Terrified newbie

(Those Orange County people)....
 
Love the southern segment of L.A. !!!!!!!!!!! (Former Anaheim/Garden Grove resident).
 
Just remember you have beginner mode. It wont fly too high or far with this on. Another good point is that if the drone is doing something you dont like just release the controls and it will hover. If it goes out of sight and you cannot workout where it is then just push the Return to home button and it will come back to you and land.

My best advice though is to find someone local to you who has a drone already and work with them first to get your confidence up. Thats a good reason to put your location in your profile :)!!

Any newbies near me are more than welcome to come and have a go on mine so they know the basics, I live in Malvern England.

One last thing. EVERYONE has to learn and have their first go at something. Its a wise man that asks for help.:)
 
And for the love of God.... Set the RTH altitude to clear ANY objects between you and the drone.
(Make sure you set to either Feet or Meters according to your country!!)
 
I'm an instructor, take a class. Learning how to 'fly' in 5 minutes, is a great way to fly into a tree or wall in 5 minutes. You need a mobile device or tablet to fly your done. Do you know how to up-date your phone, clear out the junk and set it up to the best settings for flying, did you know that an iPhone will overheat and shut down if temps are over 85 degrees for too long. You have to up-date your drone, do you understand firmware up-dates compared to software up-dates, what about interference, do you know that setting up your drone on the trunk of your car can screw up the compass, or rebar in some concrete decks, interference from power transformers too, how about just flying. I've read a lot of post here, and good for you people picking up flying on your own. But I've trained 50 people this year, and 10 of them came to me after they "watched videos on YouTubes" ( you now what videos are on youTube "cat Videos") and had crashed their first beautiful expensive drones into a tree. Drones are not "toys" anymore, as much fun as they are, cities and states and the Feds have all kinds of rules now, fines,and lawsuits are a real possibility if you don't know what your doing.
 
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And with that , he never opened the box......
 
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I am about three weeks in with a P3A package I bought on craigslist for $640. It is great fun, and you will be wowed by the footage, but I have also had about half a dozen heart attacks. My philosophy has been that even if I feel like I know what I'm doing, I don't, so go slow and stay cool.
 
Hey bud... I'm a newbie here and picked up a P4 the other day. Was looking for a 3 but got such a good deal I jumped on it. Like you, I was terrified from all the stories Ive read and that dreaded firmware update. I just went to You Tube.... watched some of the videos. Downloaded the firmware/Software updates and restarted unit and controller after every update. Went out to fly next day and it was rock steady and spot on! Now to grab a couple more batteries and a case! :)
 
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I'm an instructor, take a class. Learning how to 'fly' in 5 minutes, is a great way to fly into a tree or wall in 5 minutes. You need a mobile device or tablet to fly your done. Do you know how to up-date your phone, clear out the junk and set it up to the best settings for flying, did you know that an iPhone will overheat and shut down if temps are over 85 degrees for too long. You have to up-date your drone, do you understand firmware up-dates compared to software up-dates, what about interference, do you know that setting up your drone on the trunk of your car can screw up the compass, or rebar in some concrete decks, interference from power transformers too, how about just flying. I've read a lot of post here, and good for you people picking up flying on your own. But I've trained 50 people this year, and 10 of them came to me after they "watched videos on YouTubes" ( you now what videos are on youTube "cat Videos") and had crashed their first beautiful expensive drones into a tree. Drones are not "toys" anymore, as much fun as they are, cities and states and the Feds have all kinds of rules now, fines,and lawsuits are a real possibility if you don't know what your doing.


I live in a extremely rural area. There isn't a drone shop or instructor within 200 plus miles. Why don't you swing by and give me some some tips? It would be greatly appreciated.
 
Hey guys I'm getting ready to purchase a p3 pro and I'm terrified. I'm a reasonably intelligent person but the more I read and research I'm filled with dread.

Thanks.

My advice:
If you're terrified and filled with dread, then don't buy until you AREN'T terrified and filled with dread. Look at videos and photos, and read up more. Then, if you're still terrified and filled with dread, by a kite instead.
 
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My advice:
If you're terrified and filled with dread, then don't buy until you AREN'T terrified and filled with dread. Look at videos and photos, and read up more. Then, if you're still terrified and filled with dread, by a kite instead.

After a couple weeks of research I'm still terrified but with a lot less dread. Thanks!
 
Hey guys I'm getting ready to purchase a p3 pro and I'm terrified. I'm a reasonably intelligent person but the more I read and research I'm filled with dread. I haven't the slightest clue about the science of piloting drones. Is this something I can pick up fairly easy from videos and research? It all seems complicated or am I just paranoid and over thinking this. Should I start of with a more simple platform ? Any input positive or negative will be greatly appreciated.

Thanks.
I've never played a game which involved joysticks, never owned a RC anything, and bought s P3S. It's pretty easy, you'll get the hang of it, I don't regret getting it. Have had it a couple months and got my part107 license and am doing work and making money with it. Have fun enjoy it.
 
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I've never played a game which involved joysticks, never owned a RC anything, and bought s P3S. It's pretty easy, you'll get the hang of it, I don't regret getting it. Have had it a couple months and got my part107 license and am doing work and making money with it. Have fun enjoy it.

Great to hear my friend. Thanks for the support!
 
Hey bud... I'm a newbie here and picked up a P4 the other day. Was looking for a 3 but got such a good deal I jumped on it. Like you, I was terrified from all the stories Ive read and that dreaded firmware update. I just went to You Tube.... watched some of the videos. Downloaded the firmware/Software updates and restarted unit and controller after every update. Went out to fly next day and it was rock steady and spot on! Now to grab a couple more batteries and a case! :)

Awesome! Thanks for the feedback!
 
I've been flying for a year now and I really, really enjoy it. My confidence is high but I'm always safe and cautious. For what it's worth, when my P4 arrived, I took it out the box, put it on the table, and just looked at it for 30 days. I was paralyzed. I held my nose and took the plunge. One step at a time. Lifted off the ground, left, right, up, down, land. Wash, rinse, repeat.
 
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I haven't the slightest clue about the science of piloting drones

An neither did the majority of first time quad pilots!

Starting it up, lift off and first flight, are all pretty simple and basic to carry out.

Knowing why the quad does what it does when you enter specific commands via the "sticks" is pretty basic also - you can even
set up the "sticks" to your own liking.

Studying and learning from the mistakes and accidents of others is invaluable information to acquire and retain. Know where
and when to fly safely.

TRUST & RESPECT the technology - but be prepared for any event that forces you into not relying on the "bird's" internal guidance systems (Atti-mode flying).

Read and watch all you can get your hands and eyes on, at this stage of the game, there is absolutely no excuse for anyone to fly their quad "blind"!

Finally, you will never know until you try - you couldn't run before you learned to walk - take the same simple, yet careful approach here.

Identify your own limitations and those of the quad etc --- Best of luck - actually, skill will beat luck out every time!
 
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I was lucky to have a son that visited me every year (we're 1,000 miles apart) and brought his P3S with him. I enjoyed going with him to fly where we live on the Oregon coast. Last birthday/Father's Day, he brought me a P3P (factory refurb.). I understand the anticipation of the first flights and agree that short flights at first is the way to go. I have increased my distance continually and feeling more comfortable each time. Even helped lay out a disk golf course for a friend along the coast. I agree a 4K camera probably isn't needed, I use 1080p, not 4K nearly all the time and it's beautiful.. Remember baby steps.
 
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