DJI Mavic, Air and Mini Drones
Friendly, Helpful & Knowledgeable Community
Join Us Now

An old guy learning to fly..

Ron0909

Member
Joined
Apr 20, 2023
Messages
14
Reactions
60
Age
62
Location
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
Hi everyone,
Just popped in to say hello. My son recieved a Mini 3 Pro from his other half for his birthday so I Just *had* to be able to go flying with him (thats what I told my wife). I picked up a new Mavic Air 2 Fly more combo for a very good deal here in Ottawa. This past Saturday was my maiden flight. All went really well and gradually I started losing the pucker factor. What I did learn was that I am in fact getting old and I can't see as well as I used to. That beautiful Mavic grey is virtually invisible accross a football field. Thanks to this site I've learned all sorts since my time here began not so long ago. I have strobes coming from accross the big pond and some bright skins from Germany and Slovakia. If I can't see bright yellow and black.... Anyways, its nice to meet you all!
Ron
 
Hi everyone,
Just popped in to say hello. My son recieved a Mini 3 Pro from his other half for his birthday so I Just *had* to be able to go flying with him (thats what I told my wife). I picked up a new Mavic Air 2 Fly more combo for a very good deal here in Ottawa. This past Saturday was my maiden flight. All went really well and gradually I started losing the pucker factor. What I did learn was that I am in fact getting old and I can't see as well as I used to. That beautiful Mavic grey is virtually invisible accross a football field. Thanks to this site I've learned all sorts since my time here began not so long ago. I have strobes coming from accross the big pond and some bright skins from Germany and Slovakia. If I can't see bright yellow and black.... Anyways, its nice to meet you all!
Ron
I'd have thought the best strobes are firehouse arc V from the USA. Similarily you are reaching far and wide for skins that are probably equalled in the USA.
That said what is "across" a football field in ft? Realistically I lose site of a mini 2 between 400m and 600m, a mavic 2 doesnt give me much more.
 
Last edited:
Hello from the Crossroads of America Ron0909.

I fly the MA2 as well and I know what you mean about losing sight of it.

I have strobes to aid with the VLOS and orientation of the aircraft.



20221229_052055-jpg.158801




Have fun with yours and welcome to the Forum. :cool:


.
 
Welcome to our forum, from Hauptmann, in Hurst, Texas!

You'll love the flexibility of vantage points an aerial camera platform affords--you'll get shots and videos you could only dream of before! I fly a Mavic 2 Pro now, but will soon be upgrading to the Mini 3 Pro.

We have over 150,000 members—many from Ontario--who enjoy helping each other get the most out of our hobby. Most of the questions you'll have will’ve already been addressed, and are easy to search. If you have NEW questions, just ask!

I attached a couple of links below, which will make learning piloting and photo/video skills easy. They specifically refer to the Mini 3 Pro, but his “moves” apply to any drone (DJI, anyway).

Glad to have you with us!

Rich R (aka Hauptmann)



 
It have thought the best strobes are firehouse arc V from the USA. Similarily you are reaching far and wide for skins that are probably equalled in the USA.
That said what is "across" a football field in ft? Realistically I lose site of a mini 2 between 400m and 600m, a mavic 2 doesnt give me much more.
I believe the width of a Canuck football field is 65 yards. I'm guessing time of day and environment make all the difference. Personally I have a hard time discerning whether the drone is coming or going and rely on Fly to see it's positioning at that distance. Yes! I need new glasses :) In regard to the skins...the ones I liked happened to be in europe. Believe it or not, shipping in both cases was cheaper than if I ordered from the states. I'm on a limited budget so the strobes were lumped on top of the raised landing gear, 75cm landing pad and new hard case. My wife will have my left one if I spend any more!. Time will tell but I most likely will follow your advice and get the Firehouse strobes in the future. Here's what I grabbed for skins.

To Hauptmann, MA2 317, Old Man Mavic,
Thank you for the warm welcome, pics, advice and much needed video links!
All my best!
Ron
radioactive.jpgs-l1600 (1).jpg
 
Last edited:
I picked up a new Mavic Air 2 Fly more combo for a very good deal here in Ottawa. This past Saturday was my maiden flight.


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 Canada, 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 Air 2, 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…"


And pass this link onto your Son and wish him a Happy Birthday for me…


Fly On and Fly Safe…
 
Last edited:
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 Canada, 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 Air 2, 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…"


And pass this link onto your Son and wish him a Happy Birthday for me…


Fly On and Fly Safe…
Thank you LoudThunder for the *very* informative post. I just had a peek at the member map as I hadn't even realized it was there. Really cool! Its a far cry from my old php forum way back when. In regard to the Canuck rules, I wrote my basic exam before I even had the drone :) Apart from the really great to know stuff, it almost brings on a sense of paranoia when one thinks about the places a person can and can't fly. I guess many of the laws are needed as there were probably a few boneheads that made it difficult for everyone. I did grab the user manual today and wow! lots in there. Its a far cry from the pamphlet in the box. I like your startup sequence of doing things and will adopt them permanently from here on out. How did you know that aside from unfolding my props and finding a nice clean area, I was in the air faster than poop through a goose.

Thanks again for the post!
Ron
 
Hi everyone,
Just popped in to say hello. My son recieved a Mini 3 Pro from his other half for his birthday so I Just *had* to be able to go flying with him (thats what I told my wife). I picked up a new Mavic Air 2 Fly more combo for a very good deal here in Ottawa. This past Saturday was my maiden flight. All went really well and gradually I started losing the pucker factor. What I did learn was that I am in fact getting old and I can't see as well as I used to. That beautiful Mavic grey is virtually invisible accross a football field. Thanks to this site I've learned all sorts since my time here began not so long ago. I have strobes coming from accross the big pond and some bright skins from Germany and Slovakia. If I can't see bright yellow and black.... Anyways, its nice to meet you all!
Ron
Hi and welcome. I am a tad older than you and absolutely love being able to wiz my MA2 up and around here in the UK. I too struggle a bit with seeing my drone, especially against grey British skies but have had Costco here make me a prescription set of glasses that are off my driving glasses details-they are vari focals and tinted (wrong word, much more technical than tinted) and they are great. Will be interested in how you get on with your strobes (which ones) and skins. Be sure to post results if you can. Fly safe.
 
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 Canada, 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 Air 2, 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…"


And pass this link onto your Son and wish him a Happy Birthday for me…


Fly On and Fly Safe…
Being a long time pilot I thank you for this. sometimes when not flying for a while I forget.
 
Welcome to Mavic Pilots! :) Enjoy the forum!Thumbswayup
 
Hi everyone,
Just popped in to say hello. My son recieved a Mini 3 Pro from his other half for his birthday so I Just *had* to be able to go flying with him (thats what I told my wife). I picked up a new Mavic Air 2 Fly more combo for a very good deal here in Ottawa. This past Saturday was my maiden flight. All went really well and gradually I started losing the pucker factor. What I did learn was that I am in fact getting old and I can't see as well as I used to. That beautiful Mavic grey is virtually invisible accross a football field. Thanks to this site I've learned all sorts since my time here began not so long ago. I have strobes coming from accross the big pond and some bright skins from Germany and Slovakia. If I can't see bright yellow and black.... Anyways, its nice to meet you all!
Ron
You're not old, I wish I was just 61! Welcome and take your time and never take risks and you'll have a drone for a very long time. Enjoy your time in the sky. If you get lost in the sky, watch your distance from home and see if it is reducing as you try to get the drone back close to you. Never change your altitude when trying this, unless you were low, then first climb up to 200 ft.

Then watch the distance reduce and if it suddenly begins to go further away again, you just passed a mid point, so now you need to see if you must try right or left until it begins to reduce again. Best not to lose sight of it though.
 
You're not old, I wish I was just 61! Welcome and take your time and never take risks and you'll have a drone for a very long time. Enjoy your time in the sky. If you get lost in the sky, watch your distance from home and see if it is reducing as you try to get the drone back close to you. Never change your altitude when trying this, unless you were low, then first climb up to 200 ft.

Then watch the distance reduce and if it suddenly begins to go further away again, you just passed a mid point, so now you need to see if you must try right or left until it begins to reduce again. Best not to lose sight of it though.

Climb up to 400 feet if required by obstacles in the area. You can also use the map on the controller to understand the orientation of the drone and fly it home.

@Ron0909, 61? You're still a youngster. But I will warn you of one unpleasant aspect of flying as an older man. You're going to glance down at the controller screen and be shocked at the thin or bald spot on the top of your head. If you're easily startled, I suggest always wearing a hat while flying.
 
Lycus Tech Mavic Air 3 Case

DJI Drone Deals

New Threads

Members online

Forum statistics

Threads
130,599
Messages
1,554,244
Members
159,603
Latest member
refrigasketscanada