Is the Mavic for beginners?

[Ebruce]

Go with a Mavic brotha!! Believe me when I say it's nothing even close to say - flying NASA's space shuttle---I taught my 9year old to fly it..in about 30 minutes...and I am pretty darn sure they are not selling it for just us "professionals"-- it's a great Drone!-expensive--but no mystery to learn on AT ALL! get what you want...pretty sure that at some point all of the ELITE crash the 1,000 dollar drones just the same as anything else! Cheaper drone is maybe better to learn on TRUE-but, the Mavic does not require any special skill set whatsoever..read, re-read manual and take it slow..and in about a day or so, you will be as opinionated and posting the same "NO"! --"YES"! Stuff as the whole lot of us do now, "SELF INCLUDED"---and don't let this mysterious and violent ATTI mode scare you.. buy a little heli from 7/11 for 10 bucks and you will learn what that's about in 5 minutes..again NOT a big learning curb there either..--have fun and fly safe--

 

[sekine12]

DJI drones pretty much fly themselves if you think about it. When it hovers its basically waiting for you to tell it what to do. All you need to do is point it in the direction you want to go. Learning the tech of it (camera options, sensors, caliberations, etc.) is what will take you some time.

They also crash themselves very well when they get confused and ask you to fly them, if you don't know how to fly them.

 

[sekine12]

If you learn the controls in GPS mode then you will certainly be that more in the " know" on how to respond in ATTI mode. I agree ATTI is obviously the best way to learn as well.. but hardly necessary to get started flying a DJI drone...you can hurt someone just as good with a 40 dollar drone as a 1000 dollar one. That said the 40 dollar is a better springboard, but honestly the Mavic can be flown by any patient and timid flier period..

I'd punch a hovering X4, but I sure wouldn't punch a hovering mavic... I know you can do as much damage, but all else being equal the Mavic is gonna do a lot more harm.

 

[MavicCF]

I would agree that DJI drones seem to fly themselves. However the mere fact that you take a person who has never flown before in their lives and let them put a drone up hundreds of feet up and thousands out over people, buildings, etc is kind of a scary thought to me. If you take it slow, stay on beginner mode and learn the basics its probably ok, but why risk the Mavic learning when you can buy a cheap one to practice on. An extra $40 never hurt anyone and it may just save your Mavic. -CF

 

[Mister Lee]

First drone I flew was my Mavic. I never flew in Beginners Mode and my 3th flight was in Sport Mode. Never crashed up to now.

 

[naistaff]

Im not yet a mavic owner, im extremely interested in buying one and became a member of this website to
assure myself before i make such a decision.

my one question however, is the mavic appropriate for a beginner?

Yes! I am 80 years old with terminal cancer and it was a bucket list item for me. I purchased the $1299 complete package. My grandson 17 and I had it airborne in 40 minutes by just following the instructions. If you can read you will do just fine. For me it is the best medicine for body and disposition. If I was young, I would make a fortune from this technology.

 

[shevlin]

My mavic is the first drone I have even seen, let alone flew and I love it.

 

[FantasticMrF]

Yes! I am 80 years old with terminal cancer and it was a bucket list item for me. I purchased the $1299 complete package. My grandson 17 and I had it airborne in 40 minutes by just following the instructions. If you can read you will do just fine. For me it is the best medicine for body and disposition. If I was young, I would make a fortune from this technology.

thank you for your correspondence! i have bought a mavic myself too: im 19 and have gotten used to it extremely quickly. absolutely loving it. thoughts are with you and your family also.

 

[Lone Wolf 58]

I personally think the mavic is fine for a first drone. Just don't be a cowboy and bite off more than you can chew. Respect it, take your time learning. Be patient, learn from others mistake. But most of all remain reserved about your own skills. Like I said, don't be a cowboy.

 

[Flying Irish]

I could argue either side. I would say it's a great beginner drone (it's my first) IF you do your due diligence and learn most of the ways you could crash or lose it. Spend 2 or 3 hours browsing this forum to see what I mean. Don't get freaked out, but be aware you need to be aware of many subtleties. Again, I'm a first time drone pilot and so far, so good. But I err on the side of caution. It IS fun and very rewarding.

I like to tell people you need to be part pilot, part videographer, and part attorney to properly fly it. Keep that in mind.

I would second that as well as putting in general flight time to get comfortable and act more on instinct than memory. That's what will keep you out of the trees.

 

[Rudiger]

The Mavic is my first drone and I found it quite easy to learn. That said, I have driven R/C cars in the past and have plenty of experience with a Playstation controller. I also watched lots of Youtube videos about the Mavic and read through this forum for hours before I got my Mavic.

 

[Rbruz]

Prime example of 1st timer with zippo rc time lol


Just Crashd Mavic!

Just Crashd Mavic!

 

[jmorse62]

Order the Mavic. Then read the manual a few times and read about what people do wrong. Use beginner mode for first few flights. It's awesome

 

[tmoerel]

Im not yet a mavic owner, im extremely interested in buying one and became a member of this website to
assure myself before i make such a decision.

my one question however, is the mavic appropriate for a beginner?

The Mavic is a Pro tool flying so well it is not a bad drone to learn on. Just keep in mind some things when learning:

• Read the manual from a to z
• Make sure to set some safe settings - Obstacle detection on, RTH height set properly, etc.
• Check the postings on this forum for good settings. Also read the messages people posted about crashes to learn from their mistakes.
• Make sure all your batteries (Flight batteries, remote control battery, phone battery) are fully charged before flying
• Make sure your flight battery is well connected to the craft and can not come loose
• Make sure your phone/tablet is well connected to the cable and secure it
• Get a decent size landing pad so you have a safe place to land on. A bath mat or other piece of carpet can be a good substitute for a commercial landing pad
• Find a wide open space with no obstacles to practice in. DO NOT FLY INDOORS!!
• Practice in mild wind conditions so wind is not an issue
• Turn on your controller before turning on your Mavic. Once the controller has connected wait until you have a good number of GPS satellites acquired (14+) and the remote controller says you are in GPS mode
• Wait until you hear it acquired the RTH point
• Take off to about 20 feet and wait until the system says the RTH point has been updated. It now is ready for precision landing.
• Start in Beginner mode where the drone will limit your disstance and height so you get a good feel for the way it handles without going too far away
• Fly at about 15-20 meters of altitude as this will give you enough space to correct navigation if needed. Stay away from the ground until you feel you are easily controlling your aircraft
• Trust the system to land the craft for you at first. Only correct if needed.
• Stay away from Sport mode until you have a good mastery of your craft
• Avoid water and other surfaces were you cannot retrieve your aircraft if needed
• Get used to looking at your aircraft instead of looking at your screen. Do not make photos or videos until you feel confident you can handle the Mavic.
• Fly, fly, fly. Only practice makes perfect. Practice your take-offs and landings so you have a good feel for it
• When the battery of the Mavic hits 30% and the low battery alarm comes on return to base and land. Do not push your luck!
• Always keep an eye on your battery levels!
• And above all have fun!

Ah yes....and as I said already have fun. If flying conditions are marginal there will be no fun so avoid that!

 

[TrayBoz]

In case you haven't heard it yet:

DO NOT FLY IT INDOORS!

After you've flown it a thousand times and have gotten really good, then don't fly it indoors.
If you've watched hundreds of YouTube videos of other people flying indoors easily, then don't fly it indoors.
If your friend flies it all the time successfully indoors, then don't fly it indoors.
If you are specifically trying to wreck your mavic and damage the inside of your house, THEN you can fly it indoors.
If it has been raining outside for weeks and you just have to discharge the batteries, then don't fly it indoors.
If you get full GPS signal strength in your house, then don't fly it indoors.
If some users on this forum say they fly it indoors all the time with no problem, then don't fly it indoors.
If Mother Mary appears to you in a dream and tells you to fly it indoors, then don't fly it indoors.
If you just want to hover briefly in your living room at a low altitude, then don't fly it indoors.
If you are elected "The Greatest Mavic Pilot to Ever Live", then don't fly it indoors.

Having said all that, try whatever you want.

After you fly it indoors, please post a reply to this thread about your crash so we can say "I told you so." Pictures are welcome.

 

[Michael Ainsworth]

It's not the Drone and not the beginner.
It's how much mental maturity the operator has to begin with.
Some want to learn how to use it correctly others want to just fire it up and see how far, fast or high it can go straight off.
Some of the things I read on forums makes me fall off my chair, unbelievable especially when the first thing they want is to blame the Machine, software or someone else.

 

[Rbruz]

It's not the Drone and not the beginner.
It's how much mental maturity the operator has to begin with.
Some want to learn how to use it correctly others want to just fire it up and see how far, fast or high it can go straight off.
Some of the things I read on forums makes me fall off my chair, unbelievable especially when the first thing they want is to blame the Machine, software or someone else.

Exactly !!! Welcome to the new instant gratification world, not the old world where ya work your way by paying dues !

 

[Yoshimitsu]

Hello all, 1st post for me. Just ordered the Mavic and cant wait to try it! Hopefully I'll received it before my trip to the Tuscan countryside next week.
Lots of very useful advice/debates above. In terms of experience, I've flown a few cheap RC Helis/Quads indoor so hopefully I've built a little sensitivity on controls/adjustments.
I've flown larger RC models before though, I went through a couple of gliders (electric motor and folding props to take them up to altitude) a few years ago. The guy I flew with - who was quite a bit more experienced than me and well into his 50s - was surprised by level of sensitivity I had with the controls initially recalling that he was a lot more "heavy" on the sticksd. I think its probably due to the hours of videogames played where you gain a bit of dexterity with analogue sticks and response.
We'll see... planning on keeping it very conservative at first: large, open fields; low wind; nobody/nothing around. Unlike videogames there are no extra lives if you crash! (I did get the Refresh package though)

 

[Bertro]

I think you will like flying Mavic Pro! This particular drone model is very easy to use and even beginners can use it! I don't have it, but my friend has just bought Mavic Pro. He travels all the time and captures videos from hist trip thanks to this drone. He said that Mavic was his first drone and he had no problems flying it!

 

[Wipster]

Yes it is. My first drone just waiting for goggles to come.