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Joined
Sep 14, 2022
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Age
36
Location
Indianapolis, IN, USA
Hey there,

I’ve had some experience with cheap sport drones, but this weekend I bought a Mavic Air 2 off of a buddy. That night I registered and got my recreation taken care of and I’ve gone on a few initial flights so far. Man, what a difference it is flying a quality quad vs the cheap POSs. I’m still learning to trust the equipment, however I’m extra paranoid since it’s used and I can’t get any refresh care on it. But I’ve done some testing on the RTH and had a low battery RTH this afternoon that worked as well as I expected.

I’m working on getting my 107 because I’d like to have the option to make some part time money off of this. I’ve been a wedding photographer in a previous career and I’d like to avoid that level of involvement, but I’m seeing other possibilities here. Does anyone have a side hustle going on?
 
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Hello from the Crossroads of America whiskey_icarus.

Always room for another Hoosier here. :)

Welcome to the Forum. :cool:
 

Welcome from the Hampton Roads area of Virginia, USA. We have a Member's Map in the Upper Right of the Title Bar. Check it out, you might find some new flying friends…


Good on you for getting that drone registered and the TRUST Certificate.

Now, unless you had other drones that were little more than a kid's house toy, those inexpensive non-GPS drones force the pilot to learn to fly. Because in even a light breeze, just to hover, you had to fly the drone, so please do not dismiss then so lightly…

I am enrolled in three colleges courses right now looking for my Small Unmanned Aircraft Systems Technician Certificate and there are several DJI owners (besides me, I have a Mini 2…) in the class and they cannot fly the course's required flight patterns: figure 8 with the drone always facing in the same direction nor with the drone facing forward, a square pattern horizontally and vertically, and many more. These patterns and others show the pilots proficiency. These other students never learned to fly without GPS and if their GPS failed, they would never get their drone home…

Link to the FAADroneZone, keep this link handy so you can request flight authorizations in controlled airspace.


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


Since you live in Indiana, 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 Mavic Air 2, 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…
 
Welcome to Mavic Pilots! :) Enjoy the forum!Thumbswayup
 
Welcome from the Hampton Roads area of Virginia, USA. We have a Member's Map in the Upper Right of the Title Bar. Check it out, you might find some new flying friends…


Good on you for getting that drone registered and the TRUST Certificate.

Now, unless you had other drones that were little more than a kid's house toy, those inexpensive non-GPS drones force the pilot to learn to fly. Because in even a light breeze, just to hover, you had to fly the drone, so please do not dismiss then so lightly…

I am enrolled in three colleges courses right now looking for my Small Unmanned Aircraft Systems Technician Certificate and there are several DJI owners (besides me, I have a Mini 2…) in the class and they cannot fly the course's required flight patterns: figure 8 with the drone always facing in the same direction nor with the drone facing forward, a square pattern horizontally and vertically, and many more. These patterns and others show the pilots proficiency. These other students never learned to fly without GPS and if their GPS failed, they would never get their drone home…

Link to the FAADroneZone, keep this link handy so you can request flight authorizations in controlled airspace.


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


Since you live in Indiana, 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 Mavic Air 2, 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…
HOME POINT and RTH ELEVATION…Sooooooo important. Great resources and advice LoudThunder. ✅
 
Greetings from Birmingham Alabama USA, welcome to the forum!
 
Welcome to the forum! :)
 
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