Greetings! New drone pilot with new DJI
Air 3 from Humboldt County, CA.
Welcome from the Hampton Roads area of Virginia, USA. We have a Member's Map in the Upper Right of the Title Bar. Click on "Members" and then Click on "Member's Map…" Check it out and you might find some new flying friends.
mavicpilots.com
First off, I hope Hillary is a non-event for you… I live on the east coast of Virginia and I have experienced several hurricanes and they are not jokes, nor an excuse to have a party. Take all precautions seriously. I know you are in the northern part of the state and it might only be high winds and heavy rain, but we all know how fragile the electrical grid is and you will probably experience power outages.
Don't leave anything out in the yard and have spare water, not just for drinking, but for flushing toilets. (5-gallon buckets are great for that) if none are available, seal the drain in the bathtub with tape and fill it up. It not for drinking, but bathing and flushing. Have spare batteries and all phones charged, be sure you have chargers that will you can use to charge phones from the car.
But as it often happens, if the power goes out, the cell towers only have a few hours of power and by day two, the cell phones are often useless too… And there will be no internet either…
Get an ice cube tray and freeze it, then put pennies on top of the ice cubes and put it back in the freezer. If the power goes out, do not open the frig or freezer to see if it's still cold. If the power goes out and when you do open the freezer and the pennies are now on the bottom of the tray, your frozen items melted and you should use them immediately or throw then out…
Good luck!
But now back on point!
As a New Drone Pilot, there are a couple of Legal Things you may need to do…
If you have not already done so, you will need to get your TRUST Certificate. You can get that at the Pilot Institute Web Site (FREE…) . If your Drone weighs less than 250-grams (0.55 pounds) and you are flying under The Exception for Recreational Flyers, you are not required to register your Drone.
When I first started flying I registered my
Mini 2 because the TRUST Certificate and FAA Registration established me as a "certified" Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) Pilot.
Link to the TRUST Certificate at the Pilot Institute Web Site (FREE…)
Get your FAA TRUST Certificate of Completion to legally fly drones for recreational reasons in the United States.
trust.pilotinstitute.com
Link to the FAADroneZone (Optional Registration for Drones under 250-Grams…)
faadronezone.faa.gov
If you are considering acquiring your Part 107 License, here is a link to get you going…
Pilot Institute offers courses on drones and airplanes from world-class experts. Pass the Part 107 or Private Pilot exam and take to the skies.
pilotinstitute.com
Since you live in California, there are specific laws and rules for you to follow, please check the link below for all the Rules and Laws that are in effect in your neck of the woods and it also links you to some of the Best Places to Fly in your area… Also, if you travel on vacation, visit friends, and relatives in other parts of the country, check back here so you do not run afoul of the law.
pilotinstitute.com
Even if you have flown Drones before, here is some Good Old Fashion Advice…
You paid a lot of money for that Drone, put your phone number on it. If your drone gets lost or stuck in a tree and it finally comes down when you are not around, give the finders an opportunity to contact you so it can be returned.
Now, for the Fun Part, But 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 puppy or kitten 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, 6- feet (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."
Below is the link to all of the downloads offered by DJI for the Mavic
Air 3, including the User Manual.
After you read the Manual, read it again, you will be surprised what you missed the first time and you will be better prepared for that first "scary moment…"
At DJI Download Center, Learn aboutDJI
Mavic 3
www.dji.com
Fly On and Fly Safe…
