I had plenty of RC aircraft experience and started with a syma x5 and x8. I flew almost every day for 6 months before getting my P3A. My intention was photography possibilities. I could see going straight to a Phantom if you were very careful but still the possibilities for a disaster are a lot greater by doing that. Phantoms are huge fun to fly but we need to be responsible to protect our image.
How many people went straight to DJI instead of smaller drones first?
- Thread starter SONIC
- Start date
For me it was from no experience at all 4 months ago I brought the PH4 here in Australia it cost au$2399 I have now flown 160 flights 30 hours 330 klms and thouchwood I have never has a crash
I started flying a Syma X11 then went to Syma X5-SC doing come videos. then the P3A which was so much easier to fly but learning on the toys was so beneficial.
- Joined
- Nov 1, 2015
- Messages
- 117
- Reaction score
- 40
- Age
- 63
I have ZERO model aircraft experience and went straight to the DJI P3Pro Quad. Watched lots of YouTube vids, read all of the instructions, charged everything up and flew it... I didn't want to waste any time or $$$ on something that wasn't up to par on quality. No regrets at all....
Saw a little foam Air Hog quad while shopping one day. Thought that flying it around the house might help quiet our loud parrot (it did help - a little). Even this little cheapo flew better than the flying toys of my childhood of the 50's & 60's, so I upgraded to an UDI818 w/camera. Wow, what jump in performance. Next, noticed the Phantoms - way more than I wanted to spend so I bought a used Blade 350 with which to practice just in case I changed my mind (which I knew would happen). Within 10 days, I was shopping for a P3S. But wait a minute. For just a couple hundred more, I could buy a P3A. With so many more features, it wouldn't make any sense not to! So that's what I have now (along with a new tablet, extra battery, Marco Polo, antenna mod ...... whew!)
I bought a P2V+, read the manual, flew it, no problems. Didn't do stupid **** with it, took my time.
Most people want to charge it up, fly it, and oh no! It crashed! I don't know why! DJI is crap! I'll never own a DJI ever ever ever again!
I'm just fed up with folks who go out and buy a drone, do stupid stuff with it, blame their mishaps on the drone, laugh it off, buy another drone, rinse - repeat.
Maybe if folks started out like I did... building a balsa wood control line fixed wing with gas motor... crash it by accident, rebuild it and try again. When you buy a ready-to-fly drone, crash it, you have no appreciation for all the work that went into it to make it fly in the first place. Maybe if you had to build it, take pride in it, realize just how special it really is, people wouldn't be so prone to being "flip" about it.
- Joined
- Apr 24, 2016
- Messages
- 79
- Reaction score
- 17
- Age
- 48
I started small and 'cheap' and worked my way up myself. I started out with a Sky Rover helicopter from Walmart. Then, I got Syma X13 and a Hubsan X4 (which I didn't like). After that, I got a Syma X5c, then a Propel Neutron. After that, I decided to move out of the 'Toy Grades' and into the 'Hobby Grade'. I then got Horizon Hobby's Blade Nano QX - which I still LOVE! Awesome little guy, especially for flying indoors. Then, wanting a slightly larger quad, I got the Blade 180 QX which I love too, very easy to handle. The Blade series are great, but lack any stunt capabilities outside of taking off all the directional restrictions and self centering and manually flipping. Also, for fun, I have a Horizon Hobby Faze (Nano drone). Next, I bought a Dromida Vista FPV, which was my first FPV experience. This was a very durable quad, but not one of my favorites. Now, wishing to look into something a little better and more options, I found a gently used P3P being sold locally, who actually 'threw in' his "broken" P3S for parts. Now, he said he was never even able to get the P3S started and off the ground. But I got home, and thought I would check out the P3S, and by simply following the directions, had the craft flying perfectly within 5 minutes! The P3P and the P3S now both fly and operate perfectly!
I have been thinking on looking into a Yuneek Typhoon, but don't know if I want to add that to the collection yet...
I have been thinking on looking into a Yuneek Typhoon, but don't know if I want to add that to the collection yet...
Got a P3S as my first drone and it was very easy to fly as I expected. I used to play some bikes and cars racing games that require the reverse direction control skills so that may have helped at some points. I think buying a cheap drone prior to fly a phantom is not necessary.
Ditto... that ages me. I flew one of those palm-sized drones, no GPS, no auto-stabilization, "flying the ball", very difficult, crashed it a lot. Then again, even with a DJI people get confused especially when
they rotate it 180 degrees and now the controls are reversed and don't know about IOC and end up flying it in the wrong direction and panicking then crashing it.
I had a little hubsan drone but it wasn't very satisfying to use. I the went straight to the P3S and now have a P3A.
Also been considering getting CAA qualified and doing commercial work. Do you mind me asking who you're doing the course with? I think it could be a good business opportunity and something to grow, my only concern is that companies will take it all in-house eventually, what do you think?
Sent from my iPhone using PhantomPilots mobile app
Unfortunately for me, I'm seeing more and more companies utilizing in-house drone operators, either employees that are designated and then trained or employees who fly them for a hobby and now do it commercially. As far as getting pilot certification goes (here in the U.S.) is anybody's guess.
Started with an E-Sky helicopter, then moved up to a Syma X5C. Crashed many times, still kicking! Then got my P3A. Almost too easy to fly after the others.
I started with a P3 Std and have flown it 10x without it leaving my sight. I am still learning every time out. I need to feel really confident/prepared before I send this thing out of my sight.
I have flown full size & model planes & helis for years. The p2v+, and now my 2 x p3as are soo easy to fly, that it is easy to forget that you are only guiding them - they fly themselves. Having said that, the ability to fly in atti mode is an important skill to learn , for when things go pear shaped. I have a couple of micro quads, which certainly do not fly themselves! I fly them indoors to improve my skills, as well as for the enjoyment of my border collie, who is obsessed with anything with propellors. Luckily she has the sense not to grab them.
Similar threads
