Cold in MN - Old Guy Newbie

[revchuck]

Checking in from MN. Last time I flew something outdoors was an 049 balsa wood trainer on control lines (string) with a 6 foot crepe paper streamer tied on the tail, with two other guys flying the same. Combat. Chew up the other guys streamer. I was adept at losing. It was 1966 or ‘67.

I did drive a home made RC lawnmower to cut my lawn in ‘88-9. There are similarities in control - reversing control out and back.

MPP showed up just after Christmas. With an average temperature below zero, out door flight is a ways off. In the mean time, I am flying figure eights horizontally and vertically in the simulator so I can bring back and reinforce old muscle memory.

Has anyone ever tried attaching a fishing line on the first few open field flights? Infant mortality is not unknown to me in complex hardware. I’d like have this thing on a leash until I can trust this baby to not wander off in a flaky hardware stupor.

 

[LuvMyTJ]

Hello,
It is a pleasure to welcome you to the Mavic Pilots forum.
I hope that you will be able to use the forum to further your safety knowledge and for the exchange of innovative ideas and as a resource for current developments in Mavic quadcopters.
Enjoy!
*MAVIC PRO MANUAL: https://dl.djicdn.com/downloads/mavic/20171219/Mavic Pro User Manual V2.0.pdf
*MAVIC PRO PLATINUM MANUAL: https://dl.djicdn.com/downloads/mavic/20171123/Mavic_Pro_User_Manual V1.8.pdf
*GO 4 APP MANUAL: DJI Go 4 Manual

 

[revchuck]

Thanks for the links. I have downloaded and read them all. And continue to do so.

 

[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 .

 

[BD0G]

I know first time flights can be scary and unpredictable ,but once you get the Mavic Pro airborne its not like its going to fly away. Fly aways are something that happens very infrequently.

Make sure you have adequate GPS satellite lock and then just lift off and then get a few feet above ground and return the RC control sticks to the Neutral position. The Mavic should maintain a very stable hover. Then slowly make stick inputs and observe how well the Mavic holds position.

 

[Claybond]

Checking in from MN. Last time I flew something outdoors was an 049 balsa wood trainer on control lines (string) with a 6 foot crepe paper streamer tied on the tail, with two other guys flying the same. Combat. Chew up the other guys streamer. I was adept at losing. It was 1966 or ‘67.

I did drive a home made RC lawnmower to cut my lawn in ‘88-9. There are similarities in control - reversing control out and back.

MPP showed up just after Christmas. With an average temperature below zero, out door flight is a ways off. In the mean time, I am flying figure eights horizontally and vertically in the simulator so I can bring back and reinforce old muscle memory.

Has anyone ever tried attaching a fishing line on the first few open field flights? Infant mortality is not unknown to me in complex hardware. I’d like have this thing on a leash until I can trust this baby to not wander off in a flaky hardware stupor.

Welcome friend , you will have no problems with your mavic, if you start in a lot or field and just fly a battery or two at 10 ft or so feeling take off and landings, accel decel turning and stuff , you’ll be 200 ft up and 500 out before you know it, especially if your smart enough to study and forum for a bit first. You’ll have a hard time holding yourself back! Enjoy, and I know you will.

 

[MQuinn]

Welcome fellow Minnesotan, Once you get those first couple of flights under your belt you will get the hang of it quickly and be having a blast!

 

[Sky Pilot]

I know first time flights can be scary and unpredictable ,but once you get the Mavic Pro airborne its not like its going to fly away. Fly aways are something that happens very infrequently.

Make sure you have adequate GPS satellite lock and then just lift off and then get a few feet above ground and return the RC control sticks to the Neutral position. The Mavic should maintain a very stable hover. Then slowly make stick inputs and observe how well the Mavic holds position.

Agree with this. My first experience, having never flown anything before (except the coop), was really trouble and danger free. Starting off really slowly in big open grassy field (I have a football oval opposite my house) worked for me. I would be concerned that the fishing line might blow up on landing and tangle in the rotors. I don't think it is necessary to take such a risk.

Have fun revchuck!!

 

[locoman]

Welcome, just find a big open field, stay in beginner mode until you feel comfortable with it, keep it in line of site. stay out of sport mode for a while. wait until the temperature warms up. watch the winds aloft, I use UAV Forecast app. Forget about the streamer, you will be ok. It is a lot easier then flying the .049 balsa. I know you will have a blast. I sure am. And you are not that old for an old guy.

BTW, do NOT try to fly inside.

 

[msinger]

Welcome to Mavic Pilots!

 

[Bunny Too]

Checking in from MN. Last time I flew something outdoors was an 049 balsa wood trainer on control lines (string) with a 6 foot crepe paper streamer tied on the tail, with two other guys flying the same. Combat. Chew up the other guys streamer. I was adept at losing. It was 1966 or ‘67.

I did drive a home made RC lawnmower to cut my lawn in ‘88-9. There are similarities in control - reversing control out and back.

MPP showed up just after Christmas. With an average temperature below zero, out door flight is a ways off. In the mean time, I am flying figure eights horizontally and vertically in the simulator so I can bring back and reinforce old muscle memory.

Has anyone ever tried attaching a fishing line on the first few open field flights? Infant mortality is not unknown to me in complex hardware. I’d like have this thing on a leash until I can trust this baby to not wander off in a flaky hardware stupor.

Howdy from Wyoming @revchuck , welcome to the community, plenty of fine folk and excellent information here.

 

[jag32266]

Welcome to the world of Mavic, you will enjoy it- from one old guy to another. My wife got me my first quad, cheapo unit, but just great for breaking in and using for my training wheels. Better to lose $50 than $1k. Funny thing about the cheap one, Syma X5C, it has hit fences, houses and ground but still flies.

 

[microlinux]

Welcome from St. Paul. Very little chance of it just flying off, don't worry about it. Very, very few things people call "fly-aways" are that. Do not tie the Mavic to anything.

Richard Walton Park over in Oakdale is a good place to fly. Some nice fields and ponds to fly over and you don't need to call any airports.

 

[revchuck]

Welcome from St. Paul. Very little chance of it just flying off, don't worry about it. Very, very few things people call "fly-aways" are that. Do not tie the Mavic to anything.

Richard Walton Park over in Oakdale is a good place to fly. Some nice fields and ponds to fly over and you don't need to call any airports.

Thanks for the tip. Pretty close by too!

 

[microlinux]

Thanks for the tip. Pretty close by too!

No problem! St. Paul city parks are drone-friendly, they only ask that you don't fly over the conservatory or zoo at Como Park, but that kind of goes without saying. Ramsey County parks are not drone friendly.

If you don't mind driving a bit, just south of Rosemount the U of M has thousands of acres at U-More park/Vermillion Highlands. The Lone Rock Trailhead parking lot is a great place to fly from, it's up on a hill that overlooks miles of farmland and forest to the south.

In the Twin Cities for MAC airport notification you call the respective tower, then the MAC office. They have all been very friendly and appreciative of calls.

Metroairports.org - Unmanned Aircraft Systems

 

[HiKen51]

Love your post--I'm kinda old too--too old to have never gotten into playing video games or any other thumb-training exercises lol. So my challenge is to train my thumbs to do the right thing at the right time.
Just take it easy at first, Tripod mode is great for practicing--moves slow and steady. Figure-eights are great training and rather challenging. Soccer fields are great to practice on--I fly through the goals that have no nets