PHANTOM 3 

[ PROFESSIONAL I 

User Manual [v1.2] 

2015.06 
Using this manual 

Legends 

0 Warning Lh Important ~ Hints and Tips 1i!iJ Reference 

Read Before the First Flight 

Read the following documents before using the Phantom 3 Professional: 

1.1n the Box 

2. Phantom 3 Professional User Manual 

3. Phantom 3 Professional Quick Start Guide 

4. Phantom 3 Professional I Advanced Safety Guidelines and Disclaimer 

5. Phantom 3 Professional I Advanced Intelligent Right Battery Safety Guidelines 

We recommend that you watch all tutorial videos on the official DJI website and read the Disclaimer 

before you fly. Prepare for your first flight by reviewing the Phantom 3 Professional Quick Start Guide and 

refer to the User Manual for more detailed information. 

Video Tutorials 

Please watch the tutorial videos at the link below, which demonstrates how to use Phantom 3 Professional 

safely: 

http://WWW.dji.com/product/phantom-3/Video 

Download the OJI Pilot app 

Download and install the DJI Pilot app before using the aircraft. Scan the QR code to the right 

to _,ood ~. """'"""'"'· :.- - The Android version of the DJ I Pilot app is compatible with Android 4.1.2 or later. 

The iOS version of the DJI Pilot app is compatible with iOS 8.0 or later. [!) . · 

2 Cl 2015 DJI. All Rigtrl:l Roserwd. 
Contents 

Using this manual 

Legends 

Read Before the First Flight 

Video Tutorials 

Download the DJI Pilot app 

Product Profile 

Introduction 

Feature Highlights 

Preparing the Aircraft 

Aircraft Diagram 

Remote Controller Diagram 

Aircraft 

Right Controller 

Flight Mode 

Right Status Indicator 

Return-to-Home (Rlli) 

Smart RTH 

Low Battery RTH 

Failsafe RTH 

Vision Positioning System 

Right Reoorder 

Attaching and Detaching the Propellers 

DJI Intelligent Right Battery 

Remote Controller 

Remote Controller Profile 

Using the Remote Controller 

Remote Controller Status LED 

Unking the Remote Controller 

Remote Controller Compliance Version 

2 

2 

2 

2 

6 

6 

7 

8 

8 

11 

11 

11 

12 

12 

13 

14 

14 

16 

16 

17 

23 

23 

27 

28 

29 

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Camara and Gimbal 

Camera Profile 31 

Gimbal 32 

DJI PllotApp 

Camera 35 

Director 38 

Store 38 

Discovery 38 

Flight 

Flight Environment Requirements 40 

Flight Limits and No-Fly zones 40 

Preflight Checklist 44 

Calibrating the Compass 44 

Auto Takeoff and Auto Landing 45 

Flight Test 46 

Starting/Stopping the Motors 46 

Troubleshooting (FAQ) 

Appendix 

Specifications 53 

Intelligent Orientation Control (IOC) 55 

FCC Compliance 56 

4 Cl 2015 DJI. All Rigtrl:l Roserwd. 
Product Profile 

This section introduces the Phantom 3 

Professional and lists the components of 

the aircraft and remote controller. 

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Product Profile 

Introduction 

The Phantom 3 Professional represents the next generation of DJI quadcopters. It is capable of capturing 

4K video and transmitting an HD video signal out of the box. The bui~-in camera has an integrated gimbal 

to maximize stability vvhile minimizing both weight and size. Even when no GPS signal is available, the 

Vision Positioning System aiiOINS the aircraft to hover accurately in place. 

Feature Highlights 

camera and Gimbal: With the Phantom 3 Professional, you're shooting 4K video at up to 30 frames per 

second and capturing 12 megapixel photos that look crisper and cleaner than ever. An enhanced sensor 

gives you greater clarity, lower noise, and better pictures than any previous flying camera. 

HD Video Downlink: The low-latency long range HD downlink is powered by an enhanced version of DJI 

Lightbridge. 

DJI Intelligent Right Battery: The 4480 mAh DJI Intelligent Flight Battery features upgraded battery cells 

and an advanced power management system. 

Flight Controller: The next-generation flight controller has been updated to provide a safer, more reliable 

flight m<perience. A newly implemented flight recorder stores critical data from each flight and the Vision 

Positioning System enhances hovering precision when flying indoors or in environments INhere GPS is 

unavailable. 

8 Cl 2015 DJI. All Rigtrl:l Roserwd. 
Preparing the_Ai _'rcraft _______________ ____. 

Ramovtng Gimbal Clamp 

Remove the gi'nbel clamp by sliding it to the right (v.tlen fBcing the 11099 of the airoraft), as shcv.n below. 

Allachlng the Pmpelle111: 

Mount the propellers with black dots oo to I'I'IOiool with black axes and apin counter-clockwise to secure. 

Mount the propellers wilh sliver dots oo to I'TlOOJrs with sliver axes and spin clockwise to secure. Be sure 

all propellers are securely in place. 

~ Place all propellers onto 1he correct motors and tighten by hand to lock !hem in JXlSition. 

Pr9parlng the Remote Controller: 

The mobile device holder Ia designed for securing tablet or mobile ~ce. lllt lhe mobile device holder to 

the desired position, !hen adjust !he antennas so they are facing outward. 

1. Press !he button oo the top right side allhe mobile device holder to release 1he clamp, !hen ad)Jst the 

clamp to fit the size al }'OUr mobile device. 

2. Seo.Jre your mobile device in the clamp by pressing dcMn, and connect your mobile device to 1he 

rEmote controller using a USB cable. 

3. Plug one end of the cable into the mobile device, and the other end into the USB port oo lhe back ci 

lhe l1lll1CI8 controller. 
Phentom 3 Profeuionel User Manual 

Aircraft Diagram 

[1] 

[2] [1] GPS [3] 

[7] [4] 

[2] Propeller 

[6] [3] Motor 

[5] 

[4] Front LED Indicator 

"lJ 

0 [5] Landing gear a. 

c: 

!l [8] [6] Gimbal and camera "lJ [9] g [10] [7] Aircraft Micro-USB Port 

m 

[11] 

[8] Aircraft Starus Indicator 

[9] Intelligent Right Battery 

[10] Vision Positioning Sensors 

[11] Antennas 

[12] [12] Camera Micro-SO Card Slot 

[13] Camera Micro-USB Port 

[14] Link Button 

Remote Controller Diagram 

[1] Antennas 

Relays aircraft control and 

[1] video signal. 

[2] [2] Mobile Device Holder 

Securely mounts your mobile 

device to the remote controller. 

[3] [3] COntrol Stick [6] [4] [7] Controls the orientation and 

[6] [5] movement of the aircraft. 

[4] Retum Home (RTH) Button 

Press and hold the button to 

initiate Retum to Home (RTH). 

8 Cl 2015 DJI. All Rigtrl:l Roserwd. 
[5] Battery Level LEOs 

Displays the battery level of the remote 

controller. 

[6] Status LED 

Displays the remote controller's system status. 

[7] Power Button 

Used to tum the remote controller on and off. 

[8] RTH LED 

Circular LED around the RTH button displays 

RTHstatus. 

[9] Camera Settings Dial 

Turn the dial to adjust camera settings. 

(Only functions when the remote controller is 

connected to a mobile device running the DJI 

Pilotapp.) 

[10] Playback Button 

Playback the captured images or videos. 

(Only functions when the remote controller is 

connected to a mobile device running the DJI 

Pilotapp.) 

[11] Shutter Button 

Press to take a photo. If burst mode is 

selected, the set number of photos will be 

taken with one press. 

[12] Flight Mode SWitch 

Switch between P-mode, A-mode, and 

F-mode. 

[13] Video Recording Button 

Press to start recording video. Press again to 

stop recording. 

[17] C1 Button 

Custonnizable through the DJI Pilot app. 

[18] C2 Button 

Custonnizable through the DJI Pilot app. 

[19] Power Port 

Connect to the DJI Phantom 3 Charger to 

charge the battery of the remote controller. 

Ph8ntom3 Professional User Manual 

[15] [16] 

[14] Gimbal Dial 

Use this dial to control the ti~ of the gimbal. 

[15] Mirt:ro-USB Port 

Connect to a SD card reader to upgrade the 

fimnware. 

[16] USB Port 

Connect to mobile device or to a USB port for 

firmware upgrade. 

C 2015 DJI. All Rights ~- 9 
Aircraft 

This section introduces the features of 

the Flight Controller, Vision Positioning 

System, and the Intelligent Flight Battery 

10 02015DJI.A Righb~ 
Aircraft 

Flight Controller 

The Phantom 3 Professional's flight controller features several important upgrades, including a new flight 

mode. Safety modes include Failsafe and Return-to-Home. These features ensure the safe retum of your 

aircraft if the control signal is lost. The flight controller can also save critical flight data from each flight 

to the on-board storage device. The new flight controller also provides increased stability and a new air 

braking feature. 

Flight Mode 

Three flight modes are available. The details of each flight mode are found below: 

P-mode (Positioning) : P-mode works best when GPS signal is strong. There are three different states 

of P-mode, which will be automatically selected by the Phantom 3 Professional depending on signal 

strength of GPS and Vision Positioning sensors : 

P-GPS: GPS and Vision Positioning both are available. The aircraft is using GPS for positioning. 

P-OPTI: Vision Positioning is available but the GPS signal strength is not sufficient. The aircraft is 

using only the Vision Positioning System for positioning. 

P-ATII: Neither GPS nor Vision Positioning is available. The aircraft is using only its barometer for 

positioning, so only altitude can be stabilized. 

A-mode {Attitude): GPS and Vision Positioning System are not used for stabilization. The aircraft only uses 

its barometer. The aircraft can still automatically return to the home point if the control signal is lost and 

the Home Point was recorded successfully. 

F-mode {Function): Intelligent Orientation Control {IOC) is activated in this mode. For more information 

about IOC, refer to the IOC section in the Appendix. 

~ Use the Right Controller mode switch to change the flight mode of the aircraft, refer to the "Flight 

Mode Switch" on Page 26 for more information. 

Flight Status Indicator 

The Phantom 3 Professional has Front LEDs and Aircraft Status Indicators. The positions of these LEOs 

are shown in the figure below: 

Aircraft Status Indicator 

The Front LEDs show the orientation of the aircraft. The Front LEDs glow solid red when the aircraft is 

turned on to indicate the front (or nose) of the aircraft. The Aircraft Status Indicators communicate the 

system status of the flight controller. Refer to the table below for more information about the Aircraft Status 

Indicators: 

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Phentom 3 Profeuionel User Manual 

Aircraft Status Indicator Description 

Normal 

-if!F% ······Red, Green and Yellow Flash 

Alternatively 

:if*r:tf······ Green and Yellow Flash Alternatively 

-"lf11: · · · · · · Green Flashes Slowly 

-:@X2 ······Green Rashes Twice 

······Yellow Flashes Slowly 

WBming 

······Fast Yellow Rashing 

~ ...... Slow Red Flashing 

~ · · · · · · Fast Red Flashing 

~ · · · · · · Red Rashing Alternatively 

-Solid Red 

·if!Fr:tf· ·····Red and Yellow Flash Alternatively 

Retum-to-Home (RTH) 

Turning On and Self Diagnostic Testing 

Warming Up 

Safe to Fly (P-mode with GPS and Vision 

Positioning) 

Safe to Fly (P-rnode with Vision Positioning but 

without GPS) 

Safe to Fly (A-mode but No GPS and Vision 

Positioning) 

Remote Controller's Signal lost 

Low Battery Warning 

Critical Battery Warning 

IMU Error 

Critical Error 

Compass Calibration Required 

The Return-to-Home {RTH) function brings the aircraft back to the last recorded Horne Point. There are 

three types of RTH procedures: Smart RTH, Low Battery RTH, and Failsafe RTH. This section describes 

these three scenarios in detail. 

GPS 

Horne Point ~111ll 

Smart RTH 

Description 

If a strong GPS signal was acquired before takeoff, the Home Point 

is the location from which the aircraft was launched. The GPS signal 

strength is indicated by the GPS icon ( ~111 1 ). The aircraft status 

indicator will blink rapidly when the home point is recorded. 

Use the RTH button on the remote controller (refer to "RTH button" on page 26 for more information) or 

tap the RTH button in the DJI Pilot app and follow the on-screen instructions when GPS is available to 

initiate Smart RTH. The aircraft will then automatically return to the last recorded Home Point. You may usa 

the remote controller's control sticks to control the aircraft's position to avoid a collision during the Smart 

RTH process. Press and hold the Smart RTH button once to start the process, and press the Smart RTH 

button again to terminate the procedure and regain full control of the aircraft. 

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Ph8ntom3 Professional User Manual 

Low Battery RTH 

The low battery level failsafe is triggered when the DJI Intelligent Flight Battery is depleted to a point that 

may affect the safe return of the aircraft. Users are advised to return home or land the aircraft immediately 

when prompted. The DJI Pilot app will display a notice when a low battery warning is triggered. The 

aircraft will automatically return to the Home Point if no action is taken after a ten-second countdown. The 

user can cancel the RTH procedure by pressing the RTH button on the remote controller. The thresholds 

for these warnings are automatically determined based on the aircraft's current altitude and distance from 

the Home Point. 

The aircraft will land automatically if the current battery level can only support the aircraft long enough 

to descend from its current altitude. The user can still use the remote controller to alter the aircraft's 

orientation during the landing process. 

The Battery Level Indicator is displayed in the DJI Pilot app, and is described below: 

Critical Low battery level Sufficient battery 

waming(Red) lewi(Green) 

__i_::s~·~ ~·~- Power requires 

to retum home 

Battery level Indicator 

Aircraft Status 

Indicator 

DJI Pilot app 

Tap "Go-home" to have the 

Right Instructions 

Low battery The battery Aircraft status 

aircraft return to the Home Fly the aircraft 

point and land automatically, back and land 

or "Cancel" to resume normal it as soon as 

flight. If no action is taken, possible, then 

the aircraft will automatically stop the motors 

go home and land after 1 0 and replace the 

seconds. Remote controller battery. 

level warning power is low. indicator blinks 

Critical Low 

battery level 

warning 

Estimated 

remaining 

flight time 

Please land the RED slowly. 

aircraft. 

The aircraft Aircraft status 

mustla"'d indicator blinks 

immediately. RED quickly. 

Estimated 

remaining flight N/A based on current 

battery level. 

will sound an alarm. 

The DJI Pild: app display will Allow the aircraft to flash red and the aircraft 'Mll descend and la"'d 

start to descend. The remote 

conlroller wl sound an al1m1. automatically. 

N/A N/A 

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Phentom 3 Profeuionel User Manual 

~ • When Critical battery level warning is triggered and the aircraft begins to land automatically, 

you may push the throttle upward to make the aircraft hover at its current a~itude, giving you an 

opportunity to navigate to a more appropriate landing location. 

• The colored zones and markers on the battery level indicator bar reflect the estimated 

remaining flight time. They are automatically adjusted according to the aircraft's current location 

and status. 

Failsafe RTH 

If the Home Point was successfully recorded and the compass is functioning normally, Failsafe RTH will 

be automatically activated if the remote controller signal is lost for more than three seconds. The Returnto-Home process may be interrupted and the operator may regain control of the aircraft if the remote 

controller signal connection is re-established. 

Failsafe Illustration 

1 Record Home Point 

Blinking Green 

4 Signal Lost Lasts (after 3 sec.) 

y-

• 

Fast Blinking Yellow 

2 Confrming Home Point 

~~~1111 

• 

Blinking Green 

5 RT1-i (a~ EV!ilude) 

y~~-~~~~~-- --y- ·- ....... ., ...... :y- ~CJIIII"~-mn 

Fast Blinking Yellow 

3 Remote Controller Signal LDst 

• 

Fast Blinking Yellow 

Fast Blinking Yellow 

& • Aircraft automatically descends and lands if RTH is triggered when the aircraft flies within a 20 

meters {65 feet) radius of the Home Point. Aircraft will stop ascending and immediately return to 

the Home Point if you move the throttle stick if the aircraft reaches 20 meters (65 feet) altitudes 

or beyond during Failsafe. 

• Aircraft cannot return to the Home Point when GPS signal is weak { [ u1ll l displays grey) or 

unavailable. 

• The aircraft cannot avoid obstruction during the Failsafe RTH, therefore, it is important to set an 

suitable Failsafe altitude before each flight. Launch the DJI Pilot app and enter "Camera" and 

select "MODE > Advanced Settings > Failsafe mode" to set the Failsafe altitude. 

Vision Positioning System 

The DJI Vision Positioning System uses ultrasound and image data to help the aircraft maintain its current 

position. With the help of Vision Positioning, your Phantom 3 Professional can hover in place more precisely 

and fly indoors or in other environments where a GPS signal is not available. The main components of the 

Vision Positioning System are located on the bottom of your Phantom 3 Professional; they include [2] two 

ultrasonic sensors and [1] one monocular camera. 

14 C 2015 DJI. All Rights FlesoMid. 
Using Vision Positioning 

Ph8ntom3 Professional User Manual 

[1] 

[2] 

Vision Positioning is activated automatically when the Phantom 3 Professional is turned on. No 

further action is required. Vision Positioning is typically used in indoor environments, where GPS ~ 

is unavailable. Using the sensors that are built into the Vision Positioning system, the Phantom 3 ° 

Professional can hover precisely even without GPS. ~ 

'---.. / 

iW .:'t 

8-

/ ~ ~ 

Follow 

1. Toggle 

the 

the 

steps 

flight 

below 

mode 

to use 

switch 

Vision 

toP-mode. 

Positioning: ~ , .• 

2. Place the aircraft on a flat surface. Note that the Vision Positioning system cannot work 

properly on surfaces without clear pattern variations. 

3. Tum on the aircraft. The aircraft status indicator will flash green two times, which indicates the Vision Positioning system is ready. Gently push the throttle up to lift off and the aircraft will 

hover in place. 

& The performance of your Vision Positioning System is affected by the surface over which it is 

flying. The ultrasonic sensors may not be able to accurately measure distances when operating 

above sound-absorbing materials. In addition, the camera may not function correctly in 

suboptimal environments. The aircraft will switch from P-moda to A-mode automatically if neither 

GPS nor Vision Positioning System are availalble. Operate the aircraft with great caution in the 

following situations: 

• Flying over monochrome surfaces (e.g. pure black, pure white, pure red, pure green). 

• Flying over a highly reflective surfaces. 

• Flying at high speeds( over 8 rn/s at 2 meters or over 4 m/s at 1 meter). 

• Flying over water or transparent surfaces. 

• Flying over moving surfaces or objects. 

• Flying in an area where the lighting changes frequently or drastically. 

• Flying over extremely dark (lux < 1 0) or bright (lux > 1 00,000) surfaces. 

• Flying over surfaces that can albsorb sound waves (e.g. thick carpet). 

• Flying over surfaces without clear patterns or texture. 

• Flying over surfaces with identical repeating patterns or tex\l.Jres (e.g. tiles with the same design). 

• Flying over inclined surfaces that will deflect sound waves away from the aircraft. 

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