Beginner errors, that can should be avoided. Here is mine what is yours.

[monchan]

Well got my MA the other week and have only been out three times with it. Just testing the water and my flying ability.
NOT testing the limits of the drone. My first flight took her down to my local beach, it has a nice sized car park and almost no people.
First battery just flying around, beginner mode for a bit then switch to normal mode, fly around some more. Pretty happy with myself.
Second battery, asteroid, and then fly out over the water for a bit to try using the gimble, cool. Back to the beach area as that made me nervous.
Try some more flight modes, then it just starts landing about 3 meters from the waters edge. No danger to the AC. But a bit of a panic.
What happened?? Took me a bit of time to realize, after a long time doubting the AC. if I had been out over the water would have been BAD.

I was watching the AC more than my screen, I saw no warnings. I was just so caught up in flying, keeping my eye on my AC and enjoying myself.
Not used to flying or checking the screen for anything. I heard no warnings either. I had phone`s volume turned really low. My wife hates it when I use my phone in my office (toilet) So while flying andlooking up, warnings must have gone un-noticed and I must have cancelled RTH, with the stick just by flying. I am pretty sure it was low battery gone, auto landing.

1) make sure volume is audible.
2) periodically check your screen, batery levels. As a beginner it is not engrained but needs to be.

Simple things can make a huge difference.

 

[Mavicmaniac]

Flying with the gimbal cover on. Did that once and luckily caught it right away

 

[Former Member]

OP, this thread being named "Beginner errors, that can should be avoided" is a good lesson for someone who is first starting out.

1. For a first flight, it might be a bad idea to fly near a beach. Sand, wind, and people are abundant, in addition to the sea water. Even if there are no people around, a forced landing on the beach could have been an extremely costly error.
2. Second flight out over the water. Even after thousands of flights, I still dont do that without a ton of preplanning. So much can go wrong, and did with yours. Again, one dip in the salt water, and it's going to cost you dearly.

For first flights, I have found that:

1. Open fields with no wind or people are a good choice
2. Bring someone with you just in case something bad happens
3. Have some insurance on the drone
4. Keep the flight short, close, and low
5. Dedicate your vision to either the drone, or the display, not both.
6. Use the same LZ for a few flights and do the same maneuvers until you know what to expect, and how to control the drone better

Hope your next few flights are uneventful.

Sincerely,

Thunderdrones

 

[NAVMAV]

Yeah, ALL of that.

Particularly "Have someone with you"!!~

RGDS, NAVMAV

 

[skyrex]

Don't let the excitement get the better of you and try to fly it straight out of the box, off the dining room table/lounge room floor. (Indoors)

Put yourself through a "boot camp" of scenarios to understand what the quad will do given x, y, z, scenarios.


After thinking I had my newly acquired skills in check, I made the mistake of trying to take-off from our bed indoors in OPTI/ATTI mode.

My mistake(s) within the mistake were no guards on, and I had it facing me, so controls were inverted - it started to drift to my left and toward me from the updraft of the prop-wash, my skills went by the wayside in the unexpected drift, panicked and tried to correct it.
My brain didn't brain and account for the inverse operation and sent it even closer to the wife's brand new pristine white tallboy... then re-corrected it but only just enough to narrowly avoid the tallboy and it continued drifting into the mirror door of the wardrobe.

Was not physically damaged, only has battle scars on the top cover where one front prop gouged a groove into it, and the other front prop folded back in and kept on spinning.

tl;dr - If you absolutely have or cannot fight the urge to fly indoors, use prop guards!

 

[brett8883]

I got my drone in the afternoon but by the time the batteries where charged up and ready to go it was dark out.

I couldn’t wait so I took it out to the back and tried to fly it around my pool (with the cover on since it was winter) so the very first time trying the controls it was dark out. Now the other thing you need to know is I play Xbox with the joysticks inverted (up is stick down down is stick up) yes I know I’m a freak.

I felt confident knowing that the mavic has the avoidance sensors so I thought I couldn’t run into anything. Well I fly right into the retaining wall that comes right out of the pool and mavic would have fallin into the pool if the cover hadn’t been on, right in front of my whole family.

I later find out the avoidance sensors don’t work in the dark...

 

[monchan]

1. For a first flight, it might be a bad idea to fly near a beach. Sand, wind, and people are abundant, in addition to the sea water.

Beaches near me are completely void of people. except over the 6 weeks of summer vacation. Really strange, beach culture or lack of here.
Just went there for the car park and could not resist. Which is my next point, it would seem that lack of patience is a big contributor to beginner problems.
But you right. I had no business flying over water yet. I am going to practice, and get as flights under my belt before I go out over water. The coast here is just too nice
not to shoot. I often shoot it from land out to sea. I really want to do it the other way round.

All great responses everyone keep em coming. Here is a pic. from Urudome coast Tottori. My dream shot is to get a sunset from through the arch.

 

[MavicNovice]

Beaches near me are completely void of people. except over the 6 weeks of summer vacation. Really strange, beach culture or lack of here.
Just went there for the car park and could not resist. Which is my next point, it would seem that lack of patience is a big contributor to beginner problems.
But you right. I had no business flying over water yet. I am going to practice, and get as flights under my belt before I go out over water. The coast here is just too nice
not to shoot. I often shoot it from land out to sea. I really want to do it the other way round.

All great responses everyone keep em coming. Here is a pic. from Urudome coast Tottori. My dream shot is to get a sunset from through the arch.

View attachment 63499

Sorry to go OT, but wonderful photo! Been planning to take my Mavic Pro off the beaten track in Japan for some of the spectacular coastal and mountain scenery on my next visit. Last few trips I've always been in urban centres, Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka where its not really drone appropriate or convenient. The few occasions I did make it out of the city was either before I had my MP or, like last year, there was poor weather on the day.
I don't know much about the Sea of Japan coast, but are you anywhere near the Tottori Sand Dunes? I can imagine they'd make an excellent subject for some aerial video.

 

[KWorth]

OP, this thread being named "Beginner errors, that can should be avoided" is a good lesson for someone who is first starting out.

1. For a first flight, it might be a bad idea to fly near a beach. Sand, wind, and people are abundant, in addition to the sea water. Even if there are no people around, a forced landing on the beach could have been an extremely costly error.
2. Second flight out over the water. Even after thousands of flights, I still dont do that without a ton of preplanning. So much can go wrong, and did with yours. Again, one dip in the salt water, and it's going to cost you dearly.

For first flights, I have found that:

1. Open fields with no wind or people are a good choice
2. Bring someone with you just in case something bad happens
3. Have some insurance on the drone
4. Keep the flight short, close, and low
5. Dedicate your vision to either the drone, or the display, not both.
6. Use the same LZ for a few flights and do the same maneuvers until you know what to expect, and how to control the drone better

Hope your next few flights are uneventful.

Sincerely,

Thunderdrones

Great beginner info - Thank you. Any suggestions for insurance? I saw a thread a while back but pretty generic. I am potentially using ours for commercial use. Thanks in advance.

 

[bliksem]

1. Avoid water
2. Avoid trees
3. Avoid people
Start in a wide open space, practice flying a square - that really gets your brain going with the turn left/right.

 

[Former Member]

Great beginner info - Thank you. Any suggestions for insurance? I saw a thread a while back but pretty generic. I am potentially using ours for commercial use. Thanks in advance.

For you in California, DJI Refresh is a good choice since you cant get State Farm PAP out there.

 

[KWorth]

For you in California, DJI Refresh is a good choice since you cant get State Farm PAP out there.

Thank you for the quick reply and sorry for the confusion. I was referring more to liability insurance vs replacement/care. Thanks

 

[monchan]

I don't know much about the Sea of Japan coast, but are you anywhere near the Tottori Sand Dunes? I can imagine they'd make an excellent subject for some aerial video.

Yes, I am only 3 minutes or so away. I am waiting on a landing pad in the post before I go there.
Don't want to get sand in anywhere. but I have taken My sons Tello up there a few times.
Great place.

The main character is the Tello!

 

[Former Member]

Thank you for the quick reply and sorry for the confusion. I was referring more to liability insurance vs replacement/care. Thanks

There are alot of companies who will insure you for liability per flight.

 

[dixter]

Join the AMA... you get some insurance that way...

 

[m chaussettes]

Well got my MA the other week and have only been out three times with it. Just testing the water and my flying ability.
NOT testing the limits of the drone. My first flight took her down to my local beach, it has a nice sized car park and almost no people.
First battery just flying around, beginner mode for a bit then switch to normal mode, fly around some more. Pretty happy with myself.
Second battery, asteroid, and then fly out over the water for a bit to try using the gimble, cool. Back to the beach area as that made me nervous.
Try some more flight modes, then it just starts landing about 3 meters from the waters edge. No danger to the AC. But a bit of a panic.
What happened?? Took me a bit of time to realize, after a long time doubting the AC. if I had been out over the water would have been BAD.

I was watching the AC more than my screen, I saw no warnings. I was just so caught up in flying, keeping my eye on my AC and enjoying myself.
Not used to flying or checking the screen for anything. I heard no warnings either. I had phone`s volume turned really low. My wife hates it when I use my phone in my office (toilet) So while flying andlooking up, warnings must have gone un-noticed and I must have cancelled RTH, with the stick just by flying. I am pretty sure it was low battery gone, auto landing.

1) make sure volume is audible.
2) periodically check your screen, batery levels. As a beginner it is not engrained but needs to be.

Simple things can make a huge difference.

Gimbal Cover

After the 3rd time forgetting to take it off before starting up my M2Pro I put a label on the top right next to the battery that says "COVER OFF".
Haven't done it since. It can really screw up your gimbal. When I fly a real airplane I have to pull the pitot covers off as part of the pre-flight check.
They have little red flags that say "remove before flight". I'm making a mini-one to put on my gimbal cover.

 

[Turn11]

I often shoot it from land out to sea

I am terrible at composition but I know when I see a great shot and this is one.
Near black and white with just a hint of color. Tree makes it great, without it it is still an exceptional shot. Keep it up.

 

[Lets Fly]

Left the gimbal cover on MA twice, and while downloading video. I painted the front of the cover RED and as soon as I look at th AC there it is.

 

[svickstc]

Trying to fly inside

 

[Elude]

I watched a lot of videos. A lot of crashes. Read a lot here and had lots of time on a cheap drone.

Preflight checks! Just like real aircraft. Everytime. Watch the wind. Watch for birds. Cause everybody’s heard about the bird. Bird bird bird.