Will Christmas ruin everything for us?

[Wolfman Jonathan]

just read that the Mavic is one of the most sought after gifts for Christmas. My sister is ordering one for her son. He's a good kid and will learn how to fly responsibly. That said...

You can go into the Apple Store and pick one up. Brookstone at the airport is selling them. They are becoming an impulse buy. They are so easy to set up and fly that drone ownership will grow exponentially.

So, here we are. Anyone can own one. Anyone can fly one. The barrier to entry is gone. You know some dad will buy one for their 7 year old. It won't be long until these things will be regularly flying in the faces of pedestrians, dropping on top of cars, and flying through peoples windows. Noses is will be lopped off. Drone scars will become common. Privacy will be violated. These things have been happening in isolation for the past several years but I think we are about to experience an exponential explosion.

What will this mean for our beloved hobby? I think it might lead to the outlawing of flying cameras like our Mavic. I can imagine fewer and fewer places we will be able to fly. It's great that it will follow you down a ski slope, but all mountains will ban them. Technology will be installed to jam drones.

Personally, I'd like to see drone licenses with mandatory flight training.

Looking way ahead... In the future, we will have our own personal drone network. All the drones will talk to each other and we will all walk around with a drone over our heads documenting our day. You will look up and they will be buzzing around everywhere. They will be small and silent. They will all be hooked into a mesh network so they won't hit each other. This will happen just as I am starting to get a bald spot. Ah, progress.

Anyway, what are your thoughts?

While the sky's are still ours, my fellow Mavic pilots, Happy Flying!

 

[seanmclean]

We revisit this hysteria every holiday season, hasn't come to fruition yet, and the average joe can't be bothered with flying one.

 

[chippie]

Personally I do think it will hurt our hobby with reckless flying by people who would not normally go out and buy Phantom for example. We will see more and more restrictions imposed due to this leading eventually to an outright ban just like in Switzerland (I think) However this is simply inevitable, if it was not the Mavic it would have been something else released by a different company next year. Simply cannot change the way technology is evolving and the people it attracts.

 

[Random155]

I dont think the average person is willing to spend 1000 on, essentially, a toy. There may be an exception, like your sister, but on average I dont see these going into the hands of young children. Adults, on the other hand, may see it as a fad because it's popular, but after flying a few times they will get bored of it, or crash, and they wont be an issue.

 

[chippie]

I dont think the average person is willing to spend 1000 on, essentially, a toy. There may be an exception, like your sister, but on average I dont see these going into the hands of young children. Adults, on the other hand, may see it as a fad because it's popular, but after flying a few times they will get bored of it, or crash, and they wont be an issue.

Depends on where they crash it though

 

[Wolfman Jonathan]

It's all fun and games until somebody loses a nose.

 

[DroningOn]

.......Personally, I'd like to see drone licenses with mandatory flight training........

.....Anyway, what are your thoughts?

Sorry but one of biggest threats to our hobby IMO are people like you. I'm sure some state legislator or city councilman will be contacting you soon asking you to offer your "expert" testimony to some half baked committee meeting talking about "chopped off noses" or some other hysterical nonsense. After all you'll say, "it's for the children"

 

[Random155]

Agreed

 

[Wolfman Jonathan]

Thank you for your kind feedback.

 

[DroningOn]

Thank you for your kind feedback.

Hey, you asked

 

[Rflush]

I dont think the average person is willing to spend 1000 on, essentially, a toy. There may be an exception, like your sister, but on average I dont see these going into the hands of young children. Adults, on the other hand, may see it as a fad because it's popular, but after flying a few times they will get bored of it, or crash, and they wont be an issue.

Do you honestly forget the $600+ Tickle Me Elmos, the N64 and Beanie babies?

I think in the past, most drones were not as marketable to the average person and were too big. The mavic being so small and convenient, I definitely think more young kids will be getting their hands on a Mavic and hurting us.

 

[Will.i.am]

There are already a bazillion Chinese toy drones available, so I don't see a rush to Mavics due to the expense. The toy drones are the threat to photography flyers because they are the ones likely to be in the hands of the foolish. I see the impulse purchase of the Mavic as a good thing because then there will be more available for less on ebay when the buyers try to unload them after they get tired of doing all of the calibrations necessary to keep it flying right. (jk)

 

[BrooklynFlyer]

Guns kill 30,000 in the US every year and they are barely regulated. I wouldn't worry too much.

 

[Random155]

Do you honestly forget the $600+ Tickle Me Elmos, the N64 and Beanie babies?

I think in the past, most drones were not as marketable to the average person and were too big. The mavic being so small and convenient, I definitely think more young kids will be getting their hands on a Mavic and hurting us.

There is one HUGE difference... marketing. Do you see Mavic commercials? The big toy hypes usually stem from commercials and marketing. If youre not already in the drone/DJI community, you may not even know what a Mavic is. Ive been flying DJI for the last 2 years, been off the boards for a long time and the first time I heard of the Mavic was on Oct. 29, when I pre-ordered

 

[Atomic08]

The drones I worry about are the "Cheap" sub $100 ones you see everywhere in the isles of
Home Depot, Kmart, Rite Aide !
I was flyung at a local park recently and a 8-10 YO told his mom he wanted a drone and she replied Maybe Santa will bring you one !
Parents buying a cheap one for their 12YO because he wanted a Drone for Christmas!
I think those are the ones that are going to hurt people!

 

[Kilrah]

Anyway, what are your thoughts?

Same for Phantoms, Bebops, Solos, Yuneecs and ther other 5-6 multicopter models I can find along with those in every store this year like the one before, and the one before.

Pointless clickbait discussion really.

 

[Aeroworks]

your right op. This is the direction it is heading. Luckily the people coming into power are not the types that like to regulate and destroy our freedoms. I would not count out local or state bans however. I predict California will be our first total drone ban on a state level.

we dont stand a chance unless we can form a powerful lobby for the remote control hobby. Not unlike the NRA. Where the voice of many can push back on future regulations and bans.

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[Chase R]

Sorry but one of biggest threats to our hobby IMO are people like you. I'm sure some state legislator or city councilman will be contacting you soon asking you to offer your "expert" testimony to some half baked committee meeting talking about "chopped off noses" or some other hysterical nonsense. After all you'll say, "it's for the children"

I'd hope people like the OP would be smart enough to choose their words wisely if questioned by anyone of authority.

I'm more concerned about the idiots that do crash into a crowd of people and blame the drone for "flying away". It was a known issue in the past and those who have no experience flying will use that as an excuse. The idiot that shows up on the news that crashed the drone will be the one talking to state legislator or city councilman.

Something like...
"I'm an experienced pilot and have been flying for over two weeks now. I was flying between buildings in a major city and the drone just disconnected and was gone. There was nothing I could do."

 

[Butterpuff 6]

I'd hope people like the OP would be smart enough to choose their words wisely if questioned by anyone of authority.

I'm more concerned about the idiots that do crash into a crowd of people and blame the drone for "flying away". It was a known issue in the past and those who have no experience flying will use that as an excuse. The idiot that shows up on the news that crashed the drone will be the one talking to state legislator or city councilman.

Something like...
"I'm an experienced pilot and have been flying for over two weeks now. I was flying between buildings in a major city and the drone just disconnected and was gone. There was nothing I could do."

Do you have a source for the past instances of drones running into a crowd where the pilot blamed it on a runaway?


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[DroningOn]

Do you have a source for the past instances of drones running into a crowd where the pilot blamed it on a runaway?


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I second this request