ok so i finally pulled the trigger and bought a DJI Mini 3 after like 6 months of watching youtube videos and convincing myself i was ready. i was not ready. took it out in my backyard yesterday and it almost went into my neighbors tree about 4 times before i landed it. i kept overcompensating on the stick and it would just drift sideways and i panicked and made it worse.

anyway my question is basically... is there like a proper way to practice or do i just keep bashing around until it clicks? i turned off all the beginner mode stuff because someone online said it limits the drone and now im thinking that was a bad idea. also how long does it actually take before you stop feeling like youre going to crash every 30 seconds

turn the beginner mode back on, seriously. whoever told you to disable it right away was giving you bad advice. those limits are there so the drone doesnt fly too far while youre still figuring out orientation and the controls. you can always turn it off later when you actually feel comfortable hovering in one spot without it drifting all over the place.

the thing that helped me most when i started was just hovering. like literally just take off, get it to like 5 feet, and hover there for a few minutes without touching anything except small corrections. do that until it feels boring. then try slow figure 8s at low altitude. dont even worry about getting any footage at first, just fly. it clicked for me after maybe 4 or 5 sessions of actually dedicated practice, not just messing around.

omg i went through the exact same thing lol my first flight i hit a bush and freaked out. it does get better i promise. i think i practiced every day for like two weeks in my backyard before i felt ok. also the simulator in the DJI fly app is actually decent for getting used to the sticks without risking the drone, maybe try that