Mavic mini checklist ?

[martin mallorca]

Hi Guys.
I sold my DJI 550 as it was SO complicated that I spent hours trying to find faults & most of them were operator error !
Now I have a mini which I love & find its so much easier to work with when you dont use it daily.
I found a simple checklist stops a lot of issues that I see time & again here !
Heres my list, I hope it may help save one or two of your drones !
1. Turn my phone to " flight mode"
2. Ensure controller, phone & dronee batts are fully charged.
3. Check the wind & dont fly if its not within your comfort zone & IF you are not sure DONT FLY.
4. Ensure the home point updates & the RTH set height is sufficient.
5. Dont launch until the GPS signal is good.
6. Dont attempt to launch if you see ANY warnings or updates displayed.
Check, check & check again before you fly.
Hope that is of use to somebody , Im not techy & I like clear , simple , concise instructions so hopefully thats what Ive listed , did I miss anything important ????
Fly safe & save your drone

 

[EyesWideShut]

Hi Guys.
I sold my DJI 550 as it was SO complicated that I spent hours trying to find faults & most of them were operator error !
Now I have a mini which I love & find its so much easier to work with when you dont use it daily.
I found a simple checklist stops a lot of issues that I see time & again here !
Heres my list, I hope it may help save one or two of your drones !
1. Turn my phone to " flight mode"
2. Ensure controller, phone & dronee batts are fully charged.
3. Check the wind & dont fly if its not within your comfort zone & IF you are not sure DONT FLY.
4. Ensure the home point updates & the RTH set height is sufficient.
5. Dont launch until the GPS signal is good.
6. Dont attempt to launch if you see ANY warnings or updates displayed.
Check, check & check again before you fly.
Hope that is of use to somebody , Im not techy & I like clear , simple , concise instructions so hopefully thats what Ive listed , did I miss anything important ????
Fly safe & save your drone

All good points! One more...
7. When she says "Home Point has been established, please check it on the map" - Check it on the map. If you don't hear the voice, turn up your volume!

 

[EyesWideShut]

8. Fly upwind first and check wind strength at higher altitudes. If you can't comfortably fly upwind, come back and you'll have your mini to fly another day.

 

[Ajkari]

0. Make sure that there is a sticker with your name/number, preferably on the inside of the battery door or in any of the legs.

 

[martin mallorca]

All good points! One more...
7. When she says "Home Point has been established, please check it on the map" - Check it on the map. If you don't her the voice, turn up your volume!

Thanks, that another good point.

 

[jfergus7]

0. Make sure that there is a sticker with your name/number, preferably on the inside of the battery door or in any of the legs.

Great idea never thought of doing that! Just put them on mine now! Thanks for all the great tips!

 

[timinator]

Add: Physically inspect the aircraft for damage or other problems.
Check your surroundings before take off.

 

[DanMan32]

All good points! One more...
7. When she says "Home Point has been established, please check it on the map" - Check it on the map. If you don't her the voice, turn up your volume!

I've had several times where HP is set, but no audible message, even with volume up. I suspect that happens when other notifications come up at the same time, preempting the HP set message. If GPS is locked, HP should be set. Just verify on the map if you weren't told.

 

[CarstenB]

i always let it hover for at least 30 seconds before starting the flight to check if it's stable in the air, focus on the tips of the props to see if any are wobbling, listen for unusual noises and perform the basic RC commands (rotate, up, down, left, right) to check if it reacts as it should.

 

[kamviclance]

Was thinking about making a checklist myself.
Good list.
One that I would add though (the one that made me want to make a checklist), is to
remember to REMOVE the gimbal cover!! Always forget about doing this!
cheers.

 

[Ajkari]

I've had several times where HP is set, but no audible message, even with volume up. I suspect that happens when other notifications come up at the same time, preempting the HP set message. If GPS is locked, HP should be set. Just verify on the map if you weren't told.

Makes me wonder, does this message come from the controller or from the phone?

 

[scro]

Perhaps add in there somewhere "Have a flight plan", before even switching on the drone. It's good to have some form of plan on where you will fly, including flight altitude, wind strength, direction, transmitter range, potential signal blind spots, interference, obstacles, flight hazards/restrictions, things you want to photograph/video, surrounding people and their movements.. etc etc...

Doesn't have to be written down, but run through all these things in your head at least.

 

[martin mallorca]

All GOOD advice , Nice simple easy to follow checklist will hopefully stop some of the issues. Make one that covers the bits you need & stick to it. You can always add or remove stuff later. Never see a pilot take off without going through a checklist & we are ALL pilots ! LOL

 

[jimc218]

Aren't flight modes C, S, and P in the app? Is putting a phone in flight mode different or is that meant to be 'airplane mode'. I believe it's meant to be 'airplane mode' although I can be wrong with that as well. Us newbies can be easily confused.

 

[martin mallorca]

Sorry if it wasnt clear, yes switch your phone to "airplane" or
" flight mode " to stop it receiving calls etc . My phone says flight mode but maybe others say something different ?
Anyway, disable your phone from getting data, wifi, calls etc which may cause your drone problems.

 

[KJT]

Another tip is to check that your prop screws are tight before each flight. Nearly lost mine when a prop loosened and came off completely. DJI says to check them every 30 hrs of flight time, but I believe that to be way off. Don't forget that they make money from a "lost & replace" scenario...

 

[Ajkari]

Another tip is to check that your prop screws are tight before each flight. Nearly lost mine when a prop loosened and came off completely. DJI says to check them every 30 hrs of flight time, but I believe that to be way off. Don't forget that they make money from a "lost & replace" scenario...

Thanks for that reminder.

Btw, I use Windy app as a part of my pre-flight procedure. Consider that one if you haven't decided on an app for windspeeds yet.

AirMap is another solid (probably better) for windspeed, weather and air space control/permissions,