Hi all - me again…
I have been flying for around 10 days now - done around 5 hours I reckon. I have a Mini 3. Some queries that have popped up:
-Does everyone find attaching the gimbal protector a bit fiddly and awkward? I try and keep the camera level then cup it over the camera, then click the two dots into place but it generally takes me some fiddling and the camera sometimes twists into uncomfortable places.
-Folding out the drone to fly and back in can be fiddly owing to the props getting all over the place and moving about. I have to be careful not to catch or bend them.
-I bought a cheap case on Ebay which is fine, but when I put the aircraft in to its mould I feel like the props are being pushed against. I don’t press it all the way down or in but let it rest and naturally sink into the gap - it is about 99% fit but I don’t want to damage the props.
-I have had a few occasions after take off where the aircraft drifts, not a lot but enough that is needs correcting. This is generally with sufficiebt satellites (15 yesterday). Yesterday it drifted right and moved at least a foot from where it was. There was some minor deviation upwards too.
-How do you land in your hand / palm? I cocked up this week and took off from a log in the woods. I bought it back down after a decent flight and decidd the log was iffy to land in as it was small and the same size as the drone. I then couldn’t land it as the ground was uneven and full of foliage, and every time I went to grab it it went upwards as it sensed my hand was there. Somehow I managed to lower it and grab it, but it was awkward and it tried to go up as I grabbed. Can it use your hand to land on?
Thanks
When putting the camera gimbal cover back on the Mini 3 series - point the drone upwards, so the camera faces the sky, the cover should then go on easier.
When folding the arms in, line both props up with the arm, then simply twist them on the pivot. I usually start with the front two arms.
You can buy or 3d print a prop guard, that wraps around the drone. The Mini 2 did have one, but DJI failed to include one for the M3 series.
Have you tried calibrating the drone compass? I also tend to wait until the Sats reach 20.
I’ll let someone else offer guidance on the hand TOAL, I’ve always TOAL from / to a suitable surface (dry, level and ideally dust free)
Try a few searches, there have been many threads and videos covering hand launching over the years 
I can launch, its just the landing!
Keep your hand and fingers flat, otherwise this may happen 
Still bitter about losing those digits eh Jason @TheBinman
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Would the props really take a finger off?
The props of a DJI Mini? No, we jest
The props of a DJI Inspire? Not willing to test to find out 
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No, but they will trim a fingernail and they do cut if they hit your fingers. I speak from experience but I don’t learn from experience so I still hand launch and land. 
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Let the drone come down place your hand flat directly below it and pull down on stick in the other hand and it will land gently and switch off.
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I used to do the hand landing where you’d hold it and swing it upside down which powers it all down. I thought I was pretty good at it until I wasn’t and it crashed. Thankfully nothing broke but I haven’t tried to do it since. Find a clear patch or make one or buy the landing pad which is actually pretty good especially if you want to land on sand.
Try switching it to Sports mode just before you land it.
Then pull the throttle stick all the way down as mentioned by others.
Grip the body of the drone. The props should stop of their own accord.
PS…a lanyard attached to the controller is your friend when hand-catching your drone.
Agreed on use of a lanyard to stop the controller from falling. I haven’t needed sports mode to achieve a hand landing.
The Mini 4 pro with it’s downward sensing system starts to rise up again when in normal or cine mode - makes catching tricky. For some reason the sensors are not active in sport mode.
I wasn’t sure if the same thing applied to the Mini 3, but it might be worth a try.
The Mini 4 Pro will happily land on your hand in normal mode if you keep your hand still and let the drone set down on it. If you move your hand upwards underneath the drone then the drone will move up away from it.
Bring the drone down to just above head height, hold your hand out horizontally below the drone and push the left stick down until the drone lands. No need for sports mode and no need to flip the drone after it lands as the propellers will stop spinning after it lands if you just keep the left stick down.
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