My first P3A flight

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Ater waiting 5 weeks for my P3A it arrived yesterday. I set it up, charged everything and re-read/reviewed some last minute notes, posts and watched videos.
I was extremely nervous because I've read a lot of disaster stories for over a month. However, I now had this beauty in my hands and decided to get it in the air, for better or worse. If it flew away, crashed or some other mishap, that would be the end of my drone days and head back to the Golf course for a less aggravating past time. Then head to the 19th hole.
Well, here goes, armed the motors, pressed auto take off and there it happened, a flawless ascent to about 3 feet. It's if I just crossed the English channel in a hang-glider!! It felt wonderful. So I went a little higher and a little more distance........it worked!! I let it hover here and there for about 5-7 minutes each time.
Finally, I decided the heart just can't take more more and navigated it back to the landing pad. I landed and shut everything down.

This bird is everything and better than all the GOOD reports I've read. I have no regrets being one of the first buyers (pre-ordered customer) and now look forward to hours of unequal enjoyment with this baby. The vids and still shots were crisp/clear and breathtaking. The video on my iPad was perfect and did not break up or flicker.
I sold my P2V+ a month ago, which was also a great machine with zero problems.

My advice to those waiting or deciding to get a P3: Be careful, go slow and follow the owner's manual. Don't take short cuts and don't be in a hurry.
For those who seem to be have varied of issues, I just hope it is attributed to pilot error.

Good luck and smooth flying.
 
Your story sounds just like mine. I was nervous to take it out for the first flight, and once I got it up in the air life was good. My only scare was the return flight back to me since it had to go higher before it came back to me.
 
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Ha! my heart started pounding both when I took it to 1300 feet up on one trip and 16,624 feet away on another. Figured I'd see what this baby would do
 
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Ha! my heart started pounding both when I took it to 1300 feet up on one trip and 16,624 feet away on another. Figured I'd see what this baby would do
Dang I can only get about 3000 ft away from me. I do have trees all around. I guess that's the reasoning.
 
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How the heck did you not have withdrawals having sold your P2 so far in advance of the P3?
 
Well, I took my first flight today with my new P3A. I have several hundred flights on my P2 so not sure what I was expecting, but WOW!!, this thing is so far above the P2 it isn't funny. 1st off I love the auto take-off (not so much the auto land as I think its to fast and on uneven ground cause a tip-over) and the response is better, the bird is much quieter than my P2 although it was loaded down. Where this bird shines is the controller w/light bridge, and the Pilot App. I can't say enough about the pilot app, on the P2 whenever the bird was out of sight I got some nerves, not with this app, ****, I knew exactly where the bird was at all times. Today was mostly command & control, and familiarization with the new mapping and control features. I especially love the ability to play back the entire flight with control stick movements for feedback.
I NEED MORE BATTERIES!!!!
 
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We all need more batteries!
image.jpg

Congrats on your first flights!
 
Ha! my heart started pounding both when I took it to 1300 feet up on one trip and 16,624 feet away on another. Figured I'd see what this baby would do
Are you sure you got that far out from your home point in a straight line, or the entire flight was that much? The flight recorder displays the distance of the entire flight. 16,624' is 5.2 KM, or about 3 miles, that would be a record so far as the longest flight recorded was 5.2KM I think, and he got back by the skin of his teeth on a sucked dry battery.
 
I'm in the same boat, I preordered April 21st from dji. Dhl tracking says it will be here tomorrow, nervous as heck as this will be my first quad. I've flown planes and helis but with the reports of misfortune I'm a bit nervous. Although it appears that there are more positive reports than negatives.
 
Are you sure you got that far out from your home point in a straight line, or the entire flight was that much? The flight recorder displays the distance of the entire flight. 16,624' is 5.2 KM, or about 3 miles, that would be a record so far as the longest flight recorded was 5.2KM I think, and he got back by the skin of his teeth on a sucked dry battery.
That was straight out. I took a screen shot. Then I flew back. My batter had 2:15 left on it. But the way back, there were plenty of places I felt comfortable landing should I not make it. I had two yellow bars left and weak signal. I could of gone a little farther. Just to check it, I drove it and it was about the same. I couldn't go in a complete straight line with my truck but it was close.

I'm afraid to try it again. Especially since it's been windy here lately. That day was a clear day with a 5 MPH wind on return against me
 
Dang I can only get about 3000 ft away from me. I do have trees all around. I guess that's the reasoning.

Yes, it has to do with it. If I fly from home over trees and houses, my best range is around 3500, but normally, no more than about 2500. Trees and homes play a big part. If you take it to a park with a wide open field. I took mine to a park with a huge open field and I took off in a direction I knew would not be impeded by trees, I went way out. I also picked a place where if I had to land it on the way back, I would feel secure going after it and someone not taking it. I also have a trackimo, so I wasn't worried too much



I took this screen shot when I got a weak signal banner. I stopped there and by the time it came to a stand still it was 16624 ft. I think the reason I didn't have a map in the lower left was because I only have a wifi ipad and didn't cache this location before heading in that direction that day.
 
WOW! very nice, yes, you need to zoom out on your map the next time to get the entire area saved, I did the entire area out to 20 miles. I only went out 9,000 today as I was just getting the feel for her. Good to know that it will go out further than I will ever need for filming. You must have been fighting a headwind on the way back if you made it out that far with 72% remaining.
 
Ater waiting 5 weeks for my P3A it arrived yesterday. I set it up, charged everything and re-read/reviewed some last minute notes, posts and watched videos.
I was extremely nervous because I've read a lot of disaster stories for over a month. However, I now had this beauty in my hands and decided to get it in the air, for better or worse. If it flew away, crashed or some other mishap, that would be the end of my drone days and head back to the Golf course for a less aggravating past time. Then head to the 19th hole.
Well, here goes, armed the motors, pressed auto take off and there it happened, a flawless ascent to about 3 feet. It's if I just crossed the English channel in a hang-glider!! It felt wonderful. So I went a little higher and a little more distance........it worked!! I let it hover here and there for about 5-7 minutes each time.
Finally, I decided the heart just can't take more more and navigated it back to the landing pad. I landed and shut everything down.

This bird is everything and better than all the GOOD reports I've read. I have no regrets being one of the first buyers (pre-ordered customer) and now look forward to hours of unequal enjoyment with this baby. The vids and still shots were crisp/clear and breathtaking. The video on my iPad was perfect and did not break up or flicker.
I sold my P2V+ a month ago, which was also a great machine with zero problems.

My advice to those waiting or deciding to get a P3: Be careful, go slow and follow the owner's manual. Don't take short cuts and don't be in a hurry.
For those who seem to be have varied of issues, I just hope it is attributed to pilot error.

Good luck and smooth flying.
I to sold my P2 over a month ago, and got a good price. I am by nature a meticulous person, from my days as a flight crew chief, if I am flying in it it's going to be right! So I never experienced any of the P2 issues others were having. Now that I have my P3A I will not have to add the gimbal, the long range antennas, or tweak it for best performance, as the P3 already has more range than I need. My flight today was pure joy, loved every minute, and tomorrow I am going to fly up to a waterfall a few miles away. Sure wish I had those extra batteries I ordered <sigh>
 
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