Drones
Joined: Mar 2003
Posts: 631
Likes: 26
From: Top of the Bay
Jim, I've had my DJI Mavic for a couple months now. Still not comfortable enough with my ability to fly it to take it out of "beginner" mode, but it really is fun to fly. They are great fun to fly and yes, you can get some outstanding videos/photos with them. I would suggest just taking your time and go slow. The more time spent flying it the more comfortable you will become.
Mainly due to the connotations the media has given to "drones" and the subsequent woefully incomplete regulations, you may find it difficult to find places where you can legally fly. For instance, the requirements that exist to fly within a five mile radius of an airport (or hospital with a helipad) are particularly stringent, particularly if you are flying under 100 feet and keeping the drone within your line of sight. You may have fewer small airfields in your part of the world, but there are a lot of them here in the mid-Atlantic.
As to flying, you need to pay attention to battery life and potential obstacles. Case in point, if your drone has the capability of returning to the place from which it took off, that is a great feature.... just be sure that you set parameters that will take it to an altitude high enough to avoid treetops/structures while returning to 'home' (the takeoff spot).
I'm probably a bit on the over cautious side, and I probably should have started out with something simpler (and less $$$). Very few drone pilots have NOT had a 'crash'. Many, if not most, are survivable. DJI offers (for a price) a one-time replacement within the first year of ownership. I haven't had to take advantage of that (yet), but it does provide a measure of security when flying.
From what I gather, you no longer have to register your drone with the FAA (this is a very recent change).
Happy Birthday!!! Hope you have as much fun with yours as I am with mine!
Mainly due to the connotations the media has given to "drones" and the subsequent woefully incomplete regulations, you may find it difficult to find places where you can legally fly. For instance, the requirements that exist to fly within a five mile radius of an airport (or hospital with a helipad) are particularly stringent, particularly if you are flying under 100 feet and keeping the drone within your line of sight. You may have fewer small airfields in your part of the world, but there are a lot of them here in the mid-Atlantic.
As to flying, you need to pay attention to battery life and potential obstacles. Case in point, if your drone has the capability of returning to the place from which it took off, that is a great feature.... just be sure that you set parameters that will take it to an altitude high enough to avoid treetops/structures while returning to 'home' (the takeoff spot).
I'm probably a bit on the over cautious side, and I probably should have started out with something simpler (and less $$$). Very few drone pilots have NOT had a 'crash'. Many, if not most, are survivable. DJI offers (for a price) a one-time replacement within the first year of ownership. I haven't had to take advantage of that (yet), but it does provide a measure of security when flying.
From what I gather, you no longer have to register your drone with the FAA (this is a very recent change).
Happy Birthday!!! Hope you have as much fun with yours as I am with mine!
Thread Starter
Joined: Oct 2000
Posts: 6,323
Likes: 233
From: Mid-Atlantic
Jim, I've had my DJI Mavic for a couple months now. Still not comfortable enough with my ability to fly it to take it out of "beginner" mode, but it really is fun to fly. They are great fun to fly and yes, you can get some outstanding videos/photos with them. I would suggest just taking your time and go slow. The more time spent flying it the more comfortable you will become.
Mainly due to the connotations the media has given to "drones" and the subsequent woefully incomplete regulations, you may find it difficult to find places where you can legally fly. For instance, the requirements that exist to fly within a five mile radius of an airport (or hospital with a helipad) are particularly stringent, particularly if you are flying under 100 feet and keeping the drone within your line of sight. You may have fewer small airfields in your part of the world, but there are a lot of them here in the mid-Atlantic.
As to flying, you need to pay attention to battery life and potential obstacles. Case in point, if your drone has the capability of returning to the place from which it took off, that is a great feature.... just be sure that you set parameters that will take it to an altitude high enough to avoid treetops/structures while returning to 'home' (the takeoff spot).
I'm probably a bit on the over cautious side, and I probably should have started out with something simpler (and less $$$). Very few drone pilots have NOT had a 'crash'. Many, if not most, are survivable. DJI offers (for a price) a one-time replacement within the first year of ownership. I haven't had to take advantage of that (yet), but it does provide a measure of security when flying.
From what I gather, you no longer have to register your drone with the FAA (this is a very recent change).
Happy Birthday!!! Hope you have as much fun with yours as I am with mine!
Mainly due to the connotations the media has given to "drones" and the subsequent woefully incomplete regulations, you may find it difficult to find places where you can legally fly. For instance, the requirements that exist to fly within a five mile radius of an airport (or hospital with a helipad) are particularly stringent, particularly if you are flying under 100 feet and keeping the drone within your line of sight. You may have fewer small airfields in your part of the world, but there are a lot of them here in the mid-Atlantic.
As to flying, you need to pay attention to battery life and potential obstacles. Case in point, if your drone has the capability of returning to the place from which it took off, that is a great feature.... just be sure that you set parameters that will take it to an altitude high enough to avoid treetops/structures while returning to 'home' (the takeoff spot).
I'm probably a bit on the over cautious side, and I probably should have started out with something simpler (and less $$$). Very few drone pilots have NOT had a 'crash'. Many, if not most, are survivable. DJI offers (for a price) a one-time replacement within the first year of ownership. I haven't had to take advantage of that (yet), but it does provide a measure of security when flying.
From what I gather, you no longer have to register your drone with the FAA (this is a very recent change).
Happy Birthday!!! Hope you have as much fun with yours as I am with mine!
it is a DJI Phantom 3 Advanced. I did register with the FAA. Will let you know how I'm doing.
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integra_man
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Mar 7, 2008 12:25 AM