Flight Reader Giveaway 12/16/2023 (post and win!)

[msinger]

I'm giving away a Flight Reader Recreational license ($99 value) to one lucky winner this week on Saturday, December 16th.




What is Flight Reader?
Flight Reader allows you to decrypt and view your DJI TXT flight log data (and other flight log types) right from your Windows desktop.

Some notable features:

• Privately process and view your flight logs locally on your Windows computer (no need to upload your flight logs to the Internet).
• Flight Reader's proprietary flight log processor generates over 380 flight data points (more than all other flight log applications).
• Customize the columns included in the generated logs and aircraft/battery reports.
• Auto sync your flight logs from the DJI Cloud to eliminate the painful process of manually retrieving them after flying.
• Pay once and use Flight Reader forever (no need to pay mandatory yearly subscription fees).

See more details here.


How can you enter this giveaway?

• Reply below and share one of your favorite DJI drone tips
• You'll get one entry each day you participate between now and Saturday, December 16th.

How will I pick the winner?
A winner will be randomly selected on Saturday, December 16th. I'll post the winner here when selected.


How can you try Flight Reader today?
There's no need to wait and see if you're the lucky winner. You can try Flight Reader for free today here.

 

[msinger]

It looks like this contest is ending with no winner. Maybe we'll give it try some other time when there's more interest.

 

[walkerdata]

Just saw this - here goes:

1. Always screen record if possible. This can help troubleshoot issues.
2. Use a landing pad if possible and hover at 21 feet momentarily for a precision landing.
3. Attach lanyard before takeoff. Otherwise, your drone might attack you. (Don't ask)
4. From yesterday: When setting the drone down for takeoff you hear a gunshot, move to another location.
5. Always remove your ND filter after flight. You will thank me the next time you launch for a night flight and it's so dark you will wonder if your drone is broken.

Finally, as shown above, learn from your mistakes.

 

[Dusty DJI]

I'm giving away a Flight Reader Recreational license ($99 value) to one lucky winner this week on Saturday, December 16th.

View attachment 170900


What is Flight Reader?
Flight Reader allows you to decrypt and view your DJI TXT flight log data (and other flight log types) right from your Windows desktop.

Some notable features:

• Privately process and view your flight logs locally on your Windows computer (no need to upload your flight logs to the Internet).
• Flight Reader's proprietary flight log processor generates over 380 flight data points (more than all other flight log applications).
• Customize the columns included in the generated logs and aircraft/battery reports.
• Auto sync your flight logs from the DJI Cloud to eliminate the painful process of manually retrieving them after flying.
• Pay once and use Flight Reader forever (no need to pay mandatory yearly subscription fees).

See more details here.


How can you enter this giveaway?

• Reply below and share one of your favorite DJI drone tips
• You'll get one entry each day you participate between now and Saturday, December 16th.

How will I pick the winner?
A winner will be randomly selected on Saturday, December 16th. I'll post the winner here when selected.


How can you try Flight Reader today?
There's no need to wait and see if you're the lucky winner. You can try Flight Reader for free today here.

I have lots of tips, but always turn your controller on before your drone ( from the days past when turning on an RC was taken over by interference before the controller was turned on ) and always before first flight to READ THE MANUAL

 

[AMann]

Oh man I don’t visit very often anymore and missed this. It looks like a great program, did you develop it? Just curious was it based on python? Looks well done and provides really good information in an easy format to review.

I’ll have to try the free version a little bit and watch for another contest, hopefully soon!

Let me know if you ever sell any educational versions, I think this would be a great program for our aviation club and program at my school.

OK, so my first tip: check in on this website frequently for any updates about issues, FAA regulations, and other strange things that DJI does not tell us about (and also for free giveaways!), and above all, never need to start a new post on the Crash & Flyaway forum!!

 

[smbishop]

I'm in:

1. Read the forum, search for information, and ask questions.
2. Fly, practice, fly, practice. I have been working with hyperlapse and timelapse lately. there are a lot of settings, and practice over and over is the way to master a particular skill.
3. Have a plan before you fly. What are you trying to accomplish on this particular flight?
4. Don't forget auto exposure. It is really good and you can just concentrate on your flight.

 

[msinger]

did you develop it? Just curious was it based on python?

Yes. It's a .NET Windows application.

 

[msinger]

Okay, so let's keep this going to the end of the day. We'll draw the lucky winner then!

 

[Dusty DJI]

Yes. It's a .NET Windows application.

I am guessing the newest VMWare Fusion is compatible with Apple Silicon. M1 chip. I can get that version on my Mac if its compatible, or I could try this on my work computer windows 10.

 

[msinger]

I am guessing the newest VMWare Fusion is compatible with Apple Silicon. M1 chip

I haven't tried it, but it'll likely work.

 

[Chrislaf]

I haven't tried or used the paid version of Flight Reader, just the online version that is commonly used to review crashes. My reasons for not using the paid version is that I use a Mac (but it does run VMWare Fusion) and I currently use a paid AirData account to review my flight logs.

These are my reasons I like reviewing my flight logs:
•I enjoy seeing the track that my drone has taken on each flight and I also enjoy going back and reviewing them for past flights, especially for places I have visited (vacations) that I will likely not visit again.
•I find the battery information, trends, cycle counts that are displayed interesting and informative.
•I enjoy seeing how many total flights I have done with my drones and how many total flights each drone has made.
•in AirData, I can look at a large map and it will show me all the sites I have flown at which I can zoom into for more detail if I want.

One of the things I have found useful is the battery management area (AirData)has helped me determine when it has been time to retire a battery before I have a possible incident with it.

Having a paid flight logging application is not cheap but I look at it as regular maintenance for my drones just as I do the regular maintenance I need to pay for, for my vehicles.

I know I cannot enter this contest as I am in Canada and most contests exclude those outside the US but regardless I thought I would include my reasons for using a Flight Logging application.

Chris

 

[msinger]

One of the things I have found useful is the battery management area (AirData)has helped me determine when it has been time to retire a battery before I have a possible incident with it

That is indeed useful. A difference is that Flight Reader shows the actual number of times the battery has been cycled and Airdata uses some kind of proprietary calculation to try to estimate the number of charges. Flight Reader also has a battery usage report that can display the battery stats for any time period.

I know I cannot enter this contest as I am in Canada and most contests exclude those outside the US

This is a worldwide contest. No countries are excluded.

 

[Desert Drone Works]

Fun! I was out of town when this was originally posted. Thanks for extending. I just downloaded the trial and it looks great so far.

My tip: Always check your batteries before you head out to a job/shoot! Early on when I wasn't flying as much and was inexperienced, I had a few instances where the batteries would start their "intelligent drain" process and I'd find my batteries at about half capacity. Lesson learned, but almost got me a few times. And extra tip on top... invest in a battery bank or method of charging on the road.

 

[Chrislaf]

This is a worldwide contest. No countries are excluded.

Glad to hear that the contest is worldwide.

Not sure if Flight Reader displays this info but in AirData I find the info about battery deviations helpful. I have actually returned a new battery for exchange that has been displaying too many major deviations as with the price of batteries/drones I figure it’s not worth the chance.

Here’s an example from AirData:


Chris

 

[msinger]

Not sure if Flight Reader displays this info but in AirData I find the info about battery deviations helpful

Yes, Flight Reader also shows battery deviations. There are no graphs in the current version, but that will be an addition in a future release.

 

[smbishop]

I just created a battery report and noticed that Excel has this analyze data button. It created 32 charts and you can customize what data it looks at. Something new to play around with!

 

[msinger]

noticed that Excel has this analyze data button

Is that new? Never noticed that before.

 

[smbishop]

Not sure! I received a pop-up window that said something like "do you want to try it?", so I clicked on it...

 

[msinger]

We'll keep this going until 12 AM PST (about 5 hours from now). So, get your tips in if you'd like to put your name in for the Flight Reader drawing.

 

[AMann]

Not sure! I received a pop-up window that said something like "do you want to try it?", so I clicked on it...

Boy, how many times have I clicked on a button just to see what they did! That’s a scary thing to do on a computer connected to the web!

Tip #2: if you haven’t read the manual thoroughly, don’t click buttons or move the levers on your controller while your drone is in the air just to see what it will do!