This video should be a requirement for both new and experienced drone pilots. It's highly educational, and the detailed explanations effectively convey the message. The teaching style is also commendable.
As someone starting out in drone flying that was so useful. It also explains why when I was practicing flying low over grass the mini kept going lower. I kept correcting it but was baffled why it was happening. Now I know. Thanks Rick.
Again, seems like crappy design. If there is a known issue with VIO conflicting with GPS over water at low altitudes then the system should disable VIO. There should be an option for the pilot to select over water flight which takes this into account.
Could the pilot have handled it better with knowledge and previous experience? Yes, but the system is poorly designed which is the cause. Did they not test it over water?
Justin Roysdon Guy, water is a given. Just like swimming in the ocean if you get far out from the beach it will take you out to the ocean. It’s the waves and wind the make the water more powerful.
VIO......BEWARE.I was flying 1 metre above a lake with very still water when Marvin decided to go and land it,I was to slow to cancel the land command and in he went.I'm trying the bury in rice trick to try and dry out the moisture,it worked on my phone,which doesn't swim either,heres hoping.Your tip about changing BOTH propellers and screws now make sense,I only changed the one and used the same screws,but now I can't remember which one I changed,DOH.Keep up with these vodieos Rick they really helped with my Mini.
One of the best and helpful videos I've watched. I try to be extra careful when it comes to wind and I have the Evo1. I still get nervous when flying and have to build up confidence. So far I've never had any problems, but have to learn to relax more and enjoy the hobby. I only know that any day you go home with your drone. IS A GOOD DAY. Thanks for the posting of this video.
Chasbro Chas Same here you have a way more expensive drone then I do but I know my drone can go further I’ve seen plenty RUclips videos about that. I still fly my drone as long as I can still physically see it that’s as far as I go LOL I’ve only had it for about five days now but it’s funny I thought I was the only one now I know I’m not LOL as long as I can land my drone and go home you’re right it’s a gd day 😂👍🏼
@@TAZ0300 For the amount of times I fly. I sometimes wonder if I should of spent that much money for my drone. Still it is awesome. Going to check out your site as it's fun to watch other peoples videos. Stay well Taz.
I’ve was scared at first also. Just make sure you do a pre flight check and be sure everything’s working properly. Don’t take off on or near metal or high electric objects. I had “one” fly away back in 2015. After that I was so scared to fly I thought I was done with drones. I’m glad I didn’t..... I have hundreds of hours flying and iam confident each and every flight Uav forescast is the best advise I can give for starters it will give you great wind readings at different altitudes etc. Hope that helps.
This video should be required watching for all new pilots, and old timers as well. I personally have had one fly away (when I first got my drone and had no idea what I was doing) , but I have also since then had to step in and help with 3 different flyaways with friends. They panicked and in two cases I was able to grab their controllers and w/exception of pointing the camera down (since all were well within vlos) pretty much handled as you suggested and managed to regain control and fly home. Pretty scary stuff. All three of these flyaways were I believe EM/radio interference so hopefully you will broach that topic next. What I did notice with all 3 of them, was the EM/radio interference may have caused the flyaway, but just turning the craft and changing elevation down even 20ft. seemed to restore the connection. Where we fly is a hotspot for EM and radio frequencies with 3 airports nearby, plus Ames NASA Moffet field, plus a lot of RC aircraft in the air as well. This is a carve out zone for RC aircraft that sits in the middle of a lot of radio frequencies so, you do have to pay attention. Great vid! Cheers.
Never experienced a fly away with my Air 2S. (Knock on wood) But, operating various sized boats on different bodies of water over the years, I’ve developed a great respect and fear of the wind. I simply don’t put my drone up or take my boat out passed the breakwater, if I think the wind might cause me problems. I do both activities to relax and have fun so on windy days I’ll simply stay home or grab my metal detector and go to the park to find some lost jewelry or pocket change. I’m a fair weather flyer. Having said that, great informative video full of good information.
Thanks for the video, I am a new Mavic air 2 owner. (love it), and after flying it in some wind I feel I can trust it to a point. But I want spend plenty of time on the basics. When you were talking about pointing the camera straight down to check for obstacles (great idea). here is what I learned about the mavic air 2 to pass along. You can set up the grid lines to include an x in the middle, then face the camera down. use the x to position the drone over a landing area, then left stick down right on the spot the x marked. a fast way to get the gimbal looking straight down (double tap the left function key). gimbal back forward, double tap the left function button again. Keep up the videos:')
This is the first video I've seen of yours. Have to say I saw an impressive amount of professionalism and knowledge packed into a video. Great job and thanks 👍
I lightly hit the side of my shed with the rear prop on mine. It still flew fine that day with a very tiny chip in the prop. I was surprised the next day when I took it up it said it had a motor error. It told me to land it and it would beep and the motor with the bad prop would vibrate. It did it and I seen the chip in the prop. I was amazed that it could tell the difference in the prop given how tiny the damage was. I changed the props on that motor and it was fine. No problems at all. This Mavic Mini is just amazing for how tiny it is.
Great information and could not agree with Free California more ! I had to learn the expensive way when my first Evo flew away and I panicked where if I had stayed calm I would have retrieved my drone. After the incident I analyzed what had happened or actually after tromping through the woods for hours looking for my $1000 dollar drone tracking the map but never found it. What freaked me out was the mechanics of the drone were completely reversed and I had no control what so ever but it did eventually go into a hover about 1/2 a mile from the launch but as I lowered the camera I saw it was directly over a fairly busy road and I could see traffic . That freaked me out so I managed to gain enough control to get it over the woods where it should have crashed as the battery life was drained battling heavy heavy winds with a freak storm that rolled in. Went back a few times and scoured the woods but never found it so I accepted it as a very very expensive lesson and ordered a new one which I have been flying since. What I could have done was to simply get into my truck and drive the 1 minute to where it was hovering and set the drone down in the line of sight safely. Certainly there are many things to be aware of prior to and during the flight of your drone and this is some great information that every drone operator should read . Thanks for the information
Drone Valley I'm a New Mavic Mini owner & I haven't flown it yet & I have been watching as many Videos as I can To learn about the Mini & how the Best way To Fly it ! Thanks for such a Great Video !
I wish I had seen this video before going to Aruba last October. I was flying low over the water, which was very still, and suddenly the drone started to descend. I was so stunned by this that I literally froze and watched as my drone went down into the water. Thanks for the excellent info.
You are spot on when it comes to keeping calm when it comes to a flyaway. Had my first one last night I got a little to high high and a good old Kansas wind gust sent it right into a tree. Major factors were pilot error had it to close to the tree trying to fly around it and race back down the street. My saving grace’s were that I had the guards on and as soon as it went into the tree I hit the Emergency stop button and got a good visual on its orientation and flew it out and landed it. Then spent the next 45 mins cleaning the green leaf spray off of the drone and having my wife and neighbor laugh at me because I got cocky.
Great advice, Rick. I have found the UAV Forecast app (although not perfect) does give me some basis of wind & gust speed from 33 AGL to 400' AGL.. But as you point out nothing can replace practical experience, follow alerts/instructions on controller, and a contingency plan with good old common sense. Above all "DO NOT PANIC!"
Rick, I broke into droning with a Snaptain S5C and it was a good move before I bought my Mavic Mini. My first day outside with the Mini I had 3 accidents in the cemetery. Into a tree, into a granite wall and cut my thumb when I tried landing on my hand. That put me in my place and since then I've only had 2 accidents, one as recently as 2 days ago when I flew backward into a tree because I didn't have eyes on! My grandaughter saved the day by finding the quad on the ground under the tree (I did use Find My Drone). I know it must've fallen 20 feet onto the thick grass and is OK! I am subscribed to many channels but I get the most out of Drone Valley. Being an engineer myself I have the same perspective and pretty much everything you say is clear and enlightening. You speak quickly but very efficiently in your composition. It's like speed reading. Watching your altitude is a huge part of flying and makes complete sense. The first thing I do is take off straight up while yawing until I have a clear view in all directions. I note my altitude and add 20 ft. to RTH altitude. It is working for me so far. Your videos are excellent. Even my wife watches with me and she has surprisingly been very supportive of my new hobby. My only other hobby is guitar but I haven't been spending as much time with it lately. Anyway thanks for doing what you do. You're so right about how you become attached to this, like a pet that has feelings. Before I launch I think ok Mini, you better come back and in one piece or I'll really be upset. I haven't named it yet but yeah, that's coming. Thanks!
Seeing this kind of video reminds me why I subscribed to your channel some time ago. They are always informative and help me, as the Boy Scouts say, 'be prepared'. I just bought my first drone (the Mavic Air 2) and this video will help keep my blood pressure down! Keep up the great work!
I orded my Mavic Mini yesterday, i can't wait to get it. Drone Valley is a good youtube channel to watch before you get your drone so you know what to do, and not to.
I’m a drone newbie but I don’t fly a DJI Mavic (Mini). My chosen weapon of choice is a Holystone HS720e which I have owned since Xmas. All I can say is thank you from the bottom of my heart for steering me and my drone in the right direction. ❤️😎❤️
I had my Mini do a wondering off side ways or a fly away last week, No wind but over tree's, I did everything before setting off with the compass wind check ect, And its first time it did a fly away, All i can think off that the down censers got confuses with been over tree's and drifted off with out control it, In end i had to fight it by controlling it back home and it was like skating on a ice ring flying it back. Its not just the wind at times it can be the bottom censers that can get confused or fall at times too.
Just bought the Mavic Mini and received it last Wednesday, only have about 20 minutes flying . Will sure watch the winds before flying and will practice to lower down and return . And will avoid low flying over water or elsewhere . Thanks for your great explanation you do a great job ! Just sub also 😉👍 H&S 👩❤️👨🌈 From Boisbriand Québec Canada 🇨🇦
Thanks for an excellent tutorial! As a newbie to drones I greatly appreciate this sort of content. I look forward to the additional vids you plan on this topic. Also, please consider doing other vids that deal with other issues drone pilots might encounter. There's plenty of equipment reviews, but few that I've found on the nuances of flying drones. This vid impressed me enough that I liked, subscribed, and turned on notifications - thanks again!
Yesterday I had the exact “wind episode “. Low battery 30 and up mph wind , dusk, couldn’t determine direction because drone was not responding “hazy conditions “. Needless to say DJI phantom 4 pro was telling me “wind warning” for quite a while. I was however “lucky “ that I was at the RC club field with no one else around. I had the “good sense” to set the phantom down and took a walk to recover. Lesson learned .... High wind screws everything up. Drone seemed to be leaving because of high winds. I also decided I need a “sun shade” because I couldn’t get a good look thru the camera because of glare on small tablet screen. You are correct “it really put me in a panic”. Several Lessons learned.... Nice video, Thanks. Dan
I’m new at this hobby and today I received a Mavic Mini. I plan to get it up in the air tomorrow. In preparation, I’ve been watching your videos which I find very educational on this field. I’ve already subscribed and want to thank you for your knowledge and will to share it.
"please practice" wise words. I had my M2 flying backwards, not forward at low speed. Instinctively I dropped the altitude and it slowly creeped back. Did not think of switching to sport mode as you suggested. Also like your idea of landing at a point you recognize if you run out of juice.
I had a fly away from a verified bug in the firmware (Mavic Pro) that a certain procedure triggered the fly away. When I replayed back the flight you could capture the bug that caused the fly away. That's the only one for me. But kept cool and managed to get it back with no video and only the small Mavic controller keyboard, and no sight of the drone.
Thank you very much for the information. Very very good information. Will make sure to keep the drone above 25ft over still ware or snow and bring it down to lower elevation when there is wind warning..
I really appreciate your videos. Gives me more confidence that I can handle whatever comes my way. I got my Mavic Mini in February, but I have only flown it once. When I flew it from my backyard, all I kept thinking was there goes $400.00 if you screw up. I will keep watching your videos, so I can gain the confidence I need to just have fun. Thanks.
Nice video. One video I watched someone tried to land far away because the battery got low but when he landed the drone lost connection and attempted to return home resulting in a crash. I think there should be a choice to land even if signal is lost. I would never want return home off but I wouldnt want it attempting to return home if I was wanting to land far away either.
Exactly, I see people try to fly it all the way back with critical battery and crash. I'm thinking, that power tower, landmark, land it there, get in the car and go get the drone. Better than a disastrous crash. Great advice.
Great tips. Had my first fly away, It was my first time flying in this environment, it was pretty predictable that this would happen but I didn't see the signs. GPS signal was extremely poor (tall buildings blocking signal), VIO was poor as well due to flying over a river. I'm sure the compass wasn't in a healthy state either. I was flying
Rick I wish everyone would watch you. You teach me every time I watch. I brag I know a real drone genius. Hahaha I don't even know you. Had my mini 2 over 2 weeks and haven't got out of the yard yet. Went 20 feet up once and it moved about 3 feet and I didn't tell it to so down I came. Rick I'm 73 years old love the drone but can't afford to lose it. And it's my first one.
You are a breath of fresh air and appreciate the lack of ego. You can’t have analytical thinking with an ego. Well done. Very helpful information which I hope I never have to use, but if I do, I’m going to pull this out of my memory bank. Thank you for your videos and sharing your experience!
All good points thanks. I took my Mavic pro out today in very windy conditions, just to learn how much it can handle, and it was very good. It was a coastal area, so plenty of beach to ditch and recover, and very good practice. I prefer my P4 in marginal conditions, it is a beast with a 4 cell battery, and fights against a reasonable wind, and as per your dog ref, I am very comfortable with it. Good point about never actuate RTH if it is the wind. Been flying for 5 years and never had a fly away, and only minor altercations with trees which deliberately extend their branches to snag you.
I’m new to drones. Mavic Mini is my first drone and only had 2 weeks at this point. After a week flying with no issues I was feeling pretty good. Then I had a flyaway over water trying to film a covered bridge. Scared me because it went down and I missed the river by about a foot. I do have video of it. What’s what weird about it is as soon as it was over the water about 15ft above the surface the drone just went down, It wasn’t even responding to the control stick even though I was pushing straight up. I’m just glad I was saved. Lesson learned. Thank You for this video! Also to resist hitting that return to home in high winds. That’s something I’ve been tempted to do when I see the warning.
I love the brevity and clarity of this man for this channel. I've been cool with drones for a bit, flown a few, it's nice. Finally bought my Mavic Mini. Had error 40002 gimbal issues out the box, but it's working now. Can't wait to see what I can do with this drone. Thanks for this channel and the way you present information, I love it.
Rick, great explanation. Explain why (over water) the drone may have a tendency to descend? I know visual and infrared gets confused, but is there other reasons why these signals aren’t ignored by the drone, and it always seems to descend?
Wow...very informative video. Another example of the truth of the old proverb ...To the man (pilot) who can't (won't) read... (or watch you tube videos)....the world is a closed book. You have no doubt saved this pilot from a crash or a flyaway. P.S. I was planning on a very low flyover our community pond.....will now stay above 25'. Thank you Rick
I just got the Mavic mini for my son, and he is loving it. I appreciate your info. On this video I don’t have a drone of my own and this is my sons first and just doing some research this video actually covered very important information I am going to share with my son. Thanks.
Just purchased the Mavic mini 2 and looking at videos for flying tips. Your knowledge and advice has been greatly appreciated, thanks for taking the time.🇬🇧👍
So if u encounter flyaway over water or snow, do u go high or low? You want to go very low to avoid the wind but u want to go high to avoid VIO activating?? Sounds very contradicting.
Vince, It may sound confusing at first but the challenges your facing with those two scenarios is different. When you're flying too high, the wind is your enemy and dropping down a nit to a lower altitude will usually find a less aggressive wind that you can fly through to get back home. When you're flying too low over still water its the VIO that causing the issue and if you elevate 10-20 feet you can avoid this issue. The wind is not an issue here since you're closer to the surface with typically less aggressive levels. I hope that helps and you stay safe with the quad. Rick
Pretty new to drone flying, and just watched a video in which there was a drone fly away. I went frantically searching for what caused them to do that. So glad I found you.
thanks for the video , im on my 3rd mini , crashed two since feb 2020. totalled one and one is still on the roof of my apartment, #3 is safe and sound. no crashes since.Ive set a personal range record at 5.23 miles over lake toledo bend in texas ...gimme a shout . looking forward to hearing from you. im working on my 107.
A almost flyaway i had was low flying over a river and it kept trying to follow the "pattern" ie the current until it would lose the patterns then it would follow another then another and to get back to my location I had to go even lower to bring it back in under the tree branches. Scary situation as a newbie at the time but a learning experience non the less
There is another thing, the S (sport mode) which might help with lowering your altitude to bring it home, another thing one needs to mention is the sensors on a dji mini 2 which are not as performant as you might think upon water or moving ground as they might be on solid ground.
😢😢😢oh my gosh. I wish I had saw this last month. I have a Ruko f11 Gim drone. I saw the storm coming. I knew it was coming. But the cold front caught me off guard. And took drone. Now i was still in control. I put the camera down and i had perfect landing spot i could've landed. On the beach. Nothing but grass and view house in the area i was on the beach. Hit the home button and it got worst took me higher. So i cancelled it and again got control and should have just landed it right there at the park which was 100yard away from where i was on the beach. I freaked out and it stayed in the air until battery died. Dropped in the trees. Checked the track my drone and it took me in the area it was before it lost signal. I couldn't find the drone. After the storm. I stayed at the beach/park and once the rain slowed down. I went back to that area. It was a couple feet away in the trees. No damage 🙏🏿. I backed my h3 on the grass fyi wasn't supposed to do that but no one else was at the beach at this point lol 😂. That was my fault. Next time i will land exactly like you said. In a safe area and come back for it later if i can't right then in there. As a new drone pilot i understand why real actual pilots train for this stuff. It makes sense now. I'm just a drone pilot. Did right up until i freaked out. None of this would have happened if i had simply went with my first thought and landed the first time 🤬🤬🤬🤪🤪🤪🤬🤬🤬. I had totally control and then boom my dumb self hit return to home and all hell broke loose lol 🤣. I'm learning as i go. I'm loving this journey! Now i know to either land or put in sports mode and lower altitude and come home. Or depending on the situation. Don't fly at all. I have been watching videos like this since then. Trying to learn and be a better pilot.
Great information. Can you set the VIO switch off, so you can be GPS only in cases of ocean? Would tape in these scenarios work over certain sensors? Thanks.
Glad it helped! I love flying and knowing that others are enjoying these clips make putting them together worth it. Take your time and it does get easier with practice. Flyaways are super rare so worry less and have fun! Rick
Can you please revisit this educational topic this year 2024 since there are more technology and updates. Welbeck from Accra Ghana West Africa. Stay blessed and safe all the time Amen 🙏
I'm a brand new pilot to the hobby, I fly a Mavic Mini. I had my first flyaway a few weeks after I got my drone, purely pilot error. I saw all these clips about how great the mini was and I see everyone pushing their limits, so I decided to take it up to about three hundred feet and at the time I had no knowledge of the wind variations at different altitudes. I also made the mistake of flying out with the the wind instead of against it so I'd have the wind helping me get home. Well, my battery got too low and I was attempting to fight the wind to come home, and she got taken by the wind and blow about 400m away from where I started trying to head home. My battery ended up way too low trying to fight it's way back home and my drone did a forced emergency landing due to insufficient power. Luckily, I was able to locate my drone with the dji fly app find my drone feature. I didn't do any damage to the drone itself but I did break one of the propeller guards. It was the scariest situation I've been in as a new pilot.
A while back I had winds strong enough to knock down an old tree in my yard. I used my Mini to film it and went about 200ft with very strong winds and it handled it like a champ. I could barely notice the mini fighting the winds. I may have thrown it in sport mode to compensate for the strong winds, I don't exactly remember though but yes, I was impressed at just how solid it was managing what I imagine to be 25-30mph winds.
What would be very handy for likes of Mini is some form of terrain warning on the map . Especially if it can calculate the current altitude of drone versus the terrain ahead of flight path . Or be able to manually mark specific terrain on a map to receive warning of drone is approaching it . DJI should make an update like that I reckon
Great video Rick, especially the part about the bottom sensors "VIO "and the gps controlling the drone. Take the mini out at night in a dark area push takeoff and when it rises to the 6 foot hover spot , you better raiise-up fast so the gps takes over, or the mini will take off on you without proper lighting
It’s important to have an anemometer with you to check the wind speed before any flight also be aware that in built up areas the wind speed is subject to change quite dramatically!
I enjoyed your informative video. i’ve been wanting to get a drone for sometime and have been doing a little due diligence about the DJI Mavic mini. Then I saw a review from PC mag that complained about connectivity issues and that causing me to become a little leery of the Mini. The good info you provided has me back open to considering the money. Thanks for the info
What would be the safest way to retrieve a mini from the deck of a boat that is only 6' from the water? Should boat owners not consider the mini and go for the air 2? Thank you for the great information.
Hey. This was me last year. I lost my tello drone to fly away (yes it was user error). I did replace it with Mavic Mini. I am so happy with the Mini so, I am good. I’ll be taking a course on flying a drone soon. Thanks for the content and hard work.
Rick, this is a REALLY informative video and a lot of common sense that will hopefully if it ever happens to me I will remember "Rick's advice". Many thanks for explaining in simple language in all your videos. Stay safe during this difficult time we are all experiencing.
Hi Rick, another Brilliant video, I have learnt so much about drone flying from your videos,your a top guy, gained so much confidence from you, I have a mavic pro 2 and getting to grips with it.A college at work sold me his dji spark, so now can do more flying. Thanks
I agree with Rick, I have had three flyaways with my Mavic Mini. All three I have been able to return home safely. One of my flyaways was especially interesting. I was flying in an area with high trees recording businesses on a property when all of a sudden the drone was not responding to anything I was doing on the controls. I was about 20 feet away from the drone and it was flying at about 12 feet high so nowhere near a dangerous distance. This was late at night showcasing the highlights of the resort while it was empty at 2 in the morning. The drone must have lost satellite connection and the ground has the same exact pattern throughout the property so I am assuming that both Satellites and VIO both were confused as drone just began to fly erratically. Once I experienced this I wanted to ensure this did not happen again. I took strong measures to ensure I fly in places that Satellite or VIO have no issues because I need something to help maneuver. Then I signed up to Airdata UAV which gives me tons of info on accurate weather and best times for Satellite coverage, Not to mention tons of in-flight data for me to review after each flight. If I encounter in-flight problems such as wind or anything else I have the data recorded to improve my response in the future. Even though the Mavic Mini is an easy drone to fly, you still need the experience to fly safely and effectively. Rick, we appreciate your insight into these topics that truly make people aware of the unseen problematic scenarios that can arise on a whim. For those who do not have the experience to return home safely or ground their drone, this is an awesome tutorial of what can actually happen if you are not careful and ignore practicing these real possible scenarios!
Had a lightweight drone get taken away by the wind while flying at 100’ but I did drop altitude and bring it back by sheer luck. Thanks for this information! Always entertaining and worth watching! Love your products as well!
I am a new pilot, and I recently bought a prop guard, just so I can fly indoor. So, here's what happened, I was flying indoor so I could test the prop guard in a room with smooth white tiled flooring, and it was dark (low light condition), with no GPS (atti mode). Suddenly a strong gust of wind blew my drone and went out of control, Luckly that prop guard saved me and did an emergency landing. My guess is that the VIO had difficulty working in a low light environment and that fact that you mentioned about the importance of the terrain you're flying. Thank you for sharing this information.
Excellent instruction. As you know, UAV Forecast is an excellent app to gauge whether it is safe to fly. I set the wind mph at 18 mph at 200 feet, so if the wind reaches this speed, the app says "Not Good To Fly" and I never disregard this warning. If your subscribers do this, they will keep their drones longer.
The first flight on my Mini yesterday after only having flown a Pro before. I thought I'd try out RTH. On the way up to its 20m RTH height the wind got hold and away it went. Of course it went down wind and over the water spinning in circles. Eventually it recovered which was probably once it reduced height and wind speed reduced. At least now I know why it did this and can restore some confidence.
I truly appreciate your honesty and detail. Have not moved up to mavric line or above yet. However the knowledge you share is key to me becoming a better pilot. I'll keep all the information you shared as I consider my next purchase.
What a great video. I'm a new Mini owner, trying to educate myself as much as possible to be a responsible and capable pilot, taking baby steps with the hobby. This is a really valuable resource for tips on how to make good decisions before and during flight, and how to keep your head when the situation goes pear-shaped. Many thanks for sharing!
Great video - I nearly lost my mini within the first 3 days due to high winds. I now understand why the drone was acting funny about 2m above pond. Keep those videos coming
This video is very informative especially for a new flyer like me. I never knew the limits of a Mavic Mini and the high flyaway statistics happening out there, until I saw this video. This gives me head knowledge of what to watch out for while flying my Mavic Mini. Thanks so much!
This video should be a requirement for both new and experienced drone pilots. It's highly educational, and the detailed explanations effectively convey the message. The teaching style is also commendable.
Watching another good piece of content from your channel. Very relevant information again! Like.
As someone starting out in drone flying that was so useful. It also explains why when I was practicing flying low over grass the mini kept going lower. I kept correcting it but was baffled why it was happening. Now I know. Thanks Rick.
Thank you for what you said about flying over water.
Again, seems like crappy design. If there is a known issue with VIO conflicting with GPS over water at low altitudes then the system should disable VIO. There should be an option for the pilot to select over water flight which takes this into account.
Could the pilot have handled it better with knowledge and previous experience? Yes, but the system is poorly designed which is the cause. Did they not test it over water?
@@The_Summit_Wanderer I'm still fighting the temptation to fly over the farm pond.
Justin Roysdon Guy, water is a given. Just like swimming in the ocean if you get far out from the beach it will take you out to the ocean. It’s the waves and wind the make the water more powerful.
Mini Gps Locater' & - Zip Tie a Painted 'Sealed' Nerf Football To The Top of Your Drone if Over Water ' No Sinky! -😶
VIO......BEWARE.I was flying 1 metre above a lake with very still water when Marvin decided to go and land it,I was to slow to cancel the land command and in he went.I'm trying the bury in rice trick to try and dry out the moisture,it worked on my phone,which doesn't swim either,heres hoping.Your tip about changing BOTH propellers and screws now make sense,I only changed the one and used the same screws,but now I can't remember which one I changed,DOH.Keep up with these vodieos Rick they really helped with my Mini.
The rice bath for 6 days DID dry out my mini,PHEW.
One of the best and helpful videos I've watched. I try to be extra careful when it comes to wind and I have the Evo1. I still get nervous when flying and have to build up confidence. So far I've never had any problems, but have to learn to relax more and enjoy the hobby. I only know that any day you go home with your drone. IS A GOOD DAY. Thanks for the posting of this video.
Yup ,Chasbro Chas ,me too I try to be very careful now cause these things ain't cheap.
Chasbro Chas
Same here you have a way more expensive drone then I do but I know my drone can go further I’ve seen plenty RUclips videos about that. I still fly my drone as long as I can still physically see it that’s as far as I go LOL I’ve only had it for about five days now but it’s funny I thought I was the only one now I know I’m not LOL as long as I can land my drone and go home you’re right it’s a gd day 😂👍🏼
@@TAZ0300 For the amount of times I fly. I sometimes wonder if I should of spent that much money for my drone. Still it is awesome. Going to check out your site as it's fun to watch other peoples videos. Stay well Taz.
I’ve was scared at first also. Just make sure you do a pre flight check and be sure everything’s working properly. Don’t take off on or near metal or high electric objects. I had “one” fly away back in 2015. After that I was so scared to fly I thought I was done with drones. I’m glad I didn’t..... I have hundreds of hours flying and iam confident each and every flight Uav forescast is the best advise I can give for starters it will give you great wind readings at different altitudes etc. Hope that helps.
This video should be required watching for all new pilots, and old timers as well. I personally have had one fly away (when I first got my drone and had no idea what I was doing) , but I have also since then had to step in and help with 3 different flyaways with friends. They panicked and in two cases I was able to grab their controllers and w/exception of pointing the camera down (since all were well within vlos) pretty much handled as you suggested and managed to regain control and fly home. Pretty scary stuff. All three of these flyaways were I believe EM/radio interference so hopefully you will broach that topic next. What I did notice with all 3 of them, was the EM/radio interference may have caused the flyaway, but just turning the craft and changing elevation down even 20ft. seemed to restore the connection. Where we fly is a hotspot for EM and radio frequencies with 3 airports nearby, plus Ames NASA Moffet field, plus a lot of RC aircraft in the air as well. This is a carve out zone for RC aircraft that sits in the middle of a lot of radio frequencies so, you do have to pay attention. Great vid! Cheers.
I think the bottom censers can be the blame too if there not working right and just drift off.
I'm surprised it doesn't just return to hone
I always keep the drone within visual line of sight and rarely below 25% battery capacity. That way, many problems are avoided. (25% on landing).
Never experienced a fly away with my Air 2S. (Knock on wood) But, operating various sized boats on different bodies of water over the years, I’ve developed a great respect and fear of the wind. I simply don’t put my drone up or take my boat out passed the breakwater, if I think the wind might cause me problems. I do both activities to relax and have fun so on windy days I’ll simply stay home or grab my metal detector and go to the park to find some lost jewelry or pocket change. I’m a fair weather flyer. Having said that, great informative video full of good information.
Thanks for the video, I am a new Mavic air 2 owner. (love it), and after flying it in some wind I feel I can trust it to a point. But I want spend plenty of time on the basics. When you were talking about pointing the camera straight down to check for obstacles (great idea). here is what I learned about the mavic air 2 to pass along. You can set up the grid lines to include an x in the middle, then face the camera down. use the x to position the drone over a landing area, then left stick down right on the spot the x marked. a fast way to get the gimbal looking straight down (double tap the left function key). gimbal back forward, double tap the left function button again.
Keep up the videos:')
This is the first video I've seen of yours. Have to say I saw an impressive amount of professionalism and knowledge packed into a video. Great job and thanks 👍
Thanks....I did not know about the VIO.. .......I won't forget. !!
I lightly hit the side of my shed with the rear prop on mine. It still flew fine that day with a very tiny chip in the prop. I was surprised the next day when I took it up it said it had a motor error. It told me to land it and it would beep and the motor with the bad prop would vibrate. It did it and I seen the chip in the prop. I was amazed that it could tell the difference in the prop given how tiny the damage was. I changed the props on that motor and it was fine. No problems at all. This Mavic Mini is just amazing for how tiny it is.
Great information and could not agree with Free California more ! I had to learn the expensive way when my first Evo flew away and I panicked where if I had stayed calm I would have retrieved my drone. After the incident I analyzed what had happened or actually after tromping through the woods for hours looking for my $1000 dollar drone tracking the map but never found it. What freaked me out was the mechanics of the drone were completely reversed and I had no control what so ever but it did eventually go into a hover about 1/2 a mile from the launch but as I lowered the camera I saw it was directly over a fairly busy road and I could see traffic . That freaked me out so I managed to gain enough control to get it over the woods where it should have crashed as the battery life was drained battling heavy heavy winds with a freak storm that rolled in.
Went back a few times and scoured the woods but never found it so I accepted it as a very very expensive lesson and ordered a new one which I have been flying since. What I could have done was to simply get into my truck and drive the 1 minute to where it was hovering and set the drone down in the line of sight safely. Certainly there are many things to be aware of prior to and during the flight of your drone and this is some great information that every drone operator should read .
Thanks for the information
Drone Valley I'm a New Mavic Mini owner & I haven't flown it yet & I have been watching as many Videos as I can To learn about the Mini & how the Best way To Fly it ! Thanks for such a Great Video !
I haven't got mine yet but thanks to Rick and others on RUclips I'm learning so I won't have a flyaway 🙂
I wish I had seen this video before going to Aruba last October. I was flying low over the water, which was very still, and suddenly the drone started to descend. I was so stunned by this that I literally froze and watched as my drone went down into the water. Thanks for the excellent info.
You are spot on when it comes to keeping calm when it comes to a flyaway. Had my first one last night I got a little to high high and a good old Kansas wind gust sent it right into a tree. Major factors were pilot error had it to close to the tree trying to fly around it and race back down the street. My saving grace’s were that I had the guards on and as soon as it went into the tree I hit the Emergency stop button and got a good visual on its orientation and flew it out and landed it. Then spent the next 45 mins cleaning the green leaf spray off of the drone and having my wife and neighbor laugh at me because I got cocky.
Great advice, Rick. I have found the UAV Forecast app (although not perfect) does give me some basis of wind & gust speed from 33 AGL to 400' AGL.. But as you point out nothing can replace practical experience, follow alerts/instructions on controller, and a contingency plan with good old common sense. Above all "DO NOT PANIC!"
Correct ,Doug Crum.
Rick, I broke into droning with a Snaptain S5C and it was a good move before I bought my Mavic Mini. My first day outside with the Mini I had 3 accidents in the cemetery. Into a tree, into a granite wall and cut my thumb when I tried landing on my hand. That put me in my place and since then I've only had 2 accidents, one as recently as 2 days ago when I flew backward into a tree because I didn't have eyes on! My grandaughter saved the day by finding the quad on the ground under the tree (I did use Find My Drone). I know it must've fallen 20 feet onto the thick grass and is OK!
I am subscribed to many channels but I get the most out of Drone Valley. Being an engineer myself I have the same perspective and pretty much everything you say is clear and enlightening. You speak quickly but very efficiently in your composition. It's like speed reading.
Watching your altitude is a huge part of flying and makes complete sense. The first thing I do is take off straight up while yawing until I have a clear view in all directions. I note my altitude and add 20 ft. to RTH altitude. It is working for me so far.
Your videos are excellent. Even my wife watches with me and she has surprisingly been very supportive of my new hobby. My only other hobby is guitar but I haven't been spending as much time with it lately.
Anyway thanks for doing what you do. You're so right about how you become attached to this, like a pet that has feelings. Before I launch I think ok Mini, you better come back and in one piece or I'll really be upset. I haven't named it yet but yeah, that's coming.
Thanks!
Seeing this kind of video reminds me why I subscribed to your channel some time ago. They are always informative and help me, as the Boy Scouts say, 'be prepared'. I just bought my first drone (the Mavic Air 2) and this video will help keep my blood pressure down! Keep up the great work!
I orded my Mavic Mini yesterday, i can't wait to get it. Drone Valley is a good youtube channel to watch before you get your drone so you know what to do, and not to.
I’m a drone newbie but I don’t fly a DJI Mavic (Mini). My chosen weapon of choice is a Holystone HS720e which I have owned since Xmas. All I can say is thank you from the bottom of my heart for steering me and my drone in the right direction. ❤️😎❤️
I had my Mini do a wondering off side ways or a fly away last week, No wind but over tree's, I did everything before setting off with the compass wind check ect,
And its first time it did a fly away, All i can think off that the down censers got confuses with been over tree's and drifted off with out control it, In end i had to fight it by controlling it back home and it was like skating on a ice ring flying it back. Its not just the wind at times it can be the bottom censers that can get confused or fall at times too.
Situation awareness is the key. Future drones will have it.
Just bought the Mavic Mini and received it last Wednesday, only have about 20 minutes flying .
Will sure watch the winds before flying and will practice to lower down and return . And will avoid low flying over water or elsewhere .
Thanks for your great explanation you do a great job ! Just sub also 😉👍
H&S 👩❤️👨🌈
From Boisbriand Québec Canada 🇨🇦
Excellent video. I am LOVIN’ my MM! Insane that we have access to this kind of tech in our time. Don’t take anything for granted!
Thanks for an excellent tutorial! As a newbie to drones I greatly appreciate this sort of content. I look forward to the additional vids you plan on this topic. Also, please consider doing other vids that deal with other issues drone pilots might encounter. There's plenty of equipment reviews, but few that I've found on the nuances of flying drones. This vid impressed me enough that I liked, subscribed, and turned on notifications - thanks again!
Yesterday I had the exact “wind episode “. Low battery 30 and up mph wind , dusk, couldn’t determine direction because drone was not responding “hazy conditions “. Needless to say DJI phantom 4 pro was telling me “wind warning” for quite a while. I was however “lucky “ that I was at the RC club field with no one else around. I had the “good sense” to set the phantom down and took a walk to recover. Lesson learned .... High wind screws everything up. Drone seemed to be leaving because of high winds. I also decided I need a “sun shade” because I couldn’t get a good look thru the camera because of glare on small tablet screen. You are correct “it really put me in a panic”. Several Lessons learned.... Nice video, Thanks. Dan
EXCELLENT explanations. Learn more in one of your videos than in entire playlists of other channels
I’m new at this hobby and today I received a Mavic Mini. I plan to get it up in the air tomorrow.
In preparation, I’ve been watching your videos which I find very educational on this field. I’ve already subscribed and want to thank you for your knowledge and will to share it.
"please practice" wise words. I had my M2 flying backwards, not forward at low speed. Instinctively I dropped the altitude and it slowly creeped back. Did not think of switching to sport mode as you suggested. Also like your idea of landing at a point you recognize if you run out of juice.
newbie here,,, just 3 flights on a hubsan 501s and now i have a mini mavic,, yet to fly it but this is a nice learning curve,,
Thanks. I just got my Mavic Mini on Amazon Day and you just got a bunch of the mistakes I was about to make out of the way.
I had a fly away from a verified bug in the firmware (Mavic Pro) that a certain procedure triggered the fly away. When I replayed back the flight you could capture the bug that caused the fly away. That's the only one for me. But kept cool and managed to get it back with no video and only the small Mavic controller keyboard, and no sight of the drone.
Thank you very much for the information. Very very good information. Will make sure to keep the drone above 25ft over still ware or snow and bring it down to lower elevation when there is wind warning..
I really appreciate your videos. Gives me more confidence that I can handle whatever comes my way. I got my Mavic Mini in February, but I have only flown it once. When I flew it from my backyard, all I kept thinking was there goes $400.00 if you screw up. I will keep watching your videos, so I can gain the confidence I need to just have fun. Thanks.
Nice video. One video I watched someone tried to land far away because the battery got low but when he landed the drone lost connection and attempted to return home resulting in a crash. I think there should be a choice to land even if signal is lost. I would never want return home off but I wouldnt want it attempting to return home if I was wanting to land far away either.
Great info. I'm a new pilot and have yet to even attempt to fly over water. This was most helpful. Thank you.
Exactly, I see people try to fly it all the way back with critical battery and crash. I'm thinking, that power tower, landmark, land it there, get in the car and go get the drone. Better than a disastrous crash. Great advice.
Great tips. Had my first fly away, It was my first time flying in this environment, it was pretty predictable that this would happen but I didn't see the signs.
GPS signal was extremely poor (tall buildings blocking signal), VIO was poor as well due to flying over a river. I'm sure the compass wasn't in a healthy state either. I was flying
Rick I wish everyone would watch you. You teach me every time I watch. I brag I know a real drone genius. Hahaha I don't even know you. Had my mini 2 over 2 weeks and haven't got out of the yard yet. Went 20 feet up once and it moved about 3 feet and I didn't tell it to so down I came. Rick I'm 73 years old love the drone but can't afford to lose it. And it's my first one.
You are a breath of fresh air and appreciate the lack of ego. You can’t have analytical thinking with an ego. Well done. Very helpful information which I hope I never have to use, but if I do, I’m going to pull this out of my memory bank. Thank you for your videos and sharing your experience!
All good points thanks. I took my Mavic pro out today in very windy conditions, just to learn how much it can handle, and it was very good. It was a coastal area, so plenty of beach to ditch and recover, and very good practice.
I prefer my P4 in marginal conditions, it is a beast with a 4 cell battery, and fights against a reasonable wind, and as per your dog ref, I am very comfortable with it.
Good point about never actuate RTH if it is the wind.
Been flying for 5 years and never had a fly away, and only minor altercations with trees which deliberately extend their branches to snag you.
I’m new to drones. Mavic Mini is my first drone and only had 2 weeks at this point. After a week flying with no issues I was feeling pretty good. Then I had a flyaway over water trying to film a covered bridge. Scared me because it went down and I missed the river by about a foot. I do have video of it. What’s what weird about it is as soon as it was over the water about 15ft above the surface the drone just went down, It wasn’t even responding to the control stick even though I was pushing straight up. I’m just glad I was saved. Lesson learned. Thank You for this video! Also to resist hitting that return to home in high winds. That’s something I’ve been tempted to do when I see the warning.
I love the brevity and clarity of this man for this channel.
I've been cool with drones for a bit, flown a few, it's nice.
Finally bought my Mavic Mini. Had error 40002 gimbal issues out the box, but it's working now.
Can't wait to see what I can do with this drone. Thanks for this channel and the way you present information, I love it.
Rick, great explanation. Explain why (over water) the drone may have a tendency to descend? I know visual and infrared gets confused, but is there other reasons why these signals aren’t ignored by the drone, and it always seems to descend?
This was very helpful thank you bro
Therapist: Rick, what is the problem?
Rick: Relation ship with my Mini is not what it used to be..... 🤣
Just ordered my first drone, a dji mini2, I’m sure I will see all your vids before it arrives and I already thank you for your great advice.
Wow...very informative video. Another example of the truth of the old proverb ...To the man (pilot) who can't (won't) read... (or watch you tube videos)....the world is a closed book. You have no doubt saved this pilot from a crash or a flyaway. P.S. I was planning on a very low flyover our community pond.....will now stay above 25'. Thank you Rick
Thanks this video was great to help as I begin to start flying my mavic mini.
Lost my connection with my mini yesterday, scared, but it did a perfect RTH. But it is scary. Now I check my RTH altitude before every flight.
Wow glad to hear you didn't lose it btw how far were you when you lost connection?
I just got the Mavic mini for my son, and he is loving it. I appreciate your info. On this video I don’t have a drone of my own and this is my sons first and just doing some research this video actually covered very important information I am going to share with my son. Thanks.
Great information. Thanks for taking the time to be so informative
Just purchased the Mavic mini 2 and looking at videos for flying tips. Your knowledge and advice has been greatly appreciated, thanks for taking the time.🇬🇧👍
Excellent experienced advice.
Thanks for the tips Rick! I have a Mavic Mini & this really helps in trying to being prepared.
So if u encounter flyaway over water or snow, do u go high or low? You want to go very low to avoid the wind but u want to go high to avoid VIO activating?? Sounds very contradicting.
Vince, It may sound confusing at first but the challenges your facing with those two scenarios is different. When you're flying too high, the wind is your enemy and dropping down a nit to a lower altitude will usually find a less aggressive wind that you can fly through to get back home. When you're flying too low over still water its the VIO that causing the issue and if you elevate 10-20 feet you can avoid this issue. The wind is not an issue here since you're closer to the surface with typically less aggressive levels. I hope that helps and you stay safe with the quad. Rick
Pretty new to drone flying, and just watched a video in which there was a drone fly away. I went frantically searching for what caused them to do that. So glad I found you.
thanks for the info about flying over the water
thanks for the video , im on my 3rd mini , crashed two since feb 2020. totalled one and one is still on the roof of my apartment, #3 is safe and sound. no crashes since.Ive set a personal range record at 5.23 miles over lake toledo bend in texas ...gimme a shout . looking forward to hearing from you. im working on my 107.
A almost flyaway i had was low flying over a river and it kept trying to follow the "pattern" ie the current until it would lose the patterns then it would follow another then another and to get back to my location I had to go even lower to bring it back in under the tree branches. Scary situation as a newbie at the time but a learning experience non the less
There is another thing, the S (sport mode) which might help with lowering your altitude to bring it home, another thing one needs to mention is the sensors on a dji mini 2 which are not as performant as you might think upon water or moving ground as they might be on solid ground.
😢😢😢oh my gosh. I wish I had saw this last month. I have a Ruko f11 Gim drone. I saw the storm coming. I knew it was coming. But the cold front caught me off guard. And took drone. Now i was still in control. I put the camera down and i had perfect landing spot i could've landed. On the beach. Nothing but grass and view house in the area i was on the beach. Hit the home button and it got worst took me higher. So i cancelled it and again got control and should have just landed it right there at the park which was 100yard away from where i was on the beach. I freaked out and it stayed in the air until battery died. Dropped in the trees. Checked the track my drone and it took me in the area it was before it lost signal. I couldn't find the drone. After the storm. I stayed at the beach/park and once the rain slowed down. I went back to that area. It was a couple feet away in the trees. No damage 🙏🏿. I backed my h3 on the grass fyi wasn't supposed to do that but no one else was at the beach at this point lol 😂. That was my fault. Next time i will land exactly like you said. In a safe area and come back for it later if i can't right then in there. As a new drone pilot i understand why real actual pilots train for this stuff. It makes sense now. I'm just a drone pilot. Did right up until i freaked out. None of this would have happened if i had simply went with my first thought and landed the first time 🤬🤬🤬🤪🤪🤪🤬🤬🤬. I had totally control and then boom my dumb self hit return to home and all hell broke loose lol 🤣. I'm learning as i go. I'm loving this journey! Now i know to either land or put in sports mode and lower altitude and come home. Or depending on the situation. Don't fly at all. I have been watching videos like this since then. Trying to learn and be a better pilot.
Fyi because of that. I know have drama lol 😂. If i even feel it's too windy i don't fly. Even though my drone is level 7 wind resistant. Nope 😢😢😢😂😂😂
Great information. Can you set the VIO switch off, so you can be GPS only in cases of ocean? Would tape in these scenarios work over certain sensors? Thanks.
As a new pilot ( Mavic 3) the info in this video is invaluable. Kudos to you sir. Subscribed
I've just purchased a mini as my first drone and I'll admit to being apprehensive about flyaways. This video has helped me a lot ,thanks
Glad it helped! I love flying and knowing that others are enjoying these clips make putting them together worth it. Take your time and it does get easier with practice. Flyaways are super rare so worry less and have fun! Rick
Excellent..... simple as that, thanks
Can you please revisit this educational topic this year 2024 since there are more technology and updates.
Welbeck from Accra Ghana West Africa.
Stay blessed and safe all the time Amen 🙏
I'm a brand new pilot to the hobby, I fly a Mavic Mini. I had my first flyaway a few weeks after I got my drone, purely pilot error. I saw all these clips about how great the mini was and I see everyone pushing their limits, so I decided to take it up to about three hundred feet and at the time I had no knowledge of the wind variations at different altitudes. I also made the mistake of flying out with the the wind instead of against it so I'd have the wind helping me get home. Well, my battery got too low and I was attempting to fight the wind to come home, and she got taken by the wind and blow about 400m away from where I started trying to head home. My battery ended up way too low trying to fight it's way back home and my drone did a forced emergency landing due to insufficient power. Luckily, I was able to locate my drone with the dji fly app find my drone feature. I didn't do any damage to the drone itself but I did break one of the propeller guards. It was the scariest situation I've been in as a new pilot.
Well done. If we pay attention to what you have much less chance of a fly away. Thanks
A while back I had winds strong enough to knock down an old tree in my yard. I used my Mini to film it and went about 200ft with very strong winds and it handled it like a champ. I could barely notice the mini fighting the winds. I may have thrown it in sport mode to compensate for the strong winds, I don't exactly remember though but yes, I was impressed at just how solid it was managing what I imagine to be 25-30mph winds.
What would be very handy for likes of Mini is some form of terrain warning on the map . Especially if it can calculate the current altitude of drone versus the terrain ahead of flight path . Or be able to manually mark specific terrain on a map to receive warning of drone is approaching it . DJI should make an update like that I reckon
Tks for sharing Rick, it will aware us on environment for our next fly
Great video Rick, especially the part about the bottom sensors "VIO "and the gps controlling the drone. Take the mini out at night in a dark area push takeoff and when it rises to the 6 foot hover spot , you better raiise-up fast so the gps takes over, or the mini will take off on you without proper lighting
That is some absolutely incredible information, thank you for taking time to share
It’s important to have an anemometer with you to check the wind speed before any flight also be aware that in built up areas the wind speed is subject to change quite dramatically!
I enjoyed your informative video. i’ve been wanting to get a drone for sometime and have been doing a little due diligence about the DJI Mavic mini. Then I saw a review from PC mag that complained about connectivity issues and that causing me to become a little leery of the Mini. The good info you provided has me back open to considering the money. Thanks for the info
Thanks for all your good information
What would be the safest way to retrieve a mini from the deck of a boat that is only 6' from the water? Should boat owners not consider the mini and go for the air 2? Thank you for the great information.
Hey. This was me last year. I lost my tello drone to fly away (yes it was user error). I did replace it with Mavic Mini. I am so happy with the Mini so, I am good. I’ll be taking a course on flying a drone soon. Thanks for the content and hard work.
As a new pilot this information was very helpful and builds confidence.
Oh I love nerdy explanations. I learned something new in this video. Thanks.
Rick, this is a REALLY informative video and a lot of common sense that will hopefully if it ever happens to me I will remember "Rick's advice". Many thanks for explaining in simple language in all your videos. Stay safe during this difficult time we are all experiencing.
Very informative. Flawless delivery. Thanks
Good advice, the wind is some thing you have to respect
Hi Rick, another Brilliant video, I have learnt so much about drone flying from your videos,your a top guy, gained so much confidence from you, I have a mavic pro 2 and getting to grips with it.A college at work sold me his dji spark, so now can do more flying.
Thanks
I agree with Rick, I have had three flyaways with my Mavic Mini. All three I have been able to return home safely. One of my flyaways was especially interesting. I was flying in an area with high trees recording businesses on a property when all of a sudden the drone was not responding to anything I was doing on the controls. I was about 20 feet away from the drone and it was flying at about 12 feet high so nowhere near a dangerous distance. This was late at night showcasing the highlights of the resort while it was empty at 2 in the morning. The drone must have lost satellite connection and the ground has the same exact pattern throughout the property so I am assuming that both Satellites and VIO both were confused as drone just began to fly erratically. Once I experienced this I wanted to ensure this did not happen again. I took strong measures to ensure I fly in places that Satellite or VIO have no issues because I need something to help maneuver. Then I signed up to Airdata UAV which gives me tons of info on accurate weather and best times for Satellite coverage, Not to mention tons of in-flight data for me to review after each flight. If I encounter in-flight problems such as wind or anything else I have the data recorded to improve my response in the future. Even though the Mavic Mini is an easy drone to fly, you still need the experience to fly safely and effectively.
Rick, we appreciate your insight into these topics that truly make people aware of the unseen problematic scenarios that can arise on a whim. For those who do not have the experience to return home safely or ground their drone, this is an awesome tutorial of what can actually happen if you are not careful and ignore practicing these real possible scenarios!
You're an excellent instructor. Great delivery, very earnest and trustworthy. Thanks for your insight and experience.
A very informative piece of information. Vital for everyone. Well done.
Had a lightweight drone get taken away by the wind while flying at 100’ but I did drop altitude and bring it back by sheer luck. Thanks for this information! Always entertaining and worth watching! Love your products as well!
I am a new pilot, and I recently bought a prop guard, just so I can fly indoor.
So, here's what happened, I was flying indoor so I could test the prop guard in a room with smooth white tiled flooring, and it was dark (low light condition), with no GPS (atti mode). Suddenly a strong gust of wind blew my drone and went out of control, Luckly that prop guard saved me and did an emergency landing.
My guess is that the VIO had difficulty working in a low light environment and that fact that you mentioned about the importance of the terrain you're flying. Thank you for sharing this information.
Excellent instruction. As you know, UAV Forecast is an excellent app to gauge whether it is safe to fly. I set the wind mph at 18 mph at 200 feet, so if the wind reaches this speed, the app says "Not Good To Fly" and I never disregard this warning. If your subscribers do this, they will keep their drones longer.
The first flight on my Mini yesterday after only having flown a Pro before. I thought I'd try out RTH. On the way up to its 20m RTH height the wind got hold and away it went. Of course it went down wind and over the water spinning in circles. Eventually it recovered which was probably once it reduced height and wind speed reduced. At least now I know why it did this and can restore some confidence.
Your extensive knowledge really helpful for the beginners like me. TYSM for all your time and efforts. 😊
I truly appreciate your honesty and detail. Have not moved up to mavric line or above yet. However the knowledge you share is key to me becoming a better pilot. I'll keep all the information you shared as I consider my next purchase.
What a great video. I'm a new Mini owner, trying to educate myself as much as possible to be a responsible and capable pilot, taking baby steps with the hobby. This is a really valuable resource for tips on how to make good decisions before and during flight, and how to keep your head when the situation goes pear-shaped. Many thanks for sharing!
New to the Mini. Great info.
if your drone runs off into the woods and bites somebody, then you can't trust it again. If it returns to home, it was always meant to be.
If my drone ever did that, he would be moved to the drone house and his walks would be limited. Bad drone.
if you get bitten by a drone do you need to get a shot ?
Set the drone free, it if does not return to you , it was never yours in the first place
Great video - I nearly lost my mini within the first 3 days due to high winds. I now understand why the drone was acting funny about 2m above pond. Keep those videos coming
This video is very informative especially for a new flyer like me. I never knew the limits of a Mavic Mini and the high flyaway statistics happening out there, until I saw this video. This gives me head knowledge of what to watch out for while flying my Mavic Mini. Thanks so much!