Hi from the peak district 🏔🏞⛰

[LostBoi73]

Hi new to drones. Done the online theory test and registered as an operator. Hopefully get my new (to me) drone on friday. A mavic air 1st version secondhand. Seemed to be a good place to start learning and the ability to progress without having to upgrade i live on a small holding (14 acres) on side of a vally looking out over kinder scout and lantern pike. So atleast i have space to fly easily enough? Is there any sims recomended to try and train before trying to fly?. Photos from on our property but just from phone camer

 

[GFields]

Greetings from Birmingham Alabama, welcome to the forum!

 

[wjkrysak]

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

 

[db4476]

Welcome to the forum from the left coast of the US.

Cheers!

 

[old man mavic]

welcome to the forum

 

[MA2 317]

Hello from the Crossroads of America LostBoi73.

Welcome to the Forum.

 

[madenluv]

Hi new to drones. Done the online theory test and registered as an operator. Hopefully get my new (to me) drone on friday. A mavic air 1st version secondhand. Seemed to be a good place to start learning and the ability to progress without having to upgrade i live on a small holding (14 acres) on side of a vally looking out over kinder scout and lantern pike. So atleast i have space to fly easily enough? Is there any sims recomended to try and train before trying to fly?

Welcome. I just joined too from Prairie Village, KS but I'm from your side of the pond. I used to live in Shropshire.

 

[Steel63]

Greetings from Florida

 

[Drone Master]

Welcome to Mavic Pilots! Enjoy the forum!

 

[LoudThunder]

Hopefully get my new (to me) drone on friday. A mavic air 1st version

Welcome from the Hampton Roads area of Virginia, USA. We have a Member's Map in the Upper Right of the Title Bar.

Members map

mavicpilots.com

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

UK Drone Laws [Updated May 19, 2025]

You can fly a Drone in the UK, subject to CAA regulations. Official links and UK Drone Laws explained for residents and visitors, hobbyists, recreational, commercial and government drone flyers.

drone-laws.com

Now, for 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, 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…"

Mavic Air - Download Center - DJI

Learn and download Mavic Air related apps, software, and manuals at the DJI Download Center

www.dji.com

Happy, Safe and Legal Droning…

 

[Gagey52]

Welcome to the forum from the outback of Australia. I look forward to your input on the forum. Nothing beats hands-on experience. I tried a couple of sims, but I found them frustrating. The best learning is getting out there with the drone in GPS mode and practising your drills which you can get from YouTube.
Regards

 

[msinger]

Welcome to the forum!

 

[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 .

 

[Kendallfordguy]

Welcome from Wisconsin!

 

[Brian I]

Welcome to the forum. I look forward to seeing pictures and/or videos of your beautiful part of the world.

 

[Chetk7677]

Welcome from central Florida.

 

[Laborous]

Welcome to the forum from the beautiful woods of Maine!

 

[LostBoi73]

Welcome from the Hampton Roads area of Virginia, USA. We have a Member's Map in the Upper Right of the Title Bar.

Members map

mavicpilots.com

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

UK Drone Laws [Updated May 19, 2025]

You can fly a Drone in the UK, subject to CAA regulations. Official links and UK Drone Laws explained for residents and visitors, hobbyists, recreational, commercial and government drone flyers.

drone-laws.com

Now, for 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, 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…"

Mavic Air - Download Center - DJI

Learn and download Mavic Air related apps, software, and manuals at the DJI Download Center

www.dji.com

Happy, Safe and Legal Droning…

Hey @loudtthankyou for the advice . I had already decided on pleanty of vidoes i got drone friday and have been watching vids since! I have now done all the preflight stuff in caa test and operator id . I now have the grand tottal of 30 seconds of hover flight lol. As i was just testing the setting up. Iv watched many more hours of video since and now feel confident to start the training manoeuvres surgested in so many vids. I cant affoed to repair the drone so im going to make sure i know how to fly it properly! I have also just paid for my a2 cofc as i dont think the caa online test is much use or even fit for purpose . I only took it because i was bored alnd feeling sorry for myself due to M.E /CFS i didnt even read the book /rules (i have since and in some places is as clear as mud ) so i want a more solid foundation and figure this would be a better knowledge base. Well hopefully lol

 

[LostBoi73]

Hey @LoudThunder decided on pleanty of vidoes i got drone friday and have been watching vids since! I have now done all the preflight stuff in caa test and operator id . I now have the grand tottal of 30 seconds of hover flight lol. As i was just testing the setting up. Iv watched many more hours of video since and now feel confident to start the training manoeuvres surgested in so many vids. I cant affoed to repair the drone so im going to make sure i know how to fly it properly! I have also just paid for my a2 cofc as i dont think the caa online test is much use or even fit for purpose . I only took it because i was bored alnd feeling sorry for myself due to M.E /CFS i didnt even read the book /rules (i have since and in some places is as clear as mud ) so i want a more solid foundation and figure this would be a better knowledge base. Well hopefully lol

 

[LoudThunder]

I cant affoed to repair the drone so im going to make sure i know how to fly it properly!

I do not know if DJI's Care Refresh Repair/replacement Policy is available in Ireland, but I am sure glad I bought it for my Mini 2. Many other beginners have also used their fair share of deductibles during their first year of flying. I used a Repair/replacement within the first 3-months, I still say that tree was not there 5-minutes ago…

Have fun and remember, if you start to get into trouble, usually the best advice and action is to STOP trying to fly it, just let go of the sticks, the drone will stop faster than you can do it and just hover; and a newbie often gets confused in an emergency/scary moment and may actually crash it…