Pathetic maiden flight but I loved it

[YuKay]

So, the wind dropped, the rain stopped and I had no more excuses for delay. After weeks of reading, interrogating and viewing, I was surely ready to fly my first drone in my back yard…But I kept coming out in a cold sweat, panicking and re-checking manuals and videos all morning.

Even when I forced myself to take the kit outside, I kept coming indoors again to make sure I knew how to take off, how to land, how to start the camera, how to turn around, how to land again. I was a wreck.

I gave myself a final warning and fired up the motors. Instantly I was being frantically beeped and a warning told me that my RTH point hadn't been set. That scared me. Didn't know how to fix it but I knew that I wasn't going to fly beyond my boundary so told myself that wherever she landed would be home.

But after a second or two, the motors stopped. Tried again and the same thing happened. This is going back to the store (5,000 miles), I told the robin. But for the hell of it, I pushed the auto take-off button - and off she took! The motors hadn't been cutting out at all: the EVO was just completely silent after the initial firing and had I looked closer I would have seen the props moving.

This was really enough for me. Just getting off the ground was a milestone and I could venture further tomorrow after some rest and a valium. But I did go on for a while longer, tentatively exploring the sticks and keeping well away from obstacles. Enjoyable, if tense.

According to my flight log, I flew about 500 yards in around 5 minutes at a max height of 15ft and a top speed of 5mph. Well, the Wright brothers started somewhere.

Landing was obviously a tentative affair but it went without incident and I managed to switch off before rushing indoors for a cup of tea and a rest.

Then I loaded up the SD card to see what, if anything, I had filmed. Miraculously, I did have a 5 minute video of the flight. But I also had a 20 minute video of my feet since I had obviously accidentally started to film while I was scurrying back and forth to check the manuals. In fact, I accidentally pressed countless buttons and have no idea if any of them did anything.

Sadly, I had forgotten to remove the plastic film over the lens so the footage was sabotaged from the off. But even so, it looked smooth and sharp so I know I will be very happy with it once I learn how to use it.

 

[mjbok]

Baby steps. I know the first time I flew my first drone I was literally shaking. My advice would be to start slow and stay in your comfort zone. Rather than test the limits of the drone, stick to your limits with what you feel comfortable with.

Until you get used to just flying by itself stick with that. Once you're comfortable being in the air look at what you actually want to do. Do you want to do Waypoints, Orbits, Following, etc.? I would peel those off one at a time, learning those functions then moving on to the next one. There are features you'll never use most likely. Concentrate on those you want to use.

Don't feel bad if the pics/video you get aren't always great, they won't be and this isn't film. You're not paying for each shot. Better to take 100 pictures to get 20 than to take 20 and only get 5.

Lastly, and this is one thing I didn't do until I started flying the Evo. Get a landing pad and the bigger the better. That way you're not kicking up dirt, grass, water, etc on take off and landing.

 

[YuKay]

Thanks for the encouragement. My main concern is getting to grips with the app and finding my way around but I'll get there.

I did use a mat - but it was a rubber-backed rectangular one from my kitchen which, if need be, I will tape a big X on.

 

[Barton]

@YuKay Happy to read your EVO finally arrived and you accomplished your first flight. I recall my first drone flight, with the Typhoon H Plus. I had similar feelings. The great thing about these GPS-based drones is that once in the air, you can just let them hover while you collect your thoughts and get more comfortable with the flight control user interface.

Even after becoming very comfortable with the H+, my nerves were again on edge with the first flight of my EVO. Not nearly as much anxiety but still some nerves. Once the EVO was in the air and had hovered for a minute or so, nerves were gone and flying the EVO was very enjoyable, even though it handles differently than the H+.

Enjoy your first drone, I'm definitely enjoying mine !

 

[YuKay]

Thanks, Barton. Your video was a big factor in my decision to get the EVO and I thank you for that too.

After bad weather yesterday, I hope to be flying further and higher today - probably without my heavy iPad, albeit still in Novice mode. I intend to inspect my roof and gutters en route.

If only it came with attachments for picking fruit and trimming the top of 30ft high hedges…

 

[mjbok]

@YuKay Happy to read your EVO finally arrived and you accomplished your first flight. I recall my first drone flight, with the Typhoon H Plus. I had similar feelings. The great thing about these GPS-based drones is that once in the air, you can just let them hover while you collect your thoughts and get more comfortable with the flight control user interface.

Even after becoming very comfortable with the H+, my nerves were again on edge with the first flight of my EVO. Not nearly as much anxiety but still some nerves. Once the EVO was in the air and had hovered for a minute or so, nerves were gone and flying the EVO was very enjoyable, even though it handles differently than the H+.

Enjoy your first drone, I'm definitely enjoying mine !

Curious as to your thoughts about the H+. I have the H and I really like it. The + seems really awesome (but I'm not going to add further to my fleet), but just wanted an opinion on it.

 

[mixchief]

Takes a real man to admit the fear of flight. I’ve been flying on and off for over a year closer to 2 and I still tremble before flying, still think twice before taking it to the air specially when the “it” is the Inspire, it still intimidates me. The EVO is on its way back to Autel as my horizon tilt appeared with the new firmware update something I did not have when new and got a bit after first firmware update but got really bad with the current 1.3.3.17, so have only Inspire to fly, which is good as I have some more testing to do with it. In a way I feel that “fear” is not a bad thing, keeps you on your toes and hopefully from having a oops moment. Good luck with EVO and happy flying.

 

[mixchief]

Takes a real man to admit the fear of flight. I’ve been flying on and off for over a year closer to 2 and I still tremble before flying, still think twice before taking it to the air specially when the “it” is the Inspire, it still intimidates me. The EVO is on its way back to Autel as my horizon tilt appeared with the new firmware update something I did not have when new and got a bit after first firmware update but got really bad with the current 1.3.3.17, so have only Inspire to fly, which is good as I have some more testing to do with it. In a way I feel that “fear” is not a bad thing, keeps you on your toes and hopefully from having a oops moment. Good luck with EVO and happy flying.

 

[YuKay]

Takes a real man to admit the fear of flight. I’ve been flying on and off for over a year closer to 2 and I still tremble before flying, still think twice before taking it to the air specially when the “it” is the Inspire, it still intimidates me. The EVO is on its way back to Autel as my horizon tilt appeared with the new firmware update something I did not have when new and got a bit after first firmware update but got really bad with the current 1.3.3.17, so have only Inspire to fly, which is good as I have some more testing to do with it. In a way I feel that “fear” is not a bad thing, keeps you on your toes and hopefully from having a oops moment. Good luck with EVO and happy flying.

It may have been more the fear of losing $1,000 but I have always been afraid of flying. Maybe the EVO will cure me.

Hope yours gets fixed. I haven't flown high enough to see the horizon yet.

 

[CathyAnn]

So, the wind dropped, the rain stopped and I had no more excuses for delay. After weeks of reading, interrogating and viewing, I was surely ready to fly my first drone in my back yard…But I kept coming out in a cold sweat, panicking and re-checking manuals and videos all morning.

Even when I forced myself to take the kit outside, I kept coming indoors again to make sure I knew how to take off, how to land, how to start the camera, how to turn around, how to land again. I was a wreck.

I gave myself a final warning and fired up the motors. Instantly I was being frantically beeped and a warning told me that my RTH point hadn't been set. That scared me. Didn't know how to fix it but I knew that I wasn't going to fly beyond my boundary so told myself that wherever she landed would be home.

But after a second or two, the motors stopped. Tried again and the same thing happened. This is going back to the store (5,000 miles), I told the robin. But for the hell of it, I pushed the auto take-off button - and off she took! The motors hadn't been cutting out at all: the EVO was just completely silent after the initial firing and had I looked closer I would have seen the props moving.

This was really enough for me. Just getting off the ground was a milestone and I could venture further tomorrow after some rest and a valium. But I did go on for a while longer, tentatively exploring the sticks and keeping well away from obstacles. Enjoyable, if tense.

According to my flight log, I flew about 500 yards in around 5 minutes at a max height of 15ft and a top speed of 5mph. Well, the Wright brothers started somewhere.

Landing was obviously a tentative affair but it went without incident and I managed to switch off before rushing indoors for a cup of tea and a rest.

Then I loaded up the SD card to see what, if anything, I had filmed. Miraculously, I did have a 5 minute video of the flight. But I also had a 20 minute video of my feet since I had obviously accidentally started to film while I was scurrying back and forth to check the manuals. In fact, I accidentally pressed countless buttons and have no idea if any of them did anything.

Sadly, I had forgotten to remove the plastic film over the lens so the footage was sabotaged from the off. But even so, it looked smooth and sharp so I know I will be very happy with it once I learn how to use it.

View attachment 2823

I can relate, and I don't have my EVO yet! No fear of flying, but when faced with an actual drone take-off, I'll be sweating bullets. I just know it!!

I'm the sole-caregiver for a very elderly relative, and can't go anywhere to fly a drone - can't be gone that long. So, when this chapter is over, I'm getting the EVO. I've been researching what to get for quite awhile. By that time, there shouldn't be any bugs left to fix with firmware. (Probably "famous last words." lol!) In the meantime, I'm trying to learn all I can about flying it. I'm so glad to have found this forum!

 

[YuKay]

I can relate, and I don't have my EVO yet! No fear of flying, but when faced with an actual drone take-off, I'll be sweating bullets. I just know it!!

I'm the sole-caregiver for a very elderly relative, and can't go anywhere to fly a drone - can't be gone that long. So, when this chapter is over, I'm getting the EVO. I've been researching what to get for quite awhile. By that time, there shouldn't be any bugs left to fix with firmware. (Probably "famous last words." lol!) In the meantime, I'm trying to learn all I can about flying it. I'm so glad to have found this forum!

Hi CathyAnn. I am honoured to have flushed you out of lurk mode! Believe me: I had never flown a drone until this week so I have been totally reliant on the help freely given in this forum and also the first-class customer support team at Autel.

Unless you are in the ideal scenario of knowing someone who can show you the ropes (I am not), this forum is the best place to be.

Experienced flyers and professional operators have gladly helped me, even though I have been a bit of a nuisance at times - both here and in the Yuneec H Plus forum. So, always ask your questions - even the very basic ones. The experts were in the same boat once upon a time.

What I can tell you with some authority (even though I have never flown any other kind of drone) is that the EVO is perfect for nervous debutants. I had never even used a video games console so had no knowledge of joysticks; nor had I ever used a mobile device before so I was grappling with my first iPad as well as my first drone.

And yet, the EVO is almost impossible to crash on takeoff and landing so even I managed a trouble-free maiden flight (of sorts). Push one button to start the motors and another button to take off and the EVO will climb gently into the air and hover at about 4 feet waiting for you to tell it where to go. Landing is just as easy.

So, there's a whole new world of discovery and enchantment waiting up there for you (and me - I'm still confining myself to my back yard). I hope you enjoy it when you do get the chance.

And don't forget to ask your questions.

 

[mixchief]

I can relate, and I don't have my EVO yet! No fear of flying, but when faced with an actual drone take-off, I'll be sweating bullets. I just know it!!

I'm the sole-caregiver for a very elderly relative, and can't go anywhere to fly a drone - can't be gone that long. So, when this chapter is over, I'm getting the EVO. I've been researching what to get for quite awhile. By that time, there shouldn't be any bugs left to fix with firmware. (Probably "famous last words." lol!) In the meantime, I'm trying to learn all I can about flying it. I'm so glad to have found this forum!

When it comes to the firmware updates, they are usually endless and hopefully they are as they should improve and/or add features to the craft, the other thing to fear a bit is when operating software is updated on the tablet/phone they also have to update the app which can be at times tricky, close to 2 years with a DJI Inspire taught me that. I was caregiver also for a few years, that chapter being over now I am my own caregiver LOL.

 

[mjbok]

Takes a real man to admit the fear of flight. I’ve been flying on and off for over a year closer to 2 and I still tremble before flying, still think twice before taking it to the air specially when the “it” is the Inspire, it still intimidates me. The EVO is on its way back to Autel as my horizon tilt appeared with the new firmware update something I did not have when new and got a bit after first firmware update but got really bad with the current 1.3.3.17, so have only Inspire to fly, which is good as I have some more testing to do with it. In a way I feel that “fear” is not a bad thing, keeps you on your toes and hopefully from having a oops moment. Good luck with EVO and happy flying.

I fly all the time, but I'd be afraid if I was flying an Inspire.

 

[Gsa103]

I did about the same my first couple of flights. Terrified of doing something wrong.

Honestly, the best thing I did was buying something like: https://smile.amazon.com/SG700-Altitude-Quadcopter-Batteries-Beginners/dp/B07CZZL6VQ/

It was fairly durable and great for learning how to fly. Don't even bother with the camera functionality, just use it as a flight trainer. It's a lot easier to push the limits of something that's a disposable toy. Most importantly it has an E-stop button to instantly kill the motors. When something goes south, hit that and it'll generally come out ok. These little ones are so light they don't even have the mass to break themselves.

 

[YuKay]

Gsa103, that is eminently sensible. But the closer I get to EOL, the less sensible I become.

It wasn't always thus. Until the age of 65 I got more sensible with the passage of time. But then I decided to give up planting trees.

 

[mixchief]

I fly all the time, but I'd be afraid if I was flying an Inspire.

 

[mjbok]

With an Inspire you're flying what, at least $3000, but more likely $4+? With a cheaper drone (still not Spark level cheap) I flew it into a fence on the third flight because I was being stupid and showing off for my kid. I can afford losing 4k, but I get really upset with myself if I do. I would get mad at myself if I crashed my Spark even though I consider it my disposable drone.

 

[mixchief]

With an Inspire you're flying what, at least $3000, but more likely $4+? With a cheaper drone (still not Spark level cheap) I flew it into a fence on the third flight because I was being stupid and showing off for my kid. I can afford losing 4k, but I get really upset with myself if I do. I would get mad at myself if I crashed my Spark even though I consider it my disposable drone.

Actually it's an Inspire Raw the camera alone was once worth upwards of $2500, I do have about 5 Grand buried in this thing, of course not every cent is in the air at once, but yeah. The day of that video I had a rough landing, as I pushed the throttle on return to home, I don't know if you noticed the close to 70 mph spurts, well, I think it was 64 mph, but I swear I saw 69, due to this push I almos make it overshoot the landing and had to adjust it manually, the wind was gusting to 25 mph, the inspire when hit by a gust on it's side gets pushed, well brought it in to close to the railing and actually hit it lightly, no damage barely a scuff on the landing gear but still very scary.