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Hello from the Bay Area

johnarobinson77

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Joined
Nov 12, 2022
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Age
71
Location
Cupertino, CA, USA
HI. I'm new to drone flying. I just bought a Min 3 Pro and I', looking for some interesting places in the may area where I'm allowed to fly. I see some advice in the Forums and I'm hoping to find more.

BTW, Blue Park on Yuba Buena Island was mentioned but Google Maps indicates it's permanently closed. I'd appreciate advice on any other locations.
 
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 . Thumbswayup
 
I'm new to drone flying. I just bought a Min 3 Pro

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.


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…)


Link to the FAADroneZone (Optional Registration for Drones under 250-Grams…)


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


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.


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 is the link to all of the downloads offered by DJI for the Mini 3 Pro, 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…"


Happy Droning…
 
HI. I'm new to drone flying. I just bought a Min 3 Pro and I', looking for some interesting places in the may area where I'm allowed to fly. I see some advice in the Forums and I'm hoping to find more.

BTW, Blue Park on Yuba Buena Island was mentioned but Google Maps indicates it's permanently closed. I'd appreciate advice on any other locations.
Welcome to the forum. I'm sure you'll find a ton of places to fly soon! Make sure you let us see a vid or two! :)
 
HI. I'm new to drone flying. I just bought a Min 3 Pro and I', looking for some interesting places in the may area where I'm allowed to fly. I see some advice in the Forums and I'm hoping to find more.

BTW, Blue Park on Yuba Buena Island was mentioned but Google Maps indicates it's permanently closed. I'd appreciate advice on any other locations.
Hello from Cambridge, UK
 
Welcome to Mavic Pilots! :) Enjoy the forum!Thumbswayup
 
Welcome to the forum! :)
 
HI. I'm new to drone flying. I just bought a Min 3 Pro and I', looking for some interesting places in the may area where I'm allowed to fly. I see some advice in the Forums and I'm hoping to find more.

BTW, Blue Park on Yuba Buena Island was mentioned but Google Maps indicates it's permanently closed. I'd appreciate advice on any other locations.
Greetings from Colorado, USA🇺🇸, welcome to the forum🎄
 
Hi, johnarobinson77
Here is a copy of a post I wrote for a guy in Oakland:
Welcome to the Forum! The SF Bay Area is GREAT for droning. Just ask a Texan!
1. Try Treasure Island, just west of the dog park. You get a terrific view of the Bay Bridge and the SF Financial District. Early morning is best. You can also reach Alcatraz from there if you have Superman's vision.
2. Another good spot is the parking lot behind the Palace of Fine Arts, from which you can reach the east side of the GG Bridge (again, with Superman's vision).
3. A good spot for taking off to fly the west side of the GG Bridge is the cul-de-sac at the end of 25th St.
4. Alamo Park will give you a good view of the "Painted Ladies", with the Financial District in the background. The streets SURROUNDING Alamo Park have several beautifully-renovated Victorian houses even more spectacular than the Painted Ladies.
5. Flying above Coit Tower is a nice shoot. You can legally take off and land on the surface streets nearby.
6. Lombard Street, with its twists and turns, is a fun shoot. You can legally TO/Land from the sidewalks by the tennis courts.
7. JapanTown has a Pagoda and a really spectacular church. Be sure to go inside--the architecture and stained-glass windows are beyond belief.
8. Alcatraz is pretty ugly up close, but every droner needs to fly it at least once. The best spot is the fishing pier at the end of pier 45 ( I think that's the one). Nobody minds if you park right by the dumpsters. The seagulls can get pretty aggressive while you're trying to land.
8. There is a drone-legal "island" within the Presidio--The Disney/ILM museum, from which you can TO/Land legally.
9. The East Bay: the wood fishing pier at Port View Park is a nice spot for shooting shipping activity and the south side of the Bay Bridge.
That's all I can think of for now. There's a LOT more!
Enjoy your Mini 3 Pro!

Rich R, Hurst, TX
 
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