Hi from across the ditch in Queensland aust. I’m a newbie too. So it’s a learning curve for me too. Wet here too. You live in a beautiful country very scenic. I love driving in NZ especially once you leave a populated area it’s just beautiful and stunning scenery.
Newbie in all things drone - New Zealand
- Thread starter Manicmedic
- Start date
Thank you for that great advice. I only have a Mavic pro but that advice is still relevant. What editing software do you advise to use on a computer after downloading the video you’ve taken that day. Thanks from Australia.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.
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mavicpilots.com
Since you live in New Zealand, there are specific laws and rules for you to follow, please check to ensure these are current.
Drones | aviation.govt.nz
www.aviation.govt.nz
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, and 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 puppy or kitten 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, 6 feet (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 Mavic 2, 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…"
Mavic 2 - Download Center - DJI
Learn and download Mavic 2 related apps, software, and manuals at the DJI Download Centerwww.dji.com
Fly On and Fly Safe…
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Welcome to the forum @Manicmedic! 
After flying many DJI consumer drones (I own most all of them) since 2016, here's what I recommend you do (at the minimum) to get started with your DJI drone:
- Skip buying a non-DJI practice drone and start with any of the DJI consumer drones (ideally the model you'll be flying most). While it's true DJI makes one of the most expensive consumer drones, you likely won't learn much about your DJI drones by flying drones made by other manufacturers. And then you'll be back to square one again when you finally decide to ditch the practice drone and start flying a DJI drone.
- Before attempting to fly, watch some videos on YouTube.com to learn more about your drone. Search for something like "Mini 2 Beginner's Guide" (replace "Mini 2" with your drone model).
- Read the DJI manual (available in the "Products" section of the DJI Download Center) from beginning to end (maybe a few times). You're certainly not going to remember everything, but it'll give you a good understanding of the available features and capabilities of your drone. And then you can go back to the manual or YouTube videos when you need to take a deeper dive into a specific topic.
- Before taking off, always review the drone settings in DJI Fly (or the app you're using) to ensure everything is set as expected. If you do plan on flying near any obstacles, ensure the RTH altitude is set properly in case your drone needs to automatically return back to the home point mid-flight.
- DJI drones have a lot of awesome automated flight features. Use them with caution and never assume they are always going to function as expected (always be ready to take control if needed).
- Sensors are great and they can help prevent your drone from crashing into obstacles. They are not foolproof though. Never rely on them 100% or assume they are going to work perfectly in all flight conditions -- or react the same way when flying in similar conditions from past flights.
- Find a flat, wide open place to practice (free of people, trees, and all other obstacles). It's pretty hard to crash a DJI drone into the ground, so you'll likely have the best success if that's your only obstacle. Continue flying in this location (or similar locations) until you're able to control your drone without thinking about it (like riding a bike).
- Make sure you can easily see your drone at all times (required by law in most countries). After removing all nearby obstacles, nearly everyone who crashes/loses a drone is either not watching it with their eyes or cannot clearly see where it's located.
- The screen is chock-full of great information. Use it as a reference (sparingly) as you do when looking at your dashboard while driving a car. It's also a great tool for framing the perfect photo or getting your drone in just the right spot before hitting record. If you're mostly staring at the screen while flying, you'll probably have no idea where your drone is located.
- Don't fly in sport mode until you're comfortable controlling your drone. You don't want to get into a situation where you need to maneuver quickly and aren't quite sure which stick to move (another reason not to practice near obstacles).
- DJI drones record a lot of useful information in the TXT flights. The logs are helpful for things like troubleshooting issues you experienced during a flight, locating a lost drone, and many other things. The TXT files can be found on your phone/tablet or remote controller (if it has a screen). See these instructions for more details. And then you'll need a tool like my free online DJI log viewer or Flight Reader to decrypt and access/view the data within.
After flying many DJI consumer drones (I own most all of them) since 2016, here's what I recommend you do (at the minimum) to get started with your DJI drone:
- Skip buying a non-DJI practice drone and start with any of the DJI consumer drones (ideally the model you'll be flying most). While it's true DJI makes one of the most expensive consumer drones, you likely won't learn much about your DJI drones by flying drones made by other manufacturers. And then you'll be back to square one again when you finally decide to ditch the practice drone and start flying a DJI drone.
- Before attempting to fly, watch some videos on YouTube.com to learn more about your drone. Search for something like "Mini 2 Beginner's Guide" (replace "Mini 2" with your drone model).
- Read the DJI manual (available in the "Products" section of the DJI Download Center) from beginning to end (maybe a few times). You're certainly not going to remember everything, but it'll give you a good understanding of the available features and capabilities of your drone. And then you can go back to the manual or YouTube videos when you need to take a deeper dive into a specific topic.
- Before taking off, always review the drone settings in DJI Fly (or the app you're using) to ensure everything is set as expected. If you do plan on flying near any obstacles, ensure the RTH altitude is set properly in case your drone needs to automatically return back to the home point mid-flight.
- DJI drones have a lot of awesome automated flight features. Use them with caution and never assume they are always going to function as expected (always be ready to take control if needed).
- Sensors are great and they can help prevent your drone from crashing into obstacles. They are not foolproof though. Never rely on them 100% or assume they are going to work perfectly in all flight conditions -- or react the same way when flying in similar conditions from past flights.
- Find a flat, wide open place to practice (free of people, trees, and all other obstacles). It's pretty hard to crash a DJI drone into the ground, so you'll likely have the best success if that's your only obstacle. Continue flying in this location (or similar locations) until you're able to control your drone without thinking about it (like riding a bike).
- Make sure you can easily see your drone at all times (required by law in most countries). After removing all nearby obstacles, nearly everyone who crashes/loses a drone is either not watching it with their eyes or cannot clearly see where it's located.
- The screen is chock-full of great information. Use it as a reference (sparingly) as you do when looking at your dashboard while driving a car. It's also a great tool for framing the perfect photo or getting your drone in just the right spot before hitting record. If you're mostly staring at the screen while flying, you'll probably have no idea where your drone is located.
- Don't fly in sport mode until you're comfortable controlling your drone. You don't want to get into a situation where you need to maneuver quickly and aren't quite sure which stick to move (another reason not to practice near obstacles).
- DJI drones record a lot of useful information in the TXT flights. The logs are helpful for things like troubleshooting issues you experienced during a flight, locating a lost drone, and many other things. The TXT files can be found on your phone/tablet or remote controller (if it has a screen). See these instructions for more details. And then you'll need a tool like my free online DJI log viewer or Flight Reader to decrypt and access/view the data within.
LoudThunder
Part 107 Licensed
I would advise you to view a few YouTube Videos on Free Video Edition Software. There all sorts of great apps out there, The DJI LightScibe is really powerful and if you can run it on a tablet (larger screen) verses a phone, you'll like that.
I prefer to use my computer and it does not run on a PC…
Here is a good YouTUbe video that shows five different editors…
DaVinci Resolve 17 is perhaps the most powerful editing software that is also offered as a completely free version… They also have a more powerful version that you can buy, but most non-professional do not need the extra power… Warning, the learning curve on this one a steep one.
Final point, I use the OpenShot Video Editor and works for me…
If you decide to use one of the free editors, go to YouTube and view the various "How-To" videos on the editors features.
Good Luck!
RkyMtnHigh
Well-Known Member
Welcome to the forum from the Rocky Mountains of Colorado! Got very close to moving to Christchurch many years ago. Wish it would've happened, but.... Happy and safe flying!
Hi. LoudThunder.
My apologies for the late reply. But thank you for all your most welcome advice. I will certainly be looking into everything you’ve said. Many many thanks.
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