Bay Area/San Jose check in

[ruhrho]

Hey y’all, just another new Mavic pilot check in. I just picked up a Air 2s after doing a bunch of research on a new camera drone. I ended up gleaning a TON of info from this forum that lead to my purchase, so I thought I’d join up.

I’m not a stranger to flying stuff (mostly sailplanes), but I’m new to the DJI world so I’m sure there will be some adjustments, lol. With any luck, this weekend I’ll run through a few batteries and start getting some stick time on this airframe, and getting hours in.

I also have a bunch of reading up on the manual for it and one of the things I’ve read up on here is some of the automatic features in the software aren’t totally intuitive to get to. Namely these are updating the home position, auto land, and manual override with RTH.
I’m sure there will be other things that’ll come up in time, but for now it looks like it’ll be a fun aircraft and I’m super excited about the camera on it.

- Juliette

 

[LoudThunder]

I’m not a stranger to flying stuff (mostly sailplanes), but I’m new to the DJI world so I’m sure there will be some adjustments, lol.

Welcome from the Hampton Roads area of Virginia, USA. I am a Mini 2 Flyer and I too know the excitement of flight.

First off, being in a sail place is entirely different from first-person view (FPV) looking at the screen through the camera of your drone. The distances and perspective from the view will fool you every time and you will wind up in a tree… In the sail plane you are "First Person" and your view is true.

So, if I may offer some advice. 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 kitten or puppy 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, 4-5 feet (1-1/2 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."

Happy Droning

 

[MA2 317]

Hello from the Crossroads of America ruhrho.

Welcome to the Forum.

 

[old man mavic]

welcome to the forum

 

[msinger]

Welcome to the forum!

 

[eaglesurfing]

Welcome to the forum from south central Florida and enjoy.

 

[ruhrho]

Thanks for the welcome everyone, I did the initial power-on last night and basic systems check out (minus IMU and compass checkout) to make sure everything was sort of working. If the rain abates in the Bay Area today, I’ll get it out for its first flight.

I’m pretty excited about getting this in the air TBH. I have a much cheaper camera drone and let’s just say, the camera was disappointing the first time I took it out, which lead me here…

Up next I’ll be working my part 107 and getting a robust travel kit together.

 

[dirkclod]

Welcome to Mavic Pilots .
I hope you will find our site helpful and look forward to any input , photo's/video's you might post .
Don't be shy and ask anything if you can't find it by searching .

 

[Kendallfordguy]

Welcome from Wisconsin!

 

[Drone Master]

Welcome to Mavic Pilots! Enjoy the forum!

 

[Laborous]

Welcome to the forum from the beautiful woods of Maine!
I think LoudThunder covered most of it and as dirkclod said, search the forum (use key words) and if you don’t find an answer, post your question and I’m sure you’ll get a quick response. Patience and Practice are your main friends, using a wide open field (football,baseball or farm) will get you the confidence to fly in crowed areas.
Fly safe and stay safe!

 

[RkyMtnHigh]

Hey y’all, just another new Mavic pilot check in. I just picked up a Air 2s after doing a bunch of research on a new camera drone. I ended up gleaning a TON of info from this forum that lead to my purchase, so I thought I’d join up.

I’m not a stranger to flying stuff (mostly sailplanes), but I’m new to the DJI world so I’m sure there will be some adjustments, lol. With any luck, this weekend I’ll run through a few batteries and start getting some stick time on this airframe, and getting hours in.

I also have a bunch of reading up on the manual for it and one of the things I’ve read up on here is some of the automatic features in the software aren’t totally intuitive to get to. Namely these are updating the home position, auto land, and manual override with RTH.
I’m sure there will be other things that’ll come up in time, but for now it looks like it’ll be a fun aircraft and I’m super excited about the camera on it.

- Juliette

Welcome to the forum from the mountains of Colorado! I love the Bay area! Very beautiful area I think. Happy and safe flying!

 

[wjkrysak]

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

 

[GFields]

Greetings from Birmingham Alabama, welcome to the forum!​

 

[Prop Wash]

Welcome @ruhrho (Juliette) - Great to have you join us at MP!

I'm over by Sacramento! Enjoy your stay!

 

[Skywatcher2001]

Welcome aboard pilot!! That is one target-rich environment you have up there!! Show the family just how beautiful the San Jose area is . . . enjoy yourself!!

 

[Gagey52]

Welcome to the forum Juliette, from the outback of Australia.
Regards

 

[ScorpioVI]

Hey Juliette,

Another new drone owner from San Jose here. Good luck!

p.s. Have you done any research on where to fly in the South Bay? Just from my mild research I'm getting pretty discouraged...

 

[ruhrho]

Hey Juliette,

Another new drone owner from San Jose here. Good luck!

p.s. Have you done any research on where to fly in the South Bay? Just from my mild research I'm getting pretty discouraged...

There aren't a lot of great areas due to how congested the airspace is with SJC, Moffett field, Palo Alto airport, Reed-Hillview, San Martin airport. Ironically the fields that we fly RC sailplanes at are poor choices as well due to the proximity of heliports, etc.

When I've flown drones/quads in SJ, I usually head out to the hills to the south/east/west.

 

[tibadoe]

Welcome from VA.