What is Return to home (RTH)?
Return to home (RTH) is a drone safety feature that automatically flies the aircraft back to its takeoff point if signal is lost, battery is critically low, or the pilot triggers it manually.
RTH is the most-used safety feature on consumer drones. Implementations vary by manufacturer but the basic logic is:
• Lost signal: drone climbs to a pilot-set RTH altitude (default 100–200 ft AGL), then flies straight-line to home, then descends and lands • Low battery: similar behavior, triggered by remaining flight time • Manual: pilot presses RTH button on remote
RTH has well-known failure modes: • RTH altitude too low — drone can fly into trees or buildings on the straight-line path home • Home point not updated — drone returns to original takeoff point even if pilot has moved (e.g., flying from a moving boat) • Magnetic interference at home point — drone may circle confused or land short
Obstacle-avoidance-equipped drones (Mavic 3, Mini 4 Pro, Air 3) generally handle RTH better but still require pilot judgment for the RTH altitude setting.
What this means for pilots
Always set RTH altitude higher than the tallest obstacle along the flight-to-home path before takeoff. Verify the home point is updated if you've moved. RTH is a safety net, not autopilot — be ready to take manual control if it fails.
FAQ
What altitude should I set for RTH?
Tallest obstacle within 1,000 ft of the home-to-flight path, plus 50 ft margin. Default 100 ft is too low in most environments.
Does RTH work in low-battery situations?
Yes — the drone will trigger RTH automatically when battery drops below a threshold. Pilot can override.
Does RTH avoid obstacles?
Drones with obstacle avoidance (Mavic 3, Mini 4 Pro, Air 3) attempt to. Older drones or drones in non-obstacle-aware modes do not — they fly the straight-line path.
Related terms
FAA regulations change. Verify current rules at faa.gov/uas before relying on this article for flight planning. Altoa is not the FAA.