Hi there. New 54 year old user from County Antrim, Northern Ireland. I bought my DJI Mini 3 (2024) just a couple of days ago. I’ve had a couple of brief flights above the house, just for a look around the countryside, get the feel for the controls etc. And yes, today I had it at the ceiling height of 120 metres today, and have a sore neck keeping an eye on it!
Whilst I’ve been into photography for over 36 years, this is my first drone. I’ve flown plenty of missions in Arma 4, Call of Duty and Battlefield (on PC), but this is a whole new experience! Like getting my head around the drone going to the right, when I tell it to go right, but because its looking at me, it goes left I know you’ve all been there, but as a complete novice to flying, it’s weird.
I’ve just signed up to Grey Arrows, and taken out a Gold membership. You just never know when something happens!
Just after my second flight here, and I’m still getting my head around everything. I think I’ve got something the wrong way around. Please forgive me if I have. I was under the impression I needed a Flyer ID, but not an Operator ID, because the drone is sub-250 grams. I done the course, and got my Flyer ID, but my controller is now flashing up on screen I need to register for an Operator ID to fly?
Flying a drone is great fun but sometimes you feel the need to have a purpose for doing so and the Challenges category provides some great reasons for you to fly.
There are regular challenges which are open to all, that attract members of all abilities. Support, advice and constructive criticism is freely available; still photography, video and the techniques for editing both are involved in the challenges. Suggestions, for subjects or for complete challenges, are always welcome - take a look in the Challenges category for more information.
We’re a well established club with many knowledgeable members so it’s very likely that any issues you come across will have been discussed here before. Our discussion forum has very powerful search features which should help you find what you need but if you get stuck you can post a new question in the Questions & Answers category.
And finally, if you are new to drones and wondering what it’s all about, have a look at Resources for a beginner.
It’s clear I got the Flyer ID and Operator ID the wrong way around. I have both now so that’ll keep things right. Thanks for that.
I thought maybe since I had the drone at ceiling height, directly above my driveway, maybe it sent out some sort of signal, and this was some sort of warning. In today’s multi-connected world, nothing would really surprise me.
Since posting I registered for the Operator ID; I just went outside to see if I could get the display to show the message again, to screenshot it, but it wouldn’t show.
I hear what you’re saying, and I will have a look, but I have at least a thousand places I want to explore already.
And that’s no exaggeration; I’m interested in ancient history, and have already made up my own GIS map of ancient sites, extending from Neolithic to Late Medieval, across the county in which I live (i have 993 sites as we speak). It’ll be an ongoing project to visit each of them, and provided there are no crowds around (or restrictions), take my drone up and record images and videos of them.
I work closely with the local museum, and some of my work has already been included in exhibitions (both photographs and my GIS mapping).
Unfortunately some of them fall into ARZ’s, which can’t be helped, so I won’t be able to visit them all this way.
It’ll be a great way for me to continue to enjoy my photography hobby, which had to take a back seat due to disability - I’m now in a wheelchair, so couldn’t access many of the sites I wanted to. The drone will do the donkey work for me now, like having an electronic pair of legs
I know its a machine, but again, because I’ve no experience of using drones, I wondered if the software could send out a signal, transmitting the drone ID, that would flag on the CAA systems, and hence prompt a warning. I did read a while back about the US users having their drone activity monitored, and there was talk of it coming to the UK; I think it was called Remote ID, or something like that; that’s what prompted my train of thought.
Right, so last night I couldn’t get the message to appear again, but today when switching it on, the controller displayed an orange triangle, with an exclamation mark, and when I clicked through it, this showed up.
EDIT: I should say that after a bit of fiddling to remove the message, it still let me take off, and land again - I just wanted to ensure it wasn’t blocking the flight
I know you’ve all been there, but as a complete novice to flying, it’s weird.
so that’ll keep things right. Thanks for that.
