I'd like to post this query.
Would the Mavic Mini be a suitable training drone for those to get a feel of flying prior to stepping up to a Mavic 2 Pro/Future Mavic 3?

Looking at the size, shape, and remote, they almost look the same but scaled down for the Mavic Mini though I know there exist a few differences like the motors, sensors and speed.

I'd like for users to be able to get use to the controls of the drone but not be too worried to touch or try flying a drone beause of the big price tag on the Mavic 2/3?
I already fly the Mavic 2 Pro and the Mavic Air, but I do have users who would also like to take up flying but the fear of crashing something that's worth quite an amount deters them away from the sport.

Yep, flies just like the bigger drones and has a lot of the same features.

22340179 Posted at 9-8 19:01
Yep, flies just like the bigger drones and has a lot of the same features.

Whats your experience flying the Mavic Mini?
Does it feel more responsive with smaller stick movements?
Also video/camera wise is it smooth or a little jittery/jello?

Paradigm Shift Posted at 9-8 19:10
Whats your experience flying the Mavic Mini?
Does it feel more responsive with smaller stick movements?
Also video/camera wise is it smooth or a little jittery/jello?

Flies like a dream, footage is like butter...

I already fly the Mavic 2 Pro and the Mavic Air, but I do have users who would also like to take up flying but the fear of crashing something that's worth quite an amount deters them away from the sport.
The way to manage that is to fly away from obstacles.
Regardless of how much the drone costs, it's hard to get into trouble when there's nothing to hit.

Labroides Posted at 9-8 20:28
I already fly the Mavic 2 Pro and the Mavic Air, but I do have users who would also like to take up flying but the fear of crashing something that's worth quite an amount deters them away from the sport.
The way to manage that is to fly away from obstacles.
Regardless of how much the drone costs, it's hard to get into trouble when there's nothing to hit.

Yup that's usually how I get them into the sport, mainly by flying in an open field.
But to help hone their skills I get them to do things like do a square, figure 8, or fly through some obstacles because not every situation is free obstacles.
  

Hello there Paradigm Shift. Thank you for reaching out and for these information you have given. The DJI Mavic Mini is a great beginner drone. Just a reminder to always please prepare a pre-flight checklist before each flight for safer and happy flight experience. I will be posting a list from the DJI Mavic Mini Safety Guidelines ( https://dl.djicdn.com/downloads/ ... y_Guidelines_EK.pdf ) for reference. In addition I hope that you will also get the best recommendation from our fellow DJI co pilots with regards to this matter. Have a safe and a happy flying always. Thank you.

Dirty Bird Posted at 9-9 03:01
In all honesty, there is no need for a training drone.  All DJI drones fly the same.  Some just have better features, speed, & range than others.  Rather than wasting money on an intermediary drone, invest the money in a Mavic Air 2 Fly More with DJI Care.  Then spend time reading the manual several times & watching beginner videos.  Take your time, learn the basics, avoid flying blind, stay above obstacles, stay out of Sport Mode, & resist the temptation to zip around carelessly & you will be fine.

Top advice mate! Nothing to add!

buy directly a mavic air2 which is a very good compromise between the mini and a pro and very easy to drive with much more features than a mavic mini.
I made that mistake and I regret it

Dirty Bird Posted at 9-9 03:01
In all honesty, there is no need for a training drone.  All DJI drones fly the same.  Some just have better features, speed, & range than others.  Rather than wasting money on an intermediary drone, invest the money in a Mavic Air 2 Fly More with DJI Care.  Then spend time reading the manual several times & watching beginner videos.  Take your time, learn the basics, avoid flying blind, stay above obstacles, stay out of Sport Mode, & resist the temptation to zip around carelessly & you will be fine.

Unfortunately i live in a country where DJI care doesn't apply.
In my previous post, one of my operators had crashed the Mavic 2 Pro. This was due to the lack of flight time and inability to cope in an emergency situation.
Hence the proposal of getting a Mavic Mini as the main training drone before moving up to a higher 3 times the price drone.
In this country, drones don't come cheap and also the pandemic has cause a lot of pay cuts.
Not looking forward to lose another Mavic 2 Pro.

VanzPix Posted at 9-9 03:34
buy directly a mavic air2 which is a very good compromise between the mini and a pro and very easy to drive with much more features than a mavic mini.
I made that mistake and I regret it

The mavic air 2 was considered but due to limited funds, the Mavic Mini and a replacement Mavic 2 Pro would be my default option after weighing all the pros and cons.
The gen 1 mavic air was also considered but would be over my spending budget unfortunately.

All good advice

Paradigm Shift,
  It sounds as though you are teaching users to fly drones. Yes buying a Mavic Mini will allow cheaper flight lessons, consequences.
There are differences in small ways, the mini does not do well in high winds because of it's lighter weight. App looks & features are somewhat different, etc.
But I would say that the basic functionality are the same. So yes a Mini could be used as a trainer drone, it is not a bad drone as long as you know it's limitations.

Yep it should work

The mini, paradoxically is not really a beginner's drone, for the simple fact that it has zero collision detection. Therefore making the drone a complete 'seat of the pants' manual experience, where it will be wholely unforgiving if you make a mistake.  
In that regard it requires mastering better flying skills than a larger drone with sensors, that will stop itself flying into a wall or tree trunk etc.
Remember this thing 'can' go nearly 30mph in still air, can fly well over a mile away & over 1600 feet above the ground, with a proven service ceiling above 10000ft, if flying up a mountain.

That is actually a good strategy.

Dirty Bird Posted at 9-9 05:54
I would not suggest a Mavic 2 Pro unless you absolutely must have a 1" sensor & 10-bit color.  The Mavic Air 2 is equal to or superior to the M2P in every other category & comes in at half the price.

If you are looking for an inexpensive trainer drone, then consider a used Phantom 3, Phantom 4, Mavic Pro, Mavic Air, or Spark.

The 1 inch sensor is a requirement as we do projects that involve survey and need high quality images/video with as much detail as possible.
As for the trainer drone, a lot of suppliers here do not carry the older drones any more, especially the phantoms, the air (Gen 1) is still available but not the spark. Mainly due to less demand for them.

videoeditman Posted at 9-9 05:48
Paradigm Shift,
  It sounds as though you are teaching users to fly drones. Yes buying a Mavic Mini will allow cheaper flight lessons, consequences.
There are differences in small ways, the mini does not do well in high winds because of it's lighter weight. App looks & features are somewhat different, etc.

I'm sort of in between teaching and operating. The organization I work for mainly does project consulting, hence needing a good quality drone to capture video and photo.
As I'm not around all the time, the organization has tasked me to train others to be able to man the drone to do the work instead.
What I'm concern about is that in between projects, some users have not flown or will not be flying months after training, hence a refresher is needed (costly mistake from crashing a Mavic 2 Pro previously by an operator).
So this comes back to the point, of needing an inexpensive trainer drone to not make such mistakes happen again.