All I wanted was one last flight. I’ve known my time with the estimable DJI Mini 3 Pro was limited and I was hoping to experience its easy controls, smooth flight and excellent camera once again. And I almost lost it to a gust of wind.
In my defense, the weather seemed perfect for a drone flight. Clear blue skies dotted with high, puffy clouds. I was even more encouraged by the DJI Mini 3 Pro and the new DJI RC remote control incredible ease of use to run outside and try your hand at.
After unfolding the drone and gently resting it on a small glass table in my garden, I turned on the remote and the drone (they automatically pair) and pressed the on-screen launch button .
The drone automatically takes off about three meters from the ground. Pressing the right stick forward sent him straight into the sky until he reached 300 feet.
Everything was going wonderfully as I pushed the right stick to the left, sending the DJI Mini 3 Pro spinning south.
The wind hit me on the ground first. It was a gust, really, and I thought, but only for a moment, “Oh, I wonder if there’s more wind up there?” The drone was just a speck on the horizon and I relied on the camera and remote control to navigate.
Once the gust passed, I relaxed, just as a stronger, more sustained gust of wind passed through my yard. Suddenly, the camera, once stabilized on 3 axes, began to derail. The remote issued a wind warning and I realized I was losing control of the Mini 3 Pro.
To my horror, I could see that the wind had started to carry the 249 gram drone away. He was turning sideways and heading towards, I feared, a place of no return.
don’t panic
If I had to guess, I’d say the gust that quickly turned into sustained winds was around 20 miles per hour. However, at this altitude, it could have been more powerful.
I remember flying DJI’s Spark. It was another tiny drone (300 grams), but it could barely handle a breeze. In my previous DJI Mini 3 Pro flights, I found it so stable that I assumed it could handle a bit of wind. Admittedly, it could have been more than a “little” wind.
I watched helplessly as the little dot that was my drone bounced around in the brilliant blue sky. Next, I looked at the DJI RC screen, which showed the video feed from the drone’s camera. The image bounced around as if the drone was stuck in the fist of an overexcited toddler. I tried not to panic but found it was impossible to use the controls to bring the DJI Mini 3 Pro back. I just couldn’t fight the wind.
Not knowing what to do, I decided to let the robotic intelligence of the drone take over.
I pressed the “Home” button on the remote.
This action seemed to immediately stabilize the drone. It flew up to 400 feet and quickly slammed its way into the wind and towards me.
As the drone flew home, I knew its obstacle sensing would prevent it from crashing into anything, but I was still worried that another burst would take over and blast the drone into the air. neighbor’s house. Once I could see the drone almost overhead, I took control and started guiding it towards me. This time the drone responded.
Soon the DJI Mini 3 Pro was right above and I guided it down. I continued to pull the right stick while reaching out my other hand. The drone sensors saw my palm and executed a perfect landing sequence directly into my open hand.
Crisis averted.
Let my mistake serve as a lesson to you. The DJI Mini 3 Pro is a fantastic prosumer drone that can fly very fast and stay in the air for over 30 minutes. It captures amazing photos and video (even vertical ones), but it’s still a small drone and strong winds just aren’t its friends. If the weather is calling for gusts or it’s just after a powerful storm, wait for that flight.
As for me, it was my last flight with the DJI Mini 3 Pro, which is now on its safe way back to DJI.
#big #mistake #DJI #Mini #Pro #reminded #limits