so i picked up a mini 2 se last week and ive basically just been staring at it in the box because im too scared to crash it on the first flight lol. i watched like 4 hours of youtube videos and now i feel like i know less than when i started because everyone contradicts each other. some people say fly it in a big open field first, others say use the simulator, others say just go for it. i live near some suburbs so theres trees and houses around but theres a park about 10 minutes away that seems pretty open. do i need to register it before i even take it off? and is there like a standard way people learn or does everyone just figure it out as they go

registration depends on where you are but if youre in the US anything over 250g needs to be registered with the FAA before you fly it outdoors, the mini 2 se is right at 249g so you might actually be fine but double check the exact weight on yours because some configurations push it over. the park idea is solid, just go early in the morning when theres nobody around and you have room to breathe. honestly the simulator thing is overrated for a beginner in my opinion, the mini 2 se is pretty forgiving and flying it for real teaches you faster than any sim. just take it slow, keep it close to you at first, maybe 20-30 feet up and practice hovering before you try to go anywhere. you'll get the feel for it pretty quick.

im kind of in the same boat, got a holy stone a few months ago and was terrified the first time too. what helped me was just doing really short flights at first, like i'd take off, hover for a minute, land, and that was it. felt stupid but it got me comfortable with the controls without risking anything. also make sure your home point is set before you do anything else, i forgot that my first time and panicked when i couldnt remember which way i came from