Odds of crashing for a newbie

[AVLJMA]

im in the final hours of making a decision, actually had decided on the mini 2 but now reconsidering, aside from all the other differences would you say that I have less chance of crashing if I went with the 2s due to the avoidance sensors, it really is twice the money but could save some by going refurb or by not getting the fly more package…. Trying to justify in my mind, I already took test and registered with the FAA so weight is not a issue…. I’m just after the least accident prone I can get

You will eventually want a Mini 2 anyway. I have a Mini 2 and a MA2 and a Air 2s. I would give up my MA2 before I would give up my Mini 2. I would start with the Mini 2. Like others have said, when you crash it, the price tag for repairs will be less. The Mini 2 is lighter and so a crash doesn't result in as much damage in most cases. The props are cheaper.
Besides, it is a fun little drone. Being smaller, it trains the eye to pay attention much closer. I would go with the Mini 2. The Air 2s will always be there when you're ready for it.

 

[Capt KO]

Just buy Refresh so you won’t worry so much about crashing. That alone improves your chances of Not crashing. Being new, that’s important but even with experience, I still get it for my new/refurb drones.
I’m flying a 2nd hand Air2 after selling my mini and love it. Does everything I need as a non-pro photographer with beautiful results. Good luck and, Enjoy.

 

[Dave Maine]

As others have written, there are always risks when you fly. Most crashes, “fly-sways” etc are at root pilot errors. Flying with sensors is not fool proof. It requires pilot judgement. The sensors do not have the resolution to see small objects like twigs and wires, especially when flying fast. If objects are similar colors, they not be seen as well. Poor lighting conditions markedly increase sensor errors.

Not checking your takeoff area for magnetic interference can overwhelm your flight control system and lead to various corkscrewcrashes.

Poorly inserted batteries and improperly locked props are also well documented crash causes.

You will be much better off practicing the basics in a clear area before focusing on sensors or lack there of.

 

[Dbez1]

If you tend toward machoism, you’re going to crash. I’ve never had a serious crash after hundreds of hours in the air. If you have common sense, go straight to the Air2 or Air2s and fly in open spaces until you build up your skills. Since you’re in the USA, get State Farm Insurance, it’s cheap and no deductible. That way you’re covered no matter which drone you buy.

 

[Artemis]

I’ve read the poorly inserted battery thing, is that a design or user malfunction? I’ve read about props coming off enough that it will definitely be part of my start up routine…. And yeah it would seem a lot of crashes happen by flying through obstacles on purpose… I don’t think I would do that, if I’m not in an open field I think I will fly above Trees…. My main threat would be interference or landing…. Probably have 40 ft between my house and tall trees… also doubt I’ll be flying much more than a half mile out… will most likely follow rules and try to keep it in sight

 

[Tiger64]

Obstacle avoidance won't pick up small branches or powerlines a lot of the time.
I would go mini 2 , then onto something bigger if I felt the need

 

[Artemis]

Obstacle avoidance won't pick up small branches or powerlines a lot of the time.
I would go mini 2 , then onto something bigger if I felt the need

I think in general you may be correct however I do now believe the air 2s is what I will be happiest with, I do think I may do some night flying also, the larger camera sensor and built in nav lights are kind of a bonus there, I’ll still have to stick a firehouse arc v on top but it’s better than having to charge and rig nav lights also… supposedly the 2s also has a landing light that you can keep on in software for extra line of sight

 

[Cymruflyer]

I think in general you may be correct however I do now believe the air 2s is what I will be happiest with, I do think I may do some night flying also, the larger camera sensor and built in nav lights are kind of a bonus there, I’ll still have to stick a firehouse arc v on top but it’s better than having to charge and rig nav lights also… supposedly the 2s also has a landing light that you can keep on in software for extra line of sight

Go with the Air 2S and you will be happy. I never flew a drone before and bought the original Mavic Pro. Had a fried show me what to do and we put it in beginner mode. I flew a while like that to get used to stick movement and how to think while flying, picturing what I was doing as if I was sitting in it. I am a pilot too, so have an idea of how things look from the air, when viewing the camera.

I now have the Mavic 2 Pro and have been flying now for about 4 years, never crashed the original Mavic Pro. I take my time, think about what I want to do and always come back with at least 20% battery, rather, I land with 20% battery. I don't do silly things with it and only had one mishap, because I was stupid and tried to fly down through a hole in a tree and the sensors got confused and it got stuck in flight and began to drift slightly. I've been told if the sensors keep it in a stuck place, like that tree, then it will suddenly tend to drift to the right on its own, which it did and touch some twigs and dropped, it was the Mavic 2 Pro.

As I said, it was my own stupid fault. If you fly safely and be aware of where you are flying around, take your time to think about what you want to film and not concentrate only on the camera, but watch the drone too, you should not have an issue and be able to get better and better and confident as you fly, staying safe and keeping your drone from crashing. Plus, the more it costs the less likely you might be to take a risk while flying. Remember, if you get scared just release the sticks and get yourself together, while it stays there hovering in place, then start flying again. Hope this helps.

 

[hiflyer201]

I come from airplanes where crashing is not an option and it shouldn't be with drones. Fly within your limits. Trees, tunnels, bridges and powerlines should be avoided. Out of sight out of mind does not go well with drones as they are capable of moving in all directions. You have to develop an idea of situation awareness at all times. Just having your drone/strobe in sight doesn't mean that you won't/can't steer it into something

 

[Artemis]

I come from airplanes where crashing is not an option and it shouldn't be with drones. Fly within your limits. Trees, tunnels, bridges and powerlines should be avoided. Out of sight out of mind does not go well with drones as they are capable of moving in all directions. You have to develop an idea of situation awareness at all times. Just having your drone/strobe in sight doesn't mean that you won't/can't steer it into something

Oh , I agree, any night flying I do will be at least 100ft… and that’s after I’m very comfortable flying and using the return to home routine… was planning on doing this with mini 2 also, i had already found some suitable navigation and strobe lights….

 

[Artemis]

Really the only thing left on the air 2s that gives me pause is the batteries seem kinda antiquated compared to the mini, was looking at third party chargers for them because just charging one at a time would not be good

 

[old man mavic]

Really the only thing left on the air 2s that gives me pause is the batteries seem kinda antiquated compared to the mini, was looking at third party chargers for them because just charging one at a time would not be good

on any drone in the mavic family the provided charger and charging hub will only charge one battery at a time usually the one with most charge left in it first ,then the rest in turn,this also applies to the mini 2 ,that why there are companies that produce after market chargers that can charge multiple batteries at the same time

 

[julius13]

I’ve been at this for 6 years now. I have crashed a few times and a couple caused me to have drone repaired. I’m not a cowboy but it’s easy to drift into trees, hit power lines from a far distance. I don’t know any other pilots who have not had an incident or two. Well except for the couple that are known liars. Good luck, don’t be afraid. Best advice is to launch straight up, get above trees and have fun.

 

[Artemis]

I want to think everyone for your help, my air 2s is ordered and on the way

 

[Artemis]

Go with the Air 2S and you will be happy. I never flew a drone before and bought the original Mavic Pro. Had a fried show me what to do and we put it in beginner mode. I flew a while like that to get used to stick movement and how to think while flying, picturing what I was doing as if I was sitting in it. I am a pilot too, so have an idea of how things look from the air, when viewing the camera.

I now have the Mavic 2 Pro and have been flying now for about 4 years, never crashed the original Mavic Pro. I take my time, think about what I want to do and always come back with at least 20% battery, rather, I land with 20% battery. I don't do silly things with it and only had one mishap, because I was stupid and tried to fly down through a hole in a tree and the sensors got confused and it got stuck in flight and began to drift slightly. I've been told if the sensors keep it in a stuck place, like that tree, then it will suddenly tend to drift to the right on its own, which it did and touch some twigs and dropped, it was the Mavic 2 Pro.

As I said, it was my own stupid fault. If you fly safely and be aware of where you are flying around, take your time to think about what you want to film and not concentrate only on the camera, but watch the drone too, you should not have an issue and be able to get better and better and confident as you fly, staying safe and keeping your drone from crashing. Plus, the more it costs the less likely you might be to take a risk while flying. Remember, if you get scared just release the sticks and get yourself together, while it stays there hovering in place, then start flying again. Hope this helps.

Great advice, I’m excited, it was a good bit to spend but I’m in to astronomy also so I’m use to getting robbed lol, I did order the fly more package and they included the arc v and a 128gig card so I should be set come Christmas morning, my daughter made a donation for me to get this so under the tree it goes

 

[Sparc343]

I'll give my $0.02 (for free, cuz that's all it's actually worth)... Being an avid "motorhead" myself (new to drones, not to being a gearhead), I'd put this akin to riding a motorcycle. That is, there's TWO kinds of riders... Those that have been down, and those that will (eventually) go down..! Coming into this with that mindset, I just grabbed my first drone last month (NOV)! A mini 2. That being said, it would be nice to "not crash" (ever) but I am coming into it expecting fully that it is more a matter of *when* not *if* (like the motorcyclist thing)! Though I can relate to the other comment I've seen in here where piloting a manned AC, "crashing" is NOT an option (if you want to live anyway)... That is rather unforgiving, but also very realistic... Luckily we're not on board, so if they do crash (hopefully) all it hurts is our ego and/or wallet...

Also, my personal recommendation would be to NOT rely on ANY "automated safety features" (like obstacle avoidance), and if at all possible, actually DISABLE them (especially while learning)...! At this point I can only make another gearhead reference but, the "Mustang" has become pretty notorious for crashing... Like many, I believed this to be a general problem with the type of person who drove one perhaps..? Then I bought a 50th anniversary Mustang for myself, and almost immediately realized at least one possibility as to why there are so many bloody Mustang crashes! There are too many "automated" and/or "safety" electronic features on the newer Mustang's! I know this because I am an *old school* driver, and actually know how to do things most people don't have to learn any more (IE: ABS instead of pumping brakes)... So with all these systems meant for safety or avoidance, they actually HINDER people who "actually know what they're doing"... The first time I gassered on it real hard in a turn, I went to go manually correct my drive path. Well, that was a MAJOR problem because the cars computers were detecting I was over spinning at the drive tires and ALSO tried to electronically "correct" the problem. I almost lost control because it did this! Luckily I was able to quickly pick up on what was happening (besides that I was about to crash), so I just ceased what I was doing, and hoped like heck the car would do it "right"... It actually didn't - it still wound up over-correcting, and I still almost hit a vehicle in on-coming traffic (thanks computer)! Luckily there was no contact or collision, but it was a pretty close call! All because of this modern "electronic avoidance system" "crap"..! So, while these "systems" will "help" people who aren't experienced at what they're doing, that will also hinder their learning IMHO! Soon enough, if not already, people will no longer have to learn how to parallel park, because your car will do it FOR YOU!

I feel the same about drones / flying. At what point are we still "pilots" if we're just watching a video feed on a screen of a drone that's basically flying itself! This is one of the reasons I did choose the Mini 2 myself. I do figure, there may very well *not* be a way to "turn off" some of these "safety 'features'", and I wanted a cheaper hit on my wallet *when* I do crash..! Not to mention, I have been doing *everything* manually so far, at least as "manually" as it will let me (landing seems pretty automated to me, just hold the descend stick until IT lands) and I have even been performing "take off" manually... I didn't even play with "quickshots" until today (10th day of flight)..! For a while there I honestly forgot the "quickshots" even existed, since and because I wanted to learn how to manually fly and "do stuff" before tinkering with any automated features.

But, also, "to each their own" too..! I think you'll be happy with almost any DJI..! From what I hear they're pretty much "the best"... I know I am sure loving my Mini 2, a little more every day! Hope to see some awesome pix/videos from you in the future!

 

[Artemis]

I'll give my $0.02 (for free, cuz that's all it's actually worth)... Being an avid "motorhead" myself (new to drones, not to being a gearhead), I'd put this akin to riding a motorcycle. That is, there's TWO kinds of riders... Those that have been down, and those that will (eventually) go down..! Coming into this with that mindset, I just grabbed my first drone last month (NOV)! A mini 2. That being said, it would be nice to "not crash" (ever) but I am coming into it expecting fully that it is more a matter of *when* not *if* (like the motorcyclist thing)! Though I can relate to the other comment I've seen in here where piloting a manned AC, "crashing" is NOT an option (if you want to live anyway)... That is rather unforgiving, but also very realistic... Luckily we're not on board, so if they do crash (hopefully) all it hurts is our ego and/or wallet...

Also, my personal recommendation would be to NOT rely on ANY "automated safety features" (like obstacle avoidance), and if at all possible, actually DISABLE them (especially while learning)...! At this point I can only make another gearhead reference but, the "Mustang" has become pretty notorious for crashing... Like many, I believed this to be a general problem with the type of person who drove one perhaps..? Then I bought a 50th anniversary Mustang for myself, and almost immediately realized at least one possibility as to why there are so many bloody Mustang crashes! There are too many "automated" and/or "safety" electronic features on the newer Mustang's! I know this because I am an *old school* driver, and actually know how to do things most people don't have to learn any more (IE: ABS instead of pumping brakes)... So with all these systems meant for safety or avoidance, they actually HINDER people who "actually know what they're doing"... The first time I gassered on it real hard in a turn, I went to go manually correct my drive path. Well, that was a MAJOR problem because the cars computers were detecting I was over spinning at the drive tires and ALSO tried to electronically "correct" the problem. I almost lost control because it did this! Luckily I was able to quickly pick up on what was happening (besides that I was about to crash), so I just ceased what I was doing, and hoped like heck the car would do it "right"... It actually didn't - it still wound up over-correcting, and I still almost hit a vehicle in on-coming traffic (thanks computer)! Luckily there was no contact or collision, but it was a pretty close call! All because of this modern "electronic avoidance system" "crap"..! So, while these "systems" will "help" people who aren't experienced at what they're doing, that will also hinder their learning IMHO! Soon enough, if not already, people will no longer have to learn how to parallel park, because your car will do it FOR YOU!

I feel the same about drones / flying. At what point are we still "pilots" if we're just watching a video feed on a screen of a drone that's basically flying itself! This is one of the reasons I did choose the Mini 2 myself. I do figure, there may very well *not* be a way to "turn off" some of these "safety 'features'", and I wanted a cheaper hit on my wallet *when* I do crash..! Not to mention, I have been doing *everything* manually so far, at least as "manually" as it will let me (landing seems pretty automated to me, just hold the descend stick until IT lands) and I have even been performing "take off" manually... I didn't even play with "quickshots" until today (10th day of flight)..! For a while there I honestly forgot the "quickshots" even existed, since and because I wanted to learn how to manually fly and "do stuff" before tinkering with any automated features.

But, also, "to each their own" too..! I think you'll be happy with almost any DJI..! From what I hear they're pretty much "the best"... I know I am sure loving my Mini 2, a little more every day! Hope to see some awesome pix/videos from you in the future!

Thanks, I agree with pretty much everything you said and a motorcycle is actually a pretty good analogy, a Responsible motorcycle rider could easily drive everyday without an accident but unfortunately it’s external factors that still make it dangerous, things beyond your control and it’s kinda catastrophic when things do go wrong. I told someone last night I’m kinda looking at the money spent on this like a vacation, enjoy it while it last and have a good memory, but when the day comes I break this I doubt I will spend the bucks to replace it, in fact if I enjoy it enough to where I want another then I would be more inclined to go with a cheaper mini 2, used or refurbished. I initially started this journey last week just intending to buy a toy drone to play with but somehow went from 99 dollars to over 1200 very quickly…. I just hope I get to enjoy it for a while, my main hobby is astronomy, this is just a side adventure so far

 

[jmdaniel]

I want to think everyone for your help, my air 2s is ordered and on the way

So is mine!

 

[Sparc343]

Thanks, I agree with pretty much everything you said and a motorcycle is actually a pretty good analogy, a Responsible motorcycle rider could easily drive everyday without an accident but unfortunately it’s external factors that still make it dangerous, things beyond your control and it’s kinda catastrophic when things do go wrong. I told someone last night I’m kinda looking at the money spent on this like a vacation, enjoy it while it last and have a good memory, but when the day comes I break this I doubt I will spend the bucks to replace it, in fact if I enjoy it enough to where I want another then I would be more inclined to go with a cheaper mini 2, used or refurbished. I initially started this journey last week just intending to buy a toy drone to play with but somehow went from 99 dollars to over 1200 very quickly…. I just hope I get to enjoy it for a while, my main hobby is astronomy, this is just a side adventure so far

I completely "get" the quick advancements in "pay grade"... I actually was kind of "set" on getting a Mavic Mini (aka mini 1) upon my own initial research. At the time I had actually found one on sale (around Thanksgiving) for like $169 (not fly more)... But then I saw a brand new video by youtuber "captain drone" where he did a review of 5x drones @ or < $299. On that list was the Mini SE. So at that point I went from "wanting" the Mavic Mini, to the (newer version) the Mini SE... But then I watched a video he did that was *just* a review on the Mini SE, where he also gave a brief "history" of all of the "mini" series, all the way back to the "spark"! Once I saw that whole video, I went from wanting the SE, to the Mini 2! So I rather quickly went from parting with $169, to parting with $599.99 (then plus another battery, more spare props, and an anti collision light just a few days later)!

I really need to find some *cheap* hobbies LOL *none* of the hobbies I have are cheap, they're *all* 'expensive'!

 

[Artemis]

I have a lot invested in my astronomy hobby, scopes are pretty high dollar and accessories will break you, but I dislike having the feeling that only if I had spent more I could do this or that…. Truthfully I probably would have been happy with the mini 2 but the build quality just seems like it’s another level with the 2s…. Little things like seeing people lose props on the mini 2 simply because they are held in place by tiny screws they did not check before flight. I have no idea how robust the twist lock mechanism is on the 2s but it certainly looks more substantial to not have to worry about them flying off…. Kind of a big deal from a newbie perspective