Only bought my dji 3 S tues & had a play on the sim for the first day, I didn't think the weather would of been so kind to me
so today with warm dry weather & 10 MPH winds i gulped to the step to go out with it making sure i had followed all the steps,
i have been watching on videos on youtube from not just one but lots of people. My biggest fear was this dude just cost me £500GB
is it going to go up & disappear  and never to be seen again LOL, goto a good open space miles away from any one done the IMU calibration
then the compass calibration. My hand was shaking like a leaf in the wind ! lol...
I used the auto take off and was like wow this is cool it just stayed there right in front of me hovering about 5 mins after i tried the RTH
I just stood there & watched it go up & up and thought oh dear wheres it going it then moved over my head and started coming down ever so slowly
it landed near spot on where i had taken off from...... Now that cool,
In the time i was flying around i even managed to land it my self manually, the whole experience was awesome
I even managed to get some video footage but it didn't seem that clear when uploaded from the app.

Well done on getting out there, it gets easier from now on, lovely place to fly. Still remember my first flights, sweaty hands, heart pounding, thinking this is not fun having all that money up in the air.

Everyone's first few flights are nerve wracking.  Takes a lot of nerve to send that thing airborne.  However, after a few flights you will gain confidence that the Phantom responds as designed.  You're doing the right thing .. read the manual and watch videos, then after a few flights, read manual and videos again as they will make even more sense.  Most so-called flyaways and lost drones are operator error (in spite of what most claim).  Always check for plenty of GPS satellites, fly on a fully charged battery, don't let it get too far away below about 30-35% battery, in short, be conservative, and you will have many enjoyable flights.  Enjoy your Phantom.

That's a nice pic. It might be best to do your IMU and gimbal calibration from home, with a level base beneath it, for best calibrations. It would be difficult to find a perfectly level spot, out of doors.

Glad to read that you had a successful time flying, and landing for the first time. Keep practicing, in close
Keeping your VLOS with the drone. There is No shame in using the helpful Beginner Mode either.


RedHotPoker

Some good advice in the thread, especially watch the videos and read manual again so it makes more sense... But, I'd definitely disable beginner mode, it can cause big problems having it on. I'd also enable multiple flight modes, just in case you need to take over.

.. and enjoy flying, where in GB are you btw?

For the best quality of video, you will need to download the video straight from the microSD card and not the app.
Just continue to be careful and have fun. As you get more comfortable with it you can try new things. Just recommend you cruise these forums and YouTube for as much info as you can so you know what to expect and do if something unusual happens.

It's good to hear that you're starting to be a little more confident. I'm sure you'll continue to improve as you continue to test the waters a bit.

DJI-Jamie Posted at 2017-3-10 00:00
It's good to hear that you're starting to be a little more confident. I'm sure you'll continue to improve as you continue to test the waters a bit.

Thankyou all for your replies a bove it's good to know there's people here to help to make you feel confident. I managed to do a small video & posted on youtube, Unsure if your allowed to put links on here. !

calls4u2 Posted at 2017-3-9 16:33
.. and enjoy flying, where in GB are you btw?

Looking at the photo I was going to guess North Dartmoor, but then I saw the name of the file which would make it South Dartmoor!

If you are flying up on the moors, note that there are byelaws which ban flying on quite a lot of the moor, it is unlikely anyone will object but please respect other peoples peaceful walking environment, land if someone approaches, you will probably need to land anyway because they normally want to chat about your Phantom for half an hour!    And don't fly anywhere near the military ranges during the week, too many low flying helicopters about.

Did my Survival training on Dartmoor ... love it.

Plume of Feathers ... good pint - well it was then !!

I usually advise newbies that I fly with ... lift-off and keep it between 1 and 3m height in front of you and then slide side to side getting used to what the right stick does ... then touches of left stick rotation to see what happens then. Always take care with Left stick rotation because it alters your orientation seriously and most newbies have trouble with it.
Main point is easy easy ... see what each stick 'nudge' does ... and learn that letting go stops the AC and it hovers. That is golden because then you can calm down and think what to do next.

Nigel

Not sure why it's suggested that "beginners mode" should be avoided......... I found it very useful when  you're trying to get the hang of things. Certainly, letting go of the sticks is excellent advice.......... I wish I'd realised that when I started!!   Now, usually push the left stick up and right stick back now when things are looking dodgy............... you stop really quickly going backwards and up which seems to work getting me out of trouble..... not a good idea if you've got something above you though!

calls4u2 Posted at 2017-3-9 16:33
.. and enjoy flying, where in GB are you btw?

shilstone on dartmoor national park devon, I have my parents to thank for moving us down here from london when i was younger nicer way of life with 356 square miles of dartmoor, Im looking forward to my next flight but will keep in in beginners mode until i feel confident enough.

KM5RG-Robert Posted at 2017-3-9 16:36
For the best quality of video, you will need to download the video straight from the microSD card and not the app.
Just continue to be careful and have fun. As you get more comfortable with it you can try new things. Just recommend you cruise these forums and YouTube for as much info as you can so you know what to expect and do if something unusual happens.

Robert  Thanks that's what i did in the end up took the sd card out and used my gopro software to do a small clip which i have uploaded to youtube for friends & family to have a gander, unsure if im allowed to put links in here !

RedHotPoker Posted at 2017-3-9 15:05
That's a nice pic. It might be best to do your IMU and gimbal calibration from home, with a level base beneath it, for best calibrations. It would be difficult to find a perfectly level spot, out of doors.

Glad to read that you had a successful time flying, and landing for the first time. Keep practicing, in close

Thank-you yep it will be a little while before i leave the beginner mode until i get a bit more confidence

Hi Andy

Yes, i think most of us were the same regarding our first flights! I've had my Phantom 3S for about 2 months now and i'm getting ever more confident! I was originally located South West of you in St Dennis, Cornwall before emigrating to Australia almost 10 years ago.
I've included a photo of where i'm at now with the drone..... I use it mainly to shoot video and stills of me and my mates at my favorite place on earth....the diving boards down at the waterfront in Geelong, Victoria! And yes, that's me in the pic!!!
I often leave my drone flying solo to get myself in the shot, where all that is below it is nasty seawater! But you learn to trust it in the end....and leave some brief instructions to friends in the unlikely event it decides to fly off (it won't) ;)

Getting some great advise there Andy. Just do what you are comfortable with, it will soon become second nature and you won't have to think about every move you want to make, keep flying and keep it props on top .
The only thing I have to think about when flying mine is left stick up is up and down is down, I fly RC fixed wing aircraft where down is up and up is down, instinctively. I try not to fly too close to the ground in case I make that mistake!

I fly fixed wing as well ... the Elevator stick function is the one that I needed to get used to - but that was sorted on lesser Multi-Rotors that had to be 'flown' ... that's why I get new guys and gals to fly low and in front with nudges of stick to learn what happens with each.

Mode 2 FW ... right stick gives pitch only not fwd / back flight when pushed up or down.... just for thos who don't know !!

Nigel

I reckon most of us inexperienced pilots were nervous for the first couple of flights, I know I was!
But confidence does grow with each flight.

GeoffN Posted at 2017-3-10 05:03
Not sure why it's suggested that "beginners mode" should be avoided......... I found it very useful when  you're trying to get the hang of things. Certainly, letting go of the sticks is excellent advice.......... I wish I'd realised that when I started!!   Now, usually push the left stick up and right stick back now when things are looking dodgy............... you stop really quickly going backwards and up which seems to work getting me out of trouble..... not a good idea if you've got something above you though!

Why would I not advise beginners mode?

My first few flights I left everything in beginners mode, it should have made things 'safer' I thought, while I took it easy and learned the controls and feel of the craft.

Then one fine day I was taking it easy, in a nice open space, showing someone how things worked when.. Suddenly the home point jumped - the drone now believed it was over 2 miles from 'me'. Of course that meant it was outside of it's boundary, and headed off away from me at a steady pace.. Being in beginner mode, and not having enabled the advanced modes there was no way to stop it from heading off into the distance.

At the time I had no idea that the home point had shifted, I'd not hit the home button, nor anything in the app. All I knew was the craft was doing some kind of 'flyaway'.

I had minimum control, could go up and down, and fight to get it to go left/right, but always it headed away from me, even full reverse it kept going at 5mph away from me. I managed to bring it down, watching it from a distance while running after it, due to the 5mph speed I had to touch down very very slowly.

Afterwards checking the logs it became apparent about the home point, and I could see WHY it was heading away, but not why the HP had changed. DJI checked the logs and advised no pilot error and that I send it in or go back to the retailer for a replacement (which I did).

Now maybe it was a firmware issue, maybe has been fixed long ago (this was last spring), but I always now advise beginners to have the option of FULL control themselves should they need it.

Due to the weather here (and work commitments!) I've not flown for a few months now, and those same nerves you're getting are what I'm feeling. Hoping next weekend I can get my bird back in the air

"calls4u2"

S1 ......

Nigel

calls4u2 Posted at 2017-3-12 09:37
Why would I not advise beginners mode?

My first few flights I left everything in beginners mode, it should have made things 'safer' I thought, while I took it easy and learned the controls and feel of the craft.

This wasn't a fault with the "beginners mode" but was caused by the old app which moved the home point....... it's has now been updated and the problem solved.  Your drone would also have probably disappeared if you had the distance limitation set instead off/as well as the beginners mode.

DJ Nee Posted at 2017-3-10 06:37
Hi Andy

Yes, i think most of us were the same regarding our first flights! I've had my Phantom 3S for about 2 months now and i'm getting ever more confident! I was originally located South West of you in St Dennis, Cornwall before emigrating to Australia almost 10 years ago.

NIIIICE photo!

solentlife Posted at 2017-3-10 08:35
I fly fixed wing as well ... the Elevator stick function is the one that I needed to get used to - but that was sorted on lesser Multi-Rotors that had to be 'flown' ... that's why I get new guys and gals to fly low and in front with nudges of stick to learn what happens with each.

Mode 2 FW ... right stick gives pitch only not fwd / back flight when pushed up or down.... just for thos who don't know !!

I fly Mode 1 fixed wing, where elevator is left stick. Just seemed more natural to me to fly Mode 2 on the P3 as that is more comparable with my Mode 1 stick configuration.

adrian8891 Posted at 2017-3-12 11:37
NIIIICE photo!

Thank-you adrian

calls4u2 Posted at 2017-3-12 09:37
Why would I not advise beginners mode?

My first few flights I left everything in beginners mode, it should have made things 'safer' I thought, while I took it easy and learned the controls and feel of the craft.

Calls4u2... Thanks mate after reading what you wrote i think i will have to train my springer spaniel to to follow my drone hahahaha.... all joking Your heart must have dropped 20 beats, Gulp ! Im hoping to get out wens as the weather looks to be good for wens afternoon i want to photograph a stone circle near a stream & old clapper bridge which is just up the road from me (Scorhill), so fingers crossed for decent weather.   

As a fellow new flyer, I highly recommend using the DJI APP Flight Simulator.  Being from Upstate New York, weather has been terrible so this is a nice alternative.  It is a great way to get over orientation issues and master advanced maneuvers without worrying about crashing your very expensive Phantom.   Nose in landings and flying banked figure 8's are a breeze with a few hours practice on the simulator.  When the weather does break I am ready.     

Jus wondering why the drone went up once you pressed return to home after auto takeoff, surely if your less than 20 metre away and less than 20 metres high it should jus land where it took off from as in straight down no?

Hi, i Would líke to know if there is a way That my p3s can fly more than 500 meters of distance? I Would líke to try it, i am trying not to be afraid of flying eventos though my dji go app crashes from time to time. Can it fly further??

GeoffN Posted at 2017-3-12 11:32
This wasn't a fault with the "beginners mode" but was caused by the old app which moved the home point....... it's has now been updated and the problem solved.  Your drone would also have probably disappeared if you had the distance limitation set instead off/as well as the beginners mode.

Hey Geoff, can you show me the changelog where this was fixed?

Yeah, the distance limit would have done the same. The big difference is, that once out of beginners mode, and multiple flight modes activated then the problem can be controlled whereas in beginner mode it would mean bye bye drone for most people.

Andy1963 Posted at 2017-3-12 15:31
Calls4u2... Thanks mate after reading what you wrote i think i will have to train my springer spaniel to to follow my drone hahahaha.... all joking Your heart must have dropped 20 beats, Gulp ! Im hoping to get out wens as the weather looks to be good for wens afternoon i want to photograph a stone circle near a stream & old clapper bridge which is just up the road from me (Scorhill),[view_image] so fingers crossed for decent weather.

I had NO idea what was going on, I'd read about flyaways and when it headed off away from me.. You can imagine.

I was near a lake, and the direction it was heading took it over part of the lake, I tried real hard to skirt around it, and being aware that VPS can get confused with water I went for higher altitude until could get it back over land, then it was a quick DOWN DOWN DOWN, until 10" from the ground where I did full down. (Try gauging 10" from a quarter mile away while you're running). 3 metres further from where I landed was a wooded area so was a tight landing spot. There's a full thread on it somewhere on here with flight logs etc. The drone did tip over as it landed, but bare in mind I could not stop the horizontal speed, even a full reverse left it at 5mph or so. Not a scratch, even the props were fine!

Great Stuff.  I have had my drone about 6 weeks now. I've racked up   95 miles of flights. Actually more but deleted my first 20 logs and any flights less than 400 yards.

I did download the manual to read and that has helped as has reading the forums here.  I've sure you will have fun down there in the summer time.

Just joined forum and enjoyed and felt much the same as posts suggest. Have had my p3 std now for a couple of weeks and progressing well.. I think, only kissing a tree once but thankfully, no damage done. Becoming more confident on a local farm where there is lots of open space. I now need to build confidence flying over building on the farm. Is there anything I need to be aware of? Any advice would be very welcome.

takes a lot of nerve to send that thing airborne{:4_157:}

Paulbuddin Posted at 2017-3-17 05:16
Just joined forum and enjoyed and felt much the same as posts suggest. Have had my p3 std now for a couple of weeks and progressing well.. I think, only kissing a tree once but thankfully, no damage done. Becoming more confident on a local farm where there is lots of open space. I now need to build confidence flying over building on the farm. Is there anything I need to be aware of? Any advice would be very welcome.

Fly as high as needed to avoid obstacles between the RC and AC for sure with all modes in P A and F.

Hello from Kansas  USA.....where can i find this DJI APP Flight Simulator.....i'm going to order my P 3 Standard soon.

Zippo43 Posted at 2017-3-26 17:49
Hello from Kansas  USA.....where can i find this DJI APP Flight Simulator.....i'm going to order my P 3 Standard soon.

Back at yah from MN. When you start the app and the piture of the AC appears you click on the little cube in the upper right corner. You'll then see it in the menu. You do however need the Phantom to use it.

RedHotPoker Posted at 2017-3-9 15:05
That's a nice pic. It might be best to do your IMU and gimbal calibration from home, with a level base beneath it, for best calibrations. It would be difficult to find a perfectly level spot, out of doors.

Glad to read that you had a successful time flying, and landing for the first time. Keep practicing, in close

  IMU  calibration  whats that mean Nervous  ?   Thanks

Zippo43 Posted at 2017-9-19 17:55
IMU  calibration  whats that mean Nervous  ?   Thanks

Have you - did you RTFM?  The genesis of RC flight.
There are numerous explanatory videos that explain in detail, what the IMU does, and how to calibrate it.

I would advise that you peruse your app, to learn about all the user friendly parameters.
Calibration of the drones IMU, Gimbal and compass are very basic but necessary for safe, and satisfying results.
Go through the app, and find your IMU calibration parameter, and calibrate it.


RedHotPoker

Well done you've done well. My first flight resulted in the destruction of my wife's olive tree much to her disgust. I'm now relegated to open areas but I'm getting better.