What I always tell people to do is to set yourself some simple flying challenges. Go stick a rock in a field or other marking point. Fly out and try to guage stopping above it. Then check just how close you are to it. Also you can then fly away. Turn in a certain direction and turn again and make your way back but set a route and try to follow it. Then when you get your condidence do the same with the drone facing towards you. Keep making it that more difficult with the drone facing sideways etc. Just keep doing the basics until you find you are doing it well. Then move one and move on.
As for trees etc. I always say that if you fly you and you can see sky around your drone then you are safe.
Learner drivers in cars… The gaps looks a lot smaller then it is to someone who has driven for ags. However as time goes on. That gap becomes more manageable and you tend do do it withougt thinking as much and it comes natural.
Just do it at your own speed and you will get to know the drone and your controls. Gets easier all the time.
Always make sure you have enough battery to get it back to you when you need to.
So, I did two flights today. First one this afternoon in a big open field, took it up to about 45 m and then freaked out as there are a load of seagulls around that were kind of taking interest, so I got out of there quick sharpish. Had some fun, did the circle thing with me and my daughter waving at the drone, and the dog looking up in bewilderment.
Then did a quick flight this evening, at a small village where I normally walk the dog, and photograph all the amazing wildlife they have there. There’s this little church and I did one of those circle video things on that as well. Took it out across the fields, brought it back, and I’m pleased to say I’m actually getting a feel for the controls now. Didn’t take it above 50 m but cleared everything insight, so no worries there.
The only thing that worries me a bit, by the time the drone is say, 500 metres away, its just a tiny dot in the sky, then if you look down at the phone, and look back up, it’s so hard to find it again! I know you have to keep it in your line of sight, but with these mini’s how is that even possible, obviously can’t take them too far out or you can’t see them!
Anyhow… needless to say, I don’t think I’ll be selling this drone, way too much fun to be had
Great you are having fun with it. Be aware that you need to make sure you can keep it in sight. Easy to get a little lost so if it is a dot then it is too far away.
If I am in a situation where I may have lost it I press the Return To Home for a moment and wait till it stops turning. You then at least know it is pointing towards you.
(Make sure that if you do use return to home you have the height set higher then any obsticle it would encounter on its journey home. Make sure it is not seet about 120m)
Also if you are too far away you are less likely to see seagulls, helicopors or planes. Stay safe.
Thank you! Definitely need to keep an eye on them blummin’ seagulls… heart attack material they are!
I did think it was too far when it was a wee dot! Luckily I know the area, and all of the fields, trees etc, so I knew which way to point it back to me, but great tip if I don’t know the area, thank you. I honestly think if I didn’t know the layout of the land, I would no way have taken it that far.
There was a helicopter just as I was about to take off this afternoon, and I bought it straight back down. I’m really not one for taking risks.
Thanks to everyone for the brilliant advice, I’ve just made my very first, small video, with music, and I think I’m really going to enjoy this hobby!
I have LED strobes Velcro’d front and back of mine. The flashing helps me find the drone, and the colour (red at the front, green at the back) tells me which way round it is.
They weigh only 4 gms each, so my drone totals 250 gm. And nobody carries digital scales around to weigh drones with so a couple of gms over isn’t a problem.
