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is the MM its own worst enemy?

old man mavic

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it seems to me that in producing the MM,DJI have produced a little sheep in wolf's clothing
what do i mean by that ,well for a start it flies very well has a great little camera a three axis gimbal brilliant flight time and the looks of its big brothers in the mavic family
ok so it lacks some of the features but you can't have everything at its price point
then we come to the sheep part of the story ,it can fly at the current 400 ft altitude limit, it can fly beyond VLOS ,in fact for its size it is very accomplished,
but hang on even at 150 ft it struggles with the wind conditions and go much beyond 800 ft and its barely visible
and it is when it encounters adverse conditions then you realise that its no wolf ,but a little sheep well out of its depth but by then it's to late
 
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In any case the Mavic Mini is not a toy - yet many (most?) people seem not to realize this, at least not until it's too late...
The Mini is a small but serious copter with certain technical (= non-negotiable) limitations (lets leave the legal aspects of flying aside for the time being). It requires some more "preparation" for a successful flight then just charging batteries and powering on (e.g. spending some thoughts on wind at different flight levels).
 
I agree, understanding the aircraft's capabilities and flying within the pilots awareness, skills and capabilities is important for success. This is a remarkable drone value at this price point. I enjoy my flights and understand that I cannot fly it like my Mavic Air, but I am happy it has a place in our flight bag. Enjoy your flying.
 
I wrote this on another 'blow away post' earlier:

?‍♂️ This is (now) happening by the dozens each day (figuring the ones that don't post here). DJI is making a killing on this drone. They should have a warning video that plays at the initiation of start-up of a NEW MM: (wind will blow away your drone for sure). . . if you don't watch it, the bird shuts down. They have to do something about all these blow aways . . . offering 15% on a new one is admiral but does not fix the problem. It only puts more profit in their pockets (less 15%) . . .
 
I wrote this on another 'blow away post' earlier:

?‍♂️ This is (now) happening by the dozens each day (figuring the ones that don't post here). DJI is making a killing on this drone. They should have a warning video that plays at the initiation of start-up of a NEW MM: (wind will blow away your drone for sure). . . if you don't watch it, the bird shuts down. They have to do something about all these blow aways . . . offering 15% on a new one is admiral but does not fix the problem. It only puts more profit in their pockets (less 15%) . . .
People also have to take responsibility, it states a maximum wind rating in the manual. Don't fly with winds above that and no problem.

I've had mine a few weeks but only had chance to fly it a couple of times, why? Because I've taken note of the wind and know it won't cope.

ETA: as you suggest though, having this info spoon fed to the end user couldn't hurt.
 
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I wrote this on another 'blow away post' earlier:

?‍♂️ This is (now) happening by the dozens each day (figuring the ones that don't post here). DJI is making a killing on this drone. They should have a warning video that plays at the initiation of start-up of a NEW MM: (wind will blow away your drone for sure). . . if you don't watch it, the bird shuts down. They have to do something about all these blow aways . . . offering 15% on a new one is admiral but does not fix the problem. It only puts more profit in their pockets (less 15%) . . .
i also think that when you watch a lot of the promo vids on the net when it was first released that there was very little said about its shortcomings in high winds ,there were some that even showed how good the MM was at handling windy conditions go figure
 
People also have to take responsibility, it states a maximum wind rating in the manual. Don't fly with winds above that and no problem.
I agree 100%. People do not read anymore. Society has contributed to our continuing decline of literacy.

Look at McDonald's Hamburgers . . . the menu use to describe a particular meal in words. Today, it simply says: #1 . . . and it shows a picture of what you get for a #1. No reading required. Speeds things up but we are becoming illiterate with no tolerance to read anything.

All I'm saying is DJI needs to 'literally' dumb down 'some' of the information like the danger of flying in high wind. It seems simple enough to do.
 
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it's a bit like fishing to use an analogy you buy the best rod you can, the best reel, get all the best spec gear, sit on the river bank for 6 hours and don't catch anything,
then along comes a fellow with a simple pole with a length of line and a hook tied to the end casts out and lands the biggest fish you have ever seen its not about the equipment its knowing where the fish are and it's the same with our drones
 
The drone is made for low altitude flying. Buzzing around your head and taking pics of you and your new girlfriend sitting on a swing, laughing together and waving. A Phantom or big Mavic, it will never be. If you wont to shoot up to the sky and scream across the ocean or a mountain, then you will need your Phantom or big Mavic.

Plain and simple.
 
I read a lot before I got my mini but then all of the YouTubers demoing it in high wind made me think DJI were just being cautious.

I received a anemometer today and it's shocking to see how much wind there is even with a really light breeze. I used to have a anemometer at about 30ft so I had an idea of windspeed differences even up just 30ft but it was an eye opener seeing the numbers whilst calm.
 
In another post I was sort of ridiculed for suggesting the use of an anemometer. I have one and use it if there is even a tiny bit of doubt. I think mine cost $24. To me it is cheap insurance.

My opinion, many of the people making these "See my mini fly great in xx mph wind are actually over estimating the actual wind at their location. This leads new pilots to a false sense of safety thinking the MM is a stong win performer. ( So the manual says no - I don't have time to read no stink'n manual!) An anemometer at least verifies the speed at ground level.

I guess to some point it is just human nature. When exolting the performance capibility of this great little bird we tend to exaggerate. But when actually going to fly in questionable conditions we want to under estimate because we want to fly.

Both can often lead to a bad day.
 
I will add the MM also warns you of high winds.
so even while flying you should see warning and think twice. Like let me get this bird down a bit.
I am a newbie to flying and trust my apps. Also set them for 400ft up to gauge if I want to fly in those conditions.

I don’t typically go that high. But good to understand gusts at the higher elevation. Woke up this morning and couldn’t fly due to wind. Some people just don’t get it. It is a mini drone. Does it handle wind well yes for its size it actually does. I think people underestimate the wide difference from say 25 feet to 150 feet. Totoally different ball game.

I would say with the number of flyaways we have been hearing about. Is more user error with wind direction wind speed and sending the drone out past LOS.
 
I will add the MM also warns you of high winds.
so even while flying you should see warning and think twice. Like let me get this bird down a bit.
I am a newbie to flying and trust my apps. Also set them for 400ft up to gauge if I want to fly in those conditions.

I don’t typically go that high. But good to understand gusts at the higher elevation. Woke up this morning and couldn’t fly due to wind. Some people just don’t get it. It is a mini drone. Does it handle wind well yes for its size it actually does. I think people underestimate the wide difference from say 25 feet to 150 feet. Totoally different ball game.

I would say with the number of flyaways we have been hearing about. Is more user error with wind direction wind speed and sending the drone out past LOS.

Good point about the wind warnings, maybe DJI should make this more of a Red flashing screen with land immediately and assess wind speeds.
 
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I have not flown one yet, but to me I think it would be a great drone for taking pictures of your house your neighborhood where you work possibly. But I wouldn't dream of standing out back and flying across a neighborhood and then a highway to take pictures of where I work 1 mile away and then fly back while looking down at a small screen. For me it's not that kind of drone as others have stated. I come from a world where you always kept it in site (Thermal and electric sailplanes). Someday I hope to be one of those pilots who is very comfortable and confidant with that type of flying but I agree a larger more powerful drone such as the Air or Pro, should be in use during less than ideal conditions. Wind can be your best friend or worst enemy it all depends on how and when it's used.
 
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