Today my Mini 3 arrived. Two days earlier than announced, what a pleasant surprise!
This is my first drone ever, but as I used the long waiting time to read and watch "everything" there is to be found on this little toy, I was well prepared and did not expect any surprises.


But no plan survives first contact with real life.


The drone was due on friday, so I had planned to charge my batteries on thursday night, having read that the batteries should not be stored fully charged. So after unboxing I started charging, waiting for the green LEDs to stop flashing. No problem!


Being new to this drone thing there were a few moments to come that made me nervous:

• holding the little machine I was worried that a tight grip might damage the fragile little toy. So I held it like I would hold a new born bird that has fallen from its nest, careful not to break the propellers.
• being so overly cautious I nervously realized that two of the propeller arms unfold horizontally with very little effort; the other two however didn't want to move horizontally. I didn't want to break them so I watched the DJI-Tutorial and noticed that the initial movement to unfold them is a vertical rotation. (Don't laugh at a Newbie!)
• turning on drone and RC worked fine and without additional input from learned virtual instructors
• updating the firmware went well. At least in general.
  With the firmware download only half complete I noticed increasing heat from the drone. I started to sweat and thought about the risks of an overheated drone and the damage that would cause. So I installed our stand fan near the feverish bird and alas, all went well
• in the middle of the update process only one green battery LED on the drone remained lit.
  Will the battery last long enough to complete the update process, or will I end up with a half finished update and a paperweight, formerly known as Mini 3?
  To my relief, the drone showed three green LEDs again as soon as the update was completed, indicating more than sufficient juice.
  Wiping little droplets of sweat from my forehead.
  

Finally I could do what I had been waiting for for five weeks: fly the drone.
Well, most of the readers in this forum will probably not consider my attempts as flying, but I trained take offs and landings and familiarized myself with the RC and the controls.
I did not get to the video / photography part, as I was too busy focusing on learning to fly.
Instead I provide a shot of the Mini 3 in flight, at low altitude obviously. In a couple of days I hope to show some photos or video footage taken with the Mini 3.

Very detailed first experience, makes me remember the time when I got my first drone, it was a very nervous yet unforgettable moment!

Fred Fred Fred Posted at 6-29 13:14
Very detailed first experience, makes me remember the time when I got my first drone, it was a very nervous yet unforgettable moment!

Yes, it is both a nervous and unforgettable moment! I'm eager to try out the camera functions but I want to be able to fully control the drone first. I live in a city so I have to drive a bit until i reach an area where flying is legal.
But I enjoyed today's first miles in the air!

Hello there Hartmut_. Congratulations on your new DJI Mini 3 Pro and for sharing these interesting information with us. Again, Thank you for your support and keep flying.

Interesting account. Wish you lots of fun. From all I hear it's a great improvement over the already great Mini 2. Get DJI Care refresh and don't be afraid of crashes. The most dangerous part is flying sideways...

Always make sure you have charged the drone and controller before doing the updates.

DJI Stephen Posted at 6-29 20:18
Hello there Hartmut_. Congratulations on your new DJI Mini 3 Pro and for sharing these interesting information with us. Again, Thank you for your support and keep flying.

Thank you, DJI Stephen!

DAFlys Posted at 6-29 22:34
Always make sure you have charged the drone and controller before doing the updates.

Both drone and RC were fully charged at the beginning of the update process.. Apparently the meaning of the LED changes in the process and the one blinking LED did not signal a low charge but some (unknown) progress report.

Congrats and have fun!

Depp Posted at 6-29 21:52
Interesting account. Wish you lots of fun. From all I hear it's a great improvement over the already great Mini 2. Get DJI Care refresh and don't be afraid of crashes. The most dangerous part is flying sideways...

Thanks, Depp, I am sure that flying the little bird will be fun!

Montfrooij Posted at 6-29 23:01
Congrats and have fun!

Thanks, Montfrooij! The first 20 minutes were already fun; as soon I get to the photography bit I will enjoy it even more!

Hartmut_ Posted at 6-30 00:28
Thanks, Montfrooij! The first 20 minutes were already fun; as soon I get to the photography bit I will enjoy it even more!

Yeah, fly first, photograph later

Wow, getting it early was a great surprise.  

You are approaching this in the right way.  Master take off and landing, and all flight maneuvers before you attempt filming.  Never hurts to try a few RTH just so you can see how it works.  The more you fly the easier it will get and you won't be so nervous.

I taught my grandson how to fly over a long weekend.  I had him flying squares and then circles to get used to the controls.  He is a gamer so he uses his thumb on the sticks and seems to have smooth control.  I'm a pincher as I feel it gives me better control.

Anyway, keep having fun and fly safely.

DowntownRDB Posted at 6-30 03:00
Wow, getting it early was a great surprise.  

You are approaching this in the right way.  Master take off and landing, and all flight maneuvers before you attempt filming.  Never hurts to try a few RTH just so you can see how it works.  The more you fly the easier it will get and you won't be so nervous.

Thumbs vs. Pinching: interesting, I had wondered about the ideal technique. In general I steered with my thumbs but when I tried more delicate manoevers I used the tweezer grip for better control.
Next training rounds are on in the late afternoon . . .

Congratulations on receiving and trying out your new "toy" which is anything but.  You'll discover that it's a high-performance machine

Hartmut_ Posted at 6-30 04:04
Thumbs vs. Pinching: interesting, I had wondered about the ideal technique. In general I steered with my thumbs but when I tried more delicate manoevers I used the tweezer grip for better control.
Next training rounds are on in the late afternoon . . .

I think each pilot has their own preference for use on the sticks.  As my grandson is a gamer he was just used to using his thumbs on the sticks.  For me I feel I fly smoother using the pinch between thumb and forefinger.  No right or wrong way, just what suits you best.

Hope the weather is nice and you get in that late afternoon flight.  

Blériot53 Posted at 6-30 04:50
Congratulations on receiving and trying out your new "toy" which is anything but.  You'll discover that it's a high-performance machine

Hello Blériot, I did not mean to use the term "toy" in a derogative way. It was meant as a reference to the light weight and the fragile feeling. The fact that the Mini 3 is indeed a very capable machine was the reason why I became interested in drone flying in general and the Mini 3 in particular.
. . . away from keyboard to continue drone practice . . .

DowntownRDB Posted at 6-30 05:03
I think each pilot has their own preference for use on the sticks.  As my grandson is a gamer he was just used to using his thumbs on the sticks.  For me I feel I fly smoother using the pinch between thumb and forefinger.  No right or wrong way, just what suits you best.

Hope the weather is nice and you get in that late afternoon flight.

Thank you, the weather looks great and I am off to practice flying!

Hartmut_ Posted at 6-30 06:48
Hello Blériot, I did not mean to use the term "toy" in a derogative way. It was meant as a reference to the light weight and the fragile feeling. The fact that the Mini 3 is indeed a very capable machine was the reason why I became interested in drone flying in general and the Mini 3 in particular.
. . . away from keyboard to continue drone practice . . .

You may find another firmware update waiting for you this evening:

https://forum.dji.com/forum.php? ... 6orderby%3Ddateline

Blériot53 Posted at 6-30 06:55
You may find another firmware update waiting for you this evening:

https://forum.dji.com/forum.php?mod=viewthread&tid=268267&extra=page%3D1%26filter%3Dauthor%26orderby%3Ddateline%26typeid%3D556%26typeid%3D556%26orderby%3Ddateline

Thanks for the heads up! Thanks to your comment I checked the availability of updates BEFORE I left the house and could complete it before the flight.

Hartmut_ Posted at 6-30 23:42
Thanks for the heads up! Thanks to your comment I checked the availability of updates BEFORE I left the house and could complete it before the flight.

  You're welcome

Hartmut_ Posted at 6-29 22:59
Thank you, DJI Stephen!

Hi there Hartmut_. You are very much welcome and thank you for the reply, Have a safe and a happy flying always. .

Hartmut_ Posted at 6-30 06:50
Thank you, the weather looks great and I am off to practice flying!

You're welcome.  

Hope you got in some good practice.  

DowntownRDB Posted at 7-1 04:05
You're welcome.  

Hope you got in some good practice.

I did, indeed! Unfortunately two groups of bird watchers walked by and both groups complained about my flying. By complaining I mean they started yelling and one in the second group threatened to call the police. Fact: I had checked on the official website of our Federal Aviation Office PLUS checked an official app as soon as I had reached the spot. Both sources indicated the chosen spot as compliant with every rule and regulation; I was approx 700m from the bird sanctuary. The people didn't even want to see the app, they "knew better".  I flew over a meadow, far away from people, animals and buildings, their sole concern were the birds. I calmly tried to explain the legal situation, the fact that there were no birds to be seen in the fly zone and that I would of course watch out should a lonely bird appear by accident. So I stood my ground but was left with a highly uncomfortable feeling. I guess that is also part of the learning process . . .

Hartmut_ Posted at 7-1 06:13
I did, indeed! Unfortunately two groups of bird watchers walked by and both groups complained about my flying. By complaining I mean they started yelling and one in the second group threatened to call the police. Fact: I had checked on the official website of our Federal Aviation Office PLUS checked an official app as soon as I had reached the spot. Both sources indicated the chosen spot as compliant with every rule and regulation; I was approx 700m from the bird sanctuary. The people didn't even want to see the app, they "knew better".  I flew over a meadow, far away from people, animals and buildings, their sole concern were the birds. I calmly tried to explain the legal situation, the fact that there were no birds to be seen in the fly zone and that I would of course watch out should a lonely bird appear by accident. So I stood my ground but was left with a highly uncomfortable feeling. I guess that is also part of the learning process . . .

Sometimes you can be 100% right in a confrontation like this but experience has taught me that if somebody approaches you they have already made up their mind you are wrong and no matter what you say you can't convince them otherwise.  Early on in my flying days I would just land and leave.  After flying for a while  if I got a whiner I would just pay them no attention.  One called the police on me but when the policeman arrived we chatted for a minute and he said because of the call he had to respond but I was in the right and that he would address the complainer.  I figure it is much better for the policeman to try and convince the complainer than me.  The good news was he was a drone pilot and new the FAA rules quite well.  

Exciting times ahead. The most important person to please is yourself - don't forget that

DowntownRDB Posted at 7-1 16:40
Sometimes you can be 100% right in a confrontation like this but experience has taught me that if somebody approaches you they have already made up their mind you are wrong and no matter what you say you can't convince them otherwise.  Early on in my flying days I would just land and leave.  After flying for a while  if I got a whiner I would just pay them no attention.  One called the police on me but when the policeman arrived we chatted for a minute and he said because of the call he had to respond but I was in the right and that he would address the complainer.  I figure it is much better for the policeman to try and convince the complainer than me.  The good news was he was a drone pilot and new the FAA rules quite well.

Thank you, good to know that I am not the only one with these kind of problems ...

Hartmut_ Posted at 7-2 05:22
Thank you, good to know that I am not the only one with these kind of problems ...

There will always be self proclaimed "drone cops" out there.  Most just think there privacy is being invaded when they don't realize that there are cameras mounted everywhere nowadays and databases with their pictures are growing by the day.  With face recognition software being used there is  no expectation of privacy when in public.