New pilot from Ct.

Konablu · Apr 23, 2023

Checking in from Connecticut. New flying noob so please be gentle. Getting started with a new to me DJI Mini SE.

Lykus · Apr 23, 2023

Welcome to the forum!

Konablu · Apr 23, 2023

Thank you. Any guidance on transporting my mini se on a plane? Search didn’t yield a result for me.

akdrone · Apr 24, 2023

Konablu said:
Thank you. Any guidance on transporting my mini se on a plane? Search didn’t yield a result for me.

The drone is meaningless. Carry on, checked baggage, no big deal. The batteries however MUST be with carry on. That’s about all there is to it. Carry on the batteries any way you want. You‘re encouraged to drop their charge to 50% but it probably won’t be checked.

akdrone · Apr 24, 2023

Konablu said:
Checking in from Connecticut. New flying noob so please be gentle. Getting started with a new to me DJI Mini SE.

My big advice to noobs that you have probably heard before is to always, always get a GPS lock before launching and the “home point updated” before leaving your launch point. It’s Ok to get up in the air but don’t leave without GPS and home point updated.

Hauptmann · Apr 24, 2023

Welcome to our forum, from Hauptmann, in Hurst, Texas!

You'll love the flexibility of vantage points an aerial camera platform affords--you'll get shots and videos you could only dream of before! I fly a Mavic 2 Pro now, but will soon be upgrading to the Mini 3 Pro.

We have over 150,000 members—many, many from your part of New England--who enjoy helping each other get the most out of our hobby. Most of the questions you'll have have already been addressed, and are easy to search. If you have NEW questions, just ask!

I second the advice of akdrone. I've taken my drones on many a flight with no issues. If you don't fly TSA Pre, you may have to take your controller or display device out of your bag at TSA check point, as you must with your laptop. With TSA Pre, you can scoot thru without a hitch. Akdrone is right about drone batteries--they must be in your carry on bag.

I attached a couple of links below, which will make learning piloting and photo/video skills easy.

Glad to have you with us!

Rich R (aka Hauptmann)

To view this content we will need your consent to set third party cookies.
For more detailed information, see our cookies page.

To view this content we will need your consent to set third party cookies.
For more detailed information, see our cookies page.

Daytona500 · Apr 24, 2023

find a big open field for your first few flights till your use to the control sticks

LoudThunder · Apr 24, 2023

Konablu said:
New flying noob so please be gentle. Getting started with a new to me DJI Mini SE.

Welcome from the Hampton Roads area of Virginia, USA. We have a Member's Map in the Upper Right of the Title Bar. Click on "Members" and then Click on "Member's Map…" Check it out and you might find some new flying friends.

Member Map

mavicpilots.com

You might want to reconsider your choice of "words to live by" as in "Bound only by the rules I choose to follow." Because your new hobby is a quagmire of rules…

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…) . Your Drone weighs less than 250-grams (0.55 pounds) and while you are flying under The Exception for Recreational Flyers, you are not required to register your Drone.

When I first started flying I registered my Mini 2 because the TRUST Certificate and FAA Registration established me as a "certified" Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) Pilot.

Link to the TRUST Certificate at the Pilot Institute Web Site (FREE…)

FAA TRUST Online Portal for Recreational Drone Operators - Pilot Institute

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

faadronezone.faa.gov

If you are considering acquiring your Part 107 License, here is a link to get you going…

Online Ground School: Aviation Classes - Pilot Institute

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 Connecticut, 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.

Drone Laws and Best Places to Fly in Every US State - Pilot Institute

pilotinstitute.com

Even if you have flown Drones before, here is some Good Old Fashion Advice…

You paid a lot of money for that Drone, put your phone number on it. If your drone gets lost or stuck in a tree and it finally comes down when you are not around, give the finders an opportunity to contact you so it can be returned.

Now, for the Fun Part, But 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 SE, including the User Manual.

After you read the Manual, read it again, you will be surprised what you missed the first time and you will be better prepared for that first "scary moment…"

DJI Mini SE - Download Center - DJI

Learn and download DJI Mini SE related apps, software, and manuals at the DJI Download Center

www.dji.com

Fly On and Fly Safe…

Konablu · Apr 24, 2023

Thank you to everyone who has replied. This makes me feel welcome and a part of a good community. I will be going to Puerto Rico in a few days and plan on taking my mini with me.
I just took the TRUST exam passed it easily.
I will keep my flying to the basics and hopefully will get a different view of the island with it. Wish me luck.