"Pretty much flies out of the box" Opinions Please...

[Gringorio]

I'm having a discussion on another forum and someone states: "Super easy to fly. Watch an hour or two of youtube videos and you'll get it. Pretty much flies out of the box and it just hovers unless you move the sticks." He said this in reference to DJI drones, Phantom and Mavic and he is pushing new users to buy the Mavic Air. So, I step in and point out that it's better to buy a cheap drone first in order to learn how to fly rather than to try learning to fly a new and expensive drone. His response was to "Just spend half a day watching YouTube videos before you fly it." and that I am giving bad advice.

My sole point was to spend a few bucks on a toy drone before spending hundreds on an expensive drone in order to learn how to fly. Do you think the Mavic Air has changed this so that any newbie can buy it and fly "out of the box" and for that matter even a Phantom series or the Mavic Pro?

Here is a link to the discussion: BajaNomad - Anyone who's been wanting a drone, but hasn't pulled the trigger yet, this is the one you want - Powered by XMB

 

[dirkclod]

No I think that guy just don't have a clue .
Thanks for this

 

[Plawa]

OK I'll be the devil's advocate.. what exactly will flying small ATTI drones teach you that you NEED to fly the Mavic which doesn't even have an ATTI mode (yes I know it does, bear with me)? The fact that you don't need to know much and still be able to fly and have fun is why DJI made billions in what used to be a hobby for those willing to tinker and go through a steep learning curve (think RC helis)

Look at the Spark and the new Mavic - everything DJI does is focused on lowering the entry barrier to make drones exactly what he said, something your mother can fly. And from what I can tell, they are pretty much there.

 

[4wd]

All a beginner will learn from a no GPS drone is how to constantly crash.
Not sure how that helps with a Mavic as unless user is stupid it won't crash.

 

[waylander]

Have to chip in.... Flying a quad without GPS DOES teach you something about control, and visual orientation, learn to fly something like a Hubsan X4 in a figure of eight loop using Yaw, Roll and Pitch in combination, in your living room then for sure you can fly a Mavic.

True a Mavic is almost fool proof, but its those situations where something unusual happens, (GPS loss, strong wind, Tree jumps out in front of you), that stick control that has become second nature to you comes in real handy....

My two cents..
Waylander

 

[Simmo]

I agree with @Plawa The Mavic, and the future is nothing like it was, nor per se do we have to go back.
Yes, the Mavic does pretty much fly straight out of the box. Fact.
But just in the last month, how many threads have we read, where simple knowledge of the equipment and experience in its operation may have saved a weeks wages...

 

[msinger]

Do you think the Mavic Air has changed this so that any newbie can buy it and fly "out of the box" and for that matter even a Phantom series or the Mavic Pro?

No. However, I still don't think there are any cheap drones on the market that fly like a DJI drone (or have similar features and functions).

IMHO, it's best to understand the DJI manual before flying the DJI drone of choice (so you understand the many functions of the drone) and then practice in a wide open area (where there are absolutely no obstacles). Once mastering the controls in that location, you'll be ready to fly in other locations.

 

[Cyberpower678]

The flying of toy drones do help in the event the drone switches to ATTI mode.

 

[4wd]

The flying of toy drones do help in the event the drone switches to ATTI mode.

In what way, the controls still work the same, except you might need to counteract wind and brake manually - by using the controls the same.
That doesn't seem worth the hassle of demoralising someone in advance with the special hard to control crash-a-lot drone.

 

[EsiMavic]

Don't you ever try to fly mavic on atti mode trust me.

 

[eastsidedronr]

I agree. Once i was able to do figure 8 with yaw and pitch was really confidence inspiring. It also taught me to be aware of where the nosewas pointing. Its also more fun to a degree. I can fly that agressively without worrying if it crashes and im flying it no letting go of the contols! In the end who cares its their money to burn

 

[Huddy]

I’ve only ever flown a Mavic, apart from a few indoor toy drones. The Mavic has allowed me to enter the drone world slowly, and I suppose safely too. I keep it within sight. I’ve never been above 30 metres high or 500 metres away in a year of Mavic ownership. I’ve flown within my capabilities. I’m not sure flying a cheap drone first would have helped me much. Either way, it’s about knowing what to do if things go wrong, and getting a feel for how the drone handles. I’ve got the Stop button hard-wired into my muscle-memory, because I think that’s the first thing to do if things get out of hand.

 

[Cyberpower678]

In what way, the controls still work the same, except you might need to counteract wind and brake manually - by using the controls the same.
That doesn't seem worth the hassle of demoralising someone in advance with the special hard to control crash-a-lot drone.

The drone may or may not drift in ATTI mode, but regardless, I've had my Mavic behave like a toy drone in ATTI. It's really dependent on the conditions. So I stand by my comment that practicing on a toy drone can prepare one to anticipate the possibility that the Mavic will severely drift and needs to be counter steered. It will definitely save us a lot, "I watched my drone fly away" threads.

 

[Plawa]

The drone may or may not drift in ATTI mode, but regardless, I've had my Mavic behave like a toy drone in ATTI. It's really dependent on the conditions. So I stand by my comment that practicing on a toy drone can prepare one to anticipate the possibility that the Mavic will severely drift and needs to be counter steered. It will definitely save us a lot, "I watched my drone fly away" threads.

Even if it does start drifting the controls are still indirect, i.e. you push right and the drone moves right, you don't need to combine throttle/yaw etc like you do with a FPV racer.. so unless the very idea of "not super solid" scares you then you're still flying the same drone.

 

[waylander]

Agree with #eastsdedronr and #cyberpower678 , and when you have flow a racing drone through a course then you can be sure you can fly a Mavic

Waylander

 

[tracer bullet]

There's no right answer here, just opinions. My opinion is that before you plunk down a kilobuck on a Mavic you really need to spend $50 first on a new or used basic quad. You'll get a feel for how things work in general, you'll appreciate how good the Mavic is, you'll decide if the hobby is even for you at all.

You don't really have to work your way up to driving a Ferrari, anyone with a license can drive one around the block. But if you don't start with a slow car and work your way up to it, you're sort of asking for trouble.

 

[Plawa]

You don't really have to work your way up to driving a Ferrari, anyone with a license can drive one around the block. But if you don't start with a slow car and work your way up to it, you're sort of asking for trouble.

You could argue that by the same logic (learning curve, not $) you should buy a Mavic first because it's much easier to fly and only then buy an ATTI drone...

 

[Neebles]

I tell you what, a toy drone can be extremely frustrating. Yep, it teaches you the basics controls, and how to fly without gps blah blah blah. You spend half the dang battery trimming the thing out so it flies straight, and a minute later the battery starts to die, so the thing is all over the place anyway. The Mavic is the easiest UAV I have flown bar none, and it’s the most fun. You can just get out and fly without having to mess with it to get it right. I would skip the money you would spend on a toy, and put it towards an extra battery. Once you get that Mavic up, you aren’t going to want to bring it back down.

 

[lightbg]

Automation is great, but let's take this to another level, just for arguments sake. Most airliners are totally automated, but that Air France jumbo that plunged into the Atlantic a few years back happened because the crew was disoriented and tried to override the autopilot right into the ocean. If Sully didn't have the realtime hours from his Air Force days the Miracle on the Hudson would have turned out drastically different.
Why do I use these as examples? The first lesson you're taught in every sUAS course is that "You're the Pilot" . It is national air space and we share it with real people carrying aircraft. As fine as the Mavic is when it jumps into atti mode for whatever reason you need piloting skills to prevent a possible disaster. As far as I'm concerned there is no substitute for actual stick time. I have FPV quads and hybrids that I only use with a spotter because the camera view isn't giving me the entire picture. I also am an advocate of using a toy to improve skills. Real flying in anything beats a simulator every time.

YMMV

Jake

 

[Callum]

Thing with Mavic is you are never truly in control. Your only telling the FC which way to go and it pretty much flies itself.

It's not so much learning the controls but learning how the autonomous side reacts in different situations like RTH and obstacle avoidance etc.

I think learning to control quad in atti is an advantage but can be learned alongside mavic with a toy quad.

The skill involved with modern GPS quads is nothing like the old RC days so yes I'd say pretty much anyone could fly one if they read the manual.