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Am I a wuss ?

Kevalli

Active Member
Joined
May 18, 2021
Messages
35
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106
Age
59
Location
England
Ok so I’m new I get it but how many of you lot actually lose your legs when starting this flying thing. What’s wrong with me I can hardly send her 10 feet without falling into a jibbering wreck?

Will this feeling pass, I can’t remember feeling this bad on my driving test!!!

Maybe it’s an age thing
 
Not a age thing I didn’t even start till I was 59.
Just find a good open space and take it slow. Baby steps.
Watch all the YouTube videos on whatever model you have
and you will get over your feelings you speak off ?
 
@Kevalli ,hi fellow flyer ,you dont say what drone you are flying ,but regardless of your financial outlay ,for it and the other equipment needed to fly it etc,what you are describing is perfectly normal for first time flyers
its fear of the unknown ,will it crash ,have i done everything properly will it fly off on its own ,the list is endless but with time and practice you will gain confidence and begin to enjoy your new hobby, at the other end of the scale no matter how many times you have flown ,always remember that something can, and probably will go wrong one day, no matter how great a flyer you think you are, each flight is a new adventure have fun and enjoy your flying
 
Ok so I’m new I get it but how many of you lot actually lose your legs when starting this flying thing. What’s wrong with me I can hardly send her 10 feet without falling into a jibbering wreck?

Will this feeling pass, I can’t remember feeling this bad on my driving test!!!

Maybe it’s an age thing
Your nervousness isn't a terrible thing as it puts you on high alert. It is a sign of caring and responsibility. There are so many guys that go out there and just do whatever, the consequences be what they may. Dealing with the excess nervousness is a progressive thing. Some folks, like me, never get 100% over the nerves when flying, but as you build confidence you'll be able to do more and more advanced flight maneuvers.

As noted above, take things really slow at first. Most humans only have experience driving cars so only know forward and backward and turning on an arc- and on one plane. A UAV not only also does that but goes up and down, side to side and can do them all simultaneously. It will take some training and practice to get it all down. Baby steps, each time pushing your envelope just a little more as your skill develops will help with confidence even it it doesn't completely calm the nerves. But you'll see that at some point in a short while you'll only be slightly nervous doing the things that turn you into a puddle of jello today.

One thing that we all have to learn to accept is that one day you will crash. But your care will keep the crashes and the damage to a minimum. Learning to understand that crashes are ultimately inevitable is hard, but with caution will also help tamp down the nerves.

I have attached a video below that might help you. Good training for control and confidence as you prepare to further spread your wings.


 
When I got my first drone, Mavic Air, I was nervous about loosing/crashing it due to my inexperience. I did several things that really helped enjoy the drone.
1. Put an orange skin on it as it was almost impossible to see against a grey sky at even moderate distances.
2. Put stobes on front and rear legs to help keep track of it.
3. Started just flying and getting enough experience that I no longer needed to look at the sticks before doing anything to change the flight. Being confident makes a world of difference.
4. Just started enjoying the challenge of getting better images and videos and quit worrying about loosing it. Now, I can get it out and just enjoy the experience.
 
Totally normal to be nervous.

Lots of great comments so far. I would just add this: if a big part of your nervousness is regarding the potential to crash a sizeable monetary investment, you might consider getting a small non GPS drone. On it you can learn the basic flying mechanics (sticks both function the same) without that fear. Flying something like that is more challenging in some ways but it will help develop your flying skills.

You never really graduate from it either. I find flying my little cheap toy drones around my yard to be a lot of fun, a different type of fun from flying my Mavic Air 2. Learn and practice with both, but save the real "pushing the boundaries" for the toy drone. You WILL crash at some point...better it to be the cheap drone.

I also liked to make incremental progress. Let's say I got comfortable flying 30m out and 20m up. Next time out I'd push my limits out to 40m out and 30m up, and so on. 2 months later I had my drone out 200m and regularly took it up to max height of 120m.

You are gaining confidence in both your flying ability AND your drone. It just takes time...enjoy the experience along the way :)
 
Your nervousness isn't a terrible thing as it puts you on high alert. It is a sign of caring and responsibility. There are so many guys that go out there and just do whatever, the consequences be what they may. Dealing with the excess nervousness is a progressive thing. Some folks, like me, never get 100% over the nerves when flying, but as you build confidence you'll be able to do more and more advanced flight maneuvers.

As noted above, take things really slow at first. Most humans only have experience driving cars so only know forward and backward and turning on an arc- and on one plane. A UAV not only also does that but goes up and down, side to side and can do them all simultaneously. It will take some training and practice to get it all down. Baby steps, each time pushing your envelope just a little more as your skill develops will help with confidence even it it doesn't completely calm the nerves. But you'll see that at some point in a short while you'll only be slightly nervous doing the things that turn you into a puddle of jello today.

One thing that we all have to learn to accept is that one day you will crash. But your care will keep the crashes and the damage to a minimum. Learning to understand that crashes are ultimately inevitable is hard, but with caution will also help tamp down the nerves.

I have attached a video below that might help you. Good training for control and confidence as you prepare to further spread your wings.


I watched this video just last week. It's a great video with some great exercises. Only thing I didn't quite agree with was sending the drone up to max height so soon. That was something I took quite a while to get the courage up for.
 
@Kevalli One more thing... I highly recommend putting strobes on your drone even if you never fly at night. They aren't cheap but not super expensive either. About $30 each. The strobes are going to help you spot your drone much more easily. Sometimes even low and close they are hard to spot as they blend in with trees. I remember at the beginning looking down losing visual contact with my drone even though it was only about 40' off the ground and 100' away. There will be times when you'll take your eyes off the drone for a moment and then have to visually pick it back up again and will struggle to find it. Strobes will make that much easier. Besides, if you ever want to fly at night, which is really cool, they are required.
 
Ok so I’m new I get it but how many of you lot actually lose your legs when starting this flying thing. What’s wrong with me I can hardly send her 10 feet without falling into a jibbering wreck?

Will this feeling pass, I can’t remember feeling this bad on my driving test!!!

Maybe it’s an age thing
No no no…….we’ve all been there. My advice if you can find access to a vacant football stadium, go there Alone and put the drone on the field, get up in the stands and learn….. low and slow but …. alone with your thoughts was best for this ole fart????
 
Thanks ever so much for your wise words, it’s good to know I’m not alone with my intrepid feelings. I’m still trying to work out what I am actually frightened of. I’ve not spent a fortune (mavic mini 2), I’m flying in an open field and have taken on board all the safety measures and advice on you tube and of course the manufacturers instructions. Maybe it’s new,different,exciting, I’m not sure yet but the bloody thing is keeping me awake at night.
Thanks again for your help

Kev
 
You've had good advice. Nervousness is normal, and it's good to be cautious. In order to stay cautious about things that really present rational dangers, I'd suggest reading this site's "crash and flyaway assistance" board as much as you can stand. It will give you an idea of the things that actually cause problems for people who thought they were flying safely. Some commonly repeated issues: avoid flying in strong winds, begin long flights by flying INTO the wind so that the flight home is easier, set your RTH altitude properly, check that the orientation of your drone on the map matches the real-world orientation of your drone before every flight, and stay far away from trees, powerlines, and similar obstacles.
 
Ok so I’m new I get it but how many of you lot actually lose your legs when starting this flying thing. What’s wrong with me I can hardly send her 10 feet without falling into a jibbering wreck?

Will this feeling pass, I can’t remember feeling this bad on my driving test!!!

Maybe it’s an age thing

Being extra cautious with an expensive new toy is entirely warranted. The thing that should be reassuring enough to help you through the early stages is that at any time you can just take your hands off the joysticks and the drone will hover in place until you feel comfortable with your next step. Finding a flat wide open space to practice is a good idea, as is watching the drone instead of relying only on the controller screen ... you get a much better and quicker perspective of what the drone is doing that way.
 
Thanks ever so much for your wise words, it’s good to know I’m not alone with my intrepid feelings. I’m still trying to work out what I am actually frightened of. I’ve not spent a fortune (mavic mini 2), I’m flying in an open field and have taken on board all the safety measures and advice on you tube and of course the manufacturers instructions. Maybe it’s new,different,exciting, I’m not sure yet but the bloody thing is keeping me awake at night.
Thanks again for your help

Kev
You are thinking right my fellow drone pilot! Safety first, train and then trust yourself.
 
I my self been flying since DJI released the phantom 1 in 2013 and know my girl is flying with me since DJI released the fc40 many yrs I been droning when I get ready to start flying did I check everything is my battery good do I have enough gps single then im thinking is my girls drone good does she have enough GPS is her battery good is it latched in lol so does it get easier yes but being a little nervous is a good thing it makes you a good pilot so take a deep breath and enjoy this great hobby of ours.....
 
Not at all an unusual reaction. It will get better with experience.

As Maggior suggested, get a cheap toy drone for practicing. I've had mine for years and still enjoy taking flying it around the house and taking it out when winds permit.

Spend the time to get familiar with the software. I spent much time with the drone sitting on the table or hovering as I learned where all the controls and settings were in the software. Spend time just flying without worrying about taking photos or videos. Take it slow - there's no rush.

Enjoy
 
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I was very nervous for my first 50 flights. Then I became quietly confident in my piloting skills. I joined this forum once I did 100 flights. Now I’m anxious about my MA2, as I keep seeing all these threads about AC flying away & dropping out of the sky!
I’m now learning to trust my piloting skills, & have accepted that there is a tiny chance I may lose the AC one day through no fault of my piloting skills but rather technology.
 
Your nervousness isn't a terrible thing as it puts you on high alert. It is a sign of caring and responsibility. There are so many guys that go out there and just do whatever, the consequences be what they may. Dealing with the excess nervousness is a progressive thing. Some folks, like me, never get 100% over the nerves when flying, but as you build confidence you'll be able to do more and more advanced flight maneuvers.

As noted above, take things really slow at first. Most humans only have experience driving cars so only know forward and backward and turning on an arc- and on one plane. A UAV not only also does that but goes up and down, side to side and can do them all simultaneously. It will take some training and practice to get it all down. Baby steps, each time pushing your envelope just a little more as your skill develops will help with confidence even it it doesn't completely calm the nerves. But you'll see that at some point in a short while you'll only be slightly nervous doing the things that turn you into a puddle of jello today.

One thing that we all have to learn to accept is that one day you will crash. But your care will keep the crashes and the damage to a minimum. Learning to understand that crashes are ultimately inevitable is hard, but with caution will also help tamp down the nerves.

I have attached a video below that might help you. Good training for control and confidence as you prepare to further spread your wings.


Great video thanks
 
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Ok so I’m new I get it but how many of you lot actually lose your legs when starting this flying thing. What’s wrong with me I can hardly send her 10 feet without falling into a jibbering wreck?

Will this feeling pass, I can’t remember feeling this bad on my driving test!!!

Maybe it’s an age thing

Sometimes , you just need confidence in your drone.
Let it hover for 3 ft high for as long it can before landing
Move it up to 10 ft - 50 ft -100 ft - 200 ft 400 ft , in just the hover position.

Once you have confidence in your drone and how it lands, than work on using the RTH .

Once you have gained some confidence in the drone , flying will be much easier for you.
Today the only time I like to fly is when its raining , because than the adventure comes back for me. :p

Phantomrain.org
Gear to fly your Mini 2 in the Rain.
 
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