Inspire 1

The Inspire 1 is a professional aerial film making and photography platform that is ready to fly right out of 

the box. Featuring an onboard camera equipped with a 20mm lens and 3-axis stabilized gimbal, it shoots 

sharp 12mp stills and stable video at up to 4K. Its retractable landing gear pulls up out of view, giving the 

camera an unobstructed 360 degree view of the world below.

An advanced flight controller makes the Inspire 1 stable, safe and easy to fly indoors or out. The brand new 

Optical Flow sensor gives it the power to hover in position at low altitudes even without GPS. Like all DJI flight 

controllers, it is also able to return home if remote controller signal is lost or if the low battery warning is 

triggered.

The Inspire 1 boasts a maximum flight speed 22m/s and a maximum flight time of 18 minutes using one fully 

charged 4500mAh smart battery. 

*Please note that maximum run time, the max transmission distance were tested in a lab environment. These 

statistics are for reference only, as conditions in your area may vary.

1. Gimbal and Camera 7. Propellers 13. Aircraft Micro-USB Port

2. Camera Micro-SD Card Slot 8. Rear LED 14. Camera Micro-USB Port

3. Optical Flow Sensor 9. Smart Battery 15. Gimbal Lock

4. Transformation Mechanism 10. Power Button 16. Gimbal Clamp

5. Front LED 11. Battery Level Indicators

6. Motor 12. Aircraft Status Indicator
Retract 

Remote Controller

The maximum transmission distance of the Inspire remote controller is 2km. As well as flight control, the 

remote controller also allows you to control the landing gear or activate Return to Home with a tap. Other 

buttons allow instant photo capture, video recording, picture review and gimbal control. 

An integrated DJI Lightbridge based HD video downlink has been built-in, giving you a real time HD view of 

what your camera is seeing straight from your tablet. This also allows you to activate Master and Slave modes 

so that one person can fly while the other controls the gimbal independently. The controller’s LiPo battery 

has a maximum run time of approximately four hours and can be charged by plugging directly into the 

controller.

1. Power Button 12. Camera Settings Dial

2. Transformation Switch 13. Video Recording Button

3. Return Home (RTH) Button 14. Flight Mode Switch

4. Control Sticks 15. Shutter Button

5. Status LED 16. Playback Button

6. Battery Level LEDs 17. HDMI Port

7. Power Port 18. Micro-USB Port

8. Mobile Device Holder 19. CAN Port

9. Antenna 20. USB Port

10. Handle Bar 21. Back Buttons (Reserved) 

11. Gimbal Dial
*The Inspire 1 supports multiple remote controllers operating in master and slave mode. This guide is based 

on using the master remote controller. Refer to the Inspire 1 User Manual for more details on master and slave 

mode.

Fly Safe

● P Mode

Safe to fly. In this mode, the Inspire 1 has a strong GPS signal and can use Optical Flow positioning allowing it 

to hover accurately in position indoors and out. If outdoors, this mode also means that a Home Point has been 

locked so that it can Return to Home if the control signal is lost. If you are not in this mode, toggle the Flight 

Mode switch to P position to enable it.

The Optical Flow system works best at up to 2.5m above the ground. It may not function properly when the 

Inspire 1 is flying over water, over surfaces without clear patterns or over low light environments.

● Return to Home

The Inspire 1 will return to home automatically if the remote control signal is lost or if a low battery level 

alert occurs. It can also return to home with a tap of the RTH button. 

While returning home, altitude will be kept level, however the Inspire 1 is not able to avoid obstructions.

● Flight Limits

The Inspire 1 is not permitted to fly within no-fly zones as specified by local laws and regulations. Please visit 

here: http://www.dji.com/fly-safe for more information. 

Category A Safety Zone

(1) The category A “safety zone” is comprised of a small “no-fly zone” and a range of “restricted-altitude 

zones”. Flight is prevented in the “no-fly zone” but can continue with height restrictions in the restrictedaltitude zone.

(2) 1.5 miles (2.4 km) around a designated safety zone is a no-fly zone, inside which takeoff is prevented.

(3) 1.5 miles (2.4 km) to 5 miles (8 km) around restricted areas are altitude restricted, with maximum 

altitude going from 35 feet (10.5 m) at 1.5 miles (2.4 km) to 400 feet (120 m) at 5 miles (8 km).

(4) A “warning zone” has been set around the safety zone. When you fly within 320 feet (100m) of the 

safety zone, a warning message will appear on the DJI Pilot app.

Category B Safety Zone

(1) Category B “safety zone” is comprised of a “no-fly zone” and a “warning zone”.

(2) 0.6 miles (1 km) around the safety zone is a designated “no-fly zone”.

(3) A “warning zone” has been set around the safety zone. When you fly within 0.6 miles (1Km) of this zone, 

a warning will appear on the DJI Pilot app.
● Environmental Considerations

(1) Do not fly in severe weather conditions. This includes high wind, snow, rain and smog. 

(2) Only fly in open areas. High buildings and steel structures may affect the accuracy of the onboard compass. 

(3) Avoid from obstacles, crowds, high voltage power lines, trees or bodies of water. 

(4) Minimize electromagnetic interference by not flying in areas with high levels of electromagnetism, 

including mobile phone base stations or radio transmission towers. 

(5) Aircraft and battery performance is subject to environmental factors such as air density and temperature. 

Be very careful when flying 3000 meters (9800 feet) or more above sea level as battery and aircraft 

performance may be reduced.

(6) The Inspire 1 cannot operate within the polar latitudes.

1. Download the DJI Pilot App

Scan this QR code to download the DJI Pilot app. Register your e-mail address if using the app for the first 

time.

2. Watch the Tutorial Videos 

Watch the tutorial videos (coming soon) at www.dji.com or in the DJI Pilot app.

Scan QR code

For the best experience, use mobile device with Android 4.1.2 or above. iOS version on the way.

Watch the tutorial videos and read the INSPIRE 1 Quick Start Guide and User Manual before your first flight.

3. Check Battery Levels

Press the Power Button once on both the smart battery and remote controller to check battery levels. Make 

sure both batteries are adequately charged before each flight. 

Battery level low high 
4. Charging 

Only use the official DJI Inspire 1 charger for your smart battery and remote controller. 

To charge the Inspire 1 smart battery, remove it from the body. To charge the remote, connect it to power 

through the port to a suitable power source (100-240V 50/60Hz).

Only connect batteries to be power when they have been switched off. 

When battery indicators are all off on the smart battery, it is fully charged. If light on the remote controller is

green, it is fully charged.

Do not charge the smart battery and remote controller at the same time, otherwise it may cause danger.

5. Mounting the Gimbal and Camera

1. Remove Gimbal Cover.

2. Align white mark on gimbal with white mark on the Gimbal Lock then insert gimbal.

3. With gimbal in place, turn the Gimbal Lock to the left (facing the nose of the Inspire 1) until it locks into 

position.

4. Remove the Gimbal Clamp from the camera after mounting.

 
When ready, make sure the Micro-SD card has been properly installed in the camera.

6. Preparing the Remote Controller

Tilt the Mobile Device Holder to the desired position then adjust the antenna as shown.

1. Press the button on the side of the Mobile Device Holder to release the clamp.

2. Place your device onto the clamp and adjust the clamp to hold it securely.

3. Connect your mobile device to the remote controller with a USB cable. Plug one end of the cable into 

your mobile device, and the other end into the USB port on the back of the remote controller.

Important:

(1) Ensure the antenna’s position is perpendicular to the body of the remote controller for optimal 
transmission quality. 

(2) Do not use other 2.4GHz devices at the same time to avoid signal interference. 

7. Preparing for Flight

Place the aircraft on a flat surface, in an open space, with the back facing you.

1. Move the Flight Mode switch to the right to select P mode. (P mode is Positioning mode, A mode is 

ATTI mode, and the F mode is function mode. Refer to User Manual for details.)

2. Make sure the Transformation Switch is in the bottom position.

3. Power on the Remote Controller: Press the Power Button once then press again and hold for 2 

seconds. Repeat to power off.

4. Power on the Smart Battery: Press the power button once, then press again and hold for 2 seconds. 

Repeat to power off. 

5. Ensure the remote controller and your mobile device are connected with a USB cable. 

6. Launch the DJI Pilot app and tap “Camera”. Ensure the aircraft is functioning normally by completing 

the Checklist.

7. Calibrate Compass: tap STATUS in the app and select “Compass Calibration” to calibrate the compass, 

then follow on-screen instructions.

8. Attach propellers with the black nut onto motors with the black dot and spin counter-clockwise to 

secure. Attach propellers with gray nut onto motors without a black dot and spin clockwise to secure.

IMPORTANT:

Return to Home is not available in non-P modes. The Inspire 1 will only maintain altitude not positioning and 

will drift with wind or after inputs. Do not toggle the Transformation Switch before taking off to avoid gimbal 

damage.

Place all propellers onto the correct motor and tighten by hand to ensure security before flight.
8. Remote Controller Operation

The remote controller is by default set to Mode 2 (throttle controlled by the left-hand stick). Adjust the tilt 

angle of camera by using the gimbal dial.

Important:You can set the remote controller to different modes using the DJI Pilot app.

9. Flight

Before taking off, make sure the aircraft status bar in DJI Pilot app shows “Safe to Fly (GPS)”.

Taking Off

(1) Go to the Camera screen of the DJI Pilot app. Tap and confirm your selection. The Inspire 1 

will automatically take-off and landing gear will automatically raise.

(2) Manual Take-off:

a. Start motors by pulling both control sticks to the bottom inside corners. Release the sticks once 

the motors start. 

b. Slowly push the left (throttle) stick up to take off. 

c. Once in the air, toggle the Transformation Switch up to raise the landing gear.

Landing

(1) Auto Landing: Go to the Camera screen of the DJI Pilot app. Tap and confirm your 

selection. The landing gear will lower and the aircraft will automatically return home and land.
(2) Manual Landing: 

d. Toggle the transformation switch to the lower position to lower landing gear. 

e. Gently pull the left (throttle) stick down to lower the aircraft until it touches the ground. Pull 

both sticks to the bottom inside corners to stop the motors. Power off the aircraft before 

powering off the remote controller.

Return to Home 

(1) Press and hold the return home button until the LED surround the button blinking white, the 

return home procedure is in process. Press once to stop the procedure.

 (2)If a low battery alert is triggered, the Inspire 1 automatically enter RTH mode. 

 (3)Failsafe:The Inspire 1 will enter RTH mode if remote controller signal is lost.

It is highly recommend that you only take off when the Aircraft Status bar is green.

Never stop the motors during flight. Power off the aircraft prior to switching off the remote 

controller after landing.

10. Using the Camera 

● Adjust the camera parameters using the Camera Settings Dial on the remote controller or through the DJI 

Pilot app. Press the Shutter Button/Video Record Button to capture photos or record videos.

● Adjust the tilt of the gimbal using the gimbal dial.

● Download photos and video from the SD card to your mobile device through the DJI Pilot app. You may also 

use a SD card reader to export files to your PC.
Appendix 

Remote Controller Status LED 

Status LED Alar

m Remote Controller Status 

Solid Red 

None Remote controller is functioning normally but is not connected to 

the aircraft. 

 

Solid Green

None Remote controller is functioning normally and is connected to the 

aircraft. 

Solid yellow 

None Remote controller is in slave mode and not connected to the 

aircraft. 

Blinking Red 

B-BB...... Aircraft low battery warning or remote controller error. 

Solid Green 

B-BB...... Remote controller has been idle for 5 minutes 

Aircraft Status Indicator Description 

Aircraft Status Indicator Status

Green Blinking Slowly Safe to fly

Green double Blinks Optical flow sensor working, no GPS

Yellow Blinking Slowly ATTI 

Yellow Blinking Quickly Not connected to remote controller

Red Blinking Slowly Low battery warning

Red Blinking Quickly Critical low battery warning

Solid Red Critical error

Yellow and Red Blinking 

Alternately Compass calibration required

 

Visit www.dji.com/product/inspire-1 to download the INSPIRE 1 User Manual, firmware upgrade and more 

information. 

 

 

 

 

 

 
Specification

Aircraft

Weight(battery included) 2935g

Hovering Accuracy ( GPS 

mode) Vertical 0.5m , Horizontal 2.5m

Max Angular Velocity Pitch: 300°/s ; Yaw 150°/s

Max Tilt Angle 30°/s

Max Ascent Speed 5m/s,

Max Descent Speed 4m/s,

Max Speed 22m/s

Diagonal Distance 559mm(Landing gear lowered); 581mm(Landing 

gear raised)

Gimbal

Operating Current

Station:750mA

Motion:900mA

Control Accuracy ±0.03°

Controllable Range

Pitch: -90° to +30°, 

Pan: ±330°

Max Controllable Speed Pitch: 120°/s

Pan: 180°/s

Battery 

Model (Standard) TB47

Voltage 22.2V

Capacity 4500mAh LiPo 6S

Energy 99.9Wh

Net Weight 570g

Charger (Standard)

Output Power 100W

Camera 
Operating Temperature 0°C to 40°C

Resolution 1240M 

FOV (Field of View) 94°

CMOS 1/2.3”

Lens

F/2.8(20mm equivalent)

Anti-distortion filter 

Shooting Mode

Single shoot

Burst shoot(BURST:3/5/7 frames per second,AEB:

3/5 frames per second,0.7EV Bias)

Time lapsed

HD Recording Mode

UHD:4096x2160p24/25,3840x2160p24/25/30

FHD:1920x1080p24/25/30/48/50/60

HD:1280x720p24/25/30/48/50/60

Supported File Format

FAT32/exFAT

Photo format:JPEG,DNG

Video format:MP4/MOV(MPEG-4 AVC/H.264)

Support SD Card Types SD/SDHC/SDXC Micro SD

Remote Controller 

Operating Frequency 

5.725 GHz~5.850 GHz (Remote Controller to 

Remote Controller)

2.400GHz~2.483GHz (Remote Controller to Aircraft)

Transmitting Distance

( outdoor and 

unobstructed)

2km 

Receiver(1%PER) -93dBm

EIRP 10dBm@900M, 13dBm @5.8G,20dBm@2.4G

Working Current / Voltage 1.2A@7.4V

Battery capacity 6000mAh LiPo 2S

Optical Flow

Sensor Frequency

Velocity Range

Altitude Range

50HZ

Below 8m/s ( 2m above ground)

5cm-500cm

Operating Environment Rich pattern surface with adequate lighting (Lux > 

15)

Operating Range 0-250cm