Hello from Austin, Texas

[JonathanP]

Hi everyone. I am a new drone flyer but not exactly new to flying RC stuff (grew up with it with my dad in the 80's & 90s). I will be picking up my first drone as early as tomorrow (can't decide on a mini pro 3 or an Air 2s). If there are any other Austin area flyers or clubs please let me know. Mostly into aerial photography/video and would like to get proficient at it before going on a trip to Europe next fall.

 

[GFields]

Greetings from Birmingham Alabama USA, welcome to the forum!

Both are excellent drones. If you will be doing professional imaging, the one inch sensor on the Air 2s makes a huge difference

 

[MA2 317]

Hello from the Crossroads of America JonathanP

Welcome to the Forum.

 

[JonathanP]

Greetings from Birmingham Alabama USA, welcome to the forum!

Both are excellent drones. If you will be doing professional imaging, the one inch sensor on the Air 2s makes a huge difference

Thanks for the welcome gfields.

 

[LoudThunder]

I will be picking up my first drone as early as tomorrow (can't decide on a mini pro 3 or an Air 2s).

"Member's Map…" Check it out and you might find some new flying friends.

Member Map

mavicpilots.com

Siince you are undecided, I've included links to the user Manuals for both the Mini 3 and the Air 2S at the end of this posting…

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.

I registered my Mini 2 because the TRUST Certificate and FAA Registration established me as a "certified" Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) Flyer.

Link to the TRUST Certificate at the Pilot Institute Web Site (FREE…)

FAA TRUST Online Portal for Recreational Drone Operators - Pilot Institute

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

faadronezone.faa.gov

If you are considering acquiring your Part 107 License, here is a link to get you going…

Aviation School: Free & Paid Pilot Training Classes - Pilot Institute

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 Texas, 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.

Drone Laws and Best Places to Fly in Every US State - Pilot Institute

pilotinstitute.com

Even if you have flown Drones before, here is some Good Old Fashion Advice…

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 kitten or puppy 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, 4-5 feet (1-1/2 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 are the links to all of the downloads offered by DJI for the Mini 3 Pro and the Air 2S, including the User Manuals.

After you read the Manuals, read them again, you will be surprised what you missed the first time and you will be better prepared for that first "scary moment…"

DJI Mini 3 Pro - Download Center - DJI

At DJI Download Center, Learn aboutDJI Mini 3 Pro

www.dji.com

Mavic Air 2 - Download Center - DJI

At DJI Download Center, Learn aboutMavic Air 2

www.dji.com

Happy Droning…

 

[JonathanP]

"Member's Map…" Check it out and you might find some new flying friends.

Member Map

mavicpilots.com

Siince you are undecided, I've included links to the user Manuals for both the Mini 3 and the Air 2S at the end of this posting…

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.

I registered my Mini 2 because the TRUST Certificate and FAA Registration established me as a "certified" Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) Flyer.

Link to the TRUST Certificate at the Pilot Institute Web Site (FREE…)

FAA TRUST Online Portal for Recreational Drone Operators - Pilot Institute

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

faadronezone.faa.gov

If you are considering acquiring your Part 107 License, here is a link to get you going…

Aviation School: Free & Paid Pilot Training Classes - Pilot Institute

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 Texas, 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.

Drone Laws and Best Places to Fly in Every US State - Pilot Institute

pilotinstitute.com

Even if you have flown Drones before, here is some Good Old Fashion Advice…

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 kitten or puppy 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, 4-5 feet (1-1/2 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 are the links to all of the downloads offered by DJI for the Mini 3 Pro and the Air 2S, including the User Manuals.

After you read the Manuals, read them again, you will be surprised what you missed the first time and you will be better prepared for that first "scary moment…"

DJI Mini 3 Pro - Download Center - DJI

At DJI Download Center, Learn aboutDJI Mini 3 Pro

www.dji.com

Mavic Air 2 - Download Center - DJI

At DJI Download Center, Learn aboutMavic Air 2

www.dji.com

Happy Droning…

THanks LoudTHunder. I have already gotten my TRUST Certificate and will likely end up registering with the FAA because even if I get the mini 3 I will probably get the extended flight batteries. Thanks for the startup procedure advice. I think dropping over a grand when it's all said and done will help keep me conservative

 

[old man mavic]

welcome to the forum ,as others have stated, both the drones on your choice list ,are excellent drones, with similar capabilities ,if you intend to fly in Europe, then the Mini3 pro would give you a drone with less restrictions ,for areas to fly in ,due to its weight category and classification ,and to some extent ,would be a easier package to carry during your travels ,due to its small size

 

[JonathanP]

welcome to the forum ,as others have stated, both the drones on your choice list ,are excellent drones, with similar capabilities ,if you intend to fly in Europe, then the Mini3 pro would give you a drone with less restrictions ,for areas to fly in ,due to its weight category and classification ,and to some extent ,would be a easier package to carry during your travels ,due to its small size

Thanks and that's one huge advantage for me is the travel size. Do you know if I need liability insurance over there? and if so does it apply to all drones or just those over 250g. This has been the hardest thing for me to figure out.

 

[old man mavic]

@JonathanP ,the best thing to do is to go on the government website for the country ,or countries ,you are intending to visit ,and type in drone rules and regs ,and you should be able to access the relevant info you need

 

[dirkclod]

Welcome to the forum.
Please and do be sure you have read our guidelines.
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 .

 

[Gagey52]

Greetings JonathanP, welcome to the forum from the outback of Australia. Look forward to your participation.
Regards

 

[LoudThunder]

I think dropping over a grand when it's all said and done will help keep me conservative

Good Luck with your choice. The Mini 3 is a sweet flyer and I've flown several. I'm sure you will be happy with whatever choice you make.

But do not get cheap with the insurance coverage. I HIGHLY Recommend you also buy the Care Refresh policy from DJI. All the other policies (All State, SquareTrade, etc…) are great for TVs, phones, tablets, cameras, etc… but those items will never fly away or crash in a pond…

 

[LoudThunder]

Do you know if I need liability insurance over there?

Type into Google, "flying drones in (country name)" and you'll get lots of info. Do not be bashful about googling the consulate or embassy of the countries you intend to visit. They are perhaps the most trusted source of information and do not forget to contact the airlines and inquire about their policy on shipping batteries. Some may require the special fireproof bags and I do not believe you can check any of your drones batteries and all must be in your carry-on bags…

Traveling With a Drone? What to Know.

 

[pati0furniture]

I was in Austin for work not too long ago and flew my Mini 2 around Butler Park. I was planning on checking out the Seismic Wall area but didn't have time.

 

[msinger]

Welcome to the forum!

 

[Kendallfordguy]

Welcome from Wisconsin!

 

[JonathanP]

I was in Austin for work not too long ago and flew my Mini 2 around Butler Park. I was planning on checking out the Seismic Wall area but didn't have time.

Nice! Yeah there are lots of nice places to fly around here, but it can get really windy here

 

[Chetk7677]

Welcome from Florida.

 

[wjkrysak]

Welcome to the forum. We look forward to your participation and your view of the world.

 

[rcanboy27]

Hi everyone. I am a new drone flyer but not exactly new to flying RC stuff (grew up with it with my dad in the 80's & 90s). I will be picking up my first drone as early as tomorrow (can't decide on a mini pro 3 or an Air 2s). If there are any other Austin area flyers or clubs please let me know. Mostly into aerial photography/video and would like to get proficient at it before going on a trip to Europe next fall.

Welcome to the forum from Colorado!!!