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Subfiver

New Member
Joined
Jun 30, 2023
Messages
4
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18
Age
74
Location
Costa Calida, Spain
Ancient Brit here residing in southern Spain.

About to do our annual 3 month motorhome migration to Galicia to escape the worst of Murcia's summer heat.

So being a photographer and ex r/c modeller I thought I'd get a Mini3 Pro to take with me.

Got insurance and I've been learning to fly it in my large garden, with my neighbours' consent, and my notary is getting me and it registered so I'm all legal.
Then I discovered Enaire.
Then I discovered that almost the whole coastline of Galicia is a 'no-go' area' either being a 'naturally protected area' or within some air-transport zone

Screenshot 2023-07-10 at 11.39.02.jpg

So I emailed the address given, and was redirected to read several decrees (in Spanish. obvs) and given several other email addresses to contact for various sections of the coast.
Can I be bothered I ask, or shall I just send it back ?

How many non-Spanish vistitors to Galicia would even know about this ?

Frustrated of Costa Calida
 
Hello from the Crossroads of America Subfiver.

Good luck with your journey and be safe.

Welcome to the Forum. :cool:
 
Welcome to the forum! :)
 
Welcome to Mavic Pilots! :) Enjoy the forum!Thumbswayup
 
welcome to the forum
what you are experiencing, is unfortunately part of this wonderful hobby
 
Welcome to the forum. Sorry about your frustration on fly space. Perhaps good videos (flights) on your road trip.
We look forward to your participation and your view of the world.
 
Greetings from Birmingham Alabama USA, welcome to the forum! We look forward to hearing from you!

I am sorry to hear of your frustration and having to send the drone back. I was going to suggest hanging on to it because there will be other places you can fly it and enjoy it. I was also going to suggest taking it with you on this trip and when you get there, check with local authorities to see if they would allow you to fly.

Nonetheless, welcome to the forum.
 
Thanks, but 'checking with the local authorities' is exactly the problem. I don't have the Spanish language skills to do it.
It removes the spontaneity.

It seems that I cant even legally fly (<12m agl) in my own large garden out in the countryside. There's both a naval and airbase in Cartagena s few km away and it used to be that foreigners couldn't purchase property within a bounded area. The law was repealed a while a go but the bounded area it covered exactly matches the current no-fly zone - which includes my 1 acre garden ...
 
Ancient Brit here residing in southern Spain.

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.


Since you live in Spain, there are specific laws and rules for you to follow, please check to ensure these are current.


This is the link the Full Spanish Drone Laws…


You chose to live there, so you've "chosen" to follow their laws. Google the area for drone clubs, check our member's map and look for fellow members and PM them. It's all on you, fly legal or not, but some locations look pretty dimly on scofflaws and drones have created a very dipole group of lovers and haters…

Good Luck, remember, if yu do not read Spanish or just technical (legalize) Spanish, copy the text and paste it into Google Translate. It's not perfect but pretty darn good… "¿entender?"

As a beginner, 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, and 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 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…"


Fly On and Fly Safe…
 
Yes, thanks, Loudthunder, I'll follow up on the local members thing.

As for the rest, without wanting to sound big-headed, I'd got it all. My difficulty comes from understanding the ENAIRE Drones website and then having to consult with multiple agencies that the have responsibility of managing drone usage in any particular region. Having just 'celebrated' my 74th birthday life is getting too short to be dealing with this c..p
 
Having just 'celebrated' my 74th birthday life is getting too short to be dealing with this c..p
As you can see, I am just a couple of years behind you and I understand the frustration of red tape… I live in a very controlled airspace myself. Just SE of me is an Air Force Base, just NW of me is an International Airport, and just W of that is an Army Airfield, and there are National Parks (No Fly Zones) all around me. My home is actually in the Zero Altitude Controlled Airspace of the Air Force Base, and until I acquired my Part 107 Remote Pilot License (our License to fly professionally…), I could not even fly in my own yard…

And the county that I live in prohibits the flying from any of their property (schools, parks, etc…).

But, in spite of all the hassles that go into flying a drone, when you see that video, like a bird flying overhead, it all seems worth it…
 
Welcome to our forum, Subfiver, from Hauptmann, in Hurst, Texas!

You'll love the flexibility of vantage points an aerial camera platform affords--you'll get shots and videos you could only dream of before! I fly a Mavic 2 Pro now, but will soon add a Mini 3 Pro to my “fleet”.

The Mini 3 Pro is an excellent choice. It has a great camera, and with its sub 250 gram weight, it is not subject to many regulations aimed at larger, heavier drones—especially in the EU and UK.

We have over 150,000 members—many from your part of the EU--who enjoy helping each other get the most out of our hobby. Most of the questions you'll have will’ve already been addressed, and are easy to search. If you have NEW questions, just ask!

I've attached a couple of links below, which will make learning piloting and photo/video skills easy. The author specifically refers to the Mini 3 Pro, but his “moves” apply to any drone (DJI, anyway).


Glad to have you with us!

Rich R (aka Hauptmann)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c1j9VqmDYEI&t=497s

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vK6s2hJLRRE
 
Lycus Tech Mavic Air 3 Case

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