Is a Mavik AIR suitable for an almost beginner?

[mr-guns]

Hello
I sort of got interested in drones a year ago and purchased a (toy grade) JJR/C Daiman and had some fun with it and sort of mastered it although it was difficult with such a short battery 'life' of about 5 minutes which caused me to loose interest in it.
I have been looking at the Mavik AIR drone as it seems to have a decent camera (I main interest in owning a drone and I would want to record video at 1080p) plus it seems to have a reliable HOME function and has detectors to avoid obstacles.
BUT am I 'aiming' too high with purchasing a Mavik AIR drone as I am almost a beginner?
Thanks

Mavic Air is my first drone and it’s perfect.

 

[jarnie]

Thanks everyone,
Those were the replies I was hoping to get as I have watched many many Youtube videos of the AIR and it looks awsome and seemed to be perfect. I had compared it also to other brands around the same cost but still considered it the best for me but just wanted to check it out with those like yourselves who have been using it for some time.
I do like the AIR 2 especially as it seems it is a lot quieter than the AIR but as mentioned it is $300 (25%) more expensive and heavier.
Two last questions.

When flying the AIR, do you get a visible warning that the battery is almost exhausted in plenty of time to get it 'home'?

If the direct line of sight from where it currently is to 'home' has obstacles and you hit the 'home button' will it generally avoid those obstacles (ie when in 'home mode' not being controlled by the user)?

 

[Mac282]

They still have "refurbished" Air's out there. DJI offers them directly. Care Refresh package is also available thru them. CNET.com was running a $300 off refurb Airs about a month ago, dont know if it's still going. Think they went thru DroneNerds for that deal.

 

[lowellton]

Hello
I sort of got interested in drones a year ago and purchased a (toy grade) JJR/C Daiman and had some fun with it and sort of mastered it although it was difficult with such a short battery 'life' of about 5 minutes which caused me to loose interest in it.
I have been looking at the Mavik AIR drone as it seems to have a decent camera (I main interest in owning a drone and I would want to record video at 1080p) plus it seems to have a reliable HOME function and has detectors to avoid obstacles.
BUT am I 'aiming' too high with purchasing a Mavik AIR drone as I am almost a beginner?
Thanks

I got mavic mini after 2 weeks of toying around a non dji toy drone, and mavic mini is a stable drone i would say and @ budget wise too.

 

[jarnie]

Thanks. Those stores not here in Australia BUT (can you believe it) some places here in Australia are advertising the AIR 'FLY MORE COMBO' (3 batteries, extra props, battery charging hum and travel bag (as well as the standard case) for the low price of $A1199 which is $300 less than some others BUT stocks are limited. Better make up my mind to fork out money quickly. Way to go.

Has anyone replaced the standard props with the ones with 'winglets' like the AIR 2? A comparison video seems to result in not much less noise?

 

[kawasaki9r]

Thanks
I made up my mind a while back that I will not consider the Mini.
There are a few sellers on Ebay (Australia) and two Australian stores still listing/offering the Air for $A1199 and $A1299. The Air2 is being offered around $A300 more than the Air and I can't see how it is $A300 better.
At $A1199 I really don't want to spend any more unless someone can suggest a worthy competitor for around or less than $A1199.

I recently got a used Air 1 for $410 US. I can't see spending twice that for an Air 2. I get that it's better but unless I'm a professional, I can't see the need for it. With the mini being lighter and slower also the lower resolution camera would make it inferior to the Air in almost all respects except battery life.

 

[Dakarenduro]

Thanks everyone,
Those were the replies I was hoping to get as I have watched many many Youtube videos of the AIR and it looks awsome and seemed to be perfect. I had compared it also to other brands around the same cost but still considered it the best for me but just wanted to check it out with those like yourselves who have been using it for some time.
I do like the AIR 2 especially as it seems it is a lot quieter than the AIR but as mentioned it is $300 (25%) more expensive and heavier.
Two last questions.

When flying the AIR, do you get a visible warning that the battery is almost exhausted in plenty of time to get it 'home'?

If the direct line of sight from where it currently is to 'home' has obstacles and you hit the 'home button' will it generally avoid those obstacles (ie when in 'home mode' not being controlled by the user)?

Battery level- YES. In Go4 app you will see a real time display of battery % and time remaining for flight plus a bargraph/timeline that shows when it will only have enough power to return to home. And when it reaches that "return to home" level it will alert you and then begin the RTH automatically (unless you cancel it).

Obstacles- there are different RTH scenarios, you should read the manual. If it is a normal RTH that you initiate, it will go up to the predetermined height and begin a straight path back. If there is an obstacle in the way it will attempt to avoid it. In a loss of signal RTH scenario, the Air1 will actually backtrack on the oriiginal flight path it took.

Best to read the manual and make sure your RTH settings are correct for your flight environment.

 

[NonoT]

In my opinion there is no "better" beginner drone. All DJI drones are easy to fly. the only one I wouldn't recommend would be the mavic mini. But if you fly when there is little wind you shouldn't have any problem, the mavic mini is great fun. Just take the best one for your budget.

 

[jarnie]

I am a 'fastidious' buyer of most things especially when more than a few hundred dollars to try and ensure I am doing the right thing and getting most "bangs for my buck".
After all your replies I now am sure and will buy one this week.
I have sourced the user guide for the AIR and downloaded them to pre-read before I get it.
Thanks again.

 

[jarnie]

Last question

What is the easiest to see when flying? A black AIR or a white AIR? I have the option to buy either one. I am thinking a black one?

 

[NAVMAV]

Hiya.

Bought our MA 1 two years ago, and STILL haven't waded thru all its' functions and options. Just too much FUN flying the wee thang!!

IF we ever do Upgrade, it would probably be to a MA 2, but the only real appeal would be the double length FLY time. (And honestly can't recall a situ where that was a problem.

In our opinion, the MA1 may be the only Drone we ever buy. Is that a good enough recommendation? Think so.

Rgds, NAVMAV

 

[jarnie]

I will definitely buy a Mavic AIR this week before stocks of this 'clearance' model cease to exist.

I have decided to get the white one as it is only partly white on the top and as watching it when airborne the pilot probably only sees the bottom or side (always black) then color doesn't seem to be a factor for seeing it against the background. Also one person suggests that the white one runs cooler - not sure about that but still if it does then that must be a plus.

Does anyone want to give their opinion on color - would be appreciated.

Thanks

 

[Fred Garvin]

...I have decided to get the white one as it is only partly white on the top...<SNIP>
Does anyone want to give their opinion on color - would be appreciated....

You can always get a skin. My MA1 and M2P are a matched set:

 

[jarnie]

Very nice.
Thanks I think I saw a youtube video which mentioned skins and regardless of how light they are can they affect performance and are they easily removable (just thinking if I fitted one and then had a warranty claim I would want to remove it)?

 

[Dakarenduro]

Color, totally up to you I think. I opted for white as I fly regularly in the desert and figured white would be overall cooler (temperature)than a black one. No idea if that makes any different or not. Plus if you lose it in the bushes, a white top is easier to spot than a black or red one.

 

[jarnie]

Never thought of looking for it in vegetation.

 

[Dakarenduro]

and hopefully never have to!

 

[jabarriosf]

I can attest that I was scared at first of crashing or losing my Mavic Air, especially given the fact that I had never used a drone before, but I must say the experience was very easy, especially with the collision detector and auto landing.
I must add that the best way is to practice over and over again to build up your confidence.

 

[jarnie]

Thanks
I agree about practice over and over. I have a large park nearby which has playing fields all over it and it is not used much during the day on weekdays so I will check it out and hope there are no 'no drones' signs erected there.

 

[Dakarenduro]

yeah, at first always best to do easy flying in wide open spaces. some suggest putting it in tripod mode to slow down the craft. you can also turn on 'beginner' in the go4 app and restrict the flight to a certain radius around you.

fly, get a feel for controls. especially important get used to flying away from you and flying directly towards you (controls will be reversed - left & right). also test out the various RTH features and see how it reacts.

Remember there is the red PAUSE button on the remote. Pressing that will stop it in mid air during any auto sequence...