Panic!!

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This might seem like a strange one but I was wondering if any other newbies were suffering from nerves or panic when flying at reasonable altitude.
Im finding that I'm very nervous when flying my Phantom at any height. The controller is almost shaking in my hand! Embarrassing... Yes I know.
Yesterday I flew my Phantom close to water at about 130 feet up (very high for me) While up that high it started to drift out over the water and the panic set in straight away and I was like OK I need to get this bad boy back on the ground asap.
Are others finding that the nerves settle with time or by even using ground station rather than manual flight?
 
discobrother said:
This might seem like a strange one but I was wondering if any other newbies were suffering from nerves or panic when flying at reasonable altitude.
Im finding that I'm very nervous when flying my Phantom at any height. The controller is almost shaking in my hand! Embarrassing... Yes I know.
Yesterday I flew my Phantom close to water at about 130 feet up (very high for me) While up that high it started to drift out over the water and the panic set in straight away and I was like OK I need to get this bad boy back on the ground asap.
Are others finding that the nerves settle with time or by even using ground station rather than manual flight?


Experience and experimenting in moderation will help you gain trust for the platform.....
Think about those people that just jump straight in and fly like wildcats, they truly get the thrill.
Only you can decide what you want out of this and if you need extra security, get a gps tracker installed, that way you can fly knowing recovery is always an option...
 
discobrother said:
This might seem like a strange one but I was wondering if any other newbies were suffering from nerves or panic when flying at reasonable altitude.
Im finding that I'm very nervous when flying my Phantom at any height. The controller is almost shaking in my hand! Embarrassing... Yes I know.
Yesterday I flew my Phantom close to water at about 130 feet up (very high for me) While up that high it started to drift out over the water and the panic set in straight away and I was like OK I need to get this bad boy back on the ground asap.
Are others finding that the nerves settle with time or by even using ground station rather than manual flight?

Keep flying, it'll get better, and remember you don't have to fly in any way that is outside your comfort zone even if that's 2 feet off the ground. No, you won't be getting any epic shots from 2 feet off the ground, but you'll be close enough to wave goodbye in the event of a flyaway! :lol:

Just joking, most flyaways are pilot error and most happen hundreds of feet in the air.

Stay low and enjoy your Phantom, you'll gain confidence in no time.
 
Just don't stay too low though -- as that won't allow much room for error or if you need to take your eye off your Phantom for a few seconds.
 
With practice you gain confidence that you can handle the Phantom and when you know how it works you can fly easier.
With time you also learn that the Phantom is at home in the air and what is under it doesn't matter.
The best thing is to practice in a clear open place away from obstacles including the ground - stay high enough.
Don't be too adventurous too early and in a while you can be putting your bird into situations like this ...
4134-9-XL.jpg

Incidentally it's safer flying here than between the trees in a park or your backyard - there's nothing to hit.
 
It does get easier, something that still gets me is when you're so far out you can only just see it then momentarily need to look down at the app or controller - look back and it is all but impossible to spot again.
Also if clouds are moving behind, it can make you almost certain that the phantom is moving when you are wanting it to stay still.
I'm sure this is something which can lead to wrong inputs and 'fly away' scenarios.
 
Yep, I was like that the first few times I flew it. I am not really worried about crash too much, I am more terrified of a fly a way!
 
discobrother,

At least you're flying. I've used every excuse in the book NOT to make my first flight.
This week it's the weather. :shock:

Have fun!
 
Bitbucket said:
discobrother,

At least you're flying. I've used every excuse in the book NOT to make my first flight.
This week it's the weather. :shock:

Have fun!

I want to assure you that there is no reason to fear your first flight. Take your time, ensure that you have a home point stored (if you are unsure how...ask!), engage the motors and take her for a spin. Stay low and move the Phantom forward, back, and side to side, then land and scape your pants out. Now you're ready for your 2nd flight. ;)

We are all nervous the first few times we fly, and even a year later my hands will shake at times, but it does get better.

And don't let any of these guys tell you how to fly your bird, many of them have flown theirs into the ocean or a lake so what do they know anyway? Always stay in your comfort zone, and I promise you'll have fun.

People who push the situation beyond their or the Phantoms abilities are the ones on here crying, and that's very easy to avoid.

Now go have your first flight! :lol:
 
Get in a big field with good sat lock and fly it away. Then switch off the transmitter until you see RTH on the app, then switch the remote back on again but let it return to home. It's amazing the confidence that you will gain by knowing that you can initiate a RTH and that it WILL actually work.

These things are bloody amazing. Also, the Phantom doesn't know it's over water! Only you do!
 
I panic more now than I ever did when, back in July, I first started flying my Phantom; but it is a controlled sort of panic, similar to that when swimming in very deep water. And it is that sense of fear that provides the sharp edge of elation and excitement that makes each and every flight so rewarding and enjoyable. That, and getting the bird safely back home.

I feel it most when I have flown to the point where the wi fi signal fails and the app freezes, generally at a distance of about 1700 ft. From then on I feel I am flying blind and have to remind myself to stay frosty and rely on my ability to get the bird home. And if that fails, well, there is always RTH to fall back on. But when that happens, I always feel as though I have somehow cheated.

Still flying, still learning and enjoying every minute of it.
 
I remember when 1st flying the phantom and looking back now the biggest mistake I made was flying too low. I had it in my mind that the keeping it lower in the sky would help me maintain better reception. It doesn't take long to see how trees and houses. ect start blocking your line of sight and nearly cause the flyaways you thought you were avoiding.

One evening I went out to fly and got a little out of range. I began walking quickly in the direction of the quad trying to regain a signal before losing it altogether, major panic!!. Well my luck ran out and I lost sight of it and began walking back home. I was thinking about how there would be noway I could ever find it because it wasn't like I saw it land or anything. I'm just about halfway back to my house and just about the time I hear this sound of bee's my quad is flying at 60ft over head back to where I launched it at at home. As I get to my backyard there it was in the middle of descending down. You want to talk about a happy guy. That is when I realized I needed to read the manual and learn more about it.
 
happydays said:
Get in a big field with good sat lock and fly it away. Then switch off the transmitter until you see RTH on the app, then switch the remote back on again but let it return to home. It's amazing the confidence that you will gain by knowing that you can initiate a RTH and that it WILL actually work.

These things are bloody amazing. Also, the Phantom doesn't know it's over water! Only you do!

Which means the Phantom isn't puckered, but I am... :eek: :shock:
 
My 1st (or maybe 2nd) flight, I test out RTH by turning off the controller. Watching P2V+ went up to its RTH height feeling as if it was flying away was scary. The next time I lost signal over Pacific ocean. It was "out there" somewhere. After about 5 minutes or so, it eventually show up again.

Looking at Pacific ocean...
 

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