I highly recommend (and I know many others on this site do as well) that you set your A or B button to Fly:Manual mode. Ideally, you should wait for satellite lock, then take off in Fly:Manual mode and fly in that mode as much as you can. Why? Because should you lose GPS signal, you will be adept at flying manually. It is an acquired skill and must be practiced regularly.
Hmmm. I think since he is new, he should stay to a wide open field and keep it in GPS. If he flys manual and there is even a slight wind he's going to crash the Solo.
Having said that, I agree with you, but not for the first few flights.
Also, if the OP is reading this, always be mentally ready for what you are going to do if you get in trouble. Most crashes are caused by panic and indecision when the drone starts to float toward buildings or trees.
One tip is that, counter to our natural human instincts, UP is often the safest direction to go with a drone. If you are drifting into the house or a tree, don't try to steer away with the sticks, just push up on the left stick and leave the right stick alone. Once it's up high enough to clear any obstacles (and where it gets better GPS), then take a moment to figure out what you are going to do next.
Another tip is to always orient your body in the same direction as the drone, so the right on the sticks is right for the drone. It's easy to get turned around backwards and zig left when you mean to go right.
When you start out, practice flying a box pattern keeping the nose of the Solo pointed forward the whole time. Then try doing a figure 8. Then try to do an orbit keeping the nose pointed into the center (it helps to throw a shirt or something down in the field and keep it in the center of the frame while you circle it.
And since you got this from your dad, your probably a teenager. Please don't f'ck this up for us by doing stupid stuff with your drone. A lot of us have been flying for years with no issues, and then a bunch of jackasses got into flying drones and have kind of screwed it up for us. Some idiot flew one into old faithful in Yellowstone park, and now we can't fly in any National Parks. Be aware that people get pissed off when they think you are videoing them. I find its best to tell people your going to be flying a drone and let them know you won't be videoing them. Once you do that ahead of time, pretty much everybody is cool about it and even want to watch (and ask a lot of questions). Be extra super careful flying near people. Your not supposed to fly over or near people at all.