Hi from Fleetwood UK

Cee Gee

Member
Joined
Feb 14, 2023
Messages
12
Reaction score
19
Age
82
Location
Fleetwood UK
I am 80 yrs old teenager. Involved in photography for last 60 yrs, and decided to expand my photography with a drone. I bought a used Red 5 Hawk to test the water. After 5 mins of flying totally hooked on flying. Hope there are a few UK members and thanks for allowing me to join. Best regards to all Charlie.
 
I am 80 yrs old teenager. Involved in photography for last 60 yrs, and decided to expand my photography with a drone.

Welcome from the Hampton Roads area of Virginia, USA.

I clicked on your avatar and the photo of the "stork?" is a beautiful shot, too bad your avatar cannot be 3" in diameter…

Since you live in the UK, there are specific laws and rules for you to follow, please check to ensure these are current.


Even if you may have flown Drones before, here is some Good Old Fashion Advice…

You paid a lot of money for that Drone, put your phone number on it. If your drone gets lost or stuck in a tree and it finally comes down when you are not around, give the finders an opportunity to contact you so it can be returned.

Now, for the Fun Part, But do not let the excitement of the moment get the best of you. When you are going out to fly, do it slowly and deliberately. Get used to a set procedure and even practice it.

There are so many things I could write but these are the highlights that I feel need mentioning.

Plug in your phone/tablet into your controller; turn on the Controller and DJI Fly App (if it does not start on its own…). On the Drone, open the front legs, then open the back legs, then remove the Gimbal Cover.

The Gimbal is the most delicate item on the Drone and banging or bumping can damage it. I also fastened a short "Remove Before Flight" ribbon to the cover so it's more noticeable and I do not forget to remove it…

Turn on the drone and watch it come to "life." Watching the Gimbal go through its self-check is almost like watching a kitten or puppy opening its eyes for the first time…

Place the drone down (preferably on a Landing Pad) while it finishes its self-test (collecting satellites, etc…).

Check your battery status (Phone, Drone, and Controller), check the Signal Strength, by now the Controller should have reported it updated the Home Point.

Lift off, 4-5 feet (1-1/2 meters) or so, hover a bit, check the controls (move the drone a bit forward, back, left, right, yaw left and right). By now, your Controller will probably report again, Home point Updated.

If you go out in a rush and race thru your start up and take off before the drone has finished it prep, it may update its Home Point over that pond or that old tree you are flying over and in your excitement, you'll fly the drone long past it Low Battery point and when it engages Return to Home and lands in the pond or in a tree; it will be all on you…

Now go have fun, learn to fly the drone by sight before you try to fly it out a distance depending on the video feed, FPV.

I would also advise you to use YouTube and watch a lot of the Videos on flying and setting up the Drone. When it is too dark, too cold, or too wet, you can "fly it vicariously" through YouTube. Also watch some of the Blooper Drone Videos and learn how not to fly your "New Baby."

Fly On and Fly Safe…
 
  • Like
Reactions: Cee Gee and GFields
Welcome from the Hampton Roads area of Virginia, USA.

I clicked on your avatar and the photo of the "stork?" is a beautiful shot, too bad your avatar cannot be 3" in diameter…

Since you live in the UK, there are specific laws and rules for you to follow, please check to ensure these are current.


Even if you may have flown Drones before, here is some Good Old Fashion Advice…

You paid a lot of money for that Drone, put your phone number on it. If your drone gets lost or stuck in a tree and it finally comes down when you are not around, give the finders an opportunity to contact you so it can be returned.

Now, for the Fun Part, But do not let the excitement of the moment get the best of you. When you are going out to fly, do it slowly and deliberately. Get used to a set procedure and even practice it.

There are so many things I could write but these are the highlights that I feel need mentioning.

Plug in your phone/tablet into your controller; turn on the Controller and DJI Fly App (if it does not start on its own…). On the Drone, open the front legs, then open the back legs, then remove the Gimbal Cover.

The Gimbal is the most delicate item on the Drone and banging or bumping can damage it. I also fastened a short "Remove Before Flight" ribbon to the cover so it's more noticeable and I do not forget to remove it…

Turn on the drone and watch it come to "life." Watching the Gimbal go through its self-check is almost like watching a kitten or puppy opening its eyes for the first time…

Place the drone down (preferably on a Landing Pad) while it finishes its self-test (collecting satellites, etc…).

Check your battery status (Phone, Drone, and Controller), check the Signal Strength, by now the Controller should have reported it updated the Home Point.

Lift off, 4-5 feet (1-1/2 meters) or so, hover a bit, check the controls (move the drone a bit forward, back, left, right, yaw left and right). By now, your Controller will probably report again, Home point Updated.

If you go out in a rush and race thru your start up and take off before the drone has finished it prep, it may update its Home Point over that pond or that old tree you are flying over and in your excitement, you'll fly the drone long past it Low Battery point and when it engages Return to Home and lands in the pond or in a tree; it will be all on you…

Now go have fun, learn to fly the drone by sight before you try to fly it out a distance depending on the video feed, FPV.

I would also advise you to use YouTube and watch a lot of the Videos on flying and setting up the Drone. When it is too dark, too cold, or too wet, you can "fly it vicariously" through YouTube. Also watch some of the Blooper Drone Videos and learn how not to fly your "New Baby."

Fly On and Fly Safe…
Thanks for this helpful post.
 
  • Like
Reactions: LoudThunder
Greetings from Birmingham Alabama USA, welcome to the forum! We look forward to hearing from you!
 
I am a very happy chappy. Just took the Flyer ID test passed first try with 37 out of 40. Also registered for Operator ID. Can't wait to start flying. Yippee.
 
I am 80 yrs old teenager. Involved in photography for last 60 yrs, and decided to expand my photography with a drone. I bought a used Red 5 Hawk to test the water. After 5 mins of flying totally hooked on flying. Hope there are a few UK members and thanks for allowing me to join. Best regards to all Charlie.
Hi - Stockport here - welcome.
 
I am a very happy chappy. Just took the Flyer ID test passed first try with 37 out of 40. Also registered for Operator ID. Can't wait to start flying. Yippee.
Greetings from Birmingham Alabama USA, welcome to the forum! We look forward to hearing from you!
 
  • Like
Reactions: LoudThunder
Just took the Flyer ID test passed first try with 37 out of 40. Also registered for Operator ID.
Hey Cee Gee,

Congratulation on passing the "Flyer ID Test" and getting your drone registered with an "Operator ID"…

I am in the USA and I am curious what this all means to you in the UK.

Here is the US, there are two types of "certificates" to fly a drone, If you are only going to fly a drone for fun with no intent to earn money from flying the drone, there is the "The Recreational UAS Safety Test (TRUST)" which everyone who flies a drone for fun must take.

Funny thing about the TRUST and flying a Drone, there is no minimum age in the US to fly a drone, nor to take the test. (Now I know why my neighbor's 4-year old son chases his sister around the yard with his drone… He can't read so he's never taken the test… LoL…).

The TRUST may be called a "test" but it is not really. You are provided some information, then they ask you some questions, if you miss a question, you are provided some more information, and asked again… There is no passing nor failing this test. (Even our elected representatives in Congress could "pass" this test… LoL…). The TRUST is valid forever…

If you want to fly your drone and earn money (for profit…) we have the Part 107 Exam. This exam requires US Citizenship (sorry, you don't qualify…), be at least 16 years old, be able to read, write, speak, and understand English, and be in a physical and mental condition to safely fly a UAS (well that would definitely leave out some of our elected representatives in Congress… LoL…).

The Part 107 Exam cost $175-US and passing is 70% on a 60-question Exam taken in a controlled FAA approved test center. Once you pass the exam, you are granted an Airman's Certificate, then you undergo a background check by the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) and upon approval (nothing nefarious in your background…) you are issued a Part 107 License.

The Part 107 License allows the holder to fly their drone not just for profit, but in a lot of places that a Recreational Flyer cannot. The License never expires, but the holder must maintain "currency" by taking a Free Course every two years to endure they stay on top of changes in the rules and law concerning the operation of a drone…

Wow, this sure has gotten long, but once I got started, I had to finish. As my Scottish Mother would say, "in for a penny, in for a pound…),,,

So, as Inquiring Minds Want to know, "Whats you got!!!"

Fly Safe!
 
  • Like
Reactions: Cee Gee and GFields
Hey Cee Gee,

Congratulation on passing the "Flyer ID Test" and getting your drone registered with an "Operator ID"…

I am in the USA and I am curious what this all means to you in the UK.

Here is the US, there are two types of "certificates" to fly a drone, If you are only going to fly a drone for fun with no intent to earn money from flying the drone, there is the "The Recreational UAS Safety Test (TRUST)" which everyone who flies a drone for fun must take.

Funny thing about the TRUST and flying a Drone, there is no minimum age in the US to fly a drone, nor to take the test. (Now I know why my neighbor's 4-year old son chases his sister around the yard with his drone… He can't read so he's never taken the test… LoL…).

The TRUST may be called a "test" but it is not really. You are provided some information, then they ask you some questions, if you miss a question, you are provided some more information, and asked again… There is no passing nor failing this test. (Even our elected representatives in Congress could "pass" this test… LoL…). The TRUST is valid forever…

If you want to fly your drone and earn money (for profit…) we have the Part 107 Exam. This exam requires US Citizenship (sorry, you don't qualify…), be at least 16 years old, be able to read, write, speak, and understand English, and be in a physical and mental condition to safely fly a UAS (well that would definitely leave out some of our elected representatives in Congress… LoL…).

The Part 107 Exam cost $175-US and passing is 70% on a 60-question Exam taken in a controlled FAA approved test center. Once you pass the exam, you are granted an Airman's Certificate, then you undergo a background check by the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) and upon approval (nothing nefarious in your background…) you are issued a Part 107 License.

The Part 107 License allows the holder to fly their drone not just for profit, but in a lot of places that a Recreational Flyer cannot. The License never expires, but the holder must maintain "currency" by taking a Free Course every two years to endure they stay on top of changes in the rules and law concerning the operation of a drone…

Wow, this sure has gotten long, but once I got started, I had to finish. As my Scottish Mother would say, "in for a penny, in for a pound…),,,

So, as Inquiring Minds Want to know, "Whats you got!!!"

Fly Safe!
Hi LoudThunder. I am new to the hobby. was advised to check what I needed to do to be able to fly my Hly stone HS 720e that comes in at 495gms. Found that I needed Flyer ID that you obtain by passing a 40 question on line test. also registration as a drone operator to get the required operators ID that we are required to attach to the drone. Now going to join an association to get free third party insurance and better flying opps.
 
Thank you for the reply, I hope that association offers you lots of opportunities to fly with other folks.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Cee Gee
And it's a Great Photo... Just make sure you do not use your drone to chase or harass wildlife, it's illegal in many locations, and it "ain't" cool...
 

Recent Posts

Members online

No members online now.

Forum statistics

Threads
1,152
Messages
3,426
Members
1,408
Latest member
jordyy