DJI Mavic Pro Simulator – How, What, Where & Why

DJI provides a basic Mavic Pro simulator as part of the DJI Go App.

However, if you want to use this simulator there are a few things you need to know.

1. Where can you find it.

2. How do you use it.

In this post I am going to quickly explain both, along with some of the things you can do with the simulator.

DJI Mavic Pro Simulator

How To Use The DJI Mavic Pro Simulator

Things You Need to Run The Simulator

It might seem a bit stupid (and most Mavic Pro owners will agree) but you actually need to own a Mavic Pro to use the simulator.

Not only that, but you have to

• Turn the Mavic Pro on
• Turn the controller on
• Connect the DJI Go App as well

Basically, you have to start everything up as you would fly the Mavic Pro. Dumb, I know.

The only difference with the simulator is that instead of going into “Start Flight” down the bottom of the app, you have to use the menu and enter the Academy.

Here are the specific steps to find the simulator in the App.

Finding The Simulator In The DJI Go App

The Mavic Pro simulator is located on the main menu of the DJI Go App when you first open it.

1. Click on the menu on the top right (the hamburger / three bars) and you will see the following menu.

You now want to choose “Academy” to find the simulator.

I have highlighted it in the image here so you can see it.

2. The next step is the click on the Enter button in the center of the first section labeled “Flight Simulator.

You can see that in the next image.

Quick Walkthrough Of The DJI Go App

When you first start the simulator it walks you through where everything is.

If you are familiar with DJI products, you will find most of the stuff pretty quickly and easily.

If this is your first time in the DJI Go App, I recommend you read the notes they give you as it will help you familiarize yourself with the layout of the app and where everything is.

Of course, nothing beats actually playing with the app and trying to find the specific thing you need again later. But this is certainly a good start.

In the image here you can see the simulator is showing the Flight Mode indicator.

Changing The Wind Direction

One of the main things you can specifically change in the simulator is the wind.

There is a small opaque button where you can do this down the bottom, slightly to the right of the simulator when you have it running.

Once you open up the Wind Speed Setting window this is what you will see

You can then change it however you want in order to help you understand how it affects the aircraft when you are flying.

What Else Can It Do?

From my limited testing, I could not find much else to do in the app.

You can test and use most of the functions as you would with the app in reality, but when I was flying the Mavic Pro moved out of sight (as it does in reality) pretty fast. So, it was hard to see what I was really doing in the distance.

So, if you are using it, I recommend you just do small flights around the start point to get used to the basic functions. You can even try to use the Intelligent Flight modes which can be pretty cool – like Dronie, Helix, Rocket (these are all quite new) as well as Orbit, Follow Me and more.

The simulator is not really the best way to learn how to fly in my opinion. But, if you are brand new to drones it will get you used to the controls and return home function (for example) without fear of crashing your drone.

Honestly though, what I did when I first started out was simply head to a wide-open space and take it easy. Learn the ropes. Give yourself (and anyone around you) plenty of space for mistakes. Get some height straight away to avoid hitting anything/anyone. And then figure it all out.

Enjoy!