Did I Buy A Dinosaur....? Ipad Mini 4

[JoeyThePilot56]

I'm new to this arena and I have a Mavic Air that hasn't got off the ground yet. I'm getting all my ducks in a row (working on my 107) before I take to the air. I purchased a used Ipad Mini 4 to use while flying but I'm reading that there might be some issues with using it. Is there anything I can do to use it and make it safe and reliable? Did I buy a dinosaur?

I was using my mini ipad 4 with my MA2 but it was lagging big time in the video and other areas. I sold it on offerup and ended buying the mini ipad 5 which performs flawlessly now. Good luck and happy new year to you and yours.

 

[tlyons]

I'm new to this arena and I have a Mavic Air that hasn't got off the ground yet. I'm getting all my ducks in a row (working on my 107) before I take to the air. I purchased a used Ipad Mini 4 to use while flying but I'm reading that there might be some issues with using it. Is there anything I can do to use it and make it safe and reliable? Did I buy a dinosaur?

You're missing out on the fun. Just go out in a big field and give it a go. Read the manual, understand the buttons to take off, land, and automagically return to home. Set the RTH height to be above the tree line.
First few times, only use 50% of the battery before landing; practice the RTH from nearby; and always keep the drone in sight.
Let yourself make a few mistakes and fix your mistakes by watching Youtube tutorials.
Good luck!

 

[Crow Horse]

Thanks for everyone sharing their help and experiences. Yesterday I took a break from my 107 studies and took my first flight, albeit it was shorter than the Wright brothers first flight. I was pleasantly surprised as how responsive the MA1 was and I navigated around obstacles by my house, landing in the bed of my pickup. The Mini 4 worked without issue. I was extremely happy but I have lots to learn about Go 4.

 

[theDRONEranger]

I'm new to this arena and I have a Mavic Air that hasn't got off the ground yet. I'm getting all my ducks in a row (working on my 107) before I take to the air. I purchased a used Ipad Mini 4 to use while flying but I'm reading that there might be some issues with using it. Is there anything I can do to use it and make it safe and reliable? Did I buy a dinosaur?

Welcome to the wonderful world of UAS. I want to commend you for the desire to learn before you fly. If more folks would take that step there would be far fewer violations, and even far fewer “oops”! Commendable step to learn as much as possible and this forum has a lot of great folks to help you stay in the air and remain legal! I, too, have the MA and the Spark. When I do fly, have NOT flown at all in 2021 due to some health factors (non-COVID), I use my iPad mini 4 or my Samsung pad tethered to my Samsung Note8 for cellular. Please keep us posted on your progress.

 

[BethanyFerrell]

It's worth noting that the dinosaurs didn't all die out.

The ones that didn't evolved into… well, you know. *grin*

 

[Hummingbird.UAV]

I'm new to this arena and I have a Mavic Air that hasn't got off the ground yet. I'm getting all my ducks in a row (working on my 107) before I take to the air. I purchased a used Ipad Mini 4 to use while flying but I'm reading that there might be some issues with using it. Is there anything I can do to use it and make it safe and reliable? Did I buy a dinosaur?

Looks like you have had enough feedback on using the mini4. I will add one word of caution. Do not upgrade the iOS of the iPad. I used a mini4 for a Mavic Air and Mavic Air 2. When I upgraded to iOS 14 I could no longer use it to fly the Mavic Air 2 because of video lag. Sadly one cannot roll back the upgrade.

 

[Crow Horse]

A couple of items that might be potential obstacles:
1. My mini 4 is running the most current IOS.
2. It doesn't have a SIM card.
3. It's only a 16g version

During my very short maiden flight I was too concerned about watching the drone to actually look at the screen. Longer flights will afford me the opportunity to do that.