Fresh Meat from Oklahoma City (and occasionally Da Nang, Viet Nam)

[SeaBass]

New drone pilot from Oklahoma City Metro Area. I also spend a month yearly in Da Nang, Viet Nam, although that was cut back during the Covid period.

Here is a bit of info from my "I love me wall":
1. Former Career Air Force Veteran (almost 90% living overseas)
2. Current (almost retired!) civil service engineer for the DoD & USAF
3. Avid Amateur Radio operator (FCC Extra Class License, Call sign is AA5H)
4. Former Professional Photographer (still active, but not for business)
5. Part 107 licensed (but that doesn't retract nor mitigate my Noob status

My Self-Imposed NOOB Rules
1. Mouth Shut unless you have a question (or posting in the "noob" section)
2. Place Ego in pocket, don your thick skin PPE
3. LISTEN (read) and LEARN from others.

I have a DJI Mini-Pro 4 and seven acres of rural land to practice flying. I don't know the direction I'm eventually headed, recreational or business, but at this point, it doesn't matter; my involvement for now will be limited to LISTENING (reading), LEARNING, and not sticking my foot in my mouth.

Special Note for any Viet Nam Members/Pilots: I need valid information on registration and drone flying in Viet Nam. Current online drone information for Viet Nam is wildly inaccurate. Please get in touch with me on the forum or by PM (if you prefer to respond using Vietnamese).

Respectfully Posted

Brian

 

[msinger]

Welcome to the forum!

 

[MA2 317]

Hello from the Crossroads of America SeaBass.

Welcome to the Forum.

 

[TonyPHX]

@SeaBass I love that you came in with a missions statement! : ). Great forum, lots of knowledge here. For me, I am addicted to the crash and fly-away section. It is my guilty pleasure, kind of like reading the National Enquirer. I love learning from the misfortunes, but also seeing how some of the most knowledgable forum members apply a data driven approach to figuring out what really happened. I love it!!

Oh and welcome! Great to see you here!

 

[LoudThunder]

New drone pilot from Oklahoma City Metro Area

Welcome from the Hampton Roads area of Virginia, USA. We have a Member's Map in the Upper Right of the Title Bar. Click on "Members" and then Click on "Member's Map…" Check it out and you might find some new flying friends.

Member Map

mavicpilots.com

As a New Drone Pilot, there are a couple of Legal Things you may need to do… Even though you are Part 107 Licensed, you only need to register your Mini 4 if you use it in a commercial operation or you install the heavy batteries…

Since you live in Oklahoma, there are specific laws and rules for you to follow, please check the link below for all the Rules and Laws that are in effect in your neck of the woods and it also links you to some of the Best Places to Fly in your area… Also, if you travel on vacation, visit friends, and relatives in other parts of the country, check back here so you do not run afoul of the law.

Federal Drone Laws in the United States (FAA) - Pilot Institute

44809 is an exemption from Part 107 drone laws. This means that drone pilots fly under Part 107 drone rules by default unless they meet all 9 of the requirements to fly under 44809, the exception for limited recreational operations of unmanned aircraft. You can read more about these requirements...

pilotinstitute.com

Even if you have flown Drones before, here is some Good Old Fashion Advice…

You paid a lot of money for that Drone, put your phone number on it. If your drone gets lost or stuck in a tree and it finally comes down when you are not around, give the finders an opportunity to contact you so it can be returned.

Now, for the Fun Part, But do not let the excitement of the moment get the best of you. When you are going out to fly, do it slowly and deliberately. Get used to a set procedure and even practice it.

There are so many things I could write but these are the highlights that I feel need mentioning.

Plug in your phone/tablet into your controller; turn on the Controller and DJI Fly App (if it does not start on its own…). On the Drone, open the front legs, then open the back legs, then remove the Gimbal Cover.

The Gimbal is the most delicate item on the Drone and banging or bumping can damage it. I also fastened a short "Remove Before Flight" ribbon to the cover so it's more noticeable and I do not forget to remove it…

Turn on the drone and watch it come to "life." Watching the Gimbal go through its self-check is almost like watching a puppy or kitten opening its eyes for the first time…

Place the drone down (preferably on a Landing Pad) while it finishes its self-test (collecting satellites, etc…).

Check your battery status (Phone, Drone, and Controller), check the Signal Strength, by now the Controller should have reported it updated the Home Point.

Lift off, 6- feet (2-meters) or so, hover a bit, check the controls (move the drone a bit forward, back, left, right, yaw left and right). By now, your Controller will probably report again, Home point Updated.

If you go out in a rush and race thru your start up and take off before the drone has finished it prep, it may update its Home Point over that pond or that old tree you are flying over and in your excitement, you'll fly the drone long past it Low Battery point and when it engages Return to Home and lands in the pond or in a tree; it will be all on you…

Now go have fun, learn to fly the drone by sight before you try to fly it out a distance depending on the video feed, FPV.

I would also advise you to use YouTube and watch a lot of the Videos on flying and setting up the Drone. When it is too dark, too cold, or too wet, you can "fly it vicariously" through YouTube. Also watch some of the Blooper Drone Videos and learn how not to fly your "New Baby."

Below is the link to all of the downloads offered by DJI for the Mini 4 Pro, including the User Manual.

After you read the Manual, read it again, you will be surprised what you missed the first time and you will be better prepared for that first "scary moment…"

DJI Mini 4 Pro - Download Center - DJI

At DJI Download Center, Learn aboutDJI Mini 4 Pro

www.dji.com

Fly On and Fly Safe…

 

[dave canada]

welcome home sir

 

[wjkrysak]

Welcome to the forum. We look forward to your participation and your view of the world.

 

[SeaBass]

Thanks to all that have responded and will continue to respond:

A few Xtra notes:

I love that you came in with a missions statement!

Yes, Tony. Typical govt DoD employee, everything has to have a Mission Statement, haha!

Welcome from the Hampton Road

Chief: ..Thanks for the comprehensive reply, all great infoI will read and absorb. I'm located 5 miles from the South approach to SOKC (Will Rogers World Airport), but am outside of thier restricted airspace. I currently work at Tinker AFB located 8 miles to my Northeast, the AF Flight Standards Agency HQ is co-located on Tinker so was able to take the Part 107 exam for free.

 

[Dave MH]

New drone pilot from Oklahoma City Metro Area. I also spend a month yearly in Da Nang, Viet Nam, although that was cut back during the Covid period.

Here is a bit of info from my "I love me wall":
1. Former Career Air Force Veteran (almost 90% living overseas)
2. Current (almost retired!) civil service engineer for the DoD & USAF
3. Avid Amateur Radio operator (FCC Extra Class License, Call sign is AA5H)
4. Former Professional Photographer (still active, but not for business)
5. Part 107 licensed (but that doesn't retract nor mitigate my Noob status

My Self-Imposed NOOB Rules
1. Mouth Shut unless you have a question (or posting in the "noob" section)
2. Place Ego in pocket, don your thick skin PPE
3. LISTEN (read) and LEARN from others.

I have a DJI Mini-Pro 4 and seven acres of rural land to practice flying. I don't know the direction I'm eventually headed, recreational or business, but at this point, it doesn't matter; my involvement for now will be limited to LISTENING (reading), LEARNING, and not sticking my foot in my mouth.

Special Note for any Viet Nam Members/Pilots: I need valid information on registration and drone flying in Viet Nam. Current online drone information for Viet Nam is wildly inaccurate. Please get in touch with me on the forum or by PM (if you prefer to respond using Vietnamese).

Respectfully Posted

Brian

Welcome
I spent a year at Da Nang, Viet Nam back in 1967 / 68. Times were different back in those days.

 

[GFields]

Greetings from Birmingham Alabama USA, welcome to the forum! We look forward to hearing from you!

 

[SeaBass]

Welcome
I spent a year at Da Nang, Viet Nam back in 1967 / 68. Times were different back in those days.

MH:

The only active remnant of the war is the former MACS-4 radar facility on Monkey Mountain, now used for regional ATC traffic.

Da Nang has changed quite a bit, mainly in the past ten years. The city is a tourist hotspot filled with Starbucks, Pizza Hut, KFC, Hilton, and more. Last spring, the first "McDonalds" opened; the North may have won the war, but its Capitalism that eventually triumphed.

Pictured below is the new McDonalds. It's situated on the main drag from Da Nang to Hue City.

 

[Dave MH]

MH:

The only active remnant of the war is the former MACS-4 radar facility on Monkey Mountain, now used for regional ATC traffic.

Da Nang has changed quite a bit, mainly in the past ten years. The city is a tourist hotspot filled with Starbucks, Pizza Hut, KFC, Hilton, and more. Last spring, the first "McDonalds" opened; the North may have won the war, but its Capitalism that eventually triumphed.

Pictured below is the new McDonalds. It's situated on the main drag from Da Nang to Hue City.

View attachment 170716

I remember Hill 327, and China Beach. May not be called such now.

 

[LoudThunder]

A few Xtra notes:

I live just a few miles from Langley AFB and I am in the Zero Altitude Quadrant and if it was not for my 107, I could not even fly in my own yard… I was prepping to take my exam at Langley and the due to the pandemic, they decided to quit offering the exam. I am also near Fort Eustis and Norfolk Naval Air Station and they all quit offering the free exams. If you check today, I'll bet you do not find one military installation offering the free exam… I posted many times about this… and I ultimately had to pay the fee

The Part 107 License Exam is FREE for some folks. Do you qualify?

The Part 107 License Exam is FREE for some folks. Do you qualify? Much of this has already been posted, however, this is being submitted as one concise, all-inclusive set of instructions… Certain groups of people, depending on their affiliation with various organizations, may not have to pay...

mavicpilots.com

The is the area I live in and it is really difficult to find an open area to fly in without an FAA Authorization…

 

[SeaBass]

I remember Hill 327, and China Beach. May not be called such now.

Dave: Hill 327 is home to 5-star IHG Resort, one of the premier locations in Asia. President Trump stayed there a few years back for the APEC summit. It's a beautiful resort, but it's beyond my price tag at $800 a night for the cheapest room. Link: IHG Resort


China Beach is still there; it used to empty until 2015 when the tourist boom started, and now it's packed with mostly South Korean tourists. Below is a self-pic taken on China Beach in 2009 before the tourist boom

 

[SeaBass]

The is the area I live in and it is really difficult to find an open area to fly in without an FAA Authorization…

Chief:

I occasionally go TDY to Langley (JB Langley-Eustis) as ACC is our parent MAJCOM. I can't imagine an air corridor more congested than where you live. Civil and Military airfields, and then the many restricted Navy/USAF training zones in that area.

I do have a question: is it even possible to fly, with clearance, around the mall area to capture the monuments?

I was lucky to snag the "free" exam. The AF Flight Safety office is across the street from Tinker AFB and provides written and flight sim testing for pilots; they have their own gate outside the main base and allow access with a CAC card and testing appointment slip. My home is only 10 minutes from the FAA HQ at the MMAC, but ironically, they do not offer on-site testing.

--Brian

 

[LoudThunder]

I do have a question: is it even possible to fly, with clearance, around the mall area to capture the monuments?

You'll have to be more specific, what Mall, what Monuments.? With your 107 and an FAA Authorization, you can fly in a greart many places here on the peninsula. But if you are referring to Fort Monroe, you have to be very careful as its a National Monumant and you cannot fly over it, but around it...

One of the many Apps I like to use DroneUp, you can get your LAANC authoizations and the maps are very good. I also use WIndy.com. B4UFly is a standby...

In my map above, the Blue Circles are Class D Airspace, the Green Circle is LAANC, and the Red are National Monuments and Parks (NFZ)...

 

[Dave MH]

You'll have to be more specific, what Mall, what Monuments.? With your 107 and an FAA Authorization, you can fly in a greart many places here on the peninsula. But if you are referring to Fort Monroe, you have to be very careful as its a National Monumant and you cannot fly over it, but around it...

One of the many Apps I like to use DroneUp, you can get your LAANC authoizations and the maps are very good. I also use WIndy.com. B4UFly is a standby...

In my map above, the Blue Circles are Class D Airspace, the Green Circle is LAANC, and the Red are National Monuments and Parks (NFZ)...

Morning
Is Droneup an Apple only app?
Don't see it in Android Play Store.
Always looking for something better than what I currently use. Aloft
Thanks

 

[Kendallfordguy]

Welcome from Wisconsin!

 

[PakNheat380]

Welcome to the forum from NW Montana

 

[Phantomrain.org]

Welcome to the Fourm ! Thank you for your service.

Gear to fly in the Rain. Capture the Storm and Survive the weather in Viet Nam.
Phantomrain.org