How to Hand Launch Your Drone - DJI Mini 4 Pro
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- Опубліковано 14 бер 2024
- Hand-launching your drone is easy if you know the right way to do it. Although inherently dangerous there is definitely a safe way to do it.
I'm using the DJI Mini 4 Pro for this video but the process is very similar for the majority of modern DJI drones.
I hope this video gives you the knowledge you need to hand launch and catch safely.
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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 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 😃
I like the tip about putting in Sports mode before catching it..thanks
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.
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!
Very clear guidelines for hand-launching/catching my mini 4 pro. Thank you!
You're welcome! 😊
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! 😃
Thanks champ. Very clear & concise..
No worries dude! Happy to help!
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 😃
Thanks for this video ❤
exactly wht im looking for. Thanks
Happy to help mate! 😃
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 😃
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 😃
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 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 😃
Good information. Liked.
Good video, thank you. Great drone also....
Thank you! You're welcome! Yep, it's an awesome little drone! 😃
Excellent teaching, thank you! Greetings from France 😊
Thank you! You're very welcome! Welcome to the community! 😃
You're on the epic level
Thank you 😃
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 like ur video tutorial, easy to understand and have reason behind it.. 👍
Thank you! I'm glad you like the tutorials 😃
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 😀
Good demo justin..
Thank you! 😃
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! 😃
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 🤕🤒
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!
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 😀
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 😃
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! 😃
NICE MATE HAPPY FLYING👍👍👍
Thanks mate! Happy Flying! 😃
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 👌
Спасибо!
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.
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
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!
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
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 😀
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 😃
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! 😃
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 :)
The trick to hold the controller in the left hand so not to accidentally jam pitch stick when trying to land
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.
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
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.
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.
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
6:56 what fps you use in this clip?
30 fps with ND 64 filter. 1/60 shutter. ISO 100
can confirm that the wind can knock the drone and cut your fingers lol
Yep, haha, it scares me when I see people doing it from the palm of their hand. But hey, if you don't know, you don't know.
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 😃
Why would you not just open palm it? Then there is zero risk of letting it go too soon and dropping it.
I believe it's much better to have complete control over the hold of your drone. Open palm does mean the drone won't take off too early, but when holding it with my reccomended grip you can easily feel the drone pulling up and then you just gently release your grip and it flies up.
@@JustinBainbridgeYT obviously a grip is open to mistakes, leading to dropped drones, especially from new fliers otherwise yourself and others wouldn't make these videos about it. When you are holding it, sure, grip it, but grip it in a way that once you have the props spinning and you are ready for take off all you need to do is open the hand so that for that second it's on your palm as you increase spin speed. Just don't grip it with finger tips only which may lead to a drop. My point really is that when it's done perfectly, of course your grip is fine but this is about mistakes and when things aren't done perfectly. A finger grip has no redundancy... so if there is a mistake, lack of concentration etc it can still easily lead to a drop.
@PokerMuppet I think we will have to agree to disagree on this one. I believe that a good grip is much more stable than the drone in the palm of the hand. Also, it's tricky to have it in your palm whilst holding it. I agree that a grip is open to mistakes. This is why I spent time at the start of the video showing how to hold it and what to do to confirm you have a safe but controlled grip. It's really simple to just let go when you feel the drone picking up the speed. I would have to say a finger grip doesn't need redundancy as it's very secure. If you are holding it in your palm and the drone starts to drop or becomes unstable, it would be dangerous to try and grab it securely from this instance and position. Hence why I believe you should just have a good grip to begin with. It's good to hear the other side of the argument, though, and I understand where you're coming from. I just disagree. Which is fine 😀
Absolutely perfect explanation and demonstration of how to do this ive been wanting to know and now I do . Thanks Justin !👍😀🇦🇺🦘Cheryl
Thank you Cheryl! It's something I see a lot of people struggle with, so I thought I'd break it down to help everyone out. I'm glad you now know how to hand launch in the safest possible way 😃 Thanks for the ongoing support 😄