New to flying rc

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Eric Gilbert

Member
Hey everyone im new hear and new to flying rc. I have messed with some nitro trucks but now i have just gotten a dji phantom 2. Just got it today and cant wait to fly it. Didnt get to today when i bought it cause of the wind but cant wait. Any advice please give me as much as u can. By the way if anyone know any great areas in southern maine to fly let me know.
 

Alwil

Alwil

Member
Welcome, Eric! The weather has been wild and most of us are waiting for the winds
to calm. While you are waiting- read, read and read your operating instructions. Know
what the led colors mean and learn the proper startup procedures. There is a lot
of material online and in youtube videos. Be patient and courteous to others and
you will find this a great hobby.
 

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Eric Gilbert

Member
Yea i cant wait to fly. I have been watching videos all weekend cause i bought it off my cousin. Once the wind stops and we have a nice day he is going to bring his phantom 3 and help me fly mine for the first time
 

jbrumberg

jbrumberg

Member
Eric-

If you are a complete NOOB and have no experience with operating a quadcopter; read the owner's manual closely and proceed cautiously. These RC aircraft are not as easy to pilot as those YouTube videos imply. Everyone crashes (a lot) in the early stages of the learning curve flightpath.

And there is a big difference between operating (unsafely) and piloting (safely).

Good luck on your 'maiden" :cool:

JB
 

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Eric Gilbert

Member
Im sure ill crash a lot. I have 4 sets of props two are carbon and thank good bodys for it dont cost an arm and leg. Also we set the zone really small so it doesnt fly away on me and my cousin will fly it first and get it in the air then let me get a hang of it
 

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Eric Gilbert

Member
I do have a big question. Do i have to register my dji phantom 2. Also here is a picture of my drone
 

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jbrumberg

jbrumberg

Member
That's a personal decision based on how one feels about this FAA registration travesty. :(:mad:

I did :(. I am also a member of the AMA.

The P2 is heavy enough to meet the weight criteria requirement for registration.

Remember those videos give a false impression of how easy it all is........ It is not. There will come a time when something "glitches" with the flightcontroller and if you are totally dependent on the FC to operate the P2 you will have problems with control. It takes time and a lot of practice to really become an RC aircraft pilot. and not just another owner/operator.


Good luck, have fun, and fly responsibly.

JB
 


jbrumberg

jbrumberg

Member
FC = Flightcontroller. And yes I was referring to some of the advanced features like RTL, route planning, etc. utilizing GPS. There may come a time when the owner/operator may have to operate the aircraft in self leveling or acro mode. Total dependence on the FC for flight operations can lead to all kinds of "bad things" happening. :eek::oops::(
 

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Eric Gilbert

Member
So whats the best way to practice for when and if the fc fails. I do have it set up that i can flip a switch to take it out of phantom mode which from my understanding turn of the gps and the fail safe. Would that be a mode to use to practice fc failure after i get use to flying it
 

ProfEngr

ProfEngr

Member
There should be something in the manual about Flight Modes. You'll probably want stabilized while you're learning the controls. I've turned my gyros off a couple of times since I got mine and it's worse than balancing a broom on the end of your finger. I watch YouTube often and it never ceases to amaze me the level of skill displayed therein. Of course, I'm also never sure how much editing for mistakes has taken place either. I saw one where a barely-teen kid over in Europe bounces a racer around the field; I swear he could out maneuver any bird on the planet.

I doubt I'll ever make even the skill level of novice racer, but I'm just in this to have fun; whichever way that leads.
 

Hoki

Hoki

Member
PRACTICE RUNNING FAST cause when my drone was falling from the sky at about 400ft up and it was like prolly 300 ft away from me I started running like a crazy chicken toward it thinking I was gonna catch it but it ended up drifting a bit as it feel and went in a tree.
 

jbrumberg

jbrumberg

Member
A lot of multi-rotor hobbyists start their learning curve with a smaller, ready to fly "toy" used as a "trainer". The micro and nano sized quads are small enough to fly indoors; a couple of models can handle light winds outdoors. Mini sized quads are a little too large to be flown indoors, but some have really decent wind worthiness. The eye-hand- motor coordination skills and visual (orientation) skills learned with the "trainers" are directly transferable to to flying/piloting larger, fancier, more powerful multirotors like the P2. It is far cheaper to crash those little trainers- they are more robust, repair parts are relatively cheap and generally available, and they are easier to repair, and cheaper to replace. Working and flying those toy grades gives one a better understanding of how everything works.

I have read many (unverified) success stories from posters in a lot of different websites who learned piloting skills with fancy rigs like the P2.

Eric- You may find this link useful: http://quadcopter101.blogspot.ca/

I really do not want to be perceived as a "buzz kill". I just want you and other NOOB's to be successful.

For what it's worth I started flying quadcopters with a SYMA X1 so I am dating myself. There are many decent RTF's out there.

Good luck-

Jay
 

Hoki

Hoki

Member
I think the mjx x400 is the perfect copter for fun and learning and only costs 29 dollars with free shipping! I got two of them already cause one went in a tree and a week later it was gone. so I think a bird took it
 

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Eric Gilbert

Member
So i ended up registering my drone today figured better safe then sorry right. So now the down side as i read more i saw the no flying within 5 miles of an airport. I have 2 airports at 4.7 miles from me and the local hospital landing zone is also on faa list and is 3 miles away. Do i really need to call them before flying. None of these place have a tower on site. So what do i do. For now i dont see my self flying higher then the trees but want to fly close to home
 



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Eric Gilbert

Member
I'm so excited I'm going to be flying the Drone for the first time today. It's a nice sunny day with no Breeze everything has been calibrated and did a system check to make sure GPS locked in and everything. Just a few more things to do around the house and then I get to go fly I can't wait. I'll let everyone that has helped me and gave me advice how it goes
 


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Eric Gilbert

Member
So here is how it went. Started it up and took off perfect but just keep going up and then went into a dive and crashed. Broke off one side of the landing gear. Flew 4 more times with 2 more crashes. I dont think that was bad. Was starting to get the hang of it and ending up crashing so hard it bent a are
 

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