In need of honest info.

[Justlookinaround]

This may not be the right place but I figure that maybe I can get some honest input. I have never owned or flown a drone but have been interested for quite some time and have a need for my business but also just for pleasure. So here is my question I was thinking that I would pay a little more and get a drone that will provide the photos, ease of learning ect.. that I want but will be user friendly for a rookie pilot. I was thinking Mavic or Phantom now I am reading different info of fly aways and issues such as those with DJI, I really don't want to pay that kind of money to have it fly off into the wild blue yonder, is this a real problem, should I be starting out with something different to gain experience first, as I had stated I was hoping to buy one and cover everything at once. I look forward to hearing from experienced pilots.

 

[msinger]

now I am reading different info of fly aways and issues such as those with DJI

The majority of flyaways are caused by things a pilot did or didn't do (but should have done). Don't want your DJI drone to fly away? Then take the time to learn and follow these tips:

Prevent a Crash or Flyaway with Your DJI Drone (The Complete Guide)

 

[Sixgun89]

You need to know, failures of all types are rare. Usually freak situations or operator errors. DJI in my opinion are the best, safest and most reliable drones out there. This forum is a concentration of issues and questions related to this product, if this is all failures of the thousands of drones and hours flown, this clearly proves my point on reliability. Harry Homeowner often does dumb things with everything they own, I’m shocked the incidence is as low as it seems. Buy the product, take your time, learn controls and characteristics, enjoy the sport and be safe.
P.S. welcome to the community

 

[AnotherMavicPilot]

The cheaper the drone the easier it is for a flyaway, in my opinion. With the tech onboard the Mavic you shouldn't have any worries.

 

[The Fat Controller]

People often come here to ask 'why did my drone fly away?' When they do there is usually someone here who can solve their problem, so it's worth asking the question, and you'll also find most people on here are very helpful. I don't think I've read any threads where someone has posted 'I flew my drone today and nothing happened', but if you look at the Photos and Videos section of the forum you'll see plenty of evidence of successful flights. The Mavic is a high-tech piece of kit and unlikely to fly away under normal use. Having said that, the only things certain are death and taxes.

 

[BD0G]

Insure it. You state that it is a business tool as well as for personal use. Claim it as a business tool and seek out low cost insurance. Then if it flys away (not likely unless pilot error) it will be covered.

 

[BD0G]

Imagine if everyone posted when thier drone flew back to them as it should. Then those posts would severely outweigh the "my drone flew away from me" posts.

 

[Justlookinaround]

The majority of flyaways are caused by things a pilot did or didn't do (but should have done). Don't want your DJI drone to fly away? Then take the time to learn and follow these tips:

Prevent a Crash or Flyaway with Your DJI Drone (The Complete Guide)

Thanks

 

[Mossiback]

As has been stated, the majority of flyaways are pilot error. Warning messages are ignored, wind speed and direction are ignored, proper pre-flight checks are not made, etc., etc., etc. Then the loss is called a flyaway and blamed on the equipment. I fly daily if weather allows am still amazed by the stability and reliability of my MP. Get one, buy some insurance for the first year, and have fun.

 

[Lastrexking]

The cheaper the drone the easier it is for a flyaway, in my opinion. With the tech onboard the Mavic you shouldn't have any worries.

I don’t think that’s true. It’s more like the cheaper the drone the more careless people are.

The Spark is also a great drone.

 

[AnotherMavicPilot]

I don’t think that’s true. It’s more like the cheaper the drone the more careless people are.

The Spark is also a great drone.

Ok then - you try return home on a £35 drone...

 

[Lastrexking]

Ok then - you try return home on a £35 drone...

We’re clearly not talking about that kind of drone, and it’s not relevant to the OP. A drone that cheap would fall out of the sky the minute you released the controls. It wouldn’t even fly more than 50m away. My point was, the Spark is half the price of the Mavic (so cheap in comparison), and just as safe as the Mavic with regard to flyaways. You’re just trying to start an argument for the sake of it rather than consider another point of view.

 

[AnotherMavicPilot]

We’re clearly not talking about that kind of drone, and it’s not relevant to the OP. A drone that cheap would fall out of the sky the minute you released the controls. It wouldn’t even fly more than 50m away. My point was, the Spark is half the price of the Mavic (so cheap in comparison), and just as safe as the Mavic with regard to flyaways. You’re just trying to start an argument for the sake of it rather than consider another point of view.

Hmm ok, well my original comment was referring to cheap drones and not the likes of the Spark which isn't exactly cheap.

And I believe it was you that originally argued with my post.
We simply got a different opinion on what is cheap, I was referring to anything under £150 - Sorry I wasn't clear in my original post.

Enough said!

 

[braz]

I would second all that has been said . I am a new member here and first time drone flyer have just got the mavic air and only flown it 3 times with one mishap where it clipped the bushes in my garden as i was to eager to try it , so i would practice on large open space first and get used to all the setting first which are a bit overwhelming at first but with the right setting the mavic is just magic, and don't worry about fly aways just keep it in sight to begin with , happy flying....

 

[Lastrexking]

Hmm ok, well my original comment was referring to cheap drones and not the likes of the Spark which isn't exactly cheap.

And I believe it was you that originally argued with my post.
We simply got a different opinion on what is cheap, I was referring to anything under £150 - Sorry I wasn't clear in my original post.

Enough said!

Fair enough. Text isn’t the best way to communicate sometimes

 

[AnotherMavicPilot]

Fair enough. Text isn’t the best way to communicate sometimes

It's all good bro, just a little miscommunication, we got there in the end.

 

[Point Zero]

I kind of asked myself a similar question being in a similar situation to you and after a few hours of online research I bought a mavic 2 pro with a fly more kit. I also got myself public liability cover (5 million) and great insurance that covers fly away's and lost in water. So as long as I follow the rules and don't fly recklessly I am fully covered for literally anything that happens.

Having peace of mind is a greatly underestimated as it leaves you free to fly and film stuff without that nagging fear in the back of your mind.

Happy and Safe flying when you do get your first bird.
Pz

 

[Gecko10]

You must remember that what you don't read here, often, is the much about the1000s and 1000s of flights that folks do successfully every day. But, you do see, posted here, a lot of the horror stories

 

[DanMan32]

I haven't tried any, but there does seem to be decent flying drones for under $150. Most closer to that range have barometric height hold so they won't come down when you let go of the sticks. They might not have GPS in which case they'd drift with the wind though.
However such lower cost drones won't have as good cameras and gimbals.

It sounds like the Air might be a good starter for you.
Or if you need more functions, an older model used Mavic.

A used Phantom 3 Advanced (2.7k video) or Pro (4k video) might also be an option if value vs risk is a concern.

 

[Geoffsh]

This may not be the right place but I figure that maybe I can get some honest input. I have never owned or flown a drone but have been interested for quite some time and have a need for my business but also just for pleasure. So here is my question I was thinking that I would pay a little more and get a drone that will provide the photos, ease of learning ect.. that I want but will be user friendly for a rookie pilot. I was thinking Mavic or Phantom now I am reading different info of fly aways and issues such as those with DJI, I really don't want to pay that kind of money to have it fly off into the wild blue yonder, is this a real problem, should I be starting out with something different to gain experience first, as I had stated I was hoping to buy one and cover everything at once. I look forward to hearing from experienced pilots.

I have the Mavic pro and it's a dream to fly, never had any issues but like others say, read up and fly safely.