GIVEAWAY: Phantom 4 (winner = lalvar40)

Thanks for offering this Msinger! Here's my suggestion:

I would love to see some videos on your website explaining some of the key features from the Phantom 3 and 4.

A video tutorial showing the interface and the various smart options such as Follow Me, Way Points, and Point of Interest could really benefit DJI's target market of new or beginner pilots.

Even further, a couple options to expand on this could turn into a series of videos revealing new update options when DJI comes out with them. An example would be for the Phantom 3 Advanced in how you can update the aircrafts firmware to be eligible in recording 2.7K video.

I think some published media like this could really help out a lot of drone enthusiasts get some great footage and take advantage of their aircrafts.

I'm not sure if you have access to editing programs or not but I'd be more than happy to team up and help you with some videos! Take a look at some of my projects here if you like.

Thanks!
-Aaron
 
I would say to collect all the little special tips and noobie Qs & As that you'll learn throughout your flying years and give them to the beginners now so they don't have to learn the hard way-crashing
 
Last edited:
"You could tell me what you would like to learn, how you would like it to be presented, etc. I'm basically just looking for suggestions related to what you would expect/want to see"

(like to learn)

I know four areas that a lot of new and seasoned drone operators could benefit.

1) Pre-flight procedures and checklist. Planning the night before, packing and take off.
2) Post flight procedures and checklist. Short term and long term storage, camera storage, etc.
3) Drone étique. Where and when to fly, how to deal with spectators.
4) FAA rules. Including differences between hobbyist, Section 333 and COA.

(how you would like it to be presented)
My first choice would be videos, second choice would be seminar setting, third would be powerpoint and last would be book or ebook.
 
Last edited:
Hello I'm pretty new in flying drones, I had my first drone experience 2 months ago with a Phantom 3 Advanced and I fell in love with flying drones. First of all it would be pretty good if you could divide the classes into into two groups: beginners and advanced.
To the beginners you should teach the basics like how to start and control the drone in the air because I as a beginner (still) have sometimes problems with controlling the drone in the air. Furthermore, when you have a good drone like the DJI Phantom, then you should teach how to use the basic features of the app like the way points. But one of the most important things you should teach in both of the classes, is how to behave when problems occur like no signal or strong winds.
For the advanced class I think it would be good if you could teach how to use the camera to get good shots and some of the more special features of the app. You might also teach how to replace some parts. Even when the drone producers show you in the manual hiw to change parts, in real life it can be pretty hard.
I hope that helps you starting your drone classes and maybe I come to one of them because I have a lot to learn.
 
Last edited:
I think it would be great to have a training on the most cost effective and balanced way to get the most out of your new phantom. Including some of the the most common and essential elements such as: post production software/hardware and general tips (minimum requirements for 4K), safety upgrades such as gimbal guards and ribbon guards, aftermarket ND and polarization lenses, accessories for a strong signal i.e. Windsurfers etc, multi/speed chargers, tablet mount upgrades, apps for goggles (android and iOS), aftermarket apps that specialize in any feature the GO app doesn't, general camera setting and suggestions, tips for capturing still shots and video while in the air, best vendors for batteries, props, etc.
I think it would be great to focus on these types of subjects with 2 categories in mind - a balanced and cost effective category that doesn't break the bank (or void warranty) but still provides quality gear and upgrades, and a higher end category for those who want the best and may not mind opening some casings and heating up the soldering iron.

Just my 2c [emoji4]


Sent from my iPhone using PhantomPilots mobile app
 
I would like to see near the front in plain English:

"10 things to never do with your Phantom."

You can whittle it down to the things that cause the most grief to new Phantom pilots, mistakes that pilots have learned the hard way.

Also, thank you for all you do on the forums, I don't have a UAV yet but I've been reading the forums for sometime and have always found your posts interesting, insightful, and above all helpful.
 
I'm putting together a Phantom training program (for the Phantom 3 & 4) and am interested in hearing what you would like to see included in that program

This one is easy, I think the most important thing you can somehow implement in your phantom training program is an awareness class/section/showing for NON drone users, so they turn their paranoia, fear and misconception about phantoms and quadcopters in general into a positive experience and who knows maybe turn themselves into sUAS lovers, this is a must I think to educate people who don't know anything about this great hobby, and the rest of the ideas you'll get by the rest of the users here, thank you
 
Hi! I would love to see in your program how to fly the drone, but also some post-production.
With flying as example:
-All the functions the P3 and P4 have.
-Course lock and all that good stuff for cool video's.
-Camera settings, how do you know which settings to use etc.
-Setup, telemetry.
-Showing why you can better use a drone in some situations for filmmaking.

Post-production:
-How to make your clips look good, horizon, colorgrading etc.
-How to make your pictures look good, colorgrading, maybe in Lightroom etc.
-Some cool animations you can do with a drone, as example some text where you fly tru.

I see some cool examples here in this topic, so I think you have a good image now how you can make your program! Stay in touch with us! Haha.

Winner: congrats!
 
Phantom Training Program:

1. A basic first level
- could start off with basic pilot training presented in a QuickStart guide which shows you how to prepare take off and land your drone for the first time.
- This could be presented in a video intro where it pauses after each step and continues when you press a Continue button to allow for you to finish the step. This could be achieved by a set of YouTube videos with embedded buttons

2. Basic flight modes:
This stage could either be provided like the above or made into an interactive image so that users of the course can work through at their own pace.

3. Once the basics are covered you can split the course into several streams to allow for people to make more decisions about what they want to learn about. A few potential learning streams are listed below
-The art of Film: this stream would at first cover camera basics and then have several sub streams on categories such as filters ( which ones to get and how to use them) , another subsystem could be titled "Photos-Become a master" and could cover everything about photography.

5. Bonuses could be provided when you purchase courses such as mini guides on accessories and mods for example retractable landing gear and handheld mounts for the phantom series

I feel that if you go along with this idea you could create a really valuable resource for pilots all over the world!

Hope this helps, any questions do not hesitate to contact me :)

P.S Thank you so much already for providing such a great tool for pilots of all abilities so solve issues with their Phantoms all around the world:):)

EDIT 1:

-Conflict and resolution:
-This is one of the few dark areas of drone flying and it would be really great to have a course which would allow you to understand reasons for conflict and how to resolve the issues without losing your drone or being injured. This would be a major asset to the course as there are barley any tips on how to deal with these kind of issues

-Emergency Situations:
-Have a few lessons on what to do in an emergency:
-This could cover a wide variety of situations from loss of connectivity and other digital issues to more severe issues such a motor failure or the gimbal breaking
-It could also cover best practise in bad situations and what to do in common scenarios

Post Production:
-This could cover everything listed below and more:
1.Basic editing skills using iMovie DJI director or Windows Live movie maker
2.Basic correctional skills e.g vibration reduction audio remastering e.t.c
3. Basic Audio skills
4.Export and import skills
5. Post Production Filters and light balance
6. After Effects

P.S If you would like any intros for videos or fairly advanced editing done just let me know and I will be able to do this for you to kickstart your course to help other pilots.

Also I hope that this all goes well as for someone who gives so much to the community deserves to get something back once in a while!
 
Last edited:
I would like to see a series of videos focusing on camera/video shooting. Starting with basic camera operation, how to adjust settings on the fly, what settings are best for which situation. I know you cannot hit every situation but to take it from the start and work your way through to more detailed settings and filter usage. Explaining the differences and advantages of adapting the settings to meet the filter used and the reasons for these settings. These videos can help the beginner like myself and many of us here( I assume ), get the fantastic shot the more experienced photogs show on their threads. I don't expect to be a pro but I think you could help guide us to some shots we can be proud to show. Many of us have access to some beautiful landscapes and sights. You could help us bring out the best of those shots. Maybe you could even hold a contest later to see who listened to your teaching and got the most of your courses. I have a P3A and do not have the capacity to edit 4k, nor do I have the desire to go that far. I still think I could get some amazing shots with the proper knowledge. Thank you.
 
I think in training everybody should have a basic guadcopter to get to learn the basics of flying and how it moves in the air with the different stick movements.
And because they inexpensive quad copters , they can learn from they mistakes if crash them, before they move up to expensive drones.
Also how to set up everything from out the box, because you can't fly straight away out of the box,(firmware update,Imu,compass calibration .
Also some basic maintenance on looking after drone to keep it running smoothly and also safety advice about drone and advice on where you can fly and can't.



Sent from my iPad using PhantomPilots mobile app
 
This is what I know, without your site, I would have been clueless and in the dark to a lot of information and insight, its been invaluable in my development as a Phantom Pilot and owner. And you gave each of us the ability to voice our thoughts and suggestions in one easy spot and didn't charge us to be part of it.


Thankyou!
 
Last edited:
Most of these items you can find with a bit of patience and a Google search / practice.

What would be handy is a simple tutorial on techniques used to get out of trouble.

- Your Flying techniques
-- different locations and climate.i.e
---water, trees, wind etc.
-getting out of tricky situations.
-- gps lose.
-- orientation loose.
-- app malfunction./ shutdown.
-- recovery of craft if rth doesn't quite kick in.
-- flying from outdoors to indoors.. Issues associated. (I have a PS3 s and this is scary)
-- etc.

We need to remember this is a hobby that each user embarks on a journey of trial and error, not a step by step walk through.

Keep it simple and kudos for the offer.

Good luck.


Sent from my iPhone using PhantomPilots mobile app
 
Hello, and thank you not only for this giveaway, but for your [vast and numerous] contributions to the PhantomPilots community. Anyone who has been here for a significant amount of time has seen how much of a help you are to the community - keep it up! :):D

As for training camp ideas:
  • Basic flight control - figure 8's, manual orbiting
  • Best photo setting for great shots
  • Overview of most of the apps (DJI GO, Litchi, etc)
  • Close-quarters/indoor flying (forests, etc - may be easier with P4?)
  • Recovery flying with no FPV signal
  • RTH settings and usage
  • Flying in ATTI/Sport mode (P4 only)
  • Gimbal management for optimal shots
  • Simultaneous flight and gimbal control for smooth vertical and horizontal pans and sweeping motions
  • Intelligent Flight Mode use (POI, IOC, Waypoints, etc, also P4 - TapFly and ActiveTrack)
  • Panic management and staying calm with signal loss
  • Hand catching
  • Education about flight conditions
  • How to deal with unexpected errors, behavior, and drifting
EDIT New Stuff since original:
  • Dealing with low battery (bird, RC, or even phone)
  • Managing orientation at long range
  • Battery handling, in-flight monitoring & charging
  • Best GPS trackers and usage
  • What to do if Phantom crashes and is lost (how to go about finding it)
EDIT #2
  • How to deal with wind if no GPS
  • When taking and flying far away, make sure to not come back against the wind or there could be a critical battery landing
  • Spare battery warming while flying in the cold
Presentation could be anything, like a physical lesson or YouTube videos.

A thorough, well-made course would work wonders in helping new pilots get safely off the ground and for experienced flyers to hone their skills, both in terms of photo/videography and flight capability.
Thank you for your time, in contributions, this giveaway, and reading my giant post:p
 
Last edited:
Cool idea!

Personally, I think newbies are the ones looking at these types of video the most, and - as one - I'd want to see "worst case scenario" FAQ training. Like "what to do when you're out of range and can't see your drone? / how to use RTH" and some handholding to reassure new pilots they've done everything right in calibrating it. What can go wrong stuff - like if your tablet or phone runs out of battery, how do you get that bird home? Or what happens when you get a phone call on your iPhone while it's being used as a monitor?

Film the actual event with the phantom hovering nearby, etc.

Thanks!
 
Nice giveaway.

Here is some good suggestions for noobies and more.

Balancing props, explaining this to new users on how balancing props helps flight performance, less vibration and longer life of your drone and different balancers that actually work well.

Tips and tricks, what each flight mode does ATTI Mode compared to GPS, also sport mode on the new phantom 4, why it suites advanced pilots rather than noobies.

Orientation is also something to learn with new pilots... Never rely on FPV when out of sight, what to do if you lose orientation and never panic.

Keep and eye on batteries, correct storage, explaining and demo of how lipo batteries can be dangerous and cause fires.

Camera modes, ISO, exposure and best settings for nighttime shots.

Wind speed, direction, gusts.

Signal blocked by tree's and other metal objects, how to avoid.

Prop wash, when flying low or in doors, how it effects the movement of the Quadcopter and the props generate wind causing drift issues.

Vortex ring state, what it is and why the phantom 3's motors are at an angle to avoid wobble on decent.

Checking motors, and cracks before take off, past experience with the p3 range, the problems new users could face.

Safety of flight, not taking risks in bad weather, wind speed meters to check wind speed and direction before take off.

Looking forward to what ever you choose, these should be considered.
 
For me, the number one thing that would be important for me would be to help them understand that no matter what, technical issues can get in the way and cause crashes, flyaways, and other problems. It is always a risk you run when you fly that you will crash your drone. Also, it would be important that you teach them the importance of flying safely and that it is important we don't give our hobby a bad, already unstable reputation.

Things that would have helped me had I not already learned them:

-Understanding the physics of a drone, how a drone works and the importance of the different sensors within a drone.

-Developing a simulator that can accurately simulate flying a Phantom with variable weather conditions (more variables but similar handling to Go app simulator).

-Getting a cheap drone that handles similarly to the Phantom and practicing landing, taking off, flying around, etc.

-Learning the limits of your Phantom, battery, speed, temperature and wind/weather resistance, etc.

-How to take control during emergency situations such as flyaways, crashes or loss of control and when to just turn off the motors if someone will get hurt.

-How to properly store, clean and take care of your Phantom in general.

-How to use the smart modes to your advantage to make your Phantom as versatile as possible.

Now things that I need that would STILL help me:

-Focusing on getting the best shots instead of flying, making the controls second nature instead of the main focus.

-Best angles for the camera at different speeds to make sure that not props get into the footage.

-Best methods for taking your Phantom on long distance travel, such as a plane.

-Some sort of program which will help you easily break down problems with your Phantom and then what course of action to take, or when to call support. This would be EXTREMELY helpful for me when I need some help on figuring out what is wrong with my Phantom when I have issues (i.e. Your problem is that your drone is drifting. You go to this program, which will ask you questions about the issue such as "Have you recently traveled with your drone?" or "Are you in ATTI mode?" and eventually it will decide it is an uncalibrated IMU, following which it would give you directions on how to calibrate your IMU).

Thank you so much for this AWESOME giveaway! I can't wait to see what you guys come up with and the help it will provide to the Phantom/drone community!
 
I think the most important isuue is what to do to avoid fly aways or sudden crashes. In such cases you lost a lot of money in a few seconds.
 
I would like a fully operational gimbal / camera with zoom, left, right, up, down. Would be nice to fly the quad up 100', away from harm. Then we could focus on video.
 

Members online

Forum statistics

Threads
143,066
Messages
1,467,358
Members
104,936
Latest member
hirehackers