I will be receiving the Mavic Pro in a couple of days. This will be my first drone experience and I want to make sure that I go through all the proper steps before I try to push the envelope as they say. Other than reading the manual (over and over) and doing all the proper updates, watching tutorial videos, and calibrations I was wondering if the flight simulator is worth exploring or just good old fashion real world experience (in a large open field of course). Any suggestions you guys have for a new pilot like myself would be greatly appreciated.

First read the entire manual several times you can download in the DJI app. Anything you have questions about use you tube watch the videos on what your questioning.
Make sure you remove all factory stickers, several malfunctions reported with the Mavic have been caused by stickers on the sensors.
Get used to flying with lots of satellites before you try flying in Atti mode.
If you're in US get UAS registration before you fly can save $ and maybe a life at least property damage even if only your drone. It's about $5 but required in every state in the US. Canada has their own registration just do your homework before flying. Good luck and be safe.

fans4d83514d Posted at 2016-12-6 20:04
First read the entire manual several times you can download in the DJI app. Anything you have questions about use you tube watch the videos on what your questioning.
Make sure you remove all factory stickers, several malfunctions reported with the Mavic have been caused by stickers on the sensors.
Get used to flying with lots of satellites before you try flying in Atti mode.

were do you find information on registering with the UAS? I am new to all of this as well and want to ensure I am following all of the rules and regulations.....I don't want to be "That guy"!

Heavysledz Posted at 2016-12-7 01:07
were do you find information on registering with the UAS? I am new to all of this as well and want to ensure I am following all of the rules and regulations.....I don't want to be "That guy"!

Here you go:

FAQ: https://www.faa.gov/uas/
Register: https://registermyuas.faa.gov

If you have never flown a quad before, it's probably very worthwile to use the simulator first to get a hang of the inputs.
A cheap toy quad would be even better. I guess if you can fly that safely, you'll be allright with the Mavic.

So if I have my unit connected to DJI assistant, will I be able to connect the RC to the unit? And also would I connect my phone to the RC or does the flight simulator show on the computer and just take inputs from the RC?

int0x80 Posted at 2016-12-7 14:32
Here you go:

FAQ: https://www.faa.gov/uas/

Thank you.....I am all legal now. Registered and got my UAS certificate number and printed out my card. Now if I only had a drone!

Str8nUpNFlyRigh Posted at 2016-12-7 15:46
If you have never flown a quad before, it's probably very worthwile to use the simulator first to get a hang of the inputs.
A cheap toy quad would be even better. I guess if you can fly that safely, you'll be allright with the Mavic.

This is exactly what I did....I purchased a Hubson x4 107C drone on Amazon for under $50 and have been practicing with this. In just a few days, I have gotten much, much better and since this particular drone does not have the auto hovering capability, you have to really work the sticks....so if you can fly this reasonably well, you should be able to fly a Mavic with ease.......much easier and cheaper to crash a $50 drone than a $1000 drone! If you want a cheap drone that does hover you can pick up the Hubson X4 107C+ for about $10 more but I think it is better to learn how to fly without it as it may pay off in a situation where you need to react quickly to control altitude on the Mavic and the muscle memory of flying a drone without hovering capability may be the difference between a crash and saving it....

int0x80 Posted at 2016-12-7 07:32
Here you go:

FAQ: https://www.faa.gov/uas/

Any idea if this is the same for people who travel to the states? Or is this only for residents of the US?

Heavysledz Posted at 2016-12-7 17:50
This is exactly what I did....I purchased a Hubson x4 107C drone on Amazon for under $50 and have been practicing with this. In just a few days, I have gotten much, much better and since this particular drone does not have the auto hovering capability, you have to really work the sticks....so if you can fly this reasonably well, you should be able to fly a Mavic with ease.......much easier and cheaper to crash a $50 drone than a $1000 drone! If you want a cheap drone that does hover you can pick up the Hubson X4 107C+ for about $10 more but I think it is better to learn how to fly without it as it may pay off in a situation where you need to react quickly to control altitude on the Mavic and the muscle memory of flying a drone without hovering capability may be the difference between a crash and saving it....

Did the same as you Heavysledz, but bought the 107D+. I should have saved $60.00 and not bothered with the camera and barometric hover, neither of which work particularly well. However, the drone is pretty much indestructible apart from the blades, it even took a swim in the dog's water bowl and survived!
Great for learning orientation and nose in flying. The Mavic is 100 times easier to fly having options to be almost totally autonomous, but that's the issue in the event of a problem. You need to learn how to fly a drone manually to experience controlled unassisted flight.
Just a tip for the OP. A free drone sim app which is probably as good if not better than the DJI one is worth downloading if you haven't got your Mavic yet. It's called Quadcopter FX Simulator and will give you some idea of how the controls react to flying a drone. The paid for app gives extra scenes and different drones which you can change the settings on, from super easy, like Tripod mode, to mad uncontrollable mayhem mode!

GeForceFX-be Posted at 2016-12-8 01:53
Any idea if this is the same for people who travel to the states? Or is this only for residents of the US?

Here is an excerpt from the website that may shed some light on this subject for you:

I'm a foreign national and want to fly my UAS in the U.S. on vacation. Do I have to register before flying?
If you are a foreign national and you are not eligible to register your sUAS in the United States there are two ways for you to operate. If you want to operate your UAS exclusively as model aircraft you must complete the steps in the web-based registration process and obtain a "recognition of ownership." This recognition of ownership is required by the Department of Transportation to operate a model aircraft in the United States. Alternatively, if you want to operate your UAS as a non-model aircraft you must register your UAS in the country in which you are eligible to register and obtain operating authority from the Department of Transportation.

rick39 Posted at 2016-12-8 02:07
Did the same as you Heavysledz, but bought the 107D+. I should have saved $60.00 and not bothered with the camera and barometric hover, neither of which work particularly well. However, the drone is pretty much indestructible apart from the blades, it even took a swim in the dog's water bowl and survived!
Great for learning orientation and nose in flying. The Mavic is 100 times easier to fly having options to be almost totally autonomous, but that's the issue in the event of a problem. You need to learn how to fly a drone manually to experience controlled unassisted flight.
Just a tip for the OP. A free drone sim app which is probably as good if not better than the DJI one is worth downloading if you haven't got your Mavic yet. It's called Quadcopter FX Simulator and will give you some idea of how the controls react to flying a drone. The paid for app gives extra scenes and different drones which you can change the settings on, from super easy, like Tripod mode, to mad uncontrollable mayhem mode!

I agree...the 107C has an HD (720P) camera on it but I have yet to use it as I bought it to practice flying not take pics/vids. The reviews on the 107C+ weren't that great so I opted to forego the barometric hover feature.

I have crashed about 30 times thus far and am still on the original set of blades.....I did land it (on purpose) in the dog's food dish last night for fun {:4_181:}

Looks like dog bowls are the way to go for inappropriate landing sites.

rick39 Posted at 2016-12-8 03:05
Looks like dog bowls are the way to go for inappropriate landing sites.

yep...my dog was quite curious too and had I not hit the throttle, I think it was going to be his next chew toy!

Is there any simulator that utilizes your PC monitor or TV that is compatible with the Mavic Pro controller?

GeForceFX-be Posted at 2016-12-7 12:53
Any idea if this is the same for people who travel to the states? Or is this only for residents of the US?

It's for anyone flying an unmanned drone in the US up to 440 grams I believe it changes a lot but last time I checked technically the Mavic is under the requirements to need to register with the FAA or UAS by only a couple of grams I'm sure DJI did that on purpose.
BUT why fly without it. If you are approached by police or more likely DNR who are Fedral Officers and can and will give FAA violation tickets or confiscate your drone for 1-3 years (This has never happened to me but people I know) I've been flying 20+ years RC and the Law is going to crack down in the US. Us licensed Flyers have confused them to where they are researching the law and finding ways to keep us from flying around lakes.
So far as the lake closest to me the 2nd largest in the state made almost all area around the lake a no fly zone by declaring the water an airport for water planes by my local friendly city government 1 plane comes in summer and a celebrity has a helicopter landing zone rarely flys home but has one.  
Anyway all I'm saying is better to pay the few bucks learn your rights so your craft is not taken and you don't get fined and above all you fly safe and you can enjoy without making it worse for fellow pilots.
The more people fly without a license and get stopped the more they will crack down.
The 4 things that can get your drone taken are on the back of your card.

fans4d83514d Posted at 2016-12-8 05:19
It's for anyone flying an unmanned drone in the US up to 440 grams I believe it changes a lot but last time I checked technically the Mavic is under the requirements to need to register with the FAA or UAS by only a couple of grams I'm sure DJI did that on purpose.
BUT why fly without it. If you are approached by police or more likely DNR who are Fedral Officers and can and will give FAA violation tickets or confiscate your drone for 1-3 years (This has never happened to me but people I know) I've been flying 20+ years RC and the Law is going to crack down in the US. Us licensed Flyers have confused them to where they are researching the law and finding ways to keep us from flying around lakes.
So far as the lake closest to me the 2nd largest in the state made almost all area around the lake a no fly zone by declaring the water an airport for water planes by my local friendly city government 1 plane comes in summer and a celebrity has a helicopter landing zone rarely flys home but has one.  

Sorry but this is not correct. The Mavic does require registration with the FAA. The criteria (weight wise) in the U.S. is any unmanned aerial vehicle weighing more than .55lbs (250 grams) and 55lbs (25Kg) require registration.

I didn't find the DJI flight simulator useful at all.  I too was a "first timer" and when i got my drone, i did try the simulator.   It does not really compare to "real world".   I think a better idea is to find a wide open space, and put the drone in "beginner mode" and fly a few times this way.  The drone pretty much flies itself, especially with good GPS.  You can use auto take off and auto land.   

Once you have a few flights under your belt, then you can slowly move on to other advanced things, such as manual take off, manual landing and finally, turn off "beginner mode".
I would advise you to try differnt things such as the track modes and such but do so with the drone in wide open spaces and below 100 feet or so, just until you feel comfy flying.
This method worked for me, and now i feel a bit more comfortable flying.  
Good luck.

13MStang Posted at 2016-12-8 08:35
I didn't find the DJI flight simulator useful at all.  I too was a "first timer" and when i got my drone, i did try the simulator.   It does not really compare to "real world".   I think a better idea is to find a wide open space, and put the drone in "beginner mode" and fly a few times this way.  The drone pretty much flies itself, especially with good GPS.  You can use auto take off and auto land.   

Once you have a few flights under your belt, then you can slowly move on to other advanced things, such as manual take off, manual landing and finally, turn off "beginner mode".

What sucks is that you need to have the Mavic ON whilst simulating.
If you do decide to use the simulator, remove the props on the mavic and use a desk fan to help cooling. And remember to remove the gimbal clamp.

fans4d83514d Posted at 2016-12-7 22:19
It's for anyone flying an unmanned drone in the US up to 440 grams I believe it changes a lot but last time I checked technically the Mavic is under the requirements to need to register with the FAA or UAS by only a couple of grams I'm sure DJI did that on purpose.
BUT why fly without it. If you are approached by police or more likely DNR who are Fedral Officers and can and will give FAA violation tickets or confiscate your drone for 1-3 years (This has never happened to me but people I know) I've been flying 20+ years RC and the Law is going to crack down in the US. Us licensed Flyers have confused them to where they are researching the law and finding ways to keep us from flying around lakes.
So far as the lake closest to me the 2nd largest in the state made almost all area around the lake a no fly zone by declaring the water an airport for water planes by my local friendly city government 1 plane comes in summer and a celebrity has a helicopter landing zone rarely flys home but has one.  

I'm perfectly fine with paying for it, I just didn't know that people without an US address could fill in the online form.
You're talking about a card, does that mean they send you a card after registration? Will they send it to addresses in europe to?

GeForceFX-be Posted at 2016-12-8 07:19
I'm perfectly fine with paying for it, I just didn't know that people without an US address could fill in the online form.
You're talking about a card, does that mean they send you a card after registration? Will they send it to addresses in europe to?

The post to which you are replying is mostly incorrect, that weight figure does not exist. The threshold is much lower, all model aircraft over .55 pound (250 grams) but under 55 pounds must be operated by a registered pilot. Note that it is the pilot, not the drone, that is registered, which is a good thing, as you only need to do it once for multiple aircraft - you then put your pilot registration number on board the aircraft, anywhere you like that can be accessed or seen without needing tools. As for the process for non-US residents, here's an authoritative outline:  http://amablog.modelaircraft.org ... tizen-registration/

Oliver Seeler Posted at 2016-12-9 00:40
The post to which you are replying is mostly incorrect, that weight figure does not exist. The threshold is much lower, all model aircraft over .55 pound (250 grams) but under 55 pounds must be operated by a registered pilot. Note that it is the pilot, not the drone, that is registered, which is a good thing, as you only need to do it once for multiple aircraft - you then put your pilot registration number on board the aircraft, anywhere you like that can be accessed or seen without needing tools. As for the process for non-US residents, here's an authoritative outline:  http://amablog.modelaircraft.org/amagov/2016/06/20/faa-non-citizen-registration/

True for the most part. The registration is for the individual but can also be used by someone else not registered but must have a copy in their possession:



Do I always have to have my Certificate of Aircraft Registration with me while flying my UAS?
Yes. You must have the FAA registration certificate in your possession when operating an unmanned aircraft. The certificate can be available either on paper or electronically.

If another person operates your UAS, they must have the UAS registration certificate in their possession. You can give them a paper copy or email a copy to them.

Federal law requires UAS operators to show the certificate of registration to any Federal, State, or local law enforcement officer if asked. You can show it electronically or show the printed certificate.

Oliver Seeler Posted at 2016-12-8 17:40
The post to which you are replying is mostly incorrect, that weight figure does not exist. The threshold is much lower, all model aircraft over .55 pound (250 grams) but under 55 pounds must be operated by a registered pilot. Note that it is the pilot, not the drone, that is registered, which is a good thing, as you only need to do it once for multiple aircraft - you then put your pilot registration number on board the aircraft, anywhere you like that can be accessed or seen without needing tools. As for the process for non-US residents, here's an authoritative outline:  http://amablog.modelaircraft.org/amagov/2016/06/20/faa-non-citizen-registration/

thanks for the URL. Seems that you can only do it from a US based pc. Hopefully it works with VPN so I can do it from home and print my documents and use my labelmaker to create a neat label.

I think the "simulator" is most helpful with trying out the various options in the software and on the controller, not necessarily with simulating quad flight.  As others have mentioned, get a toy drone for that.  I have a Blade Inductrix, which is a blast and a great indoor learning drone.  Speaking about landing in odd places, I actually landed the Inductrix once in my wife's hair (not on purpose) and it took some doing to untangle it.

Thanks for advice. I have purchased a Holy Stone HS170 Predator so I can master the controls from a 50 dollar standpoint vs a 1000 dollar one. I think I will keep my Mavic nice and sound in the packaging untill I feel comfortable. Gonna be hard though!

hyderja Posted at 2016-12-7 14:38
Is there any simulator that utilizes your PC monitor or TV that is compatible with the Mavic Pro controller?

Can you mirror your device to a smart tv and use the DJI app simulator?

Heavysledz Posted at 2016-12-7 16:28
Sorry but this is not correct. The Mavic does require registration with the FAA. The criteria (weight wise) in the U.S. is any unmanned aerial vehicle weighing more than .55lbs (250 grams) and 55lbs (25Kg) require registration.

Like I said don't take my word for it when I first registered for RC UAS did not exist. And that was an ad I saw before the Mavic was released but the Mavic weighs over 700 grams anyway and like I said why would you not get registered even if you technically didn't have to.

GeForceFX-be Posted at 2016-12-8 10:19
I'm perfectly fine with paying for it, I just didn't know that people without an US address could fill in the online form.
You're talking about a card, does that mean they send you a card after registration? Will they send it to addresses in europe to?

You print it out on the website. They don't send to physical address just email address.

M4BMW Posted at 2016-12-8 23:15
Thanks for advice. I have purchased a Holy Stone HS170 Predator so I can master the controls from a 50 dollar standpoint vs a 1000 dollar one. I think I will keep my Mavic nice and sound in the packaging untill I feel comfortable. Gonna be hard though!

Really no need to be afraid, if you understand the controls (from practicing a little bit with the cheap drone) you will be fine.
Find a open location, put it in beginner mode, do your pre-check (like making sure the gimbal cover and clamp or off), than let the app do the take-off (make sure you've got enough GPS satellites), go a little higher (so that you can't accidentally bump into yourself) and than do some basic flying around.

When you do the automatic take-off, let the drone hoover a bit, so it can record the precise RTH location, and make sure that you've set the correct RTH hight (basically a hight that is higher than the stuff around you).

Flying the mavic is much easier than flying one of those cheap things. With the cheap one you constantly have to adjust to keep it somewhat in the same spot, with the mavic all you have to do is let go of the sticks and it will hover without going anywhere, even in windy conditions.

When you are done flying around, hit the RTH button or try manual landing if you feel confident.

M4BMW Posted at 2016-12-9 06:15
Thanks for advice. I have purchased a Holy Stone HS170 Predator so I can master the controls from a 50 dollar standpoint vs a 1000 dollar one. I think I will keep my Mavic nice and sound in the packaging untill I feel comfortable. Gonna be hard though!

yep.....you will be glad you did {:4_181:}

GeForceFX-be Posted at 2016-12-9 23:03
Really no need to be afraid, if you understand the controls (from practicing a little bit with the cheap drone) you will be fine.
Find a open location, put it in beginner mode, do your pre-check (like making sure the gimbal cover and clamp or off), than let the app do the take-off (make sure you've got enough GPS satellites), go a little higher (so that you can't accidentally bump into yourself) and than do some basic flying around.

exactly the point of learning on a cheap drone. For if/when you have to fly your Mavic in a situation where you lose GPS and all of the flight aids and have to actually fly it.....you will have the skills to do so and hopefully avoid a potential crash. All of the flight aids are great but if that is the only way you know how to fly, you will likely have issues if you lose these controls and have to fly manually.

Learn how to manually fly on a cheap drone and get all of the crashes out of your system first

A "TRUE" simulator would allow us to set up the controller like normal, ADD a second screen (like a 10" tablet plugged into the standard USB connector) and NOT turn on the drone itself.  That way, you could use the controller and your phone (with FPV of the simulated world) to truly learn how to simultaneously use the controller screen, FPV to frame shots and line-of-sight using the external tablet without risking the $1K drone.

I know, that would take some programming and know-how... but I think DJI could afford it.

So does the Mavic have a builtin flight simulator like my DJI Inspire does?

dont try this insidedoor

Heavysledz Posted at 2016-12-6 22:07
were do you find information on registering with the UAS? I am new to all of this as well and want to ensure I am following all of the rules and regulations.....I don't want to be "That guy"!

what do you want to know