Available Modes

Flight modes are categorized into three types: auto, assisted, and manual flight.

Contents

• Auto
• Rally
• Guided
• Fly-by-Wire B
• Fly-by-Wire A
• Manual
• Flight Mode Comparison

Auto

In auto mode the aircraft will follow your planned mission (a set of waypoints and other commands) that gets uploaded to the autopilot during the preflight checklist. If desired, the entire mission can be done in auto, including takeoff and landing. If the mission ends without a landing planned, the aircraft will change modes to rally.

When re-entering auto after a flight mode change, the aircraft will continue from whatever mission item it was last doing, unless you have chosen a specific waypoint.

To enter auto, select Mission in Swift GCS. From here you can either change back into auto, restart the mission, or select an individual waypoint to fly to.

Rally

The aircraft will automatically change to rally if certain failsafes activate such as loss of link, if you command rally, or if a mission is completed without a landing planned. Once in rally, the aircraft will fly to the nearest rally point and loiter. If no rally point was planned, the aircraft will fly home. The home location is where the aircraft took off from (technically where the aircraft was armed).

To enter rally, select Rally in Swift GCS. The rally point locations are chosen when you plan your mission.

Guided

Guided is essentially a point-and-click loiter for impromptu navigation. In flight, you can click a point on the map and the aircraft will fly to that location and circle.

To enter guided, select Guided in Swift GCS and click the map where you want to fly. The GCS will ask you to confirm the altitude and direction of rotation (clockwise or counter clockwise). The guided location on the map is moved by dragging the point on the map. Once in place, the altitude and direction can be adjusted by clicking Guided again.

Fly-by-Wire B

FBWB is an autopilot-stabilized mode where the safety pilot controls the aircraft gently with the hand controller. The autopilot translates the pilot's stick inputs into restricted bank and pitch rates and angles, ensuring the aircraft stays within preset limits. Hands-off, the aircraft will level itself. While in this mode the aircraft will fly its cruise speed, regardless of the throttle stick position.

You can map FBWB to the flight mode switch on the hand controller.

Fly-by-Wire A

FBWA is like FBWB but limits only pitch and bank angles, not rates, for a more responsive feel. Throttle control is manual, so the aircraft won’t maintain altitude, speed, or prevent stalling. FBWA is ideal for landing, offering stabilized inputs while allowing flexibility in airspeed and pitch control.

Manual

Manual gives the safety pilot full manual control of the aircraft. This bypasses all forms of autopilot stabilization. This gives the safety pilot the most control for select emergency scenarios, allowing rapid alteration of the flight path, but requires expert skill. Compared to FBWB, manual will feel extremely agile and be very sensitive to your stick inputs. Do not use this mode if you are unprepared to fly the aircraft with zero autopilot stabilization. In most cases, FBWA is a better alternative for safety pilot intervention.

Flight Mode Comparison