New Mini 2 Owner Questions

[tekgirl02]

Howdy from the Houston TX area. .I agree with the others about flying indoors, not good. Tomorrow is new years day and im sure lots of places will be closed which means many open parking lots. do a few out and backs. practice forward flying, backward flying and left/right flying. learn the feel of the controller so you know where your fingers are without having to look. with the drone hovering low (10-20 feet) practice the yaw right and left. get a feel as to how quick your drone responds to the commands.

I learned on "toy grade" drones and trashed a few of them. The Mavic line is a nice step up and frankly they are easier to fly then the toygrade as they have RTH and are much more stable. Enjoy and fly safely. Also get your TRUST certificate

Thank you! I have my TRUST cert! I just may practice tomorrow if it isn’t raining…

 

[tekgirl02]

You have already gotten some really valuable advice...if you can find someone else who flies already, it would be good if you can get them to accompany you on a few flights....one other thing would be to go into your settings and slow down all reactions for turns, gimbal, etc...it is easier to handle and takes better video....I have been flying almost a year...but not often and I still stick to days with virtually no wind, I still stick to wide open spaces, and I try to fly with someone else who is experienced...that is a big help in keeping an eye on the drone....become very familiar with how Return to home works and go have some fun...best of luck with it

Thank you so much for the great advice! I’ll be flying next week with an experienced pilot, which I think will help me…

 

[jacquespa]

When you were learning to fly, how did you proceed? I am watching plenty of videos, reading this forum, which is a fantastic resource and trying to do things the right way.

Should I practice in my house first to get the feel of things? Or practice in an open field? I'm in the NE, so it's pretty cold here at the moment.

I normally learn by making mistakes, but I'm not sure that is the right way to do this.

Suggestions?

Thanks!!!

Welcome to the forum from another in NJ. As others have said: open areas, away from people and drone eating trees

 

[tekgirl02]

Welcome to the forum from another in NJ. As others have said: open areas, away from people and drone eating trees

Hahaha thank you! I’ll be sure to avoid those trees

 

[tekgirl02]

Hi Tekgirl,
I had the same fears, just bought a mini 2 yesterday. I've been watching videos for a while, but you have to just do it, lol. I did find a vid from UAV coach on practicing control, I found it very good. Heres a link...

I did my 1st flight this morning, a little nerve racking but all went well. Heres what helped me. Pick a large area that you are extremely familiar with. I did my flight by the camera, I only watched the drone when landing.
Best advice I saw so far, if you get into trouble, let go of the control sticks. The drone just hovers then. Get composed and start again. Next would be to limit height and distance for initial flights. My next 2 flights went great, started moving around things. Slow and easy wins.
Heres a pic of learning area, the plywood is my landing pad...

Good luck and have fun.

Thank you so much! That looks like a great area to fly! I’ll definitely take it slow and easy…thanks for the tip about letting go of the controllers! That’s a great video! Thanks for sharing…

 

[tekgirl02]

I suggest using the prop guards and staying in the Cine mode. Get comfortable flying with the drone pointed toward you, when the controls seem to be "reversed." A good open space and staying close are good in the beginning.

There are a lot of good videos available on Youtube and elsewhere. Search for Mini 2 and terms like mistakes, tips, intro, tutorial, ...

The Pilot Institute has some very good courses, some free and some with a fee.

Drone Courses - Free and Paid Drone Pilot Training

30+ free and paid classes to fly your drone. Pass your FAA Part 107 license exam, learn how to fly your drone, and more.

pilotinstitute.com

Try Recreational Flying Made Easy, Ultimate Drone Flying Guide, and DJI Mini II Deep Dive.

This video on basic maneuvers is a very good place to start.

Have fun.

(I have no connection with The Pilot Institute other than using their courses when learning to fly drones and studying for the Part 107 test.)

Thank you so much! Thank you for sharing all that great info! I’m already watching some of the videos

 

[D_The_Producer]

When you were learning to fly, how did you proceed? I am watching plenty of videos, reading this forum, which is a fantastic resource and trying to do things the right way.

Should I practice in my house first to get the feel of things? Or practice in an open field? I'm in the NE, so it's pretty cold here at the moment.

I normally learn by making mistakes, but I'm not sure that is the right way to do this.

Suggestions?

Thanks!!!

Flying inside I broke my Mini 2 gimbal, so I wouldn't recommend it. Flying outdoors is simply so much better!
I suggest reading my article for Droneblog before flying in cold temperatures. It might save you a crash! How Does Weather Affect the DJI Mini 2? (With 30 Tips) | Droneblog

Happy flights!

 

[tekgirl02]

I suggest reading my article for Droneblog before flying in cold temperatures. It might save you a crash! How Does Weather Affect the DJI Mini 2? (With 30 Tips) | Droneblog

Happy flights!

Update - EXCELLENT article!! I have a couple of questions from the article - where would I ask them?

Thank you- will do! Yah I won’t fly inside

 

[D_The_Producer]

Update - EXCELLENT article!! I have a couple of questions from the article - where would I ask them?

Thank you- will do! Yah I won’t fly inside

Thank you! You can ask me those questions here

 

[Skwirl]

Flying inside I broke my Mini 2 gimbal, so I wouldn't recommend it. Flying outdoors is simply so much better!
I suggest reading my article for Droneblog before flying in cold temperatures. It might save you a crash! How Does Weather Affect the DJI Mini 2? (With 30 Tips) | Droneblog

Happy flights!

I'll 2nd it. Great article.
Already sent a message for the wetsuit kit.

 

[D_The_Producer]

I'll 2nd it. Great article.
Already sent a message for the wetsuit kit.

Thank you Skwirl! The wetsuit does look awesome, let us know your experience with it once you've tried it out

 

[tekgirl02]

Thank you! You can ask me those questions here

What is a LiPo bag? Do I need one?

 

[D_The_Producer]

What is a LiPo bag? Do I need one?

They are bags designed to contain LiPo battery fires. They are very cheap, so it is recommended to get one, but is not a must.

 

[SpitFire]

Welcome to the forum from Chicago the Windy City.
One of the things you should do as well, is take the Recreation UAS Safety test (TRUST.
Its a aeronautical knowledge and safety test, its required for recreational flyers.

 

[WackeDad]

Hi @tekgirl02…I’m in your exact spot. Waiting for a weather window, reading, watching vids, visiting great sites like MP. I’ve got the TRUST cert behind me, as well as grabbing an FAA # (just for good measure), and I’ve joined AMA so I have flight liability insurance, and I’ve purchased the DJI protection plan. You can never be too sure. But just today my great plan of dashing to a local soccer field got put on hold as my city requires special use permits for flying drones in their parks. Best laid plans. Look forward to hearing your maiden flight tale.

 

[tekgirl02]

Welcome to the forum from Chicago the Windy City.
One of the things you should do as well, is take the Recreation UAS Safety test (TRUST.
Its a aeronautical knowledge and safety test, its required for recreational flyers.

Thank you! I took it already

 

[tekgirl02]

Hi @tekgirl02…I’m in your exact spot. Waiting for a weather window, reading, watching vids, visiting great sites like MP. I’ve got the TRUST cert behind me, as well as grabbing an FAA # (just for good measure), and I’ve joined AMA so I have flight liability insurance, and I’ve purchased the DJI protection plan. You can never be too sure. But just today my great plan of dashing to a local soccer field got put on hold as my city requires special use permits for flying drones in their parks. Best laid plans. Look forward to hearing your maiden flight tale.

Sounds like you are doing great and well prepared! I was able to fly on Thursday and it was amazing! I was with a friend, who is an experienced pilot - that made it so much easier!

Now I just need to get out and fly on my own Good luck to you and can’t wait to see your photos/videos!

 

[tekgirl02]

They are bags designed to contain LiPo battery fires. They are very cheap, so it is recommended to get one, but is not a must.

Thank you! I picked one up to be on the safe side!

 

[D_The_Producer]

Thank you! I picked one up to be on the safe side!

Very good choice