Wow, thank you so much! I just want to break things down so that everyone can benefit from the knowledge, and I can help make people's lives a bit easier. Thanks for your kind words 😃
Agreed. Anytime I need to know something about my drones I come to his channel. His catalog has everything you need, he’s straight to the point, and super knowledgeable
Nice tutorial! As I live at the coaster side of the Netherlands (always windy) I recommend to keep the drone always above your head when hand launching the drone and/or at least keep the wind on your back. This prevents the drone flying against your head in case of a gunst of wind.
I started hand launching about 99% of the time. It’s easy, I don’t get the dusty or grassy takeoffs, so less cleaning. Holding the controller in my left hand so I can do the screens auto launch. Landing I fly overhead to my right hand, and hold vertical stick in the down till it forces it to auto Landing like you said. Other times since I have a pickup truck with a bed cover and launch from there. It’s a little slower acquiring satellites perhaps because of the aluminum in the cover. I NEVER do the flip thing to make it shutoff. Great post, thanks!🇺🇸
Great video. 2 easy things we could do to make this even safer - 1) Don't launch from eye level - raise drone above head, 2) WEAR your sunglasses during TOAL to protect your eyes !
@Jaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay Thank you! I agree with wearing sunglasses for added eye protection. However, I disagree with holding the drone above your head for 2 reasons. You're having to look up to see what's going on, and it's much easier to monitor the launch visually from a normal chest/shoulder high launch. Also, the drone is most likely to drop down if you release it too soon, and therefore, it'll be dropping onto you from above. I've seen this done many times from a normal shoulder height, and there it's easy to just move your hand out the way rather than move your whole body. 😃
@@JustinBainbridgeYT Fair point :) By 'above your head' I only meant just above forehead level out in front of you, merely so blades aren't directly lined up with eyes !
@Jaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay I absolutely agree with slightly overhead process for both launch and recovery. If something goes awry, the last place I want those blades to make any contact is my face. If your hand is up and stationary, you can keep obstacle avoidance on and fly the unit slowly down into your hand. If something goes bad, it will pull straight up and away from you. This catch and release operations has been sort of critical for me as I launch and recover from a boat that has pretty tight quarters, making it pretty challenging to get a very clean landing on deck.
Hey! Thank you very much. That's my goal, to deliver the highest value content but in a relatable and easy to digest way. I'm glad you find the videos to be exceptional 😃
JUst got my drone today! I practiced this and went well. I opted to also use the Cine mode with obstacle avoidance off so it allowed me to have slower movements while I caught it
Thank you for doing this video. I had to hand launch & land my drone this weekend and it went perfectly thanks to your guidance. The reason that Sport mode is best is because obstacle avoidance is turned off when you are in that mode. Unless you do that, the drone will think your hand is an obstacle to avoid. That is the key point. I have a bunch of your other videos queued up to learn even more!
Thanks for the tips. I agree that this method seems to be much safer not only for you but for the drone itself as opposed to catching it and flipping it real quick to force it to shut down.
Really great explanation a lot of times the gimbal and motor of my mini 2 get damaged because I end up landing it in some thick grass or a plant know I know exactly how to avoid it because of you really great explanation.😊
Thank you! Yeah sometimes landing on the ground isn't a good idea. A landing mat can help in some situations but hand launching is by far the most effective solution for many different locations. Happy to help 😃
@Diantane I think you might have held onto the drone a little too long, it should only go straight up from your hand, make sure you've got a nice stretched arm, and also have the wind blowing in such a direction as to be pushing the drone away from you. It should be uneventful when done correctly.
I did the manual take off using my little finger like you did (but not as good). It took me 4 tries. Think I’ll try doing the automatic takeoff next time.
Guten Tag! You're welcome! Yep Sport mode makes all the difference with this drone! 😃 Awesome, I have lots of good friends from Germany 🍻🤙 Where abouts in Germany are you from?
I'm glad you found it too! I made these videos for this exact purpose so that I can share my knowledge and pass on the information to give as many people as I can a better experience flying their drones. I'm so glad that you're able to get value from them that I intended 😃
@@JustinBainbridgeYT thank you my drone brother, I’ve been trying hand catching for years, for the most part I gave it up, but tomorrow I will give it a go, you rock
Yep a neck strap can definitely help in this situation. I have a neck strap, but I rarely use it these days. Thanks for the kind words, and I'm glad you found the video useful 😃
Just subscribed bought a mini 2 se in the Philippines and after using it I’ve decided to buy a mini pro 4 when I get back to the UK thanks to your channel.
@@JustinBainbridgeYT thanks I’m a complete novice I just added some mini 2 se footage from el nido to my channel. Went for mini pro 4 for the waypoints feature and 4k at 60 fps. Sadly I was mis sold the mini 2 se in pampanga and was told it could do 60fps at 2.7k. I bought it on a whim and should have done more research online first. Got my mini 4 pro being delivered in the uk today from drone safe.
@@JustinBainbridgeYT I think after watching your hand launch video the landing gear is unnecessary. I was landing on a massive sports direct bag on the sand in El nido. Hand landing doesn’t seem to work well with Mini 2 SE In sports mode. Sensors must be set up differently.
Great video. Btw the propellers can’t cut you. I thought they could but watched video on it. Still don’t want to hit the propellers though obviously. Thanks for the tip about sports mode
Watched this yesterday and take off/return catches successfully today. Had to...the dogs were going for it. Worked perfectly. Thanks-but the pups were disappointed they didn't catch the big bee. 🙂👍🐝
That's what we like to see! I'm glad it all went smoothly for you! Ah yeah, some dogs like to chase them, and others are more nonchalant about them. Haha, either way, I'm happy to have been able to help 😃
Useful video - thank you. My previous work as a unionized technician (very safety focused and for good reason) tells me you should be wearing those glasses though! You might be good but enough people and launches and wind and... it's a numbers game 😬
Thanks for this. I watched someone else, a proponent of the grab and flip. My fingers got hit by the propellers! It was sore, but fortunately, they didn’t break the skin, merely stung a bit. I’m not suggesting that it’s ok to grab and flip! I think your method makes far more sense!
You're welcome! Yes, the grab and flip is nowhere near as safe in my opinion. Everything is just more rushed and there's already a higher chance of something going wrong. I'm glad you were okay and I'm sure you'll have more success with this method 😃
@@JustinBainbridgeYT Thank you, it’s a shame I didn’t find your video first! Just shows the importance of likes and subscribers……it can be bad for your health having YT recommend something!
@seancraven2361 Hey it's pretty straight forward, just make sure you've got a good open space so your controller can get GPS signal . It can help to use your phone as a hot-spot for Internet to the radio too. Then go into update home point in the menu, select controller, and if you've got a good GPS signal to the controller, it'll set to its location 😃
I would have to disagree on this one as you can't really easily see whats happening with the drone if you hold it up above your head. It's better to be able to monitor the drones behaviour during take off from an easy level, but if it's working for you then that's fine. 😃
Hey! Yes absolutely. The only thing I don't reccomend is trying to intercept a RTH landing with a catch as you don't have any control over what's going on 😃
Very helpful Justin. Thanks. Have you ever had an issue with the orange tabs on the end of the blades? I saw one person say they had their tabs lifting off. I’ve just upgraded to the mini pro 4 and it’s amazing
You're welcome! Nope, I've never had an issue with that. It's likely due to the props catching on the ground slightly during take-off or landing on uneven surfaces. If it happens, just replace the prop. They're consumable items anyway 😃
My first drone I had I sold after a few years and I'd never dated to hand launch/land, I got back into flying and bought a mini 4 pro about 2 month ago and finally got the courage up to try hand launch /land and honestly it's the only way I take off and land now 100% of the time, for landing I start bringing it down but put my hand up nice and early so it thinks my hand is the ground, keep pulling down then the stick until it lands in the palm of my hand, no grabbing and flipping and it's never tried to fly back up out of the way because it thinks my hand is the ground
It just desensitises the sensor from what I've observed. It's definitely still active, but it appears to have a greater tolerance for the landing surface in sport mode.
I recently got the mini 4 pro and other people make it look so easy to hand catch, just hover the drone in front of you, grab it underneath and flip it. I tried it a few times and it just flew upwards and didn’t feel that trying to grab it and flip it quickly was particularly safe so I will definitely be trying your method now. It would be interesting to see if this applies to RTH too or just hitting the land button with the drone higher up, so it comes in like it would land on the ground but you put your hand underneath.
Hey! Yeah I don't recommend catching it that way, your concerns are valid. Return to home will cancel most times if you try to catch it as the drone will say "unsafe landing area". Pressing land should have the same effect as holding down on the left stick, however ots much easier to just pull the stick down that to try and press and hold on the screen whilst keeping eyes on the drone to catch it. Hope this helps 😀
Hello great video. I just fired up my new MP4 last week and getting used to it going to try hand launching/landing next. Question since your video is from 9months ago, has there been an update since then that allows you to force land by simply holding the left stick down now and if so do can I just keep in N mode to hand land? I know I can force a landing to the ground like this so assume this would work to my hand without needing to go to sport mode?
@bricehamilton6749 it's still pretty stubborn to land in the hand when using normal or Cine. It's due to the obstacle avoidance making everything a little more particular. Providing you follow the steps in the video it's fine. You don't have to physically fly anywhere in sport mode, just flick it into it before you place the hand under the drone and pull down the stick. Give it a try with N, I know some people have success, but it's not many and it makes life easier in S 😃
Just so you know. Theres an update on the DJI Mini 4 Pro that allows you to disable the downward sensors , this allows you to catch the drone while hovering and it won't launch upwards.
Yes this is tru, however I don't reccomend disabling this unless you absolutely have to for a certain circumstance. I believe it's much better to have this active than not 😃
Hey! Catching on a boat is a very similar process. The only thing you do differently is you need to be aware of the movement of the boat and be extra careful with the drones' placement when you pull down on the stick to initiate the landing sequence. You need to make sure you aren't going to move too much whilst trying to catch it. You can always just push up on the stick to make the drone cancel its landing attempt and then try again. I would not recommend trying to launch or catch the drone from a moving boat. This is much more dangerous, and I would avoid doing it completely.
I find it quite interesting that you do not do a calibration before each flight? I have had my mavic 2 zoom for 4 years and 9 months and have never had a fly away or crashed drone, still on my stock props :) good video mate!
Thanks mate! There's no real need to calibrate the drone unless you've had a crash or the notification pops up, telling you it needs doing. Before each flight isn't necessary, once in a while is being prudent enough. Excellent track record though! How often do you get out to fly?
@@JustinBainbridgeYT thanks for the info, I fly maybe twice a weekend, so Saturdays and Sundays, had fly aways from other make of drones prior to DJI and then from there it just stuck to do compass calibrations before each flight, so was in awe when I saw you don’t do it…nevertheless I will now not focus on it as much anymore :) also stopped updating my firmware updates and map updates about 2 years back haha :)
Any advice on hand catching while onboard a boat? It’s not going to have a stable surface (neither boat deck nor hand) to land on with the waves rocking to boat around and the wind causing the boat to always be drifting.
Hand launching and landing on a boat is a different beast. Lots of things to consider and it's hard to advise as each launch and landing will be different depending on conditions. Just need to take extra care and give more room for error and be prepared to bail out at any moment and try again.
Hey! That just an overlay to show which stick to move on the controller to help make things clearer 😃 in reality I just have my left hand on the controller moving that left stick. Hope this helps 😃
I have had my Mini 4 pro for 25 days now. I always hand launch and hand catch my drone. I've only taken off or landed on the ground maybe 2 times. A lanyard is key, it makes the dual stick input with 1 hand much easier. Be sure to very lightly hold the throttle up for 2 seconds after it ascends to make sure it goes into a stable hover. The first week I had it I let off the throttle instently while hand launching on one knee, and it flopped forward and crashed right into my car. No impact detected, I replaced 3 props and its been perfect ever since that lesson.
What if you have chosen RTH option? Do you have to turn off RTH option first and then manually land it on your hand? How do you do it with RTH option and landing?
I recommend never trying to intercept a RTH Landing with a hand catch. You should be in full control during the catch deciding when you want to initiate the landing yourself. You can let RTH bring the drone to you but then cancel the RTH, take manual control and then proceed with the landing. 😃
I would not have as much confidence as you apparently do by doing the manual prop startup. The props are in close proximity to more than one thing that can be momentarily overlooked, i.e. the left side controller antennae, the controller itself, your left hand and your face. As you push up on the left stick to add power and ascend, you are totally releasing your grip on the controller with your single left hand (while the right one holds the drone) as you use your left thumb to push on the left stick while doing the manual hand launch technique. I could do another "i.e." list but the possibilities for problems are pretty obvious. I was waiting to see how you managed initiating the takeoff command button and then pressing and holding the takeoff button in the middle of the controller screen all while holding the controller and doing the button pressing with just your left hand for the Automatic Technique but you didn't show it. I love my M4P. My flying has been on and off over the last few months, mostly off, and I am itching to get back out. When I saw you video as around a month old, I thought to take a look at whatever the latest techniques may be for hand launch/catch as I know a lot of people do it and in some situations it could be A) really convenient and B) maybe the difference in getting a photograph or video that may be missed if you weren't in the air quickly. You didn't mention anything with regard to RTH considerations associated with doing hand launch/catch and I have always been particularly impressed with the M4P pinpoint RTH capabilities. The assumption being that RTH features are simply tossed out the window when opting for hand launch/catch. I appreciate you taking the time to do M4P videos like this. I had not thought about switching to Sport mode as a way to turn off/on the object avoidance sensors and I will definitely look at using that routinely.
Hey! I tried my best to show how to do this as safely as possible. The drone should be a safe distance from all of these things if you do as I showed. I have never had any issues with the drone or props hitting anything during this startup technique. When pushing the stick up I don't feel any loosening of the radio in my grip. My thumb is already there and ready to go. Maybe just practice doing this technique without anything powered on to get a feel for how to hold the radio. Again with auto take off I just press and hold the button, Maybe my grip is slightly different to yours? I do find the manual prop start much easier so I'd always recommend this technique better. The reason I didn't mention RTH is because that's a fully automated system that I would use to land in a place where I'm hand launching or catching. It's much safer to have full control of when you want the drone to start landing rather than trying to intercept the RTH procedure with a hand catch. This is why I was talking about flying the aircraft back to you manually and the correct way to do this. I thought it would go without saying that you wouldn't be using RTH to land as this is a fully manual process that I am describing. By all means, use RTH to bring the drone back closer to you but then cancel the RTH and hand catch it manually. Yeah flicking to sport mode just before the hand catch procedure makes it a lot easier to land in your hand. Any other questions, just let me know! 😃
Last month I tried to catch my mini 2 with my hand, and had an accident. It was under severe wind ( I was above 4500 meter above sea level, in Hornocal, Argentina, under 60 km/h gust of wind), and when coming down, it hit my right tumb, and cut it. Lot of blood, but I was sucessful containing bleeding, after two minutes. Lesson I've learned, never take it under severe wind within bare hands (I had I thick glove at the accident day, but forgot to use it), and be careful about confident excess ( I did it hundred of times, and nothing never happend).
Hey! I'm sorry to hear you had an accident. Hand launching in very high winds is something I personally try to avoid. Unless I have no option. Then I just try to be as careful as possible. Yep, it's always good practice not to become overconfident as it can lead to becoming more careless. Something that usually an accident triggers us to remember. We've all been there.... I'm glad you're okay and you're still flying 😃
in sport mode the collision sensors are disabled , which is why its much easier t9 land in your hand. In normal mode the drone wants to avoid your hand .
It would be nice if DJI would move that green "take off" button to the left side of the screen instead of the middle to make it easier for one hand launching.
Hello! No, I do not reccomend trying to intercept the RTH process with a hand catch. The drone is already doing an automated procedure and it's not reccomended to try and intercept this with a hand catch. I reccomend always manually controlling your hand catches so you have full control over when the drone starts to land and so you can easily bail out by pushing up on the stick to bail out and try again if its not going right. Hope this helps 😃
Hey! I do not recommend doing this. The return to home is a fully automated system with the drone, and it's doing a lot by itself. Trying to and intersect it in the landing phase is something I wouldn't recommend. I think it's much safer to be in control of deciding when the drone starts to land by pushing the stick down yourself so you are fully set up and ready to have a safe catch 😃
hey man can you make tutorial video of launching and landing in kayak .. and also please dont put music in that video. just like this one was very helpful.
Sounds like you were cathing it before it had started the landing sequence. Make sure you pull down on the stick and hold it down until the drone starts to land in your hand and then keep it held down till the props stop. Avoid moving the drone from the time you catch it to the momement the props stop. 😃
I honestly think you are the best flight instructor, you get straight to the point and the information is precise. Thank you very much Justin 👍
Wow, thank you so much! I just want to break things down so that everyone can benefit from the knowledge, and I can help make people's lives a bit easier. Thanks for your kind words 😃
Agreed. Anytime I need to know something about my drones I come to his channel. His catalog has everything you need, he’s straight to the point, and super knowledgeable
@@IMPACT-NATION He has a very pleasant and friendly way of explaining what others need to learn, a true communicator.
Thanks for the kind words guys! I'm glad your finding these videos helpful and easy to digest. Thanks for being so supportive 😃
Great tip about sports mode, I’ve been hand catching in normal mode, it does land but takes longer, great video as usual, keep them coming please
You're more than welcome. Yeah it's miles easier to land in your hand in sport mode. Thanks for your kind words!
I like the tip about putting in Sports mode before catching it..thanks
Until a wind gust blows the drone into your face. Dont do this.
Nice tutorial! As I live at the coaster side of the Netherlands (always windy) I recommend to keep the drone always above your head when hand launching the drone and/or at least keep the wind on your back. This prevents the drone flying against your head in case of a gunst of wind.
I started hand launching about 99% of the time. It’s easy, I don’t get the dusty or grassy takeoffs, so less cleaning. Holding the controller in my left hand so I can do the screens auto launch. Landing I fly overhead to my right hand, and hold vertical stick in the down till it forces it to auto Landing like you said. Other times since I have a pickup truck with a bed cover and launch from there. It’s a little slower acquiring satellites perhaps because of the aluminum in the cover. I NEVER do the flip thing to make it shutoff. Great post, thanks!🇺🇸
3:29 Three hands - wow!
Haha, that's just a piece of B Roll to illustrate the stick movement. I obviously don't have 3 hands 😅
Great video. 2 easy things we could do to make this even safer - 1) Don't launch from eye level - raise drone above head, 2) WEAR your sunglasses during TOAL to protect your eyes !
@Jaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay Thank you! I agree with wearing sunglasses for added eye protection. However, I disagree with holding the drone above your head for 2 reasons. You're having to look up to see what's going on, and it's much easier to monitor the launch visually from a normal chest/shoulder high launch. Also, the drone is most likely to drop down if you release it too soon, and therefore, it'll be dropping onto you from above. I've seen this done many times from a normal shoulder height, and there it's easy to just move your hand out the way rather than move your whole body. 😃
@@JustinBainbridgeYT Fair point :) By 'above your head' I only meant just above forehead level out in front of you, merely so blades aren't directly lined up with eyes !
@Jaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay I absolutely agree with slightly overhead process for both launch and recovery. If something goes awry, the last place I want those blades to make any contact is my face. If your hand is up and stationary, you can keep obstacle avoidance on and fly the unit slowly down into your hand. If something goes bad, it will pull straight up and away from you.
This catch and release operations has been sort of critical for me as I launch and recover from a boat that has pretty tight quarters, making it pretty challenging to get a very clean landing on deck.
I’ve watched numerous instructional videos. This is among the very best! Info, presentation, and format are excellent.
Thank you very much! I'm glad you were able to take in all the info and was happy with the quality of the video 😀
Just ordered the Mini 4 Pro for my first drone. I appreciate you and your tutorials/demonstrations. Thank you.
@@jfay777 Hey! That's awesome! You're more than welcome. 😃
I’ve watched hundreds of YT drone videos, many very good. However, you always raise the bar a tad higher. I think your videos are exceptional.
Hey! Thank you very much. That's my goal, to deliver the highest value content but in a relatable and easy to digest way. I'm glad you find the videos to be exceptional 😃
Brilliant video and so straightforward for the absolute beginner 👍
You're welcome! 😃
JUst got my drone today! I practiced this and went well. I opted to also use the Cine mode with obstacle avoidance off so it allowed me to have slower movements while I caught it
I like to tip about putting it in sports mode before catching it. Thanks for the tip.
Yeah, it makes things 100 times easier. I'm glad you found the video useful 😃
I wish he explained it further the relevance of switching it to sportsmode
Thank you for doing this video. I had to hand launch & land my drone this weekend and it went perfectly thanks to your guidance.
The reason that Sport mode is best is because obstacle avoidance is turned off when you are in that mode. Unless you do that, the drone will think your hand is an obstacle to avoid. That is the key point.
I have a bunch of your other videos queued up to learn even more!
You're welcome, Im glad you had a successful experience hand launching! 🤙 Yes there are plenty of helpful videos on here to keep you going! 😃
Very clear guidelines for hand-launching/catching my mini 4 pro. Thank you!
You're welcome! 😊
Thanks for the tips. I agree that this method seems to be much safer not only for you but for the drone itself as opposed to catching it and flipping it real quick to force it to shut down.
Precise clear instructions and pleasant to watch and listen to
Thank you! I'm glad you enjoyed the video and found it nice and easy to digest 😃
Very usefull and clear instruction.thank u sir fkr the toturial how to take off and landing the drone.
@@jumyrchaser6215 You're very welcome! 😃
Was always too afraid to hand launch and did the sneak up and grab technique to land...you've simplified both for me can't wait to try thanks!
Not a problem! I'm glad you are now ready to go out and try to hand catch the safest way! All the best! 😃
Really great explanation a lot of times the gimbal and motor of my mini 2 get damaged because I end up landing it in some thick grass or a plant know I know exactly how to avoid it because of you really great explanation.😊
Thank you! Yeah sometimes landing on the ground isn't a good idea. A landing mat can help in some situations but hand launching is by far the most effective solution for many different locations. Happy to help 😃
Im just an amateur drone owner here. Thanks man, I really appreciate this video!
@jaycarry2023 you're welcome man! We were all amateurs at some point so I'm happy to help! 😃
This is so cool and i cannot wait to practice this!
Yep! It's a skill that comes in very handy! 😃
A beautifully clear and logical presentation. Thank you.
@@trekdiary Thank you! Im glad you found it helpful. 😃
Thanks Justin, will practice it, your information really clear for novice pilot like me😊
You're very welcome! I'm happy to help, Practice makes perfect 😃
Wow. Only wow. Thank you sir! Great tutorial!
You're welcome! 😃
I've had this drone since it was released last September. I was always scared of doing this until now -- thanks for the informative tutorial.
Yeah, it can appear quite scary at first, but when you know all the steps to take. It's much easier and safer 😃
@@JustinBainbridgeYT I did just what you said and the drone got mad at me. It almost took off my head after hand launching - lol
@Diantane I think you might have held onto the drone a little too long, it should only go straight up from your hand, make sure you've got a nice stretched arm, and also have the wind blowing in such a direction as to be pushing the drone away from you. It should be uneventful when done correctly.
I did the manual take off using my little finger like you did (but not as good). It took me 4 tries. Think I’ll try doing the automatic takeoff next time.
Great advice Justin and thanks for taking the time to explain the hand and catch. Many thanks for sharing the info.
Thank you Shaun! Glad you found the video useful! 😃
Well made instructional video. Thank you.
@@Eye_sky_high You're very welcome! 😃
danke schön Justin👍🏻, nice Trick with the Sport mode, IT was new for me an IT works perfekt. greetings from Germany
Guten Tag! You're welcome! Yep Sport mode makes all the difference with this drone! 😃 Awesome, I have lots of good friends from Germany 🍻🤙 Where abouts in Germany are you from?
@@JustinBainbridgeYT hi, i live nearby Düsseldorf.
Excellent teaching, thank you! Greetings from France 😊
Thank you! You're very welcome! Welcome to the community! 😃
exactly wht im looking for. Thanks
Happy to help mate! 😃
Saw the flipping method and tried. Yours is much much better. Congrats and thank you!
Awesome! I'm glad to hear you find this method better than flipping. You're more than welcome! 😃
I am so pleased that I found your channel. You videos are excellent and so easy to follow! Thanks
I'm glad you found it too! I made these videos for this exact purpose so that I can share my knowledge and pass on the information to give as many people as I can a better experience flying their drones. I'm so glad that you're able to get value from them that I intended 😃
Agreed..you make so much sense its impossible to get it wrong..I'm subscribed and bell switched on..thanks dude.
Thanks Bob! Just out here trying to make people's lives a bit easier. I'm glad you find the video easy to follow 😃
Thanks this is one of very good video that I found useful
You're very welcome! I'm glad you found it useful! 😃
Great demonstration. I’ve been doing it for a while. But it always struggled to land in my hand. Turning on sports mode done the trick. Thanks 👍
Thank you! I'm glad you're all sorted now! Sport mode makes all the difference 😀
Nice one Justin 👍 good to see you're fully fit again. Keep up the great video's one of the best for clear explanations.
Thanks mate! Yes, it's good to be back at full health again. It took a while 😂 thanks for the ongoing support!
I like ur video tutorial, easy to understand and have reason behind it.. 👍
Thank you! I'm glad you like the tutorials 😃
I never even considered sports mode, I’m somewhat excited, I’ll give it a go, thanks for sharing
@@BjEddy1 Yes! It makes a massive difference! Have fun. You're welcome! 😃
@@JustinBainbridgeYT thank you my drone brother, I’ve been trying hand catching for years, for the most part I gave it up, but tomorrow I will give it a go, you rock
@@JustinBainbridgeYT had to follow-up, I’ve tried it a few times and it is better using sports mode, thanks again
@BjEddy1 Hey! Thanks for the follow up. I'm glad it was much better for you. Happy to help brother! 😃
THANK YOU JUSTIN HAPPY NEW YEAR
You're welcome! Happy New Year! 😃
SMART ADVISES well explained. No nonsense! Congrats and thank you!!!
Thank you! That's what I try to do around here, get to the point and make it easy to understand. I'm glad you found this video useful 😃
Great video, thanks!
Fantastic video, lots of great information there.... Many thanks! 😎 👍🏻
Thank you! You're very welcome. I'm glad you found it helpful! 😃
Hope you get better very soon 🤕🤒
Superb sharing Thank you.😊😊
You're welcome! 😃
That was awesome!
Thank you! Glad you enjoyed it! 😃
Just awesome, thanks.
@greg7sammons You're welcome! 😃
Great tutorial. Looking forward to giving this a try BUT after I get some practice flying the drone. Pumped about delivery tomorrow!
Excited for you to get your drone tomorrow! Fly safe and good luck with hand launching!
Awesome tips. I use this technique and it's a little easier with the controller on a lanyard
I got myself a neck strap for my remote for the same reason, couldn't be easier 🚁🏴☠️
Yep a neck strap can definitely help in this situation. I have a neck strap, but I rarely use it these days. Thanks for the kind words, and I'm glad you found the video useful 😃
Just subscribed bought a mini 2 se in the Philippines and after using it I’ve decided to buy a mini pro 4 when I get back to the UK thanks to your channel.
Thats great news! You're going to love the Mini 4 Pro
@@JustinBainbridgeYT thanks I’m a complete novice I just added some mini 2 se footage from el nido to my channel. Went for mini pro 4 for the waypoints feature and 4k at 60 fps. Sadly I was mis sold the mini 2 se in pampanga and was told it could do 60fps at 2.7k. I bought it on a whim and should have done more research online first. Got my mini 4 pro being delivered in the uk today from drone safe.
Would you recommend buying quick attach propeller protectors and a landing gear? They’re pretty cheap on eBay less than £10 each?
@@THEEYEINTHESKIES I don't think you need them really. Some people like them but I don't think they're necessary add ons :)
@@JustinBainbridgeYT I think after watching your hand launch video the landing gear is unnecessary. I was landing on a massive sports direct bag on the sand in El nido. Hand landing doesn’t seem to work well with Mini 2 SE In sports mode. Sensors must be set up differently.
Good instructions
Thank you! :D
@@RomanKrivocheev you're welcome! 😃
Great video. Btw the propellers can’t cut you. I thought they could but watched video on it. Still don’t want to hit the propellers though obviously. Thanks for the tip about sports mode
@FelixTreee They're designed not to cut you, but they certainly can. Always be cautious 😃
Watched this yesterday and take off/return catches successfully today. Had to...the dogs were going for it. Worked perfectly. Thanks-but the pups were disappointed they didn't catch the big bee. 🙂👍🐝
That's what we like to see! I'm glad it all went smoothly for you! Ah yeah, some dogs like to chase them, and others are more nonchalant about them. Haha, either way, I'm happy to have been able to help 😃
This was helpful, thank you!
@@ilya0lebedev you're welcome!
Thank you. I will try today
You're welcome. Good luck! 😃
@@JustinBainbridgeYT It worked. Was a little intimidating, at first, but now I don’t have to worry about dirt.
@@Kalama_Llama_King_Kong that's great news! I'm glad you're now equipped with a new skill 😀 have fun and fly safe 👌
Awesome video
Thank you! 😃
Thanks champ. Very clear & concise..
No worries dude! Happy to help!
Very cool..Thanks!❤
Useful video - thank you. My previous work as a unionized technician (very safety focused and for good reason) tells me you should be wearing those glasses though! You might be good but enough people and launches and wind and... it's a numbers game 😬
Thanks for this. I watched someone else, a proponent of the grab and flip. My fingers got hit by the propellers! It was sore, but fortunately, they didn’t break the skin, merely stung a bit. I’m not suggesting that it’s ok to grab and flip! I think your method makes far more sense!
You're welcome! Yes, the grab and flip is nowhere near as safe in my opinion. Everything is just more rushed and there's already a higher chance of something going wrong. I'm glad you were okay and I'm sure you'll have more success with this method 😃
@@JustinBainbridgeYT Thank you, it’s a shame I didn’t find your video first! Just shows the importance of likes and subscribers……it can be bad for your health having YT recommend something!
You're on the epic level
Thank you 😃
Good demo justin..
Thank you! 😃
Can you use the very same procedure to hand catch and take off on the Mini 2 Se?
Yes, you can use the same procedure for the Mini 2 SE 😃
@@JustinBainbridgeYT thank you, much appreciated.
Good video, thank you. Great drone also....
Thank you! You're welcome! Yep, it's an awesome little drone! 😃
Can you do a video on changing home to the controller instead of the take off point.
@seancraven2361 Hey it's pretty straight forward, just make sure you've got a good open space so your controller can get GPS signal . It can help to use your phone as a hot-spot for Internet to the radio too. Then go into update home point in the menu, select controller, and if you've got a good GPS signal to the controller, it'll set to its location 😃
Good information. Liked.
You have to hold the drone above your head during takeoff. You are starting the motors at face level. Above the head is best.
I would have to disagree on this one as you can't really easily see whats happening with the drone if you hold it up above your head. It's better to be able to monitor the drones behaviour during take off from an easy level, but if it's working for you then that's fine. 😃
Nice video. Is it possible after hand launch take off, then to use the RTHome function for landing on the ground? Thx
Hey! Yes absolutely. The only thing I don't reccomend is trying to intercept a RTH landing with a catch as you don't have any control over what's going on 😃
Very helpful Justin. Thanks. Have you ever had an issue with the orange tabs on the end of the blades? I saw one person say they had their tabs lifting off. I’ve just upgraded to the mini pro 4 and it’s amazing
You're welcome! Nope, I've never had an issue with that. It's likely due to the props catching on the ground slightly during take-off or landing on uneven surfaces. If it happens, just replace the prop. They're consumable items anyway 😃
My first drone I had I sold after a few years and I'd never dated to hand launch/land, I got back into flying and bought a mini 4 pro about 2 month ago and finally got the courage up to try hand launch /land and honestly it's the only way I take off and land now 100% of the time, for landing I start bringing it down but put my hand up nice and early so it thinks my hand is the ground, keep pulling down then the stick until it lands in the palm of my hand, no grabbing and flipping and it's never tried to fly back up out of the way because it thinks my hand is the ground
Great info. When landing, you put it in sport mode to shut down the bottom, landing sensor or does it just desensitize the sensor??? Thank you.
It just desensitises the sensor from what I've observed. It's definitely still active, but it appears to have a greater tolerance for the landing surface in sport mode.
@@JustinBainbridgeYT Thank you, Justin for that info!
I recently got the mini 4 pro and other people make it look so easy to hand catch, just hover the drone in front of you, grab it underneath and flip it. I tried it a few times and it just flew upwards and didn’t feel that trying to grab it and flip it quickly was particularly safe so I will definitely be trying your method now.
It would be interesting to see if this applies to RTH too or just hitting the land button with the drone higher up, so it comes in like it would land on the ground but you put your hand underneath.
Hey! Yeah I don't recommend catching it that way, your concerns are valid. Return to home will cancel most times if you try to catch it as the drone will say "unsafe landing area". Pressing land should have the same effect as holding down on the left stick, however ots much easier to just pull the stick down that to try and press and hold on the screen whilst keeping eyes on the drone to catch it. Hope this helps 😀
Hello great video. I just fired up my new MP4 last week and getting used to it going to try hand launching/landing next. Question since your video is from 9months ago, has there been an update since then that allows you to force land by simply holding the left stick down now and if so do can I just keep in N mode to hand land? I know I can force a landing to the ground like this so assume this would work to my hand without needing to go to sport mode?
@bricehamilton6749 it's still pretty stubborn to land in the hand when using normal or Cine. It's due to the obstacle avoidance making everything a little more particular. Providing you follow the steps in the video it's fine. You don't have to physically fly anywhere in sport mode, just flick it into it before you place the hand under the drone and pull down the stick. Give it a try with N, I know some people have success, but it's not many and it makes life easier in S 😃
@ will try both and update back here later thanks again!
Just so you know. Theres an update on the DJI Mini 4 Pro that allows you to disable the downward sensors , this allows you to catch the drone while hovering and it won't launch upwards.
Yes this is tru, however I don't reccomend disabling this unless you absolutely have to for a certain circumstance. I believe it's much better to have this active than not 😃
can you do one catching it on a sailboat? 🙏
Hey! Catching on a boat is a very similar process. The only thing you do differently is you need to be aware of the movement of the boat and be extra careful with the drones' placement when you pull down on the stick to initiate the landing sequence. You need to make sure you aren't going to move too much whilst trying to catch it. You can always just push up on the stick to make the drone cancel its landing attempt and then try again. I would not recommend trying to launch or catch the drone from a moving boat. This is much more dangerous, and I would avoid doing it completely.
I find it quite interesting that you do not do a calibration before each flight? I have had my mavic 2 zoom for 4 years and 9 months and have never had a fly away or crashed drone, still on my stock props :) good video mate!
Thanks mate! There's no real need to calibrate the drone unless you've had a crash or the notification pops up, telling you it needs doing. Before each flight isn't necessary, once in a while is being prudent enough. Excellent track record though! How often do you get out to fly?
@@JustinBainbridgeYT thanks for the info, I fly maybe twice a weekend, so Saturdays and Sundays, had fly aways from other make of drones prior to DJI and then from there it just stuck to do compass calibrations before each flight, so was in awe when I saw you don’t do it…nevertheless I will now not focus on it as much anymore :) also stopped updating my firmware updates and map updates about 2 years back haha :)
Can you do one please on how to fly in just POI
Hey! Can you explain a bit more what you mean by fly in just POI?
NICE MATE HAPPY FLYING👍👍👍
Thanks mate! Happy Flying! 😃
Спасибо!
Thanks for this video ❤
I pretty much always hand cath my mini 4 pro. Since I'm oftan in a muddy area. As for launch I go off the roof of my truck.
Any advice on hand catching while onboard a boat? It’s not going to have a stable surface (neither boat deck nor hand) to land on with the waves rocking to boat around and the wind causing the boat to always be drifting.
Hand launching and landing on a boat is a different beast. Lots of things to consider and it's hard to advise as each launch and landing will be different depending on conditions. Just need to take extra care and give more room for error and be prepared to bail out at any moment and try again.
i always fly my drones backwards towards me so orientation is the same even when landing on the floor/mat
With just over 20 hrs flight time, I think tonight is time to give this a shot.
Hey! That's awesome, lots of experience! I'm sure you'll be absolutely fine. Good luck! 😃
on 3:32 you use both hands on thecontroller, looks a bit strange then, for the rest great info,thanks
Hey! That just an overlay to show which stick to move on the controller to help make things clearer 😃 in reality I just have my left hand on the controller moving that left stick. Hope this helps 😃
I have had my Mini 4 pro for 25 days now. I always hand launch and hand catch my drone. I've only taken off or landed on the ground maybe 2 times.
A lanyard is key, it makes the dual stick input with 1 hand much easier. Be sure to very lightly hold the throttle up for 2 seconds after it ascends to make sure it goes into a stable hover.
The first week I had it I let off the throttle instently while hand launching on one knee, and it flopped forward and crashed right into my car. No impact detected, I replaced 3 props and its been perfect ever since that lesson.
What if you have chosen RTH option? Do you have to turn off RTH option first and then manually land it on your hand? How do you do it with RTH option and landing?
I recommend never trying to intercept a RTH Landing with a hand catch. You should be in full control during the catch deciding when you want to initiate the landing yourself. You can let RTH bring the drone to you but then cancel the RTH, take manual control and then proceed with the landing. 😃
@ Thanks !
Is it the same procedure to hand catch for mini 3 pro, using sport mode?
Yep, it should work the same with the Mini 3 Pro, too
I would not have as much confidence as you apparently do by doing the manual prop startup. The props are in close proximity to more than one thing that can be momentarily overlooked, i.e. the left side controller antennae, the controller itself, your left hand and your face.
As you push up on the left stick to add power and ascend, you are totally releasing your grip on the controller with your single left hand (while the right one holds the drone) as you use your left thumb to push on the left stick while doing the manual hand launch technique. I could do another "i.e." list but the possibilities for problems are pretty obvious.
I was waiting to see how you managed initiating the takeoff command button and then pressing and holding the takeoff button in the middle of the controller screen all while holding the controller and doing the button pressing with just your left hand for the Automatic Technique but you didn't show it.
I love my M4P. My flying has been on and off over the last few months, mostly off, and I am itching to get back out. When I saw you video as around a month old, I thought to take a look at whatever the latest techniques may be for hand launch/catch as I know a lot of people do it and in some situations it could be A) really convenient and B) maybe the difference in getting a photograph or video that may be missed if you weren't in the air quickly.
You didn't mention anything with regard to RTH considerations associated with doing hand launch/catch and I have always been particularly impressed with the M4P pinpoint RTH capabilities. The assumption being that RTH features are simply tossed out the window when opting for hand launch/catch.
I appreciate you taking the time to do M4P videos like this. I had not thought about switching to Sport mode as a way to turn off/on the object avoidance sensors and I will definitely look at using that routinely.
Hey!
I tried my best to show how to do this as safely as possible. The drone should be a safe distance from all of these things if you do as I showed. I have never had any issues with the drone or props hitting anything during this startup technique.
When pushing the stick up I don't feel any loosening of the radio in my grip. My thumb is already there and ready to go. Maybe just practice doing this technique without anything powered on to get a feel for how to hold the radio.
Again with auto take off I just press and hold the button, Maybe my grip is slightly different to yours? I do find the manual prop start much easier so I'd always recommend this technique better.
The reason I didn't mention RTH is because that's a fully automated system that I would use to land in a place where I'm hand launching or catching. It's much safer to have full control of when you want the drone to start landing rather than trying to intercept the RTH procedure with a hand catch. This is why I was talking about flying the aircraft back to you manually and the correct way to do this.
I thought it would go without saying that you wouldn't be using RTH to land as this is a fully manual process that I am describing. By all means, use RTH to bring the drone back closer to you but then cancel the RTH and hand catch it manually.
Yeah flicking to sport mode just before the hand catch procedure makes it a lot easier to land in your hand.
Any other questions, just let me know! 😃
Last month I tried to catch my mini 2 with my hand, and had an accident. It was under severe wind ( I was above 4500 meter above sea level, in Hornocal, Argentina, under 60 km/h gust of wind), and when coming down, it hit my right tumb, and cut it. Lot of blood, but I was sucessful containing bleeding, after two minutes. Lesson I've learned, never take it under severe wind within bare hands (I had I thick glove at the accident day, but forgot to use it), and be careful about confident excess ( I did it hundred of times, and nothing never happend).
Hey! I'm sorry to hear you had an accident. Hand launching in very high winds is something I personally try to avoid. Unless I have no option. Then I just try to be as careful as possible. Yep, it's always good practice not to become overconfident as it can lead to becoming more careless. Something that usually an accident triggers us to remember. We've all been there.... I'm glad you're okay and you're still flying 😃
Thank you Justin for your words. I have just bought Mini 4 Pro, and very excited to use it. Thanks for your good tips.
in sport mode the collision sensors are disabled , which is why its much easier t9 land in your hand. In normal mode the drone wants to avoid your hand .
It would be nice if DJI would move that green "take off" button to the left side of the screen instead of the middle to make it easier for one hand launching.
This would make it easier for sure! 😃
can i press RTH when initiating hand catching procedure?
Hello! No, I do not reccomend trying to intercept the RTH process with a hand catch. The drone is already doing an automated procedure and it's not reccomended to try and intercept this with a hand catch. I reccomend always manually controlling your hand catches so you have full control over when the drone starts to land and so you can easily bail out by pushing up on the stick to bail out and try again if its not going right. Hope this helps 😃
@@JustinBainbridgeYT Thank you for helpful clarifications👍
6:56 what fps you use in this clip?
30 fps with ND 64 filter. 1/60 shutter. ISO 100
Can you hand catch on return to home?
Hey! I do not recommend doing this. The return to home is a fully automated system with the drone, and it's doing a lot by itself. Trying to and intersect it in the landing phase is something I wouldn't recommend. I think it's much safer to be in control of deciding when the drone starts to land by pushing the stick down yourself so you are fully set up and ready to have a safe catch 😃
Thank you so much
It wouldn't land when I was moving on a boat... Mini 2 was no problem, but couldn't with the 4...had to grab it out of mid air...
Moving boat's are always a bit more tricky. Sometimes grabbing it out of the air is the only way to get it down in that situation.
hey man can you make tutorial video of launching and landing in kayak .. and also please dont put music in that video. just like this one was very helpful.
I don't have a kayak. Those are very specific and challenging circumstances. I wouldn't recommend it personally.
The trick to hold the controller in the left hand so not to accidentally jam pitch stick when trying to land
My propellers went SUPER fast when I caught it and then shut off. It was like it didn’t want to be caught lol what am I doing wrong ?!
Sounds like you were cathing it before it had started the landing sequence. Make sure you pull down on the stick and hold it down until the drone starts to land in your hand and then keep it held down till the props stop. Avoid moving the drone from the time you catch it to the momement the props stop. 😃
@@JustinBainbridgeYTthank you!! I’ll try this lol
i leave my drones in normal mode when hand landing with no problems