My P4P was delivered today and I'm pretty excited about flying it.  My plan is to take it slow and get very familiar with its operation before I start to venture out very far.  Since I'm new to this, if any of you seasoned operators have some words of wisdom for me, it would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks

Aloha Mark,

     I know a Mark Goodin, this better not be you or I will kick your bruddah's okole!  First, what coast are you on anyway?

     All the BS aside, you will be very happy with your P4 Pro.  What device are you using, iOS or Android?  There are always interesting things happening with our P4 Pros but they are the best Micros on the market.  Keep us in the loop!  If you are new to video and aerial video, there are some resources available, but let us know.

Aloha and Drone On!

Hi MarkG, welcome on board, if you are new to flying I would recommend you get yourself a check list in preparation for flying, try to use it all the time and it will become second nature in no time.

Good aviators don't take chances they build on their experiences and knowledge. Start slowly and expand on your experience and knowledge base by building on each exercise you complete.

There are many around here who are very willing to help if you need it, so don't be worried about asking the proverbial silly questions.

But most of all enjoy it, you will knock some great fun out of this hobby. Good luck..

Hi welcome,
First of all read the manual it can be downloaded from here https://www.dji.com/phantom-4-pro/info#specs
What device are you going to use? make sure it is compatible with the app.
Get to know your bird, the tutorial videos are also available in the link above, watch them to, as are all the Software downloads.
Last of all reread the manual!!
Cheers and have fun!!

Cetacean Posted at 2017-2-24 23:57
Aloha Mark,

     I know a Mark Goodin, this better not be you or I will kick your bruddah's okole!  First, what coast are you on anyway?

Aloha Cetacean,

Nope, not Mark Goodin.  I'm in Sonoma County in California.  About an hour north of San Francisco.

I've been doing a lot of reading and opted to use an Ipad mini 4 .  My plan is to become competent in flying the P4P before I jump seriously into the camera aspect of it.  I have some ideas on what I want to do with the photos/videos.  I think those ideas will necessitate upgrading from a hobbyist classification to more of a professional capacity.

As I read through the different threads on the forum I can see there is a substantial knowledge base here and I look forward to tapping into it.

Thanks for the welcome!

hallmark007 Posted at 2017-2-25 01:19
Hi MarkG, welcome on board, if you are new to flying I would recommend you get yourself a check list in preparation for flying, try to use it all the time and it will become second nature in no time.

Good aviators don't take chances they build on their experiences and knowledge. Start slowly and expand on your experience and knowledge base by building on each exercise you complete.

Hi Hallmark,

Thanks for the welcome and advice!

I am definitely new to flying.  I briefly flew one that a friend had probably close to 10 years ago and that is the extent of my skills.  I have downloaded a checklist that will get me started.  I plan on looking at others as well so I can add anything that the original list might be missing.  I'm sure I will have lots of questions as my skills develop and I learn about the capabilities of the P4P.  

Nigelbrinkmann Posted at 2017-2-25 02:46
Hi welcome,
First of all read the manual it can be downloaded from here https://www.dji.com/phantom-4-pro/info#specs
What device are you going to use? make sure it is compatible with the app.

Hi Nigelbrinkmann,

Thanks for the welcome and advice!  I will be using the P4P.

I've read the manual once so far which was a little challenging since I didn't have the P4P right in front of me to really understand what it was talking about.  Now that I have it, I will be able to go through the manual and have my hands on it to better understand.  My plan is to keep it in beginner mode until the control movements become second nature to me and I don't have to think before I make a move.  I'm really looking forward to exploring the capabilities this drone has to offer and tapping into the knowledge that is here.

MarkG Posted at 2017-2-25 08:10
Hi Hallmark,

Thanks for the welcome and advice!

Here is mine some of the stuff may not be relative to you. it was one I had to do for my ops manual for commercial licence. some might be of use to you.
good luck..


https://forum.dji.com/forum.php? ... &fromuid=260008

hallmark007 Posted at 2017-2-25 08:34
Here is mine some of the stuff may not be relative to you. it was one I had to do for my ops manual for commercial licence. some might be of use to you.
good luck..

I like it.  Thank you!

Hi Mark
I'm also a newbie to flying drones and I have flown my P4 pro + Just a couple of time so far and like you I'm taking it easy at first! I must say it's an amazing piece of kit I'm sure your gonna love,
By the way I like the boat :-)

MarkG Posted at 2017-2-25 08:00
Aloha Cetacean,

Nope, not Mark Goodin.  I'm in Sonoma County in California.  About an hour north of San Francisco.

Aloha Mark,

     That is a good approach.  But while you are studying for your Part 107 certificate test, you may want to join the AMA while you train as a hobbyist.  (Part 107 requires that you are one or the other.)  The AMA has a 3 month $20 option that can really help during the transition.  (Regular annual membership is like $65.)

     Also, studying for the test can be burdensome sometimes since it is not streamlined for sub-5.5lb operators (Phantoms).  (The next set of regulations and test will be.)  With the virtually no-cost digital technology, you can fly and practice so that you will keep your enthusiasm up enough to ace the test.  Many of us on this Forum are in your shoes to so there are plenty of enthusiasts here to help you and keep your enthusiasm up.

     The technology you will be flying is cutting edge.  Some members come on and complain that they are "Beta-Testers", but DJI is a "Spit in your Face Beta Tester!" technology.  Phantoms are way beyond beta-testing (we are probably Alpha-Testers what ever they would be!)  Beta-testing would be welcome considering some of the things we have to figure out.  Personally, I think that all Phantom Fliers are part of the DJI development team and this Forum is a critical aspect of that development team.  It is a real interesting approach.  And we have fun while doing it!

     So, when you get anywhere near your Phantom, even to just think about it, you will be entering a world of amazement.  You need to embrace as much as you can as early as you can so the amazement will not overwhelm you (and stay legal at the same time).

Aloha and Drone On!

Woodwanger Posted at 2017-2-25 13:16
Hi Mark
I'm also a newbie to flying drones and I have flown my P4 pro + Just a couple of time so far and like you I'm taking it easy at first! I must say it's an amazing piece of kit I'm sure your gonna love,
By the way I like the boat :-)

Hi Woodwanger,

I think I might take my first flight tomorrow.  I went through a battery today using the simulator so now I have a feel for the controls.  It will be nice to get out and see it fly for real.

I recently sold the boat.  The guy I sold the boat to flies an Inspire 1.  When he came out and picked up the boat he flew and took some aerial photos of my property.  It impressed me and got me interested so now I get to spend my money on something else.

Cetacean Posted at 2017-2-25 13:48
Aloha Mark,

     That is a good approach.  But while you are studying for your Part 107 certificate test, you may want to join the AMA while you train as a hobbyist.  (Part 107 requires that you are one or the other.)  The AMA has a 3 month $20 option that can really help during the transition.  (Regular annual membership is like $65.)

Aloha Cetacean,

Thanks for your thoughts.  I looked into the AMA and felt it was worth doing.  I just haven't gotten to it yet.  I have done some of the Part 107 practice tests that are online and found that I definitely need to do some studying before I take the test.  I think/hope as long as I can continue to learn and develop my flying skills as I study, my enthusiasm will stay high.

I always had the impression that drones were toys and never really considered the potential that they had.  It's been an eye opener doing research while deciding what I was going to get.   Hopefully one day I'll feel comfortable enough to upgrade to something even better.

MarkG Posted at 2017-2-25 16:43
Aloha Cetacean,

Thanks for your thoughts.  I looked into the AMA and felt it was worth doing.  I just haven't gotten to it yet.  I have done some of the Part 107 practice tests that are online and found that I definitely need to do some studying before I take the test.  I think/hope as long as I can continue to learn and develop my flying skills as I study, my enthusiasm will stay high.

Aloha Mark,

     Well, you got the best right there.  Maybe for six times the amount of money, you could get a Part 107 drone with the bells and whistles that the P4 Pro has.  I tried Tripod for the first time today and was blown away by the detection.  Now to set it up for the jungle tunnels!

     You will do fine.  If you have any questions, we are here.

Aloha and Drone On!

MarkG Posted at 2017-2-25 16:24
Hi Woodwanger,

I think I might take my first flight tomorrow.  I went through a battery today using the simulator so now I have a feel for the controls.  It will be nice to get out and see it fly for real.

I'm sure you will get some awesome footage when get to grips with it especially with those Giant Sequoias, around where you live.....I wish I had my drone when we visited out that way :-)