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Hello everyone! New aspiring drone pilot here, from Portugal.

Hello from the Crossroads of America Rui S.

Welcome to the Forum. :cool:
 
I've just bought my first "real" drone - DJI mini 2 SE.

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.


Since you live in Portugal, there are specific laws and rules for you to follow, please check to ensure these are current.


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, and 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 2 SE, 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…"


Fly On and Fly Safe…
 
Welcome to the forum. We look forward to your participation and your view of the world.
 
Hi and welcome, I've just started out with a Mini 2 SE too, my advice would be to take things slowly, learn one thing at a time then move on to the next, go gently on the sticks, It's easy to make mistakes when flying too fast, master the basics first then move on to more specific stuff, best of luck and stay safe.
Murph ☘️
 
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.


Since you live in Portugal, there are specific laws and rules for you to follow, please check to ensure these are current.


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, and 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 2 SE, 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…"


Fly On and Fly Safe…

Hello LoudThunder,
Thank you very much for the thorough list of advice.

That said, I have already done almost everything you recommend, especially watching a lot of youtube videos and tutorials. You see, I'm not a kid anymore, I am 58 years old, so I really understand that "jumping" the learning stages comes with a high price :)

I have my drone for two days now and I didn't even take it outside yet, as the wind is not favorable for beginners. Patience is of utmost importance here and I understand that. Meanwhile I keep researching and learning from other people experiences and knowledge.

Again, thank you very much for welcoming me and for all the advice.
 
Greetings from Birmingham Alabama USA, welcome to the forum! We look forward to hearing from you!
 
Hello to all.
I've just bought my first "real" drone - DJI mini 2 SE. I'm trying to learn as much as possible before taking it to fly.
Welcome from Northwest Indiana USA. I have a few DJI drones, one is a Mini 2. Look through the manual and go over some YouTube videos again if you need to, sometimes you might miss some things. The Mini is pretty good in light winds, but not great. I would wait for an almost windless day for first flight. Know how to set any limits in the parameters as to distance and altitude, that might save you from going too high or too far. Go slow with things until more confident. Good luck to you !
 
Welcome from Northwest Indiana USA. I have a few DJI drones, one is a Mini 2. Look through the manual and go over some YouTube videos again if you need to, sometimes you might miss some things. The Mini is pretty good in light winds, but not great. I would wait for an almost windless day for first flight. Know how to set any limits in the parameters as to distance and altitude, that might save you from going too high or too far. Go slow with things until more confident. Good luck to you !
Thank you for the advice.
I am doing my "homework", yes. When the wind calms down, I will have time to enjoy my drone. :)
 
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Welcome to the forum from the beautiful woods of Maine!
There’s many knowledgeable members of this forum willing to help you with any questions you might have. Search the forum using keywords and if you don’t find an answer, post your questions and I’m sure you’ll get a quick response! There’s a lot of good videos on YouTube that are helpful to the beginner. Fly safe and stay safe!
 
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