Newbie drone pilot from Oregon, USA

Grundle McSwede

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Hello, Rik here from Oregon, USA. Pretty new to drones, been flying my Potensic Atom 2 for about a year now. I've had a lot of fun flying for recreation, and to see what the world looks like from 400' up. Where I live is pretty rural, with no flight restrictions to speak of, so I have quite a lot to look at. I recently bought a used Eachine Racer 250 kit from someone for about $50, but lacking my part 107 cert, I will be waiting to fly it since it's over the weight limit. I have tried my hand at FPV using a Tiny Whoop and goggles...I think a LOT more sim time is in order before I try that again. All in all, I have a lot of fun flying the drones, and am glad to have found this online community. I hope to learn much here, and maybe contribute where I can eventually.

Cheers all!

Rik
 
Greetings from Birmingham Alabama USA, welcome to the forum! We look forward to hearing from you!
 
I recently bought a used Eachine Racer 250 kit from someone for about $50, but lacking my part 107 cert, I will be waiting to fly it since it's over the weight limit


Welcome from the Hampton Roads area of Virginia, USA.

As a New Drone Pilot, there are a couple of Legal Things you may need to do…

If you have not already done so, you will need to get your TRUST Certificate. You can get that at the Pilot Institute Web Site (FREE…). Your Drone weighs less than 250-grams (0.55 pounds), and while you are flying under The Exception for Recreational Flyers, you are not required to register your Drone. If tour Drone weighs more than 250-grams (0.55 pounds), and even while you are flying under The Exception for Recreational Flyers, you are required to register your Drone.

Now, I am confused about that "Weight Limit" you mentioned concerning the Eachine Racer 250. Year it is a big heavy (over 250-grams) but not tooooooo heavy. If you have your TRUST Certificate (it's FREE…) you can legally fly a drone that weighs up to 55-pounds (yeah that's right, that's FIFTY-FIVE Pounds… and it only costs you $5 to register it with the FAA,

One other issue is that this drone is FPV, that means that while you are wearing the goggles, you cannot see the drone with your eyes. That is required… and the FAA wants you to have a visual observer alongside you when you are under goggles and that is the law… Now, let's get real. If you have watched any YouTube Videos of FPV flyers, most do not have an observer doing the job. They may have friends watching, but that does not count… But like you wrote, you are out in the wilds and there are no FAA agents hiding behind the trees on your property, So just be careful and do not get foolish and try "barnstorming" your neighbors…

I am including all the information below as you srote that you are relatively new and since you live very rural, you probably do not have any fling buddies…

Link to the TRUST Certificate at the Pilot Institute Web Site (FREE…)


Link to the FAADroneZone (Optional Registration for Drones under 250-Grams…)


If you are considering acquiring your Part 107 License, here is a link to get you going…


Since you live in Oregon, there are specific laws and rules for you to follow, please check the link below for all the Rules and Laws that are in effect in your neck of the woods and it also links you to some of the Best Places to Fly in your area… Also, if you travel on vacation, visit friends, and relatives in other parts of the country, check back here so you do not run afoul of the law.


Even if you 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 puppy or kitten 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, 6- feet (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…
 
Last edited:
Welcome from the Hampton Roads area of Virginia, USA.

As a New Drone Pilot, there are a couple of Legal Things you may need to do…

If you have not already done so, you will need to get your TRUST Certificate. You can get that at the Pilot Institute Web Site (FREE…). Your Drone weighs less than 250-grams (0.55 pounds), and while you are flying under The Exception for Recreational Flyers, you are not required to register your Drone. If tour Drone weighs more than 250-grams (0.55 pounds), and even while you are flying under The Exception for Recreational Flyers, you are required to register your Drone.

Now, I am confused about that "Weight Limit" you mentioned concerning the Eachine Racer 250. Year it is a big heavy (over 250-grams) but not tooooooo heavy. If you have your TRUST Certificate (it's FREE…) you can legally fly a drone that weighs up to 55-pounds (yeah that's right, that's FIFTY-FIVE Pounds… and it only costs you $5 to register it with the FAA,

One other issue is that this drone is FPV, that means that while you are wearing the goggles, you cannot see the drone with your eyes. That is required… and the FAA wants you to have a visual observer alongside you when you are under goggles and that is the law… Now, let's get real. If you have watched any YouTube Videos of FPV flyers, most do not have an observer doing the job. They may have friends watching, but that does not count… But like you wrote, you are out in the wilds and there are no FAA agents hiding behind the trees on your property, So just be careful and do not get foolish and try "barnstorming" your neighbors…

I am including all the information below as you srote that you are relatively new and since you live very rural, you probably do not have any fling buddies…

Link to the TRUST Certificate at the Pilot Institute Web Site (FREE…)


Link to the FAADroneZone (Optional Registration for Drones under 250-Grams…)


If you are considering acquiring your Part 107 License, here is a link to get you going…


Since you live in Oregon, there are specific laws and rules for you to follow, please check the link below for all the Rules and Laws that are in effect in your neck of the woods and it also links you to some of the Best Places to Fly in your area… Also, if you travel on vacation, visit friends, and relatives in other parts of the country, check back here so you do not run afoul of the law.


Even if you 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 puppy or kitten 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, 6- feet (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…
Wow, thank you for all of that information. I had some of it, but I also had some of it a bit mixed up. I did get my Trust certificate pretty early on back when I first got the drone, although I just sort of stumbled across it while looking into the B4Ufly app, that I believe has since been replaced. Even though I am rural, there are a couple of small, semi private airports not too far away, so I was pretty careful when I first started flying. The FPV goggles are a pretty recent acquisition, as they did not come with the Eachine Racer, and I didn't initially need them since it has a screen. The only times I have attempted to use the goggles, I did have someone with me, although I didn't specifically bring them to keep their eyes on the drone. I would definitely not like to run afoul of the FAA, since they seem to fine people on the steep side of things, nor do I want to endanger anyone or anything.

As for the checklist, I do try to take my time with it since I do enjoy flying it. I always wait until I get the safe to fly notification from the app, and then let it hover until the home point updates. Out where I am, if I lose it, it likely won't be in a pond, but most likely in the middle of one of several rather large Himalayan Blackberry areas. Apparently when this area was being settled someone thought they'd make a good food source.

I have looked at the Pilot Institute for the 107 cert, and I believe that's also where I went to get my Trust Cert. Do you know if that's a good place for the training? I have a couple of books, and even though passing the test is important to me, I would also like to learn some of the reasoning and general knowledge behind doing this perhaps on a more than just recreational level. The books seem to teach just enough to pass the test. While that is important to me, I don't want to just be an idiot with a fancy piece of paper.

Thanks also for clearing up my confusion about the weight limit that I had. I think I'll be getting a transponder unit soon and registering it so I can fly that thing.

Cheers,

Rik
 

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