Notes for a Father

Earlier this evening I came across a post on Facebook by a man who just purchased a large drone. He wanted to know how to not be intimidated and show his son that he could fly it. So in turn, I wrote him a response:

"As always, reading the manual will give you insight into how the drone works. It's more like a phone book than a text book though. Use the DJI GO app and practice with the simulator, every night, even a 15 minute session. Have your kid watch and see what his reactions are, it will help him when working with the real drone. When you start flying, find the local parks and check with Airmap to make sure where you can fly, then find the biggest, widest field possible. When you go there, do it alone, don't take the kid yet. Start flying, just basic shapes, squares, circles. Learn about flying only using visual line of sight, if anything happens to the video link, this will be the only way to control the craft. Get a feeling for the craft, try flying once a week. This will give you time to learn about battery safety during the week. Get a lipo safe battery bag to fit your batteries, practice good charging and discharging techniques. By this time you have flown a bit, know how to control by line of sight, and can operate while being around others. Now it's time to show your kid how cool drones are."

I hope more people learn about drone safety for safer skies.