New pilot here in Alexandria, VA. Been flying a
Mini 2 for a few weeks and just added an
Air2S.
Welcome from the Hampton Roads area of Virginia, USA. I live in Hampton Roads, on the Peninsula. I live between Langley AFB and Patrick Henry AP and I live in a "Drone Taxi Zone" (0-altitude zone…) so I know somewhat you are going through, but I do not think I would have the FBI of Secret Service kicking my door down for a flying infraction… Now, if you get a Part 107 license and you do break the NFZ, the PAA will skin you alive…
We have a Member's Map in the Upper Right of the Title Bar.
mavicpilots.com
As a New Drone Pilot, there are a couple of Legal Things you may need to do…
If you have not already done so, you will need to get your TRUST Certificate. You can get that at the Pilot Institute Web Site (FREE…) . If your Drone weighs less than 250-grams (0.55 pounds) and you are flying under The Exception for Recreational Flyers, you are not required to register your Drone.
I registered my
Mini 2 because the TRUST Certificate and FAA Registration established me as a "certified" Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) Flyer.
Link to the TRUST Certificate at the Pilot Institute Web Site (FREE…)
Get your FAA TRUST Certificate of Completion to legally fly drones for recreational reasons in the United States.
trust.pilotinstitute.com
Link to the FAADroneZone (Optional Registration for Drones under 250-Grams…)
faadronezone.faa.gov
If you are considering acquiring your Part 107 License, here is a link to get you going…
Pilot Institute offers courses on drones and airplanes from world-class experts. Pass the Part 107 or Private Pilot exam and take to the skies.
pilotinstitute.com
Since you live in Virginia, there are specific laws and rules for you to follow, please check the link below for all the Rules and Laws that are in effect in your neck of the woods and it also links you to some of the Best Places to Fly in your area… Also, if you travel on vacation, visit friends, and relatives in other parts of the country, check back here so you do not run afoul of the law.
pilotinstitute.com
Even if you have flown Drones before, here is some Good Old Fashion Advice…
Do not let the excitement of the moment get the best of you. When you are going out to fly, do it slowly and deliberately. Get used to a set procedure and even practice it.
There are so many things I could write but these are the highlights that I feel need mentioning.
Plug in your phone/tablet into your controller; turn on the Controller and DJI Fly App (if it does not start on its own…). On the Drone, open the front legs, then open the back legs, then remove the Gimbal Cover.
The Gimbal is the most delicate item on the Drone and banging or bumping can damage it. I also fastened a short "Remove Before Flight" ribbon to the cover so it's more noticeable and I do not forget to remove it…
Turn on the drone and watch it come to "life." Watching the Gimbal go through its self-check is almost like watching a kitten or puppy opening its eyes for the first time…
Place the drone down (preferably on a Landing Pad) while it finishes its self-test (collecting satellites, etc…).
Check your battery status (Phone, Drone, and Controller), check the Signal Strength, by now the Controller should have reported it updated the Home Point.
Lift off, 4-5 feet (1-1/2 meters) or so, hover a bit, check the controls (move the drone a bit forward, back, left, right, yaw left and right). By now, your Controller will probably report again, Home point Updated.
If you go out in a rush and race thru your start up and take off before the drone has finished it prep, it may update its Home Point over that pond or that old tree you are flying over and in your excitement, you'll fly the drone long past it Low Battery point and when it engages Return to Home and lands in the pond or in a tree; it will be all on you…
Now go have fun, learn to fly the drone by sight before you try to fly it out a distance depending on the video feed, FPV.
I would also advise you to use YouTube and watch a lot of the Videos on flying and setting up the Drone. When it is too dark, too cold, or too wet, you can "fly it vicariously" through YouTube. Also watch some of the Blooper Drone Videos and learn how not to fly your "New Baby."
Below is the link to all of the downloads offered by DJI for the
Mini 2 and the
Air 2S, including the User Manuals.
After you read the Manuals, read them again, you will be surprised what you missed the first time and you will be better prepared for that first "scary moment…"
At DJI Download Center, Learn aboutDJI
Mini 2
www.dji.com
At DJI Download Center, Learn aboutDJI
Air 2S
www.dji.com
Happy, Safe and Legal Droning…
