Drone Travel Log

[hookalakupua]

Boston - England - Scotland

Hey all. Heading out tomorrow for a trip to Scotland. Flying through Boston to London Gatwick and then a train into Scotland. The return leg is from Edinburg to Manchester and from Manchester back to Boston. Any chance anyone has any experience or advice as I'm a first time traveler with the Mavic. Maybe we could use this to detail flights with the Mavic from anywhere in the world and both the experiences and suggestions. I'll definitely add to this when I arrive. Cheers!

 

[harryb]

Happy travels.
Stay safe.

 

[ignasolares]

Hello hookalakupua,

How was your trip? Did you face any complications with your Mavic while in Scotland? I'm also flying to Scotland with my Mavic at the end of the week and am curious. I understand there are no permit requirements in the UK and that drone etiquette is pretty much the same as the US.

Look forward to hearing back from you.

 

[Jerry]

No permits required in general for recreational flights here in the UK . Many places that you can check up on the rules, here is one Summary of UK legal requirements Also you may like to look up Drone Assist in the App Store as this has NFZs plus other hazards that may be helpful. Safe flights ..

 

[hookalakupua]

Hello hookalakupua,

How was your trip? Did you face any complications with your Mavic while in Scotland? I'm also flying to Scotland with my Mavic at the end of the week and am curious. I understand there are no permit requirements in the UK and that drone etiquette is pretty much the same as the US.

Look forward to hearing back from you.

Literally just walked in 10 minutes ago after being there for 10 days. Absolutely, incredible location and I'll post a lot more tomorrow. You're going to love it!

 

[hookalakupua]

Hey guys,

Well here's my trip review.

No issues or even a baggage check of the MP through the following airports: Lexington, KY - Edinburgh, Scotland - Manchester, England,

The only place that did a secondary scan was Boston (BOS) and that place was a nightmare yesterday.

Other than that, not a single question. The TSA agent at BOS asked what it was and swiped the inside of the backpack but didn't touch the MP, controller or even look at 1 of the 4 extra batteries I had.

Flying in Scotland is a dream! The people are amazing and the countryside is magnificent. I think I literally sold 2 dozen drones in 6 days of flying for DJI. People had no issue coming up and asking about it. I put it to a safe altitude above the water and let every one of them fly it.

I didn't have a single person come up with a negative attitude towards it as they were mostly just curious and interested. The ease of flyability and 4K Camera were what really caught everyones attention.

I didn't fly over any buildings but I was so tempted to try and get a quick flight of the Edinburgh Castle as it's a sight to be seen! Read an article about someone being prosecuted for it and that made it an easy decision! haha

No special permits or requests needed. I just flew smart and respected the area I was in.

Places to visit:
Holyrood Park - An absolute must as I promise you that you won't be disappointed! Take the MP with you and walk through the valley and up the various cliffs. You'll need to practice taking off and landing by hand for a couple of the spots.

Isle of Sky - Wasn't able to fly because of rain and I was devastated. Tried on 2 separate days. Here's why. Isle of Skye Photo Gallery | Landscape Photography | Skye | Scotland

Ben Navis - Highest point in Britain. Stunning and yet again I wasn't able to fly because of rain. Walkhighlands

Crammond Island and Inchgarvie/Island in the Firth or Forth- You can fly from shore out 5500ft to the first one and another 6500ft+ to the second which is right behind it.




Anywhere in the Scottish Highlands!

Holyrood Park and the 2 islands are 25 minutes from the airport and the others will take 2-3 hours.

Hope that helps and let me know if I can be of any more help. Enjoy the trip!!

 

[ignasolares]

Great feedback! Thanks!

 

[ignasolares]

Hi guys, I just realized I forgot to post after my trip. The Ireland and Scotland trip was amazing as you mentioned. Not one single problem with my drone, just making sure I was compliant with regulations and not flying over historic landmarks (this was the only strict rule). Instead I would find an isolated area (usually a cemetery), and fly around the landmarks, mainly the castles.

My only regret was not being able to fly around the Cliffs of Moher, but not just because it said NO DRONES, but also because the wind was insanely strong and I would've lost the drone for good.

Here's my edited footage:

Enjoy!