

DJI RC-N3

1. Remove the control sticks from the storage slots and mount them on the remote controller.
2. Pull out the mobile device holder. Choose the appropriate remote controller cable based on the port type of your mobile device (the cable with a USB-C connector is connected by default). Place your mobile device in the holder, then connect the end of the cable without the remote controller logo to your mobile device. Make sure your mobile device is securely in place.

• If a USB connection prompt appears when an Android mobile device is used, select the option to charge only. Other options may cause the connection to fail.
• Adjust the mobile device holder to make sure your mobile device is firmly secure.

Activation

The aircraft requires activation before first use. Press, then press and hold the power button to power on the aircraft and remote controller, respectively, and then follow the onscreen prompts to activate the aircraft using DJI Fly. An internet connection is required for activation.

Binding the Aircraft and Remote Controller

After activation, the aircraft is bound to the remote controller automatically. If automatic binding fails, follow the on-screen prompts on DJI Fly to bind the aircraft and remote controller for an optimal warranty service experience.

Firmware Update

A prompt will appear in DJI Fly when a firmware update is available. Update the firmware whenever prompted to ensure the optimal user experience.

Overview

Aircraft

1. Forward-Facing LiDAR [1]
2. Omnidirectional Vision System [2]
3. Gimbal and Camera
   • Medium Tele Camera
   • Wide-Angle Camera
4. Downward Vision System
5. Auxiliary Light
6. Three-Dimensional Infrared Sensing System [1]
7. Battery Buckles
8. Front LEDs
9. Landing Gears (Built-in antennas)
10. Aircraft Status Indicators
11. Motors
12. Propellers
13. Intelligent Flight Battery
14. Power Button
15. Battery Level LEDs
16. USB-C Port
17. microSD Card Slot
18. Cellular Dongle Compartment

• [1] The 3D infrared sensing system and the forward-facing LiDAR meet the human eye safety requirements for Class 1 laser products.
• [2] The omnidirectional vision system can sense obstacles in horizontal directions and above.

DJI RC 2 Remote Controller

1. Control Sticks
2. Antennas
3. Status LED
4. Battery Level LEDs
5. Flight Pause/Return to Home (RTH) Button
6. Light Mode Switch
7. Power Button
8. Touchscreen
9. USB-C Port
10. microSD Card Slot
11. Gimbal Dial
12. Record Button
13. Camera Control Dial
14. Focus/Shutter Button
15. Speaker
16. Control Stick Storage Slots
17. Customizable C2 Button
18. Customizable C1 Button

DJI RC-N3 Remote Controller

1. Power Button
2. Flight Mode Switch
3. Flight Pause/Return to Home (RTH) Button
4. Battery Level LEDs
5. Control Sticks
6. Customizable Button
7. Photo/Video Button
8. Remote Controller Cable
9. Mobile Device Holder
10. Antennas
11. USB-C Port
12. Control Stick Storage Slots
13. Gimbal Dial
14.  Shutter/Record Button
15. Mobile Device Slot

Flight Safety

After completing pre-flight preparations, it is recommended to train your flying skills and practice flying safely. Pick a suitable area to fly in according to the following flight requirements and restrictions. Strictly abide by local laws and regulations when flying. Read the Safety Guidelines before flight to ensure safe use of the product.

Flight Restrictions

GEO (Geospatial Environment Online) System

The DJI Geospatial Environment Online (GEO) System is a global information system that provides real-time information on flight safety and restriction updates and prevents UAVs from flying in restricted airspace. Under exceptional circumstances, restricted areas can be unlocked to allow flights. Prior to that, you must submit an unlocking request based on the current restriction level in the intended flight area. The GEO system may not fully align with local laws and regulations. You are responsible for your own flight safety and must consult with the local authorities on the relevant legal and regulatory requirements before requesting to unlock a restricted area. For more information about the GEO system, visit https://fly-safe.dji.com.

Flight Limits

For safety reasons, flight limits are enabled by default to help you operate the aircraft safely. You can set flight limits on height and distance. Altitude limits, distance limits, and GEO zones function concurrently to manage flight safety when the Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) is available. Only altitude can be limited when GNSS is unavailable.

Flight Altitude and Distance Limits

Max altitude restricts the flight altitude of the aircraft, while max distance restricts the flight radius around the Home Point of the aircraft. These limits can be changed in the DJI Fly app for improved flight safety.

1. Max Altitude
2. Home Point (Horizontal Position)
3. Max Distance
4. Height of the aircraft when taking off

• Each time the aircraft is powered on, the altitude limit will be automatically removed as long as the GNSS signal becomes strong (GNSS signal strength ≥ 2), and the limit will not take effect even if the GNSS signal becomes weak afterwards.
• If the aircraft flies out of the set flight range due to inertia, you can still control the aircraft, but cannot fly it any further away.

GEO Zones

The DJI GEO system designates safe flight locations, provides risk levels and safety notices for individual flights, and offers information on restricted airspace. All restricted flight areas are referred to as GEO Zones, which are further divided into Restricted Zones, Authorisation Zones, Warning Zones, Enhanced Warning Zones, and Altitude Zones. You can view such information in real-time in DJI Fly. GEO Zones are specific flight areas, including but not limited to airports, large event venues, locations where public emergencies have occurred (such as forest fires), nuclear power plants, prisons, government properties, and military facilities. By default, the GEO system limits takeoffs and flights in zones that may cause safety or security concerns. A GEO Zone map that contains comprehensive information on GEO Zones around the globe is available on the official DJI website: https://fly-safe.dji.com/nfz/nfz-query.

Operating the Aircraft Responsibly

To avoid serious injury and property damage, observe the following rules:

1. Make sure you are NOT under the influence of anaesthesia, alcohol, or drugs or suffering from dizziness, fatigue, nausea, or other conditions that could impair the ability to operate the aircraft safely.
2. After landing, power off the aircraft first, then switch off the remote controller.
3. DO NOT drop, launch, fire, or otherwise project any dangerous payloads on or at any buildings, persons, or animals, which could cause personal injury or property damage.
4. DO NOT use an aircraft that has been accidentally damaged, crashed, or is not in good condition.
5. Make sure to train sufficiently and have contingency plans for emergencies or if an incident occurs.
6. Make sure to have a flight plan. DO NOT fly the aircraft recklessly.
7. Respect the privacy of others when using the camera. Make sure to comply with local privacy laws, regulations, and moral standards.
8. DO NOT use this product for any reason other than general personal use.
9. DO NOT use it for illegal or inappropriate purposes such as spying, military operations, or unauthorised investigations.
10. DO NOT use this product to defame, abuse, harass, stalk, threaten, or otherwise violate legal rights such as the right to privacy and publicity of others.
11. DO NOT trespass onto the private property of others.

Basic Flight

Stopping the Motors

The motors can be stopped in two ways:

• Method 1: When the aircraft has landed, push the throttle stick down and hold until the motors stop.
• Method 2: When the aircraft has landed, perform one of the CSCs as shown below until the motors stop.

Stopping the Motors Mid-Flight

• Stopping the motors mid-flight will cause the aircraft to crash.

The default setting for Emergency Propeller Stop in the DJI Fly app is Emergency Only, which means that the motors can only be stopped mid-flight when the aircraft detects that it is in an emergency such as the aircraft is involved in a collision, a motor has stalled, the aircraft is rolling in the air, or the aircraft is out of control and is ascending or descending very quickly. To stop the motors mid-flight, perform the same CSC that was used to start the motors. Note that you need to hold the control sticks for two seconds while performing the CSC to stop the motors. Emergency Propeller Stop can be changed to Anytime in the app. Use this option with caution.

Controlling the Aircraft

The control sticks of the remote controller can be used to control the aircraft’s movements. The control sticks can be operated in Mode 1, Mode 2, or Mode 3, as shown below. The default control mode of the remote controller is Mode 2. In this manual, Mode 2 is used as an example to illustrate how to use the control sticks. The more the stick is pushed away from the centre, the faster the aircraft moves.

• Mode 1

• Mode 2

• Mode 3

Video Suggestions and Tips

1. Select the desired gimbal operation mode in DJI Fly.
2. It is recommended to take photos or record videos when flying in Normal or Cine mode.
3. DO NOT fly in bad weather, such as on rainy or windy days.
4. Choose the camera settings that best suit your needs.
5. Perform flight tests to establish flight routes and preview scenes.
6. Push the control sticks gently to ensure smooth and stable movement of the aircraft.

Aircraft

Flight Mode

The aircraft supports the following flight modes, which can be switched via the Flight Mode switch on the remote controller.

• Normal Mode: Normal mode is suitable for most flight scenarios. The aircraft can hover precisely, fly stably, and use Intelligent Flight Modes. If obstacle sensing is enabled, obstacles can also be avoided using the omnidirectional vision system.
• Sport Mode: The maximum horizontal flight speed of the aircraft will be higher when compared with Normal mode. Note that obstacle sensing is disabled in Sport mode.
• Cine Mode: Cine mode is based on Normal mode with a limited flight speed, making the aircraft more stable during recording.

The aircraft automatically changes to Attitude (ATTI) mode when the vision system is unavailable or disabled and the GNSS signal is weak or the compass experiences interference. In ATTI mode, the aircraft may be more easily affected by its surroundings. Environmental factors such as wind can result in horizontal drift of the aircraft, which may present hazards, especially when flying in confined spaces. The aircraft will not be able to hover or brake automatically; the pilot should land the aircraft as soon as possible to avoid accidents.

• The flight modes are only effective for manual flight and cruise control.
• The vision system is disabled in Sport mode, which means the aircraft cannot sense obstacles on its route automatically. You must stay alert to the surrounding environment and control the aircraft to avoid obstacles.
• The maximum speed and braking distance of the aircraft significantly increase in Sport mode. A minimum braking distance of 30 m is required in windless conditions.
• A minimum braking distance of 10 m is required in windless conditions while the aircraft is ascending and descending in Sport mode or Normal mode.
• The responsiveness of the aircraft significantly increases in Sport mode, which means a small control stick movement on the remote controller translates into the aircraft moving a large distance. Make sure to maintain adequate manoeuvring space during flight.
• You may experience shaking in videos recorded in Sport mode.

Aircraft Status Indicators

The aircraft has front LEDs and aircraft status indicators.

1. Front LEDs
2. Aircraft Status Indicators

When the aircraft is powered on, but the motors are not running, the front LEDs glow solid green to display the orientation of the aircraft. When the aircraft is powered on, but the motors are not running, the aircraft status indicators will display the current status of the aircraft.

Aircraft Status Indicators Descriptions

[1] If the aircraft cannot take off while the status indicators are blinking red slowly, view the warning prompt in DJI Fly.

After the motors start, the front LEDs blink green, and the aircraft status indicators blink red and green alternately. The green lights indicate the aircraft is a UAV, and the green and red lights indicate the heading and position of the aircraft.

WARNING

• Lighting requirements vary depending on the region. Observe local laws and regulations.
• To obtain better footage, the front LEDs turn off automatically when taking photos and videos if the front LEDs are set to Auto in DJI Fly.

Return to Home

Carefully read the contents of this section to ensure you are familiar with the behaviour of the aircraft in Return-to-Home (RTH).

The Return to Home (RTH) function will automatically fly the aircraft back to the last recorded Home Point. RTH can be triggered in three ways: the user actively triggers RTH, the aircraft has a low battery, or the remote controller signal has been lost (Failsafe RTH is triggered). If the aircraft has recorded the Home Point successfully and the positioning system is functioning normally, when the RTH function is triggered, the aircraft will automatically fly back and land at the Home Point.

During RTH, the AR RTH route will be displayed on the camera view, helping you to view the return path and ensure flight safety. The camera view also displays the AR Home Point. When the aircraft reaches the area above the Home Point, the gimbal camera will automatically flip downwards. The AR aircraft shadow will appear in the camera view when the aircraft is approaching the ground, enabling you to control the aircraft to land more accurately in your preferred location. The AR Home Point, AR RTH route, and AR aircraft shadow will be displayed in the camera view by default. The display can be changed inSafety > AR Settings.

WARNING

• The AR RTH route is only used for reference and may deviate from the actual flight route in different scenarios. Always pay attention to the liveview on the screen during RTH. Fly with caution.
• During RTH, the aircraft will automatically adjust the gimbal tilt to point the camera toward the RTH route. Using the gimbal dial to adjust the camera orientation or pressing the customizable buttons on the remote controller to recenter the camera will stop the aircraft from automatically adjusting the gimbal tilt, which may prevent the AR RTH route from being viewed.

Remote Controller

DJI RC 2

DJI RC 2 is equipped with a touchscreen powered by the Android operating system to run the DJI Fly app. The remote controller also includes built-in GNSS, Bluetooth, and Wi-Fi.

Operations

Powering On/Off

Press the power button once to check the current battery level. Press, then press and hold to power the remote controller on or off.

Charging the Battery

Connect the charger to the USB-C port on the remote controller.

WARNING

• Fully charge the remote controller before each flight. The remote controller sounds an alert when the battery level is low.
• Fully charge the battery at least once every three months to maintain the battery’s health.

Controlling the Gimbal and Camera

1. Gimbal Dial: Control the tilt of the gimbal.
2. Record Button: Press once to start or stop recording.
3. Camera Control Dial: Use to adjust the zoom by default. The dial function can be set to adjust the focal length, EV, shutter speed, and ISO.
4. Focus/Shutter Button: Press halfway down to auto-focus and press all the way down to take a photo.

Flight Mode Switch

Toggle the switch to select the desired flight mode.

Flight Pause/RTH Button

Press once to make the aircraft brake and hover in place. Press and hold the button until the remote controller beeps and starts RTH. The aircraft will return to the last recorded Home Point. Press the button again to cancel RTH and regain control of the aircraft.

Customizable Buttons

C1 and C2 are customizable buttons. Press the C1 button once to recenter the gimbal or point the gimbal downward by default. Press the C2 button once to switch between Landscape and Portrait mode by default. To set the function, go to camera view in DJI Fly,and tap > Control > Button Customisation.

Remote Controller LEDs

1. Status LED
2. Battery Level LEDs

Status LED

Battery Level LEDs

Remote Controller Alert

The remote controller beeps to indicate an error or warning. Pay attention when prompts appear on the touchscreen or in DJI Fly. Slide down from the top of the screen and select Mute to disable all alerts, or slide the volume bar to 0 to disable some alerts. The remote controller sounds an alert during RTH, which cannot be cancelled. The remote controller sounds an alert when the battery level of the remote controller is low. A low battery level alert can be cancelled by pressing the power button. When the battery level is critically low, the alert cannot be cancelled. There will be an alert if the remote controller is not used for a period of time while it is powered on but is not connected to the aircraft. It will automatically power off after the alert stops. Move the control sticks or press any button to cancel the alert.

Optimal Transmission Zone

The signal between the aircraft and the remote controller is most reliable when the antennas are positioned in relation to the aircraft, as illustrated below. If the signal is weak, adjust the remote controller orientation, or fly the aircraft closer to the remote controller.

WARNING:

• DO NOT use other wireless devices operating at the same frequency as the remote controller. Otherwise, the remote controller will experience interference.
• A prompt will be displayed in DJI Fly if the transmission signal is weak during flight. Adjust the remote controller orientation according to the attitude indicator display to make sure that the aircraft is in the optimal transmission range.

Maintenance Instructions

To avoid serious injury to children and animals, observe the following rules:

1. Small parts, such as cables and straps, are dangerous if swallowed. Keep all parts out of reach of children and animals.
2. Store the Intelligent Flight Battery and remote controller in a cool, dry place away from direct sunlight to ensure the built-in LiPo battery does NOT overheat. Recommended storage temperature: between 22° and 28° C (71° and 82° F) for storage periods of more than three months. Never store in environments outside the temperature range of 14° to 113° F (-10° to 45° C).
3. DO NOT allow the camera to come into contact with or become immersed in water or other liquids. If it gets wet, wipe dry with a soft, absorbent cloth. Turning on an aircraft that has fallen into water may cause permanent component damage. DO NOT use substances containing alcohol, benzene, thinners, or other flammable substances to clean or maintain the camera. DO NOT store the camera in humid or dusty areas.
4. DO NOT connect this product to any USB interface older than version 3.0.
5. Check every aircraft part after any crash or serious impact. If there are any problems or questions, contact a DJI authorised dealer.
6. Regularly check the Battery Level Indicators to see the current battery level and overall battery life. The battery is rated for 200 cycles. It is not recommended to continue using it afterwards.
7. Make sure to transport the aircraft with the arms folded when powered off.
8. Make sure to transport the remote controller with antennas folded when powered off.
9. The battery will enter sleep mode during long-term storage. Charge the battery to exit from sleep mode.
10. Use the ND filter if the exposure time needs to be prolonged. Refer to the product information on how to install the ND filters.
11. Store the aircraft, remote controller, battery, and charger in a dry environment.
12. Remove the battery before servicing the aircraft (e.g., cleaning or attaching and detaching the propellers). Make sure that the aircraft and the propellers are clean by removing any dirt or dust with a soft cloth. Do not clean the aircraft with a wet cloth or use a cleanser that contains alcohol. Liquids can penetrate the aircraft housing, which can cause a short circuit and destroy the electronics.
13. Make sure to turn off the battery to replace or to check the propellers.

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