Thinking of buying a drone

[woodchucker]

I own a mavic pro and would have to say it was the coolest toy I’ve bought as a adult. I grew up in the 80’s and had RC cars and boats. Never airplanes and helicopters were insane prices and hard to fly. You crash it and it’s cheaper to buy another than to fix. Saw it happen multiple times.
Now RC cars are stupid fast all wheel drive and the battery isn’t a tank and last along time. Just got my 9yr old one I love it more than him. Different story. I’ve had my mavic for four years and it’s super easy to fly. All the features like the follow mode will follow a target like a rider on a motorcross track. You set the parameters and it does the rest. Fourth of July send it up and get some of the best views you will ever see. Dji in my opinion is the best value for the hobbyist. Their are others out there but pull out you wallet. Happy flying!

I have a friend he called yesterday to tell me he just won two big races last Tuesday. He travels a good distance to them. He got into it because he wanted something to do with his son. His son wanted to do it so bad.. well the son bailed on it, but he is hooked on the car racing. Dirt and now he added trucks. They are semi's and appear to be a one type racer where everyone drives the same truck with no mods. He says they don't turn for Sh**, but he still won. He's truly addicted now, and enjoys the competition.

 

[rwm]

Do not hover too low over a Schnauzer...

 

[Janderso]

DJI mavic 2 is what the son has . I've seen it 400 ft. high and I've seen it in my Maple tree also . He's not home yet but maybe I can post some pics he's taken with it when he comes in .

Those are about twice the price And very nice drones!
It sounds like the mini 2 is one hell of a drone!
For a newbie.

 

[Hawkeye]

I got the Mini 2 just before the winter made it less inviting to go out flying. Those things are so easy to fly! I'm looking forward to resuming my adventures with it. I started learning to edit video and record the audio on my iPhone, to cut into the finished production. I picked up a couple of tiny strobes so that I have a better chance to keep it in site against a treed background during the day. Just remember that if anything you add to it takes it to 250 grams or more, you have to register it. Bare weight on mine is 240.5 grams, so I have 8.5 grams to play with.

As for it being a good drone for a newbie, a lot of professional pilots say they got one because it is so compact and they can always have a capable drone with them.

 

[Janderso]

I got the Mini 2 just before the winter made it less inviting to go out flying. Those things are so easy to fly! I'm looking forward to resuming my adventures with it. I started learning to edit video and record the audio on my iPhone, to cut into the finished production. I picked up a couple of tiny strobes so that I have a better chance to keep it in site against a treed background during the day. Just remember that if anything you add to it takes it to 250 grams or more, you have to register it. Bare weight on mine is 240.5 grams, so I have 8.5 grams to play with.

As for it being a good drone for a newbie, a lot of professional pilots say they got one because it is so compact and they can always have a capable drone with them.

I’m glad to hear it’s easy to fly.
Watching videos on this drone has convinced me it’s pretty stable even with a breeze.
When the boys were home, many years ago now, they tried to get me to play with them on the Sony play station.
I could never figure out the controller. I didn’t put much effort into it.

You guys have convinced me. I’m buying a drone

 

[mmcmdl]

You guys have convinced me. I’m buying a drone

I'll corner my son today and get some of his pics posted Jeff . I know he has the follow mode on his , and I thought it would be cool to follow us on the 4 wheelers up in the Adirondacks . He sells pictures on the internet as a part time photographer and this was one of the things he bought to help . He does NOT have an FAA lisence (sp) , I asked him last night. I think you'll enjoy this new toy also being you camp quite often . The camera has a 48MP lense btw .

 

[7milesup]

There taking over drones/models does nothing for the safety of full size aviation.

You would not feel that way if you were sitting in the pointy end of jet during an approach and wondering how many idiots have just taken their new toy out to try and get some cool pictures of jets landing (happened in LAX). But I do agree with you that you cannot legislate idiots out of the equation but manufacturers then need to be held accountable and have geofencing on board their drones that cannot be disabled.
There was a drone that hit a BlackHawk heli up in the Northeast a couple of years ago. Did a lot of damage to the rotors and one of the turbines. They ended up catching the guy by tracing the serial number of one of the motors on the drone back to DJI and then figuring out where/when it was bought. The guy had a very indifferent attitude but the US military did not take kindly to him causing significant damage to their aircraft. I am thinking he had an attitude "correction."

It is illegal to utilize a drone for commercial purposes unless you have a license to do so. This includes using one for a photography business or a Realtor, although I am thinking that most Realtors have no clue.

It is true that you do not own the airspace above you, so one may strongly want to reconsider shooting a drone down. Can you imagine if this became acceptable? What next, shoot at real aircraft because they were making too much noise?

Register it. Take the test. Follow the rules. It is not that hard.

Get a drone Jeff and enjoy it.

 

[JPMacG]

Here is a link that explains what is involved in legally flying a drone for recreational purposes and guides you through taking the TRUST exam. The exam is free and easy - it is not really a exam - more like a tutorial. Some of the pages load slowly, so you will need to be patient.

TRUST Is Free to Take for Everyone - AMA IN ACTION Advocating for Members

On June 22, 2021, the AMA was approved to administer The Recreational UAS Safety Test (TRUST) and began offering TRUST to the entire community of model avia ...

amablog.modelaircraft.org

 

[Cadillac STS]

Buy from Craigslist? From someone who got one and got tired of it? Get a demo before buying

 

[JPMacG]

Not to dwell on this, but to try to clear up any confusion:

To fly a drone commercially (for profit) you must be at least 16 and have an FAA license.

To fly a drone for recreation, as far as I can tell, there is no age limit. You do need to be at least 13 or have a parent register for you in order to get a registration number.