Never flown + 5 week road trip, need advice (lots of it)

[ScottM2Zoom1]

Ok. I'm an M2Zoom pilot. I won't get into the reasons why the zoom (for what you are doing) gives you much more flexabiilty and versatility. Standoff videography because of (known or unexpected) obsticles in close proximity as well as exploratory fun using 96mm lossless zoom is why I chose the M2Z. That being said: 1) FlyMore bundle is a must have. You will regret NOT getting this. 2) Insurance. 3) RTH. Read / understand everything ... Every detail...associated with RTH and use it. Know exactly what the drone will do in RTH sequence. Go to open field at least once and burn 3 batteries on RTH...see it....know it....change settings....understand it. Never bypass setting precision landing. This is done by flying straight up after auto takeoff (straight up....no other movement) for (if I recall 7 meters) about 25 ft...I go to 35 to be safe. Understanding RTH completely will give you peace of mind for any problems that may arise ....loss of visual, loss of orientation, low battery....etc. In my opinion RTH is a MUST for new pilots and will get you out of the trouble most new pilots get in to. 4) While burning RTH time you will need to learn all of the calibrations. Compass calibration for me has been required at many new locations . Just learn them all. (First time on calibrations can be confusing and take 30 minutes to figure out and get right....3 minutes once you get it down) . Calibrations can keep your drone safe and functioning properly btw. 5) Fly, have fun, and know ....short airtime means a lot of crappy vids and pics. Don't kick yourself or be disappointed. Enjoy and know that's just time. Perfection comes with time.
Have a great trip. Hope this helps. I let 4 year olds and up....never flow drone fly my drone. ( Once they know never pull down on left stick...at 200+ altitude.....I go out and do other things while they fly) ? (oh....should add....you will undoubtedly set you low battery RTH so it comes back when drone determines just enough left to get back. That lets you fly without battery worry. BUT NEVER interrupt low battery return during return. Let it do its thing. Take your fingers off and enjoy. If you decide....hey I still have plenty of battery to fly an extra couple of minutes and stop low battery RTH....WRONG. it will land and you will be hunting. This I know ?

 

[DoctorId]

I just returned from a two and a half week trip to the Pacific Northwest. The two places that I was able to use the Mavic Zoom were on the Oregon coast (in Neskowin near Lincoln City) on the beach, and on San Juan Island in Washington. However, Friday Harbor is a NFZ, and I had to get permission on the app. Once I had permission it was no problem. We then drove to Vancouver, which has lots of restrictions so I didn't bother. So, in 2.5 weeks, I probably flew the drone for 2 or 3 days and a hour or two each time. But I did get some great shots and it was worth it. I also had a DJI Osmo Pocket, which I used everywhere for panoramas and short videos. BTW that was the first time I tried to take the drone on vacation, and had practiced at home many times so was familiar with it. Also, if you're not a pro photographer, I would recommend the Mavic 2 Zoom over the Mavic 2 Pro as it is more versatile and you can play with some effects that you can't do with the Pro (such as the Dolly Zoom which is very cool).

 

[Montana John]

Dear Chaos,
I think your chances of finding chaos are very high. Taking a very complex machine into a new environment without hours of practice is very high risk. Were I a betting man, I would wager that you will come home from your trip without the drone.

 

[ScottM2Zoom1]

Dear Chaos,
I think your chances of finding chaos are very high. Taking a very complex machine into a new environment without hours of practice is very high risk. Were I a betting man, I would wager that you will come home from your trip without the drone.

Mr Montana John...4-10 year olds that have never flown a thing in their life and that are not my kids.....fly my M2Z all the time ( probably a total of 25 kids) and there has never even been a close call. That includes a half dozen under 5years old. Once a pilot gains full 100% understanding of RTH and obsticle avoidance sensors....it's almost a nobrainer. Just my opinion....but from my experience.

 

[old man mavic]

no one is disputing that a young person can fly a drone, but i tend to agree with @Montana John ,there is a lot more to flying a drone than just handing the controls to someone else i am sure that your little friends probably have no idea of the dangers of injury that a drones props can inflict if it hits you ,and if it did you would be the one responsible hope you have third party insurence

el

 

[ScottM2Zoom1]

no one is disputing that a young person can fly a drone, but i tend to agree with @Montana John ,there is a lot more to flying a drone than just handing the controls to someone else i am sure that your little friends probably have no idea of the dangers of injury that a drones props can inflict if it hits you ,and if it did you would be the one responsible hope you have third party insurence

el

If someone lacks common sense they should not be allowed to use a fork.....who would have a 4 year old stand near a drone and take off and land....or even fly in proximity of people places and things? I was illustrating the near foolproff (fool is key) of flying the M2 series. So for sake of clarification ..... I fly in country on 1000 acres. I take off drone that is outside.....sitting inside my house with controller. Take it up to 200+ ft....and hand over to 5 year old that understands never pull down or push up on left stick. I observe most flights. RTH does the rest.

 

[old man mavic]

If someone lacks common sense they should not be allowed to use a fork.....who would have a 4 year old stand near a drone and take off and land....or even fly in proximity of people places and things? I was illustrating the near foolproff (fool is key) of flying the M2 series. So for sake of clarification ..... I fly in country on 1000 acres. I take off drone that is outside.....sitting inside my house with controller. Take it up to 200+ ft....and hand over to 5 year old that understands never pull down or push up on left stick. I observe most flights. RTH does the rest.

good for you unfortunately we are not all as lucky as you happy flying

 

[Montana John]

Mr Montana John...4-10 year olds that have never flown a thing in their life and that are not my kids.....fly my M2Z all the time ( probably a total of 25 kids) and there has never even been a close call. That includes a half dozen under 5years old. Once a pilot gains full 100% understanding of RTH and obsticle avoidance sensors....it's almost a nobrainer. Just my opinion....but from my experience.

When the display on the Ipad or phone disappears for no reason, the kids can ask for help. The first time it happens to you, and you are not sure of the orientation of the bird, and you are not really clear about reading distance and height from the controller, and the low battery level alarm chimes in, well, it could go bad. And the OP is going on a long road trip, different environment each day or so.

 

[Rondal]

You will find the Mavic is easy to get airborne and move around in the air, but to be a decent pilot and to enjoy - you need PRATICE, PRATICE, PRATICE. This is especially true if you want to be comfortable taking photos.

Have a great trip


T

 

[4wd]

Getting good results with controlled movements for video takes practice, it would be far better to get some air time in on your home patch (I mean like weeks) and take it another time.
Being new to it and in unfamiliar locations with holiday pressure to 'get shots' is a recipe for disaster.
There's a greatly increased risk of crashing through the first few flights at best of times.

 

[TSUPD]

While you are practicing, know how to use the "find my drone" feature in the event you crash and it goes down. Have fun, these systems very reliable, like others said know the rules. Find some apps like "Dronemaps" or "UAV forecast" to help you determine where /when you can fly. They are easy to use.

Family is taking a road trip through 8 states of the USA with the kids. Lots of hikes, lots of landmarks. I'd love to get amazing footage.

Today was about to buy a Mavic 2 Pro, and then I saw a bunch of accessories and realized I don't know what I'm doing.

I have zero droning experience aside from using $30 toy drones. This means I have no idea what to buy, and I have no idea how to make the best of the experience. I could use your help.

Also there must be lots of "gotchas" like "don't use the stock blades", "always RTH with 20% juice left", "never fly over a mountain", etc. Not sure if those statements are true.

The two things I've got going for me is that:
1) Budget isn't an issue
2) Lots of you have TONNES of experience

Do you have some advice on purchasing, and advice on flying?

Sorry ahead of time if this isn't an appropriate post for this forum.

 

[MavicDelight]

I think you mean always use stock blades. 3rd party props are what many try not to use.


For purchasing:

• You can find a sortable list of daily Mavic 2 Pro deals here:
  Buy A DJI Mavic (Deals Update Daily)
  
  
• If you're going to buy a deal that's packaged with accessories, make sure it contains accessories you actually want. And compare the package vs. no package pricing since you could save money by buying the drone and accessories separately.
  
  
• Buy from DJI or an authorized DJI dealer.
  
  
• Consider buying from a place that has a great return policy (like Amazon).

For flying:

• Carefully (and thoroughly) read the Mavic manual before attempting to fly. You can download it from the Mavic 2 downloads page.
  
  
• Read this guide:
  Prevent a Crash or Flyaway with Your DJI Drone (The Complete Guide)
  
  
• Check out my other tips at MavicHelp.com.

Gear advice ??

 

[ScottM2Zoom1]

When the display on the Ipad or phone disappears for no reason, the kids can ask for help. The first time it happens to you, and you are not sure of the orientation of the bird, and you are not really clear about reading distance and height from the controller, and the low battery level alarm chimes in, well, it could go bad. And the OP is going on a long road trip, different environment each day or so.

Sure. I agree. Doesn't have anything to do with kids or anybody else flying. It has happened to me several times where app shut down in flight while exploring and unknown orientation to return home. It takes 30 seconds to reboot app and reconnect (after stick up for altitude if flying low). The odds of that happening at the same time low battery kicks (based on my 600 flights the last 4 months) is about the same as the drone getting attacked by rabbid wild winged flying arctic whooping llamas. The possibility of attack by flying llamas is why I have insurance.

 

[Filipok]

try not to crash

oh and always land in gps mode.

 

[rbtmckny]

If you can afford to I would get a Mavic 2 Pro or Zoom Smart Controller Combo Kit. With the Smart Controller, flight set up is a lot simpler and it has a very bright screen. Having to use a cell phone with your controller is so hokey. I have the Mavic 2 Zoom and I love the zoom feature, use it all the time. I would also get the Fly More Combo Kit, Hard Case, ND Filters (8,16,32,64), Polar Pro Retract Landing Gear and a Landing Pad. You should practice flying as much as possible before you leave. Watch some YouTube videos on the Drone you decide to get. Stay away from trees. Don't take chances.

 

[johnmeyer]

I learned to fly using a Hubsan toy drone. So, you did the right thing by buying that and learning basic flying skills on something that is "expendable" and which is much harder to fly. You'll find the Mavic (or whatever you buy) is much easier, and you should feel comfortable with the basic flying maneuvers almost instantly, given your prior experience.

That said, there are dozens of important features in a "real" drone that you need to feel comfortable with before you do a lot of flying. I recommend doing at least two dozen take off and landings before you go on your trip. And, for those flights, just don't simply take off and land, but try to do something similar to what you think you'll want to do on your vacation. During these tests, confine yourself to your immediate home area, if you can fly there. Learn how to switch from video to photo and back again. Use the return to home feature and also learn how to calibrate the drone (compass, GPS settings, and 25 feet straight up on takeoff) so that RTH actually can work.

Try gently testing the anti-collision features by slowly flying towards and object and seeing how the drone reacts (stops) before it gets there. You don't want to rely on these features to keep you out of trouble, but you certainly want to know how they work so you can understand their limitations. Remember that in normal flight with a modern Mavic, not all of the anti-collision sensors are active when flying manually.

Read the manual and make sure you try out all the major features you read about there. You don't need to go through all the autonomous flight modes because some of them are not very useful, but you should certainly test out those which you think you might use.

 

[skiptv]

If your new and never flown before. Buy the Mavic air. This way when you crash or lose the drone, which you will. You won’t be throwing away $2000 just $600

 

[Dave Maine]

The most important thing, in addition to getting all the resource documentation beforehand (and reading it twice), is to have as many practice sessions as you can beforehand. These machines are quite remarkable and powerful, so you will need to develop practical muscle memory before traveling. There is no time to figure out something new when flying. Flying and managing the camera successfully at the same time takes practice, lots of it.

 

[ajkm]

Flying in Sport mode on the way back and descending increases flight time.

I would certainly advise avoiding Sport mode until you are totally confidant in your piloting abilities. Sport is definitely not not for a beginner pilot.

 

[Meta4]

Flying in Sport mode on the way back and descending increases flight time.

And your car gets best fuel economy when you drive at 80mph ??
Sport Mode uses battery quickly and ends up giving less miles per battery.

Do the IMU, compass, and Gimbal calibration. before taking-off.

There's no need to calibrate anything before flying.