3 Things All DJI Drone Pilots Do Before Their First Flight
And there it was, my new pet, a beautiful, white DJI Mavic Air, freshly arrived from the DJI online store. I called her Rosy and it was not love at first sight. Although my first ever sunset photograph on a DJI drone may say otherwise!
After discovering my love for photography with my iPhone 6 many years ago, I started using a DSLR camera in the summer of 2018.
It’s not a lie when I say that it took me almost a year to really get comfortable with it.
The fact that I actually got myself a drone shortly after the DSLR was really surprising.
I am not particularly crazy about electronics or gadgets however, once I had the thought of getting a drone, I did not hesitate long before committing!
After a little research as to where to buy it, I went for the ‘Fly more’ package and chose a white Mavic Air.
Shortly afterwards, Rosy and all of the equipment was displayed on my bed.
Getting a drone can be a little confusing to people who have never owned one previously. Here are the top 3 things I did with my DJI drone before my first flight and what every DJI drone user will have to do always:
1) Charging, charging and more charging
As a drone user you will be charging a lot!
You will charge your phone, you will charge your drone’s intelligent flight batteries (the fly more package luckily includes 3 batteries) and you will charge your controller.
I can’t stress this enough, charge all your equipment and keep it charged as you do not want to run out of battery when you are flying.
As to how to assemble the charging equipment, kindly consult YouTube – many wires and cables will arrive but after you do it once, it is easy thereafter.
2) Downloading DJI Go 4 App
You will have to download the DJI Go 4 app and get yourself a profile (unless you ordered your drone from DJI directly. If you do this, you will have created your profile whilst purchasing the drone).
You will have to use this app whenever you want to fly the drone. This is also the place where all your photographs and videos will be saved.
From the DJI Go 4 app, you can edit and create videos as well as upload your work to Skypixel, the sharing platform for drone footage.
3) Updating the firmware
DJI LOVES updates.
When you get your drone, you will see what we mean!
Because DJI loves updates, you will have to as well.
Your controller, your app and your drone’s firmware always have to be updated to the newest standards otherwise, in the worst case scenario, your drone won’t be able to start.
Once you connect the remote with your phone and connect to the drone – the updates will appear and you can start them. If your network is slow, it might take you a little while. I’d recommend doing this whilst connected to WiFi as it is far quicker.
Be patient, it’s absolutely necessary.
Final words of advice before you fly your new DJI drone
Last words of advice for those fresh faced drone users.
If you, like me, are not naturally cautious of using a drone then you have to be extra careful.
When visibility is good, the weather is nice & clear and your GPS signal is strong – it is super easy to get carried away.
It is easy to fly higher than recommended or to fly more further than recommended (especially for beginners).
Doing this can lead to unfortunate incidents such as sudden signal drops. If you are really not paying attention, eventually you may get surprised by a very low battery status and worry your drone may not return to home safely.
My suggestion… set a maximum height and distance limit in the general settings of the DJI Go 4 app and opt for safety rather than risk.
Get comfortable with your drone and challenge yourself slowly and steady.
And most importantly – have fun flying and exploring new views.
As a DJI drone pilot, what would you add to the list?
Are you a DJI drone owners and pilot that has something to add? Let us know!
Leave us a comment below! Remember… engagement is key!
About the author – Kristina Fuchs
Drone Photography Bible would like to thank Kristina Fuchs for submitting this guest article. She is a talented photographer based in Hamburg, Germany who uses a DJI Mavic Air for her drone photography.
You can find some of her work included in this article but her full gallery can be found on her Instagram account. Please visit her page, view her work and follow her.
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